What's Better For Your
Blood Flow Than Beets?
Monday October 9th, 2023
Author Barbara Depta
Author Barbara Depta
What's Better for Your Blood Flow than Beets?
Blood flow is essential for our well-being. With poor blood flow, your muscles will suffer, your brain will not function, and your cardiovascular health will be at risk. So, besides well-known beets, what could you eat or supplement with to support blood flow and cardiovascular health?
Beets have been known and celebrated for their positive effects on blood flow and cardiovascular health for generations. However, as we continuously evolve in our understanding of nutrition, other potent foods have emerged that might challenge the supremacy of the beetroot, which has been viewed for many years as the best and most reliable choice for blood flow & cardiovascular health.
This blog will tell you everything you should know about beets' limitations to increasing blood flow and what is better for your blood flow than beets.
- Beets Limitations To Support Blood Flow
- Superfoods Better Than Beets for Blood Flow
- Going Beyond Foods: Plant-based Supplements for Blood Flow
1. Beets Limitations To Support Blood Flow
Beets (A.K.A. red beetroot) are a commonly known member of the amaranth family, which also includes red spinach, green spinach, and Swiss chard. These widely known red leafy and green veggies are considered a superfood, mainly because they contain high amounts of plant-based nitrates essential for blood flow & cardiovascular health. Beets, however, have the lowest amounts of nitrates of all those mentioned veggies.
So, how is it possible people think red beets are the best?
Beets have been studied the most of all nitrate-based veggies because of two factors:
- They are cheap
- They are widely available
When it comes to increasing nitric oxide and supporting blood flow, beets show they work, primarily when combined with synthetic nitrates, as beets alone are inconsistent in nature and cannot provide the needed amount of nitrates you would need to increase nitric oxide unless you drink liters of beet juice at once which contains too much sugar and can give other unwanted side effects.
More on that here
It comes down to the fact that beets are not standardized to a specific % of nitrates, and that becomes problematic when you need an essential dose of plant-based nitrates to produce nitric oxide( 300-600mg of nitrates is a typical dose seen in supplement research studies.)
For clarification purposes, here are some examples of the variability of nitrates in beet-related products often purchased by people to support blood flow & cardiovascular health.
- Beet juice may be standardized naturally to a maximum of 2% nitrates and has 20 grams of sugar per serving with almost no ability to change your physiology besides increasing your energy due to the sugar content.
- Eating raw or cooked beets vs. other plant-based nitrate sources: You may have to eat 2-3 large red beets at once vs. 6.5 oz of arugula to get the same nitrate levels. Remember, as already mentioned, because beets are inconsistent in nature, each beet can have different nitrate levels. That's why someone from California may eat four beets, and someone from Florida may need only three red beets to get the same amount of nitrates.
- Beet supplement nitrate standardization goes down depending on the form of beet you consume. The more the beet vegetable is processed, the less natural nitrates it will have. For example, red beet alone may start with 2% nitrate. Still, when it's converted to beet powder or beet extract, at that point, the standardization could go down to 1.5% or even lower. When you take that beet extract in powder form and then make a beet juice powder out of it, it may go down to something like 0.5% at that point and have no nitrate value.
Yes, that is how nitrate content varies in beet products and beets alone.A lot goes into the standardization of any fruit or vegetable. It all depends on harvest times, temperature, humidity, soil quality, storage conditions after harvesting, and the production processes.
To keep the standardization at higher levels, what do companies do? For example, they add synthetics like sodium nitrate to spike the nitrate levels.
Because of this variant, many beet supplements don't list the nitrate content, primarily if their product is only based on beets.
It might be helpful to look at the beet-based product comparison from the Gallardo & Coggan Chart to see the differences between the nitrate levels in different beet related products.
To learn more about beets, read our article The good & The Not-So-Good Truth About Beets.
2. Superfoods Better Than Beets For Blood Flow
After reading so much about nitrates and their vital levels in supporting blood flow, you will see plant-based foods with higher nitrate content below.
Superfoods Rivaling Beets for Blood Flow
- Red spinach is a very potent nitrate-based vegetable. It is usually not available in stores as it is grown in India. Red spinach extract made of red spinach leaves (used in resync products) is standardized to 9% nitrates. That is almost 5