Purple power! New discovery: Drinking beetroot juice can make people run faster

The "Purple Power" is coming! Beetroot, which plays the role of culinary garnish on the French table and adds natural sweetness, is known as the "power of purple" because of its rich antioxidants and various nutrients, as well as its reddish-purple color. In addition to helping lower blood pressure, according to the latest foreign research, drinking beetroot juice can also increase the energy of muscle cells and make people run faster during sprints.

Beetroot is a root food. When cut, it is purple-red in color and tastes slightly sweet. It is refined into a healthy sweetener in foreign countries. In recent years, many studies have discovered the health benefits of beetroot, making it gradually become a popular health vegetable. What is so fascinating about beetroot?

Beetroot contains organic nitrates that help lower blood pressure

A study published in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension pointed out that beetroot contains organic nitrates, which are key substances in helping to lower blood pressure. Nitrates can help increase the concentration of nitric oxide gas in the blood, thereby helping to relax smooth muscles, dilate blood vessels, and promote blood circulation.

Drink 500 ml of beetroot juice every day to increase your energy

In addition, according to a BBC news report, drinking 500 ml of beetroot juice every day can help increase physical strength by 16%. Because the nitrate in beetroot is converted into nitric oxide, it reduces the amount of oxygen absorbed during the action process, making exercise less tiring; and drinking beetroot juice regularly can improve the physical strength of athletes during training.

Beetroot juice makes people sprint faster

According to the latest report from Mail Daily, beetroot can increase the energy of muscle cells, and the key is nitrate. Eating beetroot can make people run faster. A study from the University of Exeter, led by Andrew Jones, on "The Effects of Nitrates on Explosive Exercises such as Sprinting", found that eating beetroot juice can make people sprint faster, by about 2% of the 20-meter mark.

Beetroot is not the only vegetable with high nitrate content. According to a survey report on the Danish market, the nitrate content is lettuce > beetroot > cabbage > spinach > leek > cabbage > potato. However, the content will vary throughout the year, and as Taiwan's climate and growing methods are different from Denmark, the content may also be different.

Don't panic if vegetables contain nitrates

When it comes to nitrates, many people will adopt an attitude of "stay away from it". In fact, as long as you know more about nitrates, you will not panic too much. The Ministry of Health and Welfare stated that nitrates are salts formed by the combination of nitrate ions (NO3-) and metal ions. Most nitrates are ionic crystals and are easily soluble in water. Nitrates are ubiquitous in our daily lives. They can be found in the air, food (especially vegetables and fruits), and water, and can be produced by organisms. Nitrates can also be used as food additives, mainly as preservatives in cheese products and cured meats (such as sausages, ham, etc.), and as colorants.

So far, there is no clear report indicating that nitrates directly affect human health. Generally speaking, when we talk about nitrates being harmful to health, we mean that nitrates may be converted into nitrites before or after entering the human body. After being absorbed by the human body, nitrites will decompose to produce nitric oxide, which reacts with hemoglobin to form metahemoglobin, thereby losing its oxygen transport function, causing cell tissues to become hypoxic, which is called "metahemoglobinaemia." However, research shows that nitrate intake from diet or drinking water does not increase the risk of cancer in humans.

Tips to reduce nitrate content in vegetables

The public is reminded to maintain a balanced diet, eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, and avoid being picky about a few types of food. Pay attention to washing, peeling, and blanching vegetables to reduce the nitrate content in them.