HARVEST OF THE MONTH: BEETS February is American Heart Month which is why this Harvest of the Month is... Beets! Beets are a type of root vegetable that are primarily known for their contribution to lower the risk for heart disease. They have plenty of other health benefits but also a few cons which we will further discuss. Beet greens carry more minerals, vitamins, and fiber than the beet root (however, beet root is what contains folate). Naturally rich in nitrates Your body converts nitrates ingested through the diet into nitrite ultimately leading to an increase in nitric oxide levels. Nitric oxide simply relaxes the inner muscles of your blood vessels causing it to act as a vasodilator resulting in improving blood flow and help lower blood pressure Nitrates not only dilate your arteries but also enable your bodies’ energy production’s efficiency As a vasodilator this ensures more blood flow to the muscle and adequate oxygen intake in the muscle improving athletic performance/endurance Increase of blood flow to the brain may potentially also lower risk for dementia Naturally high levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents Get their bright red color from betacyanin which has been shown in preliminary studies to reduce the risk of certain cancers Good source of folate Deficiency of Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6, and folate can lead to an increased level of homocysteine levels. High levels of homocysteine have been found to contribute to arterial damage and blood clots resulting in a risk factor for heart disease Nutrient dense Contains calcium, iron, potassium, copper, magnesium and protein Boosts eye health Naturally high in Vitamin A and lutein Vitamin A required for maintaining healthy mucosa essential for vision Lutein is one of the main carotenoids that is responsible for maintaining good vision Carotenoids = help protect eyes from the damaging effects of blue light (TV screen, laptop screen, smartphones, tablets) and reduce the risk of macular degeneration (a condition that affects the central part of the retina resulting in a loss of vision, usually found in older adults). PROS: May contribute to kidney stones/gout due to high levels of oxalates Excess levels of Oxalates travel as a waste product from the blood to the kidneys where it leaves the body as urine, however if there is too much oxalate and too little liquid in the urine, Calcium Oxalate fragments build together and form into a larger crystal called a kidney stone 8/10 kidney stones are calcium oxalate stones High levels of oxalate may cause gout TO COUNTER THIS!!! Eating/drinking calcium during the meal is more likely to have oxalate & calcium bind to one another in the stomach & intestines decreasing the chances of kidney stones to form. CONS: With Warm Regards, Kristia Bondoc Email: [email protected] I hope that you enjoyed this Harvest of the Month and try to incorporate Beets into at least one of your meals this month!

H A R V E S T - ACOE...health benefits but also a few cons which we will further discuss. Beet greens carry more minerals, vitamins, and fiber than the beet root (however, beet root

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Page 1: H A R V E S T - ACOE...health benefits but also a few cons which we will further discuss. Beet greens carry more minerals, vitamins, and fiber than the beet root (however, beet root

HARVESTOF THEMONTH:BEETS

February is American Heart Month which is why thisHarvest of the Month is... Beets! Beets are a type of root

vegetable that are primarily known for their contribution tolower the risk for heart disease. They have plenty of otherhealth benefits but also a few cons which we will furtherdiscuss. Beet greens carry more minerals, vitamins, and

fiber than the beet root (however, beet root is whatcontains folate).

Naturally rich in nitratesYour body converts nitrates ingested through the dietinto nitrite ultimately leading to an increase in nitricoxide levels. Nitric oxide simply relaxes the innermuscles of your blood vessels causing it to act as avasodilator resulting in improving blood flow and helplower blood pressureNitrates not only dilate your arteries but also enableyour bodies’ energy production’s efficiencyAs a vasodilator this ensures more blood flow to themuscle and adequate oxygen intake in the muscleimproving athletic performance/enduranceIncrease of blood flow to the brain may potentiallyalso lower risk for dementia

Naturally high levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatoryagents

Get their bright red color from betacyanin which hasbeen shown in preliminary studies to reduce the riskof certain cancers

Good source of folateDeficiency of Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6, and folate canlead to an increased level of homocysteine levels. Highlevels of homocysteine have been found to contributeto arterial damage and blood clots resulting in a riskfactor for heart disease

Nutrient denseContains calcium, iron, potassium, copper, magnesiumand protein

Boosts eye healthNaturally high in Vitamin A and luteinVitamin A required for maintaining healthy mucosaessential for visionLutein is one of the main carotenoids that isresponsible for maintaining good vision

Carotenoids = help protect eyes from thedamaging effects of blue light (TV screen, laptopscreen, smartphones, tablets) and reduce the riskof macular degeneration (a condition that affectsthe central part of the retina resulting in a loss ofvision, usually found in older adults).

PROS:

May contribute to kidney stones/gout due to high levelsof oxalates

Excess levels of Oxalates travel as a waste productfrom the blood to the kidneys where it leaves the bodyas urine, however if there is too much oxalate and toolittle liquid in the urine, Calcium Oxalate fragmentsbuild together and form into a larger crystal called akidney stone8/10 kidney stones are calcium oxalate stonesHigh levels of oxalate may cause gout

TO COUNTER THIS!!!Eating/drinking calcium during the meal is more likelyto have oxalate & calcium bind to one another in thestomach & intestines decreasing the chances ofkidney stones to form.

CONS:

With Warm Regards,Kristia Bondoc

Email: [email protected]

I hope that you enjoyed this Harvest ofthe Month and try to incorporate Beets

into at least one of your meals this month!