Beetroot (Chukandar) Juice benefits and side effects

Beetroot juice is extensively studied for its energising properties, mainly to be used as an energy drink substitute for athletes. Studies indicate that beetroots harbour rich stores of nitric oxide which aids in improving the nitric oxide levels in the blood. This nitric oxide then increases vasodilation (dilation of arteries) and provides more blood to the body tissues, leading to an improved performance. It also leads to a lesser muscle fatigue through an unknown mechanism. Interestingly, the Australian Institute of Sport has listed it as category A performance enhancers along with caffeine and creatine.

In a random clinical study done in the Netherlands, beetroot juice supplementation was found to increase blood nitrate levels and improve endurance within six days.

A recent clinical trial demonstrated a significant reduction in muscle fatigue in elite runners on adding beetroot juice to their regular diet. However, no such improvement was found in their performance.

Apart from being an excellent sports drink, beetroot juice is increasingly gaining popularity as a blood pressure lowering drink. This, again, is due to the nitric oxide enhancing properties of this drink. High blood pressure is mainly characterised by excessive force of blood flow over the arterial walls. As nitric oxide dilates blood vessels, it gives more space for the blood to flow thereby reducing its impact on the walls of the blood vessels.

In a clinical study involving 15 men, supplementing 500 g of beetroot juice was demonstrated to improve blood pressure levels within 24 hours.

Heart failure in older adults often leads to blood pressure imbalances an intolerance to regular exercises. According to a research article published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology, adding beetroot juice to the daily diet of such individuals leads to a marked improvement in blood pressure and endurance within a week.

Yet another ageing related problem is higher levels of blood coagulation and inflammation in the arteries. Both of these increase the risk of high blood pressure due to arterial narrowing. According to a random clinical trial, taking 140 mL of beetroot juice was found to improve both of these parameters within 6 hours of administration.

Weight gain and obesity are two of the extensively studied subjects in the modern century. Blame the fast-paced life and calorie-rich-nutrient-deficit meals, obesity has become a global epidemic. While exercise is the best way to burn all that extra fat, a lot of focus has also been put on diet and supplements. Due to its nutrient-rich and endurance enhancing benefits, beetroot has become the so-called ‘rage’ in weight loss industry. Everybody wants to know if all those weight loss claims are true.

Studied indicate that obesity is caused due to an increase in fat cell size in the body which puts an excessive stress on the body functions. This stress is in the form of free radicals, which, in turn, cause inflammation that is the ultimate marker of obesity.

Beetroot is suggested to be an excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory food. It not only reduces inflammation but also it reduces the oxidative stress thus alleviating the original cause of inflammation.

Additionally, beetroot juice improves endurance and exercise performance, though it may not help you much if you are into moderate exercise, it might improve your capacity to endure a regular cardio regime and increase the pace of your weight loss program.

If you are taking beetroot juice with its pulp, it would have an additional benefit in the form of fibre. Fibre not only aids in improving digestion but also it facilitates an easy passage of stools through the intestines.

(Read more: Diet chart for weight loss)

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Anaemia is a condition marked by a reduction in total haemoglobin levels in the body and iron deficiency is one of the most common types of anaemia. Teen and pre-teen girls and women, in general, are the high-risk population. Beetroot juice is rich in iron, which makes it an excellent remedy for anaemia. In fact, it is traditionally used to improve iron deficiency and reduce anaemia symptoms. Beetroot is also a good source of vitamin C and folate, which are two of the other causes of anaemia. Vitamin C helps in iron absorption from the intestines and folic acid are responsible for making RBC. Several clinical studies indicate the anti-anaemia potential of beetroot juice. In a clinical study done in India, 30 adolescent girls were given fresh beetroot juice in the morning, for a period of 20 days. Marked improvement was reported in haemoglobin levels in all subjects.

Similar results were noted in another clinical trial done on middle-aged women.

In a recent study, a mix of beetroot juice and jaggery was found to be very useful in improving blood haemoglobin levels in teenage girls.

Beetroot juice is the perfect supplement for your health as it provides you with so many vitamins and minerals and is very low on fat. Regular consumption of beet juice leads to an overall improvement in body health and your skin is not excluded from that. A healthy person usually has a glowing and youthful skin. Looking at the nutrient composition, beetroot has a special collection just for your skin. It is rich in vitamin C which is a component in collagen synthesis, a protein that makes sure your skin stays young and wrinkle-free. Boasting a good antioxidant pool, beet juice helps you resist the free radical damage that is otherwise responsible for ageing skin and blemishes.

Vitamin A is yet another nutrient present in beet juice and studies have found that its topical application reduces age-related and injury damage to the skin. You can put a twist to your face mask and add some beet juice to it to get a glowing and healthy looking skin.

(Read more: How to tighten face skin)

Just like its skin benefits, the overall health-promoting properties of beetroot juice is extended to the hair too. Beetroot hosts iron and vitamin A, both of which have been associated with a reduction in hair loss due to their role in the synthesis of new hair shafts.

Further, beet juice contains antioxidants like vitamin C which have been known to reduce oxidative stress and delay premature greying of hairs. It will also prevent hair fall along with promoting shinier and healthier hairs.

Beet juice improves blood circulation and combats anaemia ensuring a better blood supply to the body tissues. This, in turn, supplies important nutrients to your scalp ascertaining stronger and longer hair shafts.

(Read more: Hair fall causes)

Liver is an important detoxifying organ in body. It makes sure that all the harmful chemicals and drugs are cleared out of our system. Though oxidative stress and free radicals deteriorate liver function and lead to liver damage. Animal-based studies indicate the hepatoprotective benefits of beetroot juice due to the presence of natural antioxidants. In a lab study, betanin, a chemical component present in beetroot juice was found to increase the expression of antioxidant enzymes in human liver cells.

An excess of oxidative stress may also lead to an excessive multiplication of body cells and development of tumours and cancer. Beetroot extracts have also demonstrated anti-cancer effects on liver cancer cells in preclinical studies.

However, due to lack of clinical trials, it is hard to confirm any of these claims yet.

(Read more: Foods that cleanse the liver)

A decline in brain function is quite common with age. It might manifest in the form of reduced cognition, memory or dementia. This is mainly due to a reduction in brain cell networks and brain signalling. The good news is that you can prevent this by drinking beet juice regularly. Clinical studies have found that beet juice improves the networking in brain cells and motor functions in older adults, making it as good as that in young people.

It also improves blood flow to the brain, thus reducing the risk of dementia in older individuals.

In another study, the vasodilation effects of beetroot juice were suggested to improve blood perfusion in the brain and avoiding the brain cell damage due to this age-related problem.

Not only this but, betanin, the compound responsible for the deep red colour of beetroot, which is also present in beetroot juice, is found to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s by downregulating the misfolding of beta-amyloid protein.

(Read more: How to improve brain power)

By now we already know that beet juice is an excellent hypotensive agent (Reduces blood pressure) and it increases blood flow and reduces arterial inflammation and blood clotting. All of these are the major contributors to heart-related ailments. According to a study published by the American Psychological Society, the nitric oxide released by beet juice also helps in maintaining heart rates by stimulating a certain nerve signal from brain.

High cholesterol is yet another risk factor for heart disease. Preclinical studies indicate that the chemical components present in beetroot aid in eliminating this risk by reducing cholesterol levels and avoiding lipid peroxidation which is otherwise responsible for plaque formation in the arteries and atherosclerosis.

(Read more: Heart disease treatment)