Most people tend to stay away from beets and getting rid of it on their salad bar buffet in favor of shredded cheese or buttered croutons. Aside from its weird appearance, most people seem to think it isn’t healthy enough to incorporate it into our diet.

But that’s where you’re wrong. According to health experts, beets are rich with vitamins and minerals your body needs. Here are the astounding health benefits you can get from eating beets.

It Helps Decrease Your Blood Pressure

Drinking water with beets or beet juice helps lower your blood pressure compared to those who drink pure water.

According to health experts, beets are rich in nitrates. Our body then uses the nitrates to convert it to nitric oxide which, in turn, relaxes our blood vessels to allow the blood to pass through with ease. A 2012-study also found beets help in improving your blood circulation.

The study showed how 13 men who drank a glass of beet juice every day were able to lower their blood pressure by 4-5 points. A separate study published in Hypertension in 2008 found that people who drink red root juice were able to drop their blood pressure and decrease their blood clotting within three hours.

Lower Risk of Heart Disease

Beets are also rich in alkaloid called betaine and B-vitamin folate, which is responsible not only in lowering your blood pressure but also in lowering your risk of acquiring heart disease. According to studies, these two vitamins help lower the blood levels of homocysteine, which lowers your risk for artery damage, blockage, and heart disease.

Helps Improve Your Stamina

According to research, most renowned and elite athletes eat plenty of beets due to its rich nitrate content. The nitrates found in beets help improve the athletes’ endurance performance – the only downside of it is their urine turning pink due to its color pigments.

In one study a cyclist who drank beet juice has the capacity to pedal hard 15% longer than a normal cyclist in a time trial without feeling exhausted. According to Andy Jones, Ph.D., most athletes tend to eat three-five beets to reap their much-needed performance boost. Meanwhile, the peak nitrate boost usually occurs within three hours after you eat or drink beets – perfect to consume before you’re awaited game.

Improve Your Liver Function

Most athletes tend to eat beets because it helps boost their endurance to perform better during a game.

Your liver organ does the heavy work of detoxifying your body and cleansing your blood. One way of alleviating your liver’s workload is by eating beets. Studies show that betaine – a type of amino acid rich in beets reduce the accumulation of unhealthy fats in the liver.

Animal studies also show rats have been given beet juice have increased their levels of detoxifying enzymes in their bloodstream. Aside from that, the health experts claim diabetes patients improve their liver function while lowering their cholesterol as they drink beet juices every day.

Better Brain Function

Drinking beet juice helps boost your mental alertness aside from engaging yourself in mind-stimulating activities.

Since the nitrates found in beets can help increase your blood flow, it can reach your brain easier, thus, it improves your brain function. According to studies, our body’s capacity to generate nitric oxide decreases as we get older, causing our brain’s neuron activity and energy metabolism to diminish.

This causes us to start being forgetful or experience other brain disease symptoms. It’s vital to remain our mental alertness by giving it a boost with beets.

A separate 2010-study also found men and women aging from 74 and above who have a high-nitrate diet and consume beets enjoyed more blood flow to their frontal lobes as signs of enhanced functioning skills like enthusiasm, organization, focus, and attention to detail have emerged compared to those patients who didn’t undergo a high-nitrate diet.