Beetroot benefits
Beetroot is a dark red vegetable with an acquired taste that has been linked with better stamina, improved blood flow and lower blood pressure.
But what's the truth about beetroot benefits?
medref_beetroot.jpg
Image credit: Thinkstock/Anna Kucherova
Beetroot facts
The website lovebeetroot.co.uk says the vegetable became popular in Roman times and it was used to treat fever, constipation, wounds, skin problems - and was used as an aphrodisiac.
Most beetroot on sale is round and red, but yellow, white and stripey versions are available.
The beetroot taste is described as sweet, earthy and tender to eat once cooked or pickled. It’s a root vegetable related to turnips, swedes and sugar beet. Whilst beetroot has a sweet taste, its leaves (which are also edible) taste bitter.
Beetroot has featured in recipes from top chefs including Jamie Oliver and Heston Blumenthal.
The red colour of beetroot can be extracted and used as a natural food colourant. It has the ‘E’ number E162.
If you're considering beetroot as one of your 5-a-day, it contains potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, B6 and C, folic acid, carbohydrates, protein, antioxidants and soluble fibre. Beetroot leaves are source of calcium, iron, beta-carotene, and vitamin C.
Beetroot for blood pressure management
Researchers have known for some time that juice may help lower blood pressure due to its naturally occurring nitrate content. Nitrates are also found in vegetables, fruits and processed meats.
In lab studies of healthy men, a nitrate-rich beetroot drink lowered blood pressure for a few hours after drinking, due to its effect relaxing artery walls. In athletes, nitrate-rich beetroot drinks are often taken to help improve blood flow to muscles during exercise, and to relieve some post-exercise muscle aches.
Beetroot for the brain and dementia
Blood flow studies have shown drinking beetroot juice increases blood flow to the brain for a short while in older people. Maintaining good blood circulation to the brain is associated with a reduced risk of vascular dementia, one of the main causes of dementia.
Nitrates in the food we eat and drink can be converted into nitrites by bacteria in the mouth. We then swallow these nitrites in saliva, which when absorbed into our body help dilate (widen) arteries, increasing blood flow and supplying the oxygen needs demanded by body cells.
The British Dietetic Association (BDA) says beetroot contains flavonoids called anthocyanins which are responsible for the deep pigments. Anthocyanins, the BDA says, can help with recovery from the stress of exercise during training and competition as well as helping to counter the effects of pollution on the body.
Beetroot side effects
There are some interesting side effects of eating too much beetroot. It can turn urine pink, which can be mistaken for blood in the urine. It may also alter the colour of your poo – which can be used to give you an idea of how quickly food moves through your body.
Kidney stones are painful stones made sometimes from calcium oxalate. If you suffer from renal oxalate stones, make sure you drink plenty of fluid (not coffee) and cut down on dietary oxalates from green leafy vegetables (including beetroot leaves), rhubarb, chocolate, cashews and peanuts.
Population studies across countries show that a high intake of fruits and vegetables (at least 5-a-day) helps manage blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. This might be in part due to their nitrate content, but as the amounts of nitrate vary widely in these it’s more likely due to their vitamin, mineral and phytochemical content, too. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is best for health benefits.
Whether drinking ‘dried greens’ as part of a smoothie, or a beetroot ‘shot’ drink, it’s important to realise that substances in these processed vegetable products may be far higher than naturally occurring in the diet.
Nitrites - formed in our saliva by mouth bacteria working on nitrates - can interact with dietary protein in the stomach to potentially make substances called nitrosamines. The majority of nitrosamines are carcinogenic (cancer causing) in animals and this is likely to be similar in humans. Research has not been done to show whether taking nitrate-rich vegetable drinks long term is safe in terms of nitrosamine levels with a high nitrate diet.
The nitrosamine effect is similar to the risk from processed meats, where the nitrite content of bacon or sausages interacts with meat protein to form nitrosamines. Vitamin C rich foods may help reduce nitrosamine formation.
In summary, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables provides you with nitrates and other substances that help reduce blood pressure and lowers your risk of heart disease. Taking high dose nitrate drinks has been shown in research studies to have short-acting benefits on blood pressure and improved blood flow, but the safety of concentrated-nitrate foods and drinks taken regularly over a number of years has yet to be proven.
You need your mouth bacteria to make the essential conversion of nitrates into nitrites. But remember if you use a mouthwash you kill off mouth bacteria that cause tooth decay - but also stop dietary nitrates from being converted into nitrites that have the blood-pressure lowering effect.
Dietitian reviewed by Catherine Collins RD
Further reading:
Slideshow: Seasonal superfoods to try this summer
Slideshow: Delicious, filling foods that don’t pack on pounds
Top 10 super foods for women
What are 'superfoods'?
