Are beetroots good for people with anemia?

1. Nutritional information of beetroots

Beetroot is a common food in the diet of many people today. It is known for its many health benefits such as reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure, and improving athletic performance. Beets contain many important nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants needed by the body. Besides that, they also contain unique bioactive compounds called betalains, which help to provide many amazing effects for several aspects of your health.

You can get the above benefits through consuming whole beets or their juice. Here are some essential vitamins and minerals found in beets, including:

-Vitamin B6: Helps support metabolism and red blood cell production 
-Folate: This is an important substance for DNA and cell health 
-Calcium: An essential mineral for bone growth and strength 
-Iron: Helps red blood cells carry oxygen easily 
-Magnesium: Helps support immune, muscle, heart and nerves 
-Manganese: Contributes to metabolism and blood sugar levels 
-Phosphorus: This is an essential nutrient for bones and teeth and helps repair cells 
-Copper: Plays an important role in creating collagen, maintaining bones and blood vessels, and supporting immune function
-Zinc: Promotes wound healing, supports the immune system and ensures normal body development

Besides, beets also contain a number of other beneficial compounds such as:

-Phytochemicals: Helps provide color and flavor to plants. They also help stimulate the immune system, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. 
-Nitrates: This is a group of organic compounds that improve blood flow and promote heart health. 
-Betalain: The substance responsible for the deep red color of beets, these pigments have effective antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-toxin properties.

2. Should you eat beets when having anemia?

Beets are one of the foods rich in iron, an essential component of red blood cells. Without iron, red blood cells would not be able to carry oxygen around the body. Therefore, people with low iron levels can sometimes have iron deficiency anemia.

Some symptoms of iron deficiency anemia, including: Dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, headache, heart arrhythmia,... To reduce the risk of this condition, you can take iron supplements, including beets. As recommended by health care professionals, people with anemia should have more beets in their daily meals so that more iron is supplied. This will help regenerate blood cells and provide an adequate amount of oxygen to the whole body. Moreover, beets also contain a large amount of copper, which promotes your body to produce more iron, thereby effectively improving the iron deficiency anemia condition.

3. Some other health benefits of beetroots

Besides supplying iron to help prevent anemia in the body, beets can also bring some of the following health benefits:

3.1. Control blood pressure

More and more studies have shown that consuming beetroots can help control high blood pressure levels. This may be due to the abundant sodium content in beets, which is converted into nitric oxide in the body. This compound dilates blood vessels, which improves blood flow and lowers overall blood pressure levels.

In a recent research, participants consumed about 70 ml of nitrate-rich beetroot juice and a denitrified placebo juice. Results showed that the blood pressure of those in the beetroot juice group decreased by 5.2 mm of mercury (mm Hg) - more than those in the placebo group after just 30 minutes. However, the blood pressure-lowering effect of beetroot juice concentrate diminishes within 24 hours.

Another small study showed that drinking 250 ml of beetroot juice daily for 4 weeks could help people with high blood pressure lower their blood pressure significantly.

3.2. Reduce inflammation

Beetroots contain anti-inflammatory compounds called betalains that inhibit the pathway leading to inflammation. A 2014 study found that a betalain called phenethylamine-betaxanthin reduced the activity of certain inflammatory enzymes by up to 32 percent.

3.3. Protect the liver

Beetroots are also a good source of vitamins A, B6, iron, and antioxidants. These compounds help protect the liver from inflammation and oxidative stress, and enhance its ability to remove toxins from the body.

In addition, beetroots also contain betacyanin pigment, which has the effect of detoxifying the liver, preventing fatigue, fighting the formation of fatty layers, and removing toxins from the liver. People who are overweight can consume beetroots every day to achieve the desired weight.

3.4. Prevent heart disease and stroke

Experts say that drinking beetroot juice can help you lower your blood pressure, thereby preventing heart disease and stroke. Besides, beetroot is said to be an effective assistant to protect heart health because it has antioxidants and cholesterol-lowering properties.

3.5. Enhance athletic performance

Certain compounds in beetroot juice, such as nitrates and betalains, can help improve physical performance. According to a 2017 review, the nitrates in beets can help boost a person's athletic performance by increasing the amount of blood and oxygen to the muscles.

4. Choose and use beetroots properly4. Choose and use beetroots properly

When choosing beetroots, you should choose those with smooth and firm skin. Beets with round bottoms tend to be sweeter than beets with flat bottoms.

When cooking beetroots, you should not cook with high heat as this can lose many essential nutrients. The skin of beets should be peeled before cooking, but keep the leaves as they also contain a lot of important nutrients like folic acid, chlorophyll, beta-carotene, iron, and vitamin C.

5. The right amount of beetroot juice in a day

There are currently no official recommendations for the recommended amount of beetroot juice.

According to a 2014 study, drinking about 250 ml of beetroot juice per day can lower blood pressure. Beetroot juice did not cause any serious side effects, however, some participants noticed a change in the color of their urine. In addition, experts also note that the ability of beetroot juice to lower blood pressure levels will depend on the nitrate concentration. This concentration can also vary widely between different beetroots.

6. Some side effects of beetroot juice

Most people can consume beets or drink beetroot juice without any negative side effects. However, if you drink beetroot juice too much for days, the natural color in beets can change the normal color of urine and stools into pink or purple. In general, these color changes are temporary and are not cause for concern.

The nitrates in beetroot juice can also affect blood pressure. People who have low blood pressure or are taking blood pressure medication should talk to their doctor before adding beetroot or beetroot juice to their daily diet.

In addition, beets also contain high levels of oxalates, which can cause kidney stones in people at high risk of this disease.

Follow Vinmec International Hospital website to get more health information, knowledge about nutrition and beauty to take care of yourself and loved ones in your family.

To arrange an appointment, please call HOTLINE or make your reservation directly HERE. You may also download the MyVinmec app to schedule appointments faster and manage your reservations more conveniently.