Recently I highlighted a study on beetroot juice completed by Wake Forest University. It all sounded so interesting that I decided that I must learn more! Happy Juicing! -B xx
What is it about beetroot juice that has so many benefits for our health and exercise regime? Are you drinking fresh juice before you work out? Maybe it is time to start! Beetroot juice has long been known to have health and endurance benefits for athletes and recreational athletes alike. Why is this? Science is still trying hard to piece it all together but one known reason is that beetroot contains a very high nitrate content.
Now don’t get nitrates confused with nitrites (those are those yukky things that are added into meat products like salami, bacon, sausages and processed lunch meats). Nitrites are known carcinogens and have been linked with cancer and are best avoided at all costs! Naturally occurring nitrates, on the other hand, can be really healthy and good for our bodies – particularly so when we exercise!
Beetroot is one of the highest food sources of nitrates. When we consume nitrates from our food it helps to signal to our body to produce more nitric oxide (This process is actually completed through friendly saliva bacteria so make sure you drink your juice slowly for the maximum benefit!) (2). Nitric Oxide is also what helps to circulate oxygen around our body. That combined with exercise can help to boost blood flow and move oxygen around the body, particularly to the brain regions (1). The results of the recent Wake Forest University study found that consuming beetroot juice right before a workout had some pretty amazing effects on the brains of the older adults in the study!
Exercise in itself works to strengthen the motor cortex in our brain because that is the part of the brain responsible for gathering cues from our muscles when we work out (1). The study used older adults who were not regular exercisers and already had some issues with high blood pressure (1). They found that in the group of exercisers who consumed beetroot juice the brain actually looked much thicker after exercise and that the combined beetroot consumption and exercise helped to increase brain connectivity and make it appear much younger!
The beetroot juice was also found to strengthen neural pathways between the motor cortex and the insular cortex (3). The motor cortex is the part of the brain responsible for movement and motor control (3). The insula is an amazing, hidden part of our brain that is responsible for emotional regulation, consciousness, self-awareness and cognitive function (5). The thought of being able to boost your brain power, thinking and emotional regulation just through exercise and what you eat is incredible!
Beetroot is best eaten raw to get the maximum benefits. Juicing is an easy way to give our bodies fuel for exercising that is not going to weigh us down or be hard for us to digest! You can also eat the beetroot tops as they are also very healthy for us and high in nitrates. Other nitrate rich foods include leafy greens like arugula, spinach, lettuce, and also celery and carrots. Beetroot juice is also very high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. It also contains glutamine which is an important amino acid that helps with our intestinal health and beetroot is also known to help with heart and liver health (4). Making a pre-workout juice that includes nitrate rich beetroot is going to give your brain, body and your muscles a major boost!
Beetroot Juice Recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
1 small beetroot
2 apples
1 carrot
2 celery sticks
2cm piece of ginger
METHOD:
Cut everything into chunks and then throw them in your juicer! This is the juicer I have owned for around 11 years now and it is still going strong! It is a good entry level juicer although I will probably upgrade to a slow juicer at some point (this baby is on my wish list!). You can also fit whole apples down the shoot. This beetroot juice recipe is totally customisable. For extra nitrates, you can add in some spinach/greens or you could even add some orange. The Breville juicer is not so good at juicing greens and citrus which is why I did not include them in the recipe. However, if you own a slow juicer you could try adding in some of these things for extra vitamins and minerals.
If you want the juice sweeter add in more apple and a bit less ginger! The ginger gives the beetroot juice a nice zing! Enjoy 🙂
Note: I usually don’t bother peeling anything other than the ginger to save on time but if you are using non-organic produce you can wash them in your sink with a dash of vinegar or peel the beetroot and the carrot. Try and use organic celery if you can because it is one of the most sprayed items of produce and it is on the dirty dozen list along with apples. Organic apples can easily be found at the majority of major supermarkets so always keep some handy in your fridge! ♥
Links:
1 – With Beetroot Juice Before Exercise, Aging Brains Look Younger from Wake Forest University
2 – Using Beet Juice to Improve Performance from Training Peaks
3 – Drinking Beetroot Juice Before Exercising Boosts Brain Performance from Medical News Today
4 – The Health Benefits of Beetroot from BBC Goodfood
5 – Insular Cortex from Wiki