Beetroot Powder's Health Benefits

Beetroots are high in nitrates, antioxidants, and polyphenol chemicals, all of which help with cardiovascular health and athletic performance. ^[1]

However, because beetroot juice has storage and taste restrictions, various more practical forms have been studied. Beetroot powder is one of these forms.

What Is Beetroot Powder?

Beetroot powder is created by dehydrating or drying thin slices of beetroot until they are completely dry, then grinding them into a powder.

If you don’t like beetroot’s earthy flavor, beetroot powder is a good option because it is more concentrated than raw beetroot but has a more neutral flavor. One fresh beetroot is roughly the same as one teaspoon of beetroot powder.

Sauces, smoothies, pasta, gnocchi, curries, cakes, muffins, and anything else you want to add nutrition and color to may all benefit from powdered beetroot.

Keep in mind that the color of your urine may alter as well! Beetroot may also be used as a natural sweetener because of its inherent sugars.

Beetroot Powder VS. Other Beetroot Products

Beetroot juice, cooked beetroot, powder, and chips were tested for overall antioxidant capacity, phenol chemicals, sugars, and organic acids in one research.

In comparison to the juice and cooked beetroot, the chips and powder had greater levels of overall antioxidant potential and organic acids.^[2]

However, it’s crucial to remember that powdered or juiced beetroot is considerably simpler to consume than raw beets, which means consuming far more sugar.

Health Benefits of Beetroot

While beetroot may offer some health advantages, it’s unclear if they are short-term or long-term. More study is needed to determine the appropriate dosage and address this question.

Only a few research have looked at beetroot powder, with the majority focusing on beetroot juice. So far, there hasn’t been any proof to back up the claim that beetroot powder improves blood flow. ^[3]

Regardless, beetroot includes a variety of chemicals with distinct characteristics. The six health advantages of beetroot powder are listed below.

1. Beetroot Powder Is Rich in Nitrates

For starters, beetroot powder is high in nitrates. Increased blood flow, gas exchange, mitochondrial efficiency, and muscular contraction strength are all essential functions of nitrates. ^[4]

Nitrate causes the smooth muscles that surround arteries and veins to relax, promoting dilatation of these blood vessels and therefore decreasing blood pressure.

Nitrate medicines relax blood arteries, expanding them to enable more blood flow, and are used to treat high blood pressure, angina, and heart disease. ^[5]

A meta-analysis that examined the findings of 22 separate studies revealed that drinking more beetroot juice lowers blood pressure substantially. ^[6] The long-term consequences, however, are not supported by data. ^[7]

2. Beetroot Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Second, antioxidant polyphenol chemicals found in beetroot have anti-inflammatory effects. Antioxidants are chemicals that can neutralize free radicals and protect cells from damage that might result in chronic illnesses.

A diet rich in antioxidants, such as those found in fruits and vegetables, has been linked to a decreased risk of chronic illness.^[8] Because various polyphenol chemicals have different colors, it’s common to hear that eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables is beneficial.

3. Beetroot Has Anti-Cancer Effects

Beetroot also includes betalains, which have been shown to have anti-cancer properties in experimental cellular models. ^[9]Clinical trials are now required to determine whether or if there are any possible anti-inflammatory or anti-cancer effects, as well as the nature of these effects.

While the anti- cancer

benefits of beetroot in people are unknown, eating them in your diet may benefit you and pose no danger.

4. Beetroot Powder Is a Great Source of Vitamins C and Folate

Vitamins C and B9 are also abundant in beetroots (folate). Vitamin C and folate serve a variety of functions in our bodies. Collagen, which functions as a framework in the skin and ligaments, requires vitamin C for production.

It also helps with wound healing and protein synthesis. Folic acid is required for the formation of healthy red blood cells as well as cell growth.

Scurvy can develop if you don’t get enough vitamin C during a three-month period, and smoking reduces bioavailability even more.^[10]

5. Beetroot Contains Essential Minerals

Iron, manganese, and potassium are also found in beets. Iron is required for oxygen transfer by healthy red blood cells. Iron deficiency anemia affects over 40% of children globally, and women of reproductive age are particularly vulnerable due to menstruation.^[11]

Potassium may actually protect you from the negative consequences of ingesting too much salt (sodium chloride).

Manganese has a variety of tasks in the body, including metabolism, bone production, and immune system function. Beets are an excellent method to get all of these vitamins into your diet.

6. Beetroot Powder Is a Great Source of Fibe

Fiber is such an important part of our diet that most of us would have to consume a lot more to get the recommended daily intake of 30 grams. You may reduce your long-term risk of colon cancer by eating 10 grams of fiber each day. ^[12]

Fibre also serves as a prebiotic, supplying food for the microbiota, or friendly microorganisms in your gut. In your gut, there are billions of microbes that are now recognized to have a role in inflammation and mental and physical health.

Beetroots can help you get more fiber and promote a healthy gut community by increasing your fiber intake.

Beetroot clearly includes a range of vitamins, minerals, nitrates, and antioxidants for a comparatively low-calorie count. Beetroot is classified as a “nutraceutical” for these reasons, and supplementation is becoming increasingly popular. ^[13]

While the majority of research has focused on beetroot’s impact on blood vessel dilatation, there are still many unsolved issues concerning additional possible advantages.

How to Choose Beetroot Powder

There is virtually minimal regulation, just as with other supplements. As a result, determining exactly what is in the supplement or assessing its quality is quite difficult.

Check for a product license and always buy from a trustworthy firm when buying a supplement, in my opinion.

However, there are no agreed-upon quality or effectiveness criteria. At this moment, we don’t know how much or how often. Preservatives, sweeteners, and artificial flavorings should all be avoided in powders. Consider if the extra cost of an organic powder is worthwhile to you.

To minimize clumping, I would avoid powders with additional silica. Some supplements now rely on third-party firms to certify their authenticity.

Because there isn’t a standard dose of nitrate or beetroot powder, it’s impossible to determine what this implies in reality.

The higher the nitrate concentration, the better the effect on high blood pressure. It’s tough to tell if additional nitrate is useful if you don’t have high blood pressure.

In conclusion, seek for:

Preservatives, sweeteners, and artificial flavourings are not included in organic beetroot powder that has been tested for quality by a third party.
Silica-containing powders should be avoided.
Purchase from a reliable vendor.
Take a look at the amount of nitrate in the food.

How to Make Your Own Beetroot Powder

Wash, peel, and grate the beets by hand or in a food processor first. Then, to shield them from direct sunlight, lay them on a tray, spread them out, and cover them with parchment or grease-proof paper.

Allow drying until there is no moisture remaining, shaking occasionally to ensure equal drying. It’s ready for the next stage when it snaps instead of bending and feels dry.

Depending on the air temperature, the drying step might take up to four days. You may speed up the drying process by cooking it on low heat in a pot for 15 to 25 minutes, by baking it at 180 degrees Celsius in an oven, or by using a dehydrator. Just be careful when using the oven or the stove.

The final step is to grind the dried beetroot using a grinder. It can then be stored in an airtight container, avoiding sun-light for up to one year.

Should You Try Beetroot Powder?

Beets are nutritious vegetables that are high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, nitrates, and fiber. Beets contain nitrates, which may reduce blood pressure in the short term, but the long-term consequences are unknown.

Other possible advantages, such as the influence on cancer, will require more investigation.

As a result, while beetroot powder may have health advantages if used in moderation, it is unlikely to cause serious adverse effects. Large amounts of beetroot, on the other hand, have been linked to an increased risk of kidney stones.

Because there isn’t enough safety information on beetroot supplements, it’s advised to avoid them if you’re pregnant or nursing. Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, or FODMAPS, are also found in beets.

These are difficult-to-digest carbohydrates that might induce irritable bowel syndrome symptoms in certain persons.

FODMAPS are considered to serve as prebiotics, providing food for the good bacteria in your stomach (microbiota). As a result, individuals who can handle them, are good to gut health.