There’s more to beets than their rich purple color and sharp earthiness. This root crop is also a powerhouse of nutrients, boasting high amounts of calcium, iron and zinc, as well as vitamins A and C.

Unfortunately, cooking beets destroys many of those nutrients. So if you want to enjoy beets in their full glory, bust out your juicer and get juicing. Beet juice is said to be incredibly healthy, as evidenced by many studies on the subject.

Check out these science-backed benefits of drinking beet juice:

1. Beet juice relieves sore muscles

Beet juice is a go-to post-workout drink for athletes and fitness enthusiasts because it offers relief for sore and beat-up muscles. Studies show this effect can be traced to nitrates in beets. Your stomach turns this into nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels for better circulation. Good blood flow helps sore muscles heal faster.

2. Beet juice relieves headaches

Beet juice can also relieve headaches for the same reason it can relieve sore muscles. Nitric oxide opens up the blood vessels leading to the brain to boost blood flow. Poor circulation is thought to cause headaches.

3. Beet juice cleanses your liver

Detoxification, the natural process of removing toxins from your body, mostly takes place in your liver. As one of the hardest working organs in the body, your liver goes through a lot each day. And if you usually eat plenty of unhealthy foods full of toxins, your liver may quickly get overwhelmed and cause health problems.

Luckily, you can cut your liver some slack and help your body detoxify by drinking beet juice. Experts say the amino acid called betaine is responsible for the juice’s detoxifying effect. Some studies even suggest that it can protect your liver from inflammation-induced damage.

4. Beet juice fights oxidative stress

Beet juice contains more antioxidants than actual beets because juicing several beets only yields a glass or two of juice. These antioxidants scour your body for harmful agents called free radicals. If left unchecked, they can cause oxidative stress and damage your cells, proteins and even your DNA.

5. Beet juice keeps your brain young

Keep your brain sharp as you age by drinking beet juice. Studies on older adults have shown that eating a high-nitrate diet that included beet juice resulted in increased blood flow to the white matter of their brains. That is the part of the brain that affects how it learns and functions.

6. Beet juice supports heart health

Beet juice is a heart-healthy drink because it has folate and betaine. This combo helps reduce homocysteine in your blood. Too much homocysteine is linked to the early development of heart disease.

Additionally, the nitrates in beet juice can help reduce your blood pressure. High blood pressure is considered a major risk factor for heart disease.

7. Beet juice maintains healthy skin

Get glowing skin with beet juice. By cleansing your body of toxins, beet juice helps make your skin look firmer and more radiant. The juice’s antioxidants also protect your skin cells from the damaging effects of ultraviolet light from the sun. So ditch those skincare products and start drinking beet juice!

8. Beet juice boosts your stamina

Here’s another good reason to drink beet juice: better stamina. Previous research has shown that athletes who ate beets or drank beet juice often were able to work out for longer than those who weren’t fans of beets. Experts say this effect is likely due to nitrates since they ensure more oxygen supply to muscles.

9. Beet juice improves digestion

If you tend to feel bloated after a meal, try drinking a glass of beet juice. Betanin, a red-violet pigment in beets, boosts the acidity of your stomach so that food can be more easily digested.

10. Beet juice promotes a healthy pregnancy

If you’re trying to conceive or are already pregnant, start drinking beet juice. Folate in beets plays a significant role in cell growth and reproduction. Studies have even shown that having low levels of folate can lead to birth defects or pregnancy complications. That’s why pregnant women are advised to up their folate intake.

Beet juice is an extremely healthy drink because it gives you many essential nutrients and antioxidants. So the next time you go for a jog, feel a headache coming on or simply want to up your health, reach for a tall glass of beet juice and start chugging.

Sources:

Conserve-Energy-Future.com

MindBodyGreen.com

MayoClinic.org