Are Beets Good For You?

Beets are high in sugar, but rich in nutrients.

Beets (AKA, beetroot) are a root vegetable that has a very deep, rich red color. (Some, such as golden beets have a yellow color, although these are less common.) Beets are a common staple of many European and Asian countries’ food traditions. Beets can be eaten raw or cooked, but it is not uncommon to see them pickled too. The leaves are also edible and can be eaten raw, steamed or boiled.

Largely, beets do not receive the same attention as many other types of vegetables, in terms of their health benefits. Beets, however, have been found to confer a number of very important health benefits.

Beets are rich in a variety of nutrients, such as folate, manganese, and potassium.However, beets are rich in another, very important class of phytonutrients known as betalains. Certain betalains, such as betanin and vulgaxanthin, have been studied extensively for their health benefits. These have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and powerful detoxification properties.

Beets have also shown some powerful, anti-cancer properties; beets have shown benefits against cancer of the colon, lung, breast, prostate, stomach and testicular cancers.

Beet juice is also shown to lower blood pressure; this is likely due to the naturally occurring nitrates that are subsequently converted to nitric oxide that acts a vasodilator.

The caveat, though, for those on the Kaufmann Diet, is that beets are unusually high in sugar for a vegetable. This is evidenced by their very sweet flavor; in fact, beets are often used for the sugar in processed food production. Knowing this, are beets something we should be including in our diet?

Some level of common sense should be applied to foods such as beets while on the Kaufmann Diet. Obviously, it is desirable to get the sorts of nutrients contained in beets––along with their subsequent health benefits––into our diet via whole, nutritious foods. On the other hand, should these be enjoyed in excess or all the time? Likely not; at that point, the high sugar content might outweigh the potential benefits of consuming beets.

If you are on The Kaufmann 1 Diet, beets should likely be avoided. In the beginning phase of the Kaufmann Diet, you are working to eliminate pathogenic yeasts and fungi from the body; to do this, as much sugar as possible should be eliminated from the diet. Even otherwise healthy foods, such as beets, sweet potatoes and the sweeter varieties of fruits should be avoided.

As you transition to Kaufmann 2, beets should be a vegetable enjoyed in moderation. The unique blend of nutrients and antioxidants are definitely something you would want to include in your diet.