Eat smarter for a healthier brain
10 everyday 'superfoods'
10 great foods you're not eating
See all Superfoods topics
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WebMD Medical Reference
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Medically Reviewed by Dr Rob Hicks on June 20, 2017
© 2017 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
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February 4 at 11:00pm ·
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Rahul Anand
Rahul Anand We Indian's have known these benefits and have been incorporating them into our meals since ages and now all of a sudden these people start acting like it's something new they've found out through some research.
These are the same guys who called us fools when we brushed our teeth with salt, charcoal and neem sticks and later Incorporated the same elements into their toothpaste and called them beneficial.
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Edwin Mendez
Edwin Mendez 20 years huh so If I had 6yo liver does that reset my alcohol tolerance or do I get fucked up just by smelling whiskey now? Lol
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Kristina Mariano
Kristina Mariano This fruit is called "tamarind"; sampaloc in Filipino...I can find these in Asian markets/groceries.
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Fari Kanwal
Fari Kanwal We in Pakistan have been drinking tamarind juice since ages
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Carla Rezac
Carla Rezac For a minute i thought it was big ass peanuts but when i saw the add to the end fruit that i had never seen before or heard of, I'm curious to know if it taste good,usually if it good for you it's sometimes taste really bad.
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Levi Bantiles
Levi Bantiles Ok.. You lost me on the: "The Tamarind Fruits is great for eliminate far in your liver".. maybe this posts is great for eliminate too? π€ͺ #RIP #plurals #grammar #eliminates i engrishing shoo bad..
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Linda E. Montalvo
Linda E. Montalvo The best snow cone I’ve ever had was made from tamarind syrup, and I’m talking about the real concentrated one not the watery kind.
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Pari Azmin
Pari Azmin Rizwan Khan see the benefit Emili, no wonder Indians love so long , chutney keh Maza , but the way Nani puts spices and sugar kills the purpose probably, the way we ate was the best hahahaha lol π
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MeeryScar-let Bravo
MeeryScar-let Bravo Ummm love it!! Specially on summertime to make some fresh water out of this tamarindos peel them, soak them in water for about 2 hours then using your hands smash them, use a strainer to separate the seeds then add water and sugar to taste and ice, and..... OMG!!! I want some ππ
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Carolina Visaya
Carolina Visaya The young leaves can be mixed in cooking fish or meat.. we use the young leaves or unripe tamarind fruit as well, the soup is tangy but delicious..you can buy these frozen items in any Asian stores...
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Tenaj Colebrook
Tenaj Colebrook We been eating these like forever in the bahamas we make something called tamarind sauce it crazy good you'll mostly hear us say tambrin instead of tamarind lol...these the shits trust me they're really good
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Bonnie Lehr
Bonnie Lehr What about People with GOUT? Does it help or make it worse, especially if you cant have fructose /sugars from fruit !!
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Darryl de Palm
Darryl de Palm Haha here in curaΓ§ao we got tamerind trees almost everywhere. They are really delicious. But can be sour as hell
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Gustav Danielson
Gustav Danielson I grew up eating this on the daily when We had this in in the front of our house on Oahu, Hawaii. Good stuff pretty sweet.
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Max Amante
Max Amante Mexicans been turning this fruit for everything, from drinks, pulps, candy, and anything you can think has tamarind, so does that makes us immortal?
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Diane Foster
Diane Foster They serve a sauce here in Mexico π²π½ made from this normally with fish tacos look for it in imported food section at any big grocery really good TomFoster
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PauLj Carrido
PauLj Carrido Venson Salonga sampalok nmin kik tanda mo sa tabi kasilyas haha sipsip vitamis ang ugat paborito mo un lagi adyo eh hahahhaha aa kuya malon takaw pati sampalok hahahhaa
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Ananya Singh
Ananya Singh Well i couldn't even watch d full vdo as it made my mouth watering nd nw cnt hlp bt reminisce d taste of tamarind....π❤
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Goh Teck Heng
Goh Teck Heng Tamarind is the name, good for digestive health. Have one such tree beside my wife’s residence in Thailand.
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Lilith Voltaire
Lilith Voltaire I've been eating this all my life the trees are all over Dominican Republic I highly doubt this did shit to my liverππ
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Abel B. Andolong
Abel B. Andolong What you could have done best is illustrate component what makes it good in detoxification, you simply stated generalities without proof, how is that?
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Glennford Soltero
Glennford Soltero Our regular snack when we were kids. Climb up the tree or throw anything on the fruit until it falls.. the green skinny fruit is also good.
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John Clark
John Clark No ma'am, I thank you Juli Burson!! I sure need this for my condition. Can't stop doing what I do, I need all of God's will!!!
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Raquel Salita Barrozo
Raquel Salita Barrozo Thank you for always bringing some for me mare Bunny!!! You are literally saving my life!!! Hahaha π
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Dhanu Amberkar
Dhanu Amberkar Bunty Rons now u can eat in front of everyone no need to shy.. π give people scientific reason if they laugh on you... πππ
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Sunberline Desrameaux
Sunberline Desrameaux I’m obsessed with Tamarind. Follow my blog on Instagram @Sunberline to see more healthy super foods.
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Patricia Sinniah
Patricia Sinniah Yes I have say these. At one time it was said that tamarind was bad for health. Especially when we use for curry.
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Wenj Improgo
Wenj Improgo Conrad π€€π€€π€€ so much for mangoes for now. i think tis a good sub. hehe gusto ko yung fresh from the tree π€ππ»ππ»
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Daniel Hippy Parsons
Daniel Hippy Parsons Jason Heikkila maybe it will help. Kylara Vanesse Booth you should try it for the digestive benefits maybe it will help. Seen it and thought of you two
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Yasir Sohaib
Yasir Sohaib Imlie is most common in south Asia uses in different ways within food alone even made drink from it during summer
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Genalyn Apol Viluan
Genalyn Apol Viluan It's Tamarind... find them at Thailand stores... some are sour and some are sweet... I really love this fruit and we also use them them to flavor our dishes. Yummy.
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Haydn Conoplia
Haydn Conoplia "great for eliminating FAR in your liver" yeah i hate when FAR gets in my liver, don't mind close though! π€£π€£π€£π€£
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Deilyah Barr
Deilyah Barr Jyade Fritz see why I always eating tamarind balls. Gatta balance out for all that wine and rum somehow π€£
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Jesus Jimenez
Jesus Jimenez Manuela Rodriguez Cynthia Johanna Vargas y’all should try get one them. I’d ate them often time. That how these make my body is improve as healthy, protect liver! ππΌππΌ
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Humha Aamir Mahmood
Humha Aamir Mahmood What Zahid Kafiat was talking about earlier. He compared the shape to a turd but hes happy 3 eat it on Samosa chaat lol. Meeby Ahmed Areeba Waqar Yasmin Waqar π
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Chaiwe Hills
Chaiwe Hills Martha Namuyemba Wendy Miriam Alice Nakutonga Liz Nyirongo were ever kamwala got the funny myth πππππ kaya thers the fruit please take note kiikikikik
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Grazielle Feona Estacion
Grazielle Feona Estacion Omg my fave Jan Carlo Villarojo CastaΓ±eda Karina Kamyl Villanueva used to eat it everyday. Maybe that’s how i balance drinking alot before. Ahahha
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Tuka Araibi
Tuka Araibi Mitchell Edward Friedl have you ever had this before? it’s actually really good tasting (I think. its sour) didnt know it had these benefits lol
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Annie Keobupha
Annie Keobupha Andrew Christopher Oy Lan Loc we need to start eating this bc you know we love alcohol...
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Elizabeth Coples
Elizabeth Coples Show this to my bro lol Shadae Tantanae Williams
Jelani Anderson you need to start eating a box per day lol
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Vijay Anand
Vijay Anand We From India included in our diet already ..Even diabetic can have ..we used to have raw pulp from trees
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Jean Farmer
Jean Farmer We been eating this forever in Trinidad!!!!-
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Ibo Veseli
Ibo Veseli All the time when i see food like this i buy i eat and then i still the same person with same health.
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Suzan Anthony Ariki
Suzan Anthony Ariki I can't continue watching,,, my saliver π
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Tasha Fuller
Tasha Fuller LeShaunda Romero...I remember you gave me some and I never stop asking about them. Btw, you have some? πππ
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Ludingk Karre
Ludingk Karre I don't know where I can buy .π€
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Inonge Nalumino
Inonge Nalumino We have plenty of these in African, particularly Zambia. I enjoy this fruit.
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Bidakskie Aguillon
Bidakskie Aguillon Kim Kylie ito na yung laging kainin kesa manggaπ
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Yuriy Braterskyy
Yuriy Braterskyy You’ll be pooping for ages after eating 2-3 pieces of tamarind if it’s a new thing to your stomach ππ
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Lauren Gravesande
Lauren Gravesande Quite old news !! we been doing that from the time !! ! and it does the jobπππ
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How is ATP produced in cells; what is the difference between the energy-producing process in animal cells and plant cells? How much ATP is produced?
Question Date: 2010-01-27
Answer 1:
You have asked a classic question in biology, and of course, a very important one. How living things produce usable energy is important not only from the perspective of understanding life, but it could also help us to design more efficient energy harvesting and producing products - if we could "mimic" how living cells deal with their energy balance, we might be able to vastly improve our technology. For example, a plant is a much better harvester of sunlight than even our best solar panel. And of course, if we understand energy use, it can also help us deal with human diseases such as diabetes.
Now, the answer to your question can be found in any basic biology text book, but sometimes, there is so much information packed into such a text book that it can be difficult to extract the information you need or more often, to view all of that information in a larger context. Let's try to tackle your question in several parts.
First, we need to know what ATP really is - chemically, it is known as adenosine triphosphate. ATP is a usable form of energy for cells - the energy is "trapped" in a chemical bond that can be released and used to drive other reactions that require energy (endergonic reactions).
Photosynthetic organisms use energy from sunlight to synthesize their own fuels. They can convert harvested sunlight into chemical energy (including ATP) to then drive the synthesis of carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water. When they synthesize the carbohydrates, oxygen gets released. Globally, more than 10 billion tons of carbon is "fixed" by plants every year - this means that carbon molecules are converted from being part of a simple gas (carbon dioxide) into more complex, reduced molecules (carbohydrates), making carbon available as food for non-photosynthesizers (and of course, providing oxygen). They use some of the carbohydrate for their own growth and reproduction. It is pretty remarkable when you think about it - have you been to Sequoia National Park or seen the redwoods along our northwest coast? Massive trees, right? Think about the fact that most of that mass is in the form of carbon that was pulled out of the air as carbon dioxide!
The process of photosynthesis is two-part. First, there are the light reactions, where light is converted into chemical energy (a reduced electron carrier and ATP). This occurs in the thylakoids (stacked membranes) of the chloroplasts. The ATP and electron carriers are then used in a second set of reactions, called the light-independent reactions. This also occurs in the chloroplasts, but in an area called the stroma. In this case, carbon dioxide gets used to produce sugars in a series of reactions called the Calvin Cycle, C4 photosynthesis, and crassulacean acid metabolism. You can look in any basic bio textbook to see how much "energy" or "sugar" is produced in each step of the process.
In non-photosynthesizers, the fuel has to be consumed. The most common chemical fuel is the sugar glucose (C6H12O6)... Other molecules, such as fats or proteins, can also supply energy, but (usually) they have to first be converted to glucose or some intermediate that can be used in glucose metabolism.
Now this brings us to the next part - how do we go from glucose to ATP? This is achieved through the process of "oxidation" - and this is carried out through a series of metabolic pathways. Complex chemical transformations in the cell occur in a series of separate reactions to form each pathway, and each reaction is catalyzed by a specific enzyme. Interestingly, metabolic pathways are similar in all organisms, from bacteria to humans. In eukaryotes (plants and animals) many of the metabolic pathways are compartmentalized, with certain reactions occurring in specific organelles. Basically, cells trap free energy released from the breakdown (metabolism) of glucose. This energy gets trapped in the ATP as it converts from ADP to ATP by the addition of phosphate.
There are 3 main pathways for harvesting energy from glucose:
Glycolysis - begins glucose metabolism in all cells to produce 2 molecules of pyruvate. Occurs outside of mitochondria, usually in cytoplasm.
Cellular Respiration - uses oxygen from the environment and converts each pyruvate to three molecules of carbon dioxide while trapping the energy released in this process in ATP. There are 3 sub-pathways of cellular respiration - pyruvate oxidation, the citric acid (Krebs or Tricarboxylic Acid) cycle and the electron transport chain. Occurs in different sub-compartments of mitochondria.
Fermentation - converts pyruvate into lactic acid or ethanol; does not need oxygen. It is not as efficient as cellular respiration; it occurs in the cytoplasm.
In terms of how much ATP is produced, you can look in your basic texts and assess how many ATPs are used versus how many are produced for each aspect of metabolism
Answer 2:
ATP is created through a complex enzyme-driven process. There are a couple of ways this works in cells:
-glycolysis, in which glucose is broken up into two subunits, called pyruvate, which creates two units of ATP per molecule of glucose. This happens in the cytoplasm, in both animal and plant cells.
-respiration, in which pyruvate is combined with oxygen to form carbon dioxide and water, which creates a lot of ATP per unit of pyruvate (16 I think). Obviously, glycolysis has to happen first, in order to make the pyruvate. This happens in the mitochondrion, which likewise exists in both animals and plants.
-light-dependent photosynthesis, in which electrons are cycled around photosynthetic pigments after being jostled around by mid-high-energy photons (light particles), which filter through an electron pump that makes ATP. This happens in chloroplasts, and as such only occurs in plants.
Note: there is one more major (eukaryotic) ATP-generating reaction, called "fermentation", which takes pyruvate and turns it into carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol. Neither animals nor plants can do this, but fungi can do it.
There is also light-independent photosynthesis, which USES ATP and creates glucose from carbon dioxide and water, producing oxygen as a waste product. This is really an energy storage mechanism, so that the organism doing it can later burn the glucose through glycolysis and respiration. This also happens in chloroplasts, so plants can, and animals can't.