Beetroot powder is notorious for its bright, vibrant colour & its distinctive ‘earthy’ taste. Of course, beetroot powder is a direct extract from the vegetable Beetroot. Its versatility in the kitchen has led to be included in most popular cuisine. But most people remain somewhat unfamiliar with its nutritional quality.

A high quantity of research exploring the vegetable & subsequently beetroot powder, has led to strong arguments for adding it to your favourite meals. Most notably, there has been a high amount of research linking beetroot to athletic performance, with some studies suggesting that it can play a key role in increasing blood flow, which ultimately leads to more energy.

In this article we explore beetroot in more detail.

What is beetroot powder?

As we all know, beetroot powder is extracted from the vegetable Beetroot, sometimes known as Beets. It is a root vegetable, formally named Beta vulgaris. Similarly to other root vegetables, beets are packed with high quality nutrients including B Vitamins, Manganese, Vitamin C, Fiber & Iron.

Beets are mostly identified by their distinctive dark purple colour. Although can also be found in different colours such as white, or even a Mediterranean yellow.

The process of transforming beets into beetroot powder is relatively straightforward. The raw vegetable is simply sliced into small pieces, before being completely dehydrated. After dehydration it is thoroughly crushed until it resembles powder.

One of the primary benefits of dehydrating & crushing beetroot powder is that it withholds almost all its high-quality nutritional properties. Unfortunately, the cooking processes (such as boiling) can contribute to root vegetables losing some of their nutritious value. This was supported in this study on the effects of cooking methods on compounds in broccoli.

Modern research considers that beetroot may be a powerful antioxidant, and a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. Along with contributing to athletic performance, other research has suggested that beetroot may support lowering blood pressure, support cardiovascular related diseases.

DISCLAIMER: THE INFORMATION & STUDIES LINKED IN THIS ARTICLE SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR MEDICAL ADVICE OR AS SUGGESTED TREATMENT OF ANY ILLNESS. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR FOR CLEAR DIRECTION ON TREATMENT FOR ANY ILLNESS OR HEALTH DISCOMFORT.

Where is Beetroot from?

As suggested with the origin of the yellow beetroot. Most research understands beetroot to originate from Mediterranean regions such as Ancient Rome & Greece.

The root is now considered to be the most nutritious part of the vegetable, although this was not always the case. Historically, and as recent as the 1500’s, beetroot was often cultivated for the it’s leaves.

Beetroot is now grown in high quantities, primarily around Europe, America & Asia. The biggest producers of sugar beet in the world are Russia, France, Germany, USA & Turkey.

Uses

Beetroot is well known around the world for its flexibility in the kitchen, a reliable addition to cooking. It can be prepared in a variety of different ways & be added to a variety of different recipes. They can include shredded beetroot for salads, blended for soups, or adding slices to pasta or pizza.

Beetroot juice is also highly popular. It is not always considered the tastiest drink out there, but its nutritious capabilities have often been a strong factor for it leaving store shelves.

Similarly to juice, beetroot powder has also grown in popularity for its nutritional qualities. As we mentioned above, athletic performance has been strongly linked with beetroot. This has made beetroot powder a common addition to liquid supplements such as protein shakes, or high nutrition smoothies.

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What are the benefits of beetroot powder?

Modern research often concludes that beetroot is packed with powerful antioxidants, healthy bioactive compounds & anti-inflammatory agents. Further research propose that it may also be antimicrobial & anti-cancerous, although this remains inconclusive. that may have a positive effect on human health. Some of the most common reported benefits are:

• Increase athletic performance & stamina
• Lowering blood pressure
• Daily energy support & reduction of fatigue

Most popular research has certainly been based on beetroots impact on stamina & athletic performance. Studies have shown beetroot to increase levels of Nitric Oxide in the human body. Effective production of Nitric Oxide promotes the transfer of essential nutrients, oxygen & blood throughout our bodies.

The promotion of Nitric Oxide can contribute to increased blood flow, gas exchange & strengthening of muscle contractions. This has led to an increase in testing how beetroot can impact athletes stamina under various different criteria. Whilst some studies have shown positive results supplementing beetroot with athletic performance, scientific conclusions remain unfulfilled.

The strong link to Nitric Oxide & high quantities of Folate, means that research has been closely linked to the impact of beetroot on blood pressure. Some short studies researching the impact of beetroot on blood pressure & hypertension have concluded positive results, although further research is required.

As a result of the above, many now consider that there is a strong argument for beetroot to contribute to a reduction of fatigue. 

Nutritional properties of beetroot powder

Beetroot powder, like anything sourced from root vegetables, is packed with nutritional goodness. It is dense with high quality daily nutritional needs such as:

• Fiber
• Vitamin C
• Manganese
• Folate

As we know, fiber is an essential nutrient mostly found in vegetables & fruit. Fiber plays a monumental role in your gut health, softening stools to make your bathroom experiences much friendlier.

Vitamin C is an essential antioxidant that contributes to healthy cells, skin & blood vessels. It plays a prominent role in the healing of wounds & bruises.

Manganese is often overlooked, but a manganese deficiency can contribute to impaired growth, low fertility levels & poor metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. In other words, it plays a critical role in your body’s development.

Earlier we linked Folate to low blood pressure. That’s because folate (also known as Vitamin B9) has an essential role in the production of red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs & transport it around the body.

Beetroot powder in every-day life

There are thousands of meal recipes that can & should include some beetroot. Next time you go shopping, refer to this article as a strong reason to add beetroot to your list.

If cooking beetroot isn’t your thing, we’ve taken the hassle out of that process by adding beetroot to our Boosted Berries coming coon.

Why not try adding it to:

• Ice cold water
• Oatmeal
• Protein shakes (we recommend adding it to a strawberry protein shake).
• Fruit smoothies

The possibilities are endless! Share your favourite Nutrifize beetroot blends with us so you can inspire our community!

For more information on other Nutrifize favourites, check out our blog here.

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