1 week Ago By [email protected] (Neil Shaw)
Beetroot has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Supply issues in recent months have seen a of beetroot on supermarket shelves. But as supplies increase, we are turning our attention to beetroot’s apparent health benefits says Professor Lauren Ball of The University of Queensland.
Is beetroot really vegetable Viagra, as UK TV doctor Michael Mosley ? What about beetroot’s other apparent health benefits – from reducing your to improving your ? Here’s what the science says. Beetroot – foods such as berries, nuts and leafy greens – is a “ ”. It contains above-average levels per gram of certain vitamins and minerals.
Beetroot is particularly vitamin B and C, minerals, fibre and antioxidants. Most cooking methods don’t significantly alter its . Pressure cooking does, however, lower levels of carotenoid (a type of antioxidant) compared to raw beetroot.
into capsules, powders, chips or juice may affect beetroot’s ability to act as an antioxidant. However, this can between products, including between different brands of beetroot juice. Is beetroot really vegetable Viagra? The Romans are said to have used beetroot and its juice as an .
But there’s limited scientific evidence to say beetroot improves your sex life. This does not mean it doesn’t. Rather, the vast number of scientific looking at the effect of beetroot have not measured libido or other aspects of sexual health.
How could it work? When we eat beetroot, chemical reactions involving bacteria and enzymes transform the nitrate in beetroot into nitrite, then to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps dilate (widen) blood vessels, potentially . The of dietary nitric oxide that have been tested in clinical studies are beetroot, rocket and spinach.
Nitric oxide is also thought to in its role in controlling blood flow before and during sex in men. Beetroot’s ability to improve blood flow can benefit the system of the heart and blood vessels. This may positively impact sexual function, theoretically in men and women.
Therefore, it is reasonable to suggest there could be a link between beetroot and preparedness for sex, but don’t expect it to transform your sex life. What else could beetroot do? Beetroot has received increasing attention over recent years due to its effects in humans. Clinical trials have not verified all beetroot’s active ingredients and their effects.
However, beetroot may be a potentially helpful for various health issues related to oxidative stress and inflammation, such as cancer and diabetes. The idea is that you can take beetroot supplements or eat extra beetroot alongside your regular medicines (rather than replace them). There is beetroot juice can help lower systolic blood pressure (the first number in your blood pressure reading) by 2.
73-4.81 mmHg (millimetres of mercury, the standard unit of measuring blood pressure) in people with high blood pressure. Some researchers say this reduction is comparable to the with certain medications and dietary interventions.
finds even people without high blood pressure (but at risk of it) could benefit. Beetroot may also . Some show small benefits for endurance athletes (who run, swim or cycle long distances).
These studies looked at various forms of the food, such as as well as . How to get more beetroot in your diet There is scientific evidence to support positive impacts of consuming beetroot in , and forms. So even if you can’t get hold of tinned beetroot, there are plenty of other ways you can get more beetroot into your diet.
You can try: Are there any downsides? Compared to the of studies on the beneficial effects of beetroot, there is very little evidence of negative side effects. If you eat large amounts of beetroot, your urine may turn red or purple (called ). But this is generally harmless.
There have been reports in some countries of beetroot-based dietary supplements with harmful substances. Beetroot may give some modest boost to sex for men and women, likely by helping your circulation. But it’s unlikely to transform your sex life or act as vegetable Viagra.
We know there are to sexual wellbeing. Diet is only one. For individually tailored support talk to your GP or an .
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