There’s a running joke in my family about my distaste for beets. It all started when, as a kid, my grandmother would whip out her canned beets, and I would turn up my nose. Granted, the source of the joke was from my adolescent years, and I’ve lightened up a little on the gag reflex (I don’t mind shredded beets on a salad), but that doesn’t stop the ribbing from my family members.
Even though beets don’t repulse me like they did as a child, I don’t think the following new research on its health benefits will change me that much, even if it’s good for me:
A new study has found that a serving of beet juice helps lower blood pressure in healthy people. While further confirmation is needed and the study was small, the initial results are promising.
The most amazing aspect of the research is how the people who drank beet juice saw their blood pressure lowered in just an hour! It also remained lower the next day.
You just have to not go overboard (if that’s possible). That’s because beets have nitrates, compounds which can actually cause health problems. The positive, though, is that fruit has antioxidants which counter the nitrates. As for me, I’ll stick with lowering sodium and exercise.
(via: Real Age)
Sorry. No matter how wonderful they are, I just can’t eat beets. Yuck.