Are Beets Good For Your Liver?

A healthy diet can boost a healthy liver. Processed foods or a high-fat diet can affect liver function. Nature has given us everything we need to take care of our bodies, and the humble beet is a great example.

Beets are really good for your liver, let's look at why.

What Makes Beets Good For Your Liver?

There are many reasons why beets are so good for your liver health making them one of the healthiest vegetables you should eat daily.

Firstly they contain nutrients that help aid the detoxification process in the organs of your body. The organs that take care of this include your liver, kidneys, and digestive system.

Beets are known for stimulating lymphatic flow. The liver uses the beets to break down the toxic wastes, making the process much more efficient, getting rid of the toxins quicker. They stimulate bile flow and improve enzymatic activity where they activate liver enzymes.

The beets also help cleanse the blood, increasing oxygen flow around your body. They contain high levels of vitamin A which can help to prevent chronic liver disease. Beets are well documented to have been used in treating fatty liver and fatty liver disease.

Beetroot helps to detoxify the liver due to the phytonutrients called betalains that support detoxification. When your liver can detoxify well, it can help to balance cholesterol, balance hormones, and increase energy levels.

Improved liver function can directly benefit heart health, improve blood flow, and lower blood pressure which all help to promote cardiovascular health and prevent heart disease.

Source: Healthline

How can Beetroot Help to Cleanse the Liver?

Beetroot is known to have liver-protecting properties. You can help fight against liver disease, including fatty liver disease, liver cancer, and liver damage, and improve your liver health by including beets in your diet.

Beetroot helps cleanse the liver thanks to the high omega-three fatty acids and glutathione. Beets are known to help increase bile production, which supports the liver's detox function and helps to reduce inflammation.

This is particularly important as chronic inflammation can cause excessive connective tissue build-up in the liver, meaning it can't function properly. Beets can cause improved liver enzyme levels, particularly the liver's natural detoxification enzymes, and decrease oxidative stress.

How To Use Beets To Benefit The Liver

Beets are very versatile, so don't worry if you don't like the idea of eating them raw. While raw vegetables provide the best vitamins and minerals, there are plenty of ways to get the health benefits of beets.

You can cook them in various ways, including roasting, boiling, and sautéing them. However, be aware that the higher the temperature and the longer you cook them, the more vitamins and minerals you will lose. You can eat beets as part of a balanced diet, or you could drink beet juice.

Add beets to your smoothies or make tasty juices. You could juice whole beets or get some beetroot powder. Add ingredients such as grapefruit juice, baby spinach, apple, lemon juice, or ginger to make a tasty drink to keep your liver healthy.

Drinking beetroot juice protects the liver as much as eating them does.

You can also get beets in the form of beetroot powder within over the counter supplements. Just be mindful of the dosage of beets within the formula by checking out the supplement label.

When Is The Best Time To Consume Beets?

Beets are full of dietary fiber and water, which will aid digestion, so adding beetroot to your lunch will help digest your food while keeping you full until dinner. Drinking beetroot juice before you start your day can help to kick-start your metabolism and improve your digestive system.

Drinking beetroot juice on an empty stomach cleans out your colon, helping reduce fatigue and that sluggish feeling you may feel first thing in the morning. However, whenever you consume beets, you will get great health benefits from this humble vegetable.

How Often Should You Consume Beets?

There are no studies that determine just how much beetroot you can or should consume each day. The health benefits for your liver are great; however, too much beetroot has been known to cause kidney stones. If you are prone to this or pregnant, check with your doctor before adding these vegetables to your daily diet.

Source: Drugs.com

FAQs

Can beets cause kidney damage?

While eating beetroot has health benefits, consuming too much beetroot can potentially cause kidney damage. The high levels of oxalates in beetroot can cause kidney stones.

Are beets healthier raw or cooked?

Cooked vegetables lose more nutrients, unlike raw vegetables that keep their naturally grown state. Cooking beetroot in water will lose some of those vitamins and minerals. Did you ever cook beetroot and see the water turn purple? The phytonutrients escaping into the water have a purple color.

The longer you cook beets or, the higher the temperature, the more goodness you lose because the nutrients in beets are heat sensitive. They are better for you eaten raw; however, if you don't like them like this, you could try sautéing or roasting them instead, so you don't lose as much of the goodness.

How long does it take for beets to clear your system?

Depending on how fast your metabolism works and how many beets you have consumed, typically, it takes around 48 hours for beets to clear your system.

Are beets acidic or alkaline?

Beets are alkali, as with all root vegetables.

Is beetroot a superfood?

Yes, beetroot is considered a superfood. It has many health benefits, including being a good source of Vitamin C, iron, folate, magnesium, and some powerful antioxidants. Beets contain above average amounts of these per gram compared to other vegetables.

The Bottom Line

The health benefits of adding the humble beetroot to your diet are huge, especially for your liver. So, why not check out some recipes and experiment with different ways in which you can add beets to your diet? You will soon be able to feel the difference.

Perhaps the easiest way to incorporate beets is to buy them as powder. If you would like more information or inspiration on the best reds powder supplements, see here.