Including organic beet juice in your diet is a healthy choice. Not only can it help to prevent certain birth defects, but it is also used to treat other medical conditions.
Health Benefits of Organic Beet Juice
Beet juice contains a number of nutrients that are essential for good health, including:
- Copper
- Fiber
- Folate
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Vitamin C
Preventing Birth Defects
Women who are of childbearing age should make sure that they are getting enough folate, a B vitamin in their diet. Drinking organic beet juice is an excellent source of this essential nutrient. Getting enough folate in the diet can help to prevent neural tube defects in the developing fetus. It's important to get enough folate in the diet as a matter of course. By the time a woman is far enough along in her pregnancy that she is able to have her condition confirmed by a doctor, the baby's spinal column is already forming. For folate to be effective in helping to prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, it must be taken before the woman finds out that she is pregnant.
Treating Cancer
According to the Organic Consumers Association, beet juice is recommended by naturopaths as part of a plan to treat cancer. Consuming organic foods is a way to detoxify the body and give the immune system a boost. With this approach to medicine, cancer treatments like surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are considered a way to relieve symptoms, as opposed to a way to treat the disease.
Lowering High Blood Pressure
Drinking beet juice is a natural remedy that can lower high blood pressure, according to a British study. Beets contain high levels of nitrate, which has been linked to bringing blood pressure down to a normal level. When beet juice is consumed, it is converted to nitrate by bacteria that is normally present on the tongue. The juice makes its way through the esophagus to the stomach, where it turns into nitric oxide. It may also re-enter the bloodstream in the form of nitrate. The results of the study showed that blood pressure in the body is reduced when nitrate levels in the bloodstream are elevated.
Increased Stamina
Another study conducted in the United Kingdom found that drinking beet juice can increase stamina. The study was conducted on a small group of men aged 19-38. They were asked to drink beet juice daily for six days. The participants were then asked to perform a series of physical tests, including riding on an exercise bicycle. Part of the test involved having the participants drink a placebo made from black currant cordial for another six-day period. The men were again asked to perform some exercises. As a group, the participants were able to cycle 92 seconds longer after drinking the beet juice. Their resting blood pressure was lower when were drinking the juice as well.
Where to Buy Organic Beet Juice
Consumers can buy beet juice from retail sellers or online. Some consumers prefer to purchase a powder that they can mix with water. Online stores offering beet juice produced without artificial pesticides include the following:
