Everything You Need to Know About Juicing Beets

They may not look like much sitting there in the produce aisle, but beets are definitely one of those things that make that old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” true.

This unassuming vegetable is a veritable powerhouse, which is why anyone who wants to improve their health should be juicing beets along with their other fruit and vegetable choices.

If you haven’t already discovered the beetroot, keep reading to find out everything you need to know about including it in your juice diet.

What is a Beetroot?

Beets are in the spinach family, and when it comes to juicing, you will often see them referred to as beetroot. This is because the leaves are generally removed, leaving behind the bold red root of the vegetable.

There are some who also include the greens in their recipes, but many don’t due to their bitter flavor. In many cases, you will find that the words beet and beetroot are used interchangeably.

 


Nutritional Powerhouse

Beets contain a number of beneficial nutrients, which makes them perfect for juicing. When you add their juice to your daily intake, you will be upping your intake of many vitamins and minerals, including:

• Folic Acid
• Calcium
• Potassium
• Iron
• Vitamin A
• Vitamins B-1, B-2, and B-6
• Vitamin C
• Fiber
• Antioxidants
• Choline
• Iodine
• Manganese

If you can handle the bitterness, you can also add the greens as well – they are also high in magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, copper, and additional calcium and iron. As you can see, that funny-looking little round vegetable is packed with all things good and healthy.

Health Benefits of Juicing Beets

Given the sheer number of nutrients in the mighty little root, beet juicing just makes sense. However, for those who want to really understand some of the benefits, you might be surprised to know just how many different conditions it has been shown to be effective in alleviating or helping:

• Anemia – The beet is considered a blood builder due to the combination of copper and iron contained in the juice. This helps the red blood cells to regenerate, which means the body has more readily available oxygen transportation.

• Detoxification – The numerous nutrients, and the choline helps to detoxify the body.

• Kidney and Gall Bladder Issues – When you combine beet and carrot juice, you will doing your gall bladder and kidneys a great benefit as it helps to clean them out properly.

• Many other conditions and ailments, including blood pressure, constipation, and hardening of the arteries – It even provides polyphenols to help fight some forms of cancer.

Health Considerations

While beets do provide significant health benefits, you have to make sure that you don’t consume the juice excessively. Doing so can lead to high levels of magnesium, copper, phosphorus, and iron building up in the body.

Too much of these metals can cause damage to both the pancreas and the liver, which defeats the purpose of adding this nutritional powerhouse to your diet. You should also use beet juice sparingly if you have a history of kidney stones that contain oxalates.

You will also want to avoid adding other juices that are high in calcium with the beet juice, as this can increase the potential for causing kidney stones and deposits.

When juicing beets (and any other fresh vegetables and fruits), you have to keep in mind that they can quickly begin to grow bacteria, especially if not handled properly.

Make sure you are only making enough juice so that you can consume it fairly quickly, unless you are planning on freezing it.

Juicing Beets And Adding Them To Your Diet

If you want to add beet juice to your diet, there are some things you should keep in mind to get the best results.

• Try to select beets that are unwrinkled, and firm to the touch.

• You can increase the sweetness factor by opting for those with round bottoms, rather than flat ones.

• Remove the leaves before storing in the refrigerator – they will only last for up to four days if they are attached, but can go as long as two weeks when they don’t have to give up their water to the greens.

• Make sure to peel them, especially when using for cooking.

• If possible, avoid using juicers that heat up the juice. This will help ensure the highest amount and quality of the nutrients left in the juice.

Special Considerations

Juicing beets is a bit different from juicing other vegetables, and this is a direct result of their potency. Too much beet juice all at once can actually put the body in shock, so you have to make sure that you add it slowly.

For the first week, you should not include more than half of a beetroot, slowly working your way up to adding the whole thing in around one week. The most you should add to one to two cups of your regular juices is two ounces, and you should always mix it with other juices.

Beet juice is very strong, which is one reason for mixing it with others. However, the main reason this needs to be done is the high detoxification that the juice provides.

Drinking the juice from either the root, the greens, or a combination of the two by itself results in an amazingly fast detoxification. While this may sound great, it causes your body to react with fever, chills, nausea, and hives.

In extreme cases, it can also cause the vocal chords to become paralyzed. While these reactions are temporary, it just doesn’t make sense to put your body through that ordeal.

Beet juicing is a great way to add a wealth of beneficial nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to your diet.

As long as you make sure you understand the proper ways of using and consuming the juice, you should not have any unwanted side effects, except, of course, the numerous health benefits of this super juice.

Credits:

Dr. Axe

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