When people think of rebooting their diet and including more vegetables, their mind probably goes straight to the leafy greens like kale, which is a very popular “superfood” but there are plenty of different healthy options like beets. Red beets are very common in North America and the prices aren’t bad at all at the grocery stores. It’s simple to prepare and packed with heart-healthy benefits. What’s not to like?
Outside of being a great source of fiber, vitamin C, folate, and essential minerals like potassium (great for nerves and muscles), beets are packed with something called betaine.
Betaine does wonders for cardiovascular health because it lessens the body’s concentration of homocysteine, which is a substance that is harmful to blood vessels, causing peripheral vascular disease, stroke, and heart disease.
There is also significant scientific evidence that betaine is beneficial in protecting against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, that it reduces internal organ inflammation, and that it likely protects against numerous chronic diseases.
RELATED: Top Reasons To Include Beets In Your Diet
How To Prepare Them
A popular way to prepare beets is to boil them and serve them as a side dish or in cold salads. In Eastern European countries, adding beets to soup is a very popular cooking method.
If you are trying to boost your cardiovascular-related health problems, consider juicing.
The juice from red beets has shown signs of reducing high blood pressure, which is particularly beneficial for people with hypertension or who are at risk of developing cardiovascular complications.
Consuming 500 milliliters of beet juice results in an