beets for health

Maybe you’ve heard the term “Superfood” before.  Superfoods are usually plant-based foods that are low in calories but extremely high in nutrition (omega threes, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, etc).  Beets are undoubtedly a Superfood.  Note that I am not talking about pickled beets here, but beets that are eaten raw, or lightly baked / steamed.  For years, I have been preaching the benefits of beets (both the root and the greens) as a huge help for liver / gallbladder issues as well as high cholesterol.  Now it seems that portions of the medical community are coming around to this idea.

According to the latest issue of Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association, Dr. Amrita Ahluwalia and her research team from Queen Mary University of London found that, “Drinking a cup of nitrate-rich beetroot juice significantly lowered blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive individuals.”  Beet juice is thought to accomplish this by dilating the arteries via a conversion of organic nitrites into nitric oxide (NO) — a powerful vasodilator that many are familiar with from its use in bodybuilding supplements.

Can’t find good beets in your neck of the woods?  Never fear, Standard Process is here.  A product that I particularly like for my patients (and myself when beets are not available) is AF BETAFOOD.   DR. ROYAL LEE formulated AF Betafood back in 1951, which was itself based on a product (BETAFOOD) that was formulated 70 years ago (1943) —- during the peak of WWII.   Why do I love the Whole Food Ideology behind Standard Process so much?  It’s utter simplicity is a breath of fresh air in our hi-tech world.  Man can never improve on something made by God (HERE).