Beets help prevent dementia
Another health benefit of eating more beets is that they can help to prevent the onset of dementia. As mentioned in the previous section, beets increase the flow of blood to the brain and improve brain function.
Doctors from WebMD say that a study into the effect of beets on brain health has found that beet juice could help fight the progression of dementia.The study, published by the Wake Forest University found that after four days of drinking beetroot juice, MRI scans showed that there was more blood flow in the area of the brain that is connected with dementia and other cognitive conditions.
Beetroot can help prevent cancer
There are some promising studies showing that beet extracts have an anti-cancer effect and can help to prevent certain cancers from developing. Researchers have said that “ingesting beetroot is a useful means to prevent cancer.”
Side Effects of Eating Beets
One of the most noticeable side effects of consuming more beets in your diet is that they can turn your stool and urine pink or red (medically called beeturia). There is a lot that the color of your stool can tell about your health, but pinkish stool or urine due to eating beets is not something to be worried about.
Doctors from the NHS in the United Kingdom say that some foods, including beets, prevent calcium being absorbed into your body. This can cause kidney stones to form due to the buildup of calcium in your kidneys.
Eating beets regularly in your diet could also be one of the reasons for your teeth turning yellow.
Tips on Storing and Cooking Beets
Beets can be stored through the winter if they are in a cool dark place that is slightly humid. If stored in warm dry places, beets will tend to sprout and shrivel up.
You can also store beets by freezing them. Before freezing beets, you have to cook them until tender. Then chop or slice the beets and store in the freezer.
According to The World’s Healthiest Foods, beets can lose their health benefits if cooked for too long. They recommend cutting medium-sized beets into quarters, leave the skin on, and then steaming them for 15 minutes. You can roast beets for up to one hour in the oven.
Alternatively, you can make a delicious traditional Russian soup called borscht. This combines beets, onions, red cabbage and parsley in a broth. This way, you can create a delicious meal that uses all the health benefits of beets.