Beetroot: The Humble Root with Remarkable Benefits

By Mel, Bare Health

We are all familiar with beetroot as a colourful salad staple, adding vibrant purple-red hues to summer plates and sandwiches. It’s also a favourite in many an allotment, prized by gardeners for being relatively easy to grow and rewarding to harvest. Yet beneath its earthy appearance lies a nutritional powerhouse that has been valued for centuries for both its flavour and health-promoting properties.

Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) belongs to the same family as spinach and chard and has been cultivated since ancient times. While the leafy tops were originally the main attraction, the swollen root we enjoy today gradually became a dietary staple across Europe. In recent years, beetroot has experienced something of a renaissance, thanks to growing interest in its impressive health credentials.

One of beetroot’s standout features is its high concentration of naturally occurring nitrates. When consumed, these nitrates are converted into nitric oxide in the body, a compound that helps relax and widen blood vessels. This can improve blood flow and support healthy blood pressure levels. For this reason, beetroot juice has become particularly popular among athletes, with studies suggesting it may enhance endurance and exercise performance by improving oxygen delivery to muscles.

Beetroot is also rich in essential nutrients. It provides a good source of folate, which contributes to healthy cell growth and is particularly important during pregnancy. It also contains potassium, which supports normal muscle and nerve function, as well as manganese, vitamin C and dietary fibre.

The deep crimson colour of beetroot comes from plant compounds known as betalains. These powerful antioxidants help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals and are thought to have anti-inflammatory properties. Research continues to explore the potential role of betalains in supporting overall health and wellbeing.

While fresh beetroot remains a versatile addition to the kitchen, many people also choose to benefit from it in other forms. Concentrated beetroot juice shots have become increasingly popular among sports enthusiasts looking for a convenient source of dietary nitrates before training or competition. Beetroot is also widely available as a supplement in capsules, powders and tablets, offering an easy way to incorporate it into a daily wellness routine when fresh produce is not readily available.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy beetroot beyond the traditional salad. It can be roasted to bring out its natural sweetness, blended into soups, added to smoothies, or even used in baking, where it lends moisture to cakes and brownies.

An interesting fact is that beetroot can temporarily turn urine or stools pink or red in some people, a harmless phenomenon known as beeturia. Another curiosity is that the world’s heaviest beetroot weighed over 23 kilograms, roughly the weight of a young child.

Whether freshly pulled from an allotment, enjoyed as a concentrated juice shot, or taken as a supplement, beetroot is far more than a colourful accompaniment. This humble root vegetable offers a wealth of nutrients, fascinating history and potential health benefits, making it a worthy addition to any balanced diet.

For more information on how to benefit from the healthy properties of beetroot, do pop by and chat to the team at Bare Health on High Street, Congleton. They will be happy to advise on the range of beetroot supplements and concentrated juices available, and how they may fit into your individual health and wellbeing goals.

If taking prescribed medication or undergoing any form of medical treatment always seek the guidance of your GP or health care professional prior to making changes to your daily health regime.