John Myers
Beetroot is healthy, can help you lose weight, and adds color to the kitchen. But the beetroot can also become a health risk. You can find out what these risks look like and how much you can safely consume every day in the following overview.
Are Beets Healthy?
Definitely yes! Beetroot contains a number of high-quality ingredients such as folic acid, vitamins, and minerals and even helps against some diseases. For example, regular consumption of the beet can help against high blood pressure, as it dilates the often constricted blood vessels.
Athletes can also benefit from the tuber. Beetroot is said to promote the formation of mitochondria, which manifests itself in the form of an increase in performance. Better blood circulation also ensures better and faster regeneration of muscles and connective tissue. But also the vitality and performance in everyday life are strengthened.
The quantity makes the poison
Do you like the wintry garden vegetables and are they good for you? Great, but as with any treat, don’t overdose. The vitamins and minerals it contains are almost unlimitedly positive for you, but unfortunately, beetroot also contains oxalates and nitrates, which can lead to health problems in higher quantities. The risks mostly relate to the urinary tract, since the end products are deposited in the kidneys and urinary organs. So if you are prone to kidney stones, you should limit the enjoyment.
If you want to know more about the risks of oxalic acid and nitrates and the side effects of beetroot, read our article When can beetroot become dangerous?
Note: If you have already been diagnosed with a previous illness of the metabolism or the organs involved, you should not eat the beetroot without consulting a doctor!
Daily dose
Whether as a dietary supplement, cooked, raw, or as a juice, you should not exceed the following amounts per day:
- 500 ml beetroot juice
- 700 g uncleaned vegetables
- Dietary supplements according to package directions
For half a liter of juice, you need 600-700 g of raw tubers. The daily dose is for the total amount – so if you drink 500ml of juice, you shouldn’t also be grating half a kilo into your salad!
Battle of the sexes
The recommended maximum amount should not be exceeded by women under any circumstances – men can tolerate up to 100 ml/g more, provided they are rather tall and powerfully built. The blood pressure-lowering effect of beetroot has been proven in men – however, males are also more prone to kidney stones and urinary tract diseases.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding period
You can safely consume beetroot in the recommended amounts during pregnancy. Due to the high folic acid content, consumption is even recommended. Breastfeeding mothers, on the other hand, should eat little or no beetroot, as the nitrates it contains can be converted to nitrite and ultimately passed to the infant through breast milk. Nitrite can prevent the transport of oxygen in the blood. In this context, one speaks of “infant blue addiction”. Therefore, the beetroot is not suitable for the first few months.
Do you want more?
If you drink beetroot juice daily, you may not have a daily budget of beetroot left. Vary between the versions – a delicious Hamburger Labskaus with the intensely colored beet is a good alternative to juice. The cooked beets are also less risky, so you can enjoy them more than raw vegetables.
Are you running out of ideas? No problem! The red tuber also tastes incredibly delicious as a
- Creamy beetroot soup with cream
- Beetroot carpaccio with feta rocket salad
- Pop of color on the plate: beetroot gnocchi in gorgonzola sauce
You can also ferment beets super easily.
