Beets: 10 Benefits of Beets
Beets Benefit #1: Folate
Folate is an essential B vitamin that plays a vital role in various functions in the body and can help reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and strokes. Because it is not found naturally in many of the foods that the “American” diet is comprised of, many foods are fortified with folic acid (the synthetic form of folate) to prevent deficiency. Unfortunately, many of the fortified foods are refined starches like breads, breakfast cereals and flour. Even more, many will take folic acid as a dietary supplement. Because of its importance in supporting normal fetal development, this is especially required for women before and during pregnancy.
Folate is naturally found in many fruits and vegetables, especially dark leafy greens. Beets not only contain folate, they are quite rich in it. 1 cup of raw beets contains approximately 37% of the recommended daily intake of folate. The addition of 1 cup of beet greens (the leafy greens attached to the root), will add another 6 mcg of folate. This means that adding beets and beet greens regularly to your diet can provide a substantial amount of your daily requirements for folate and more importantly, getting your intake from a natural source rather than the fortified (and unhealthier) food choices.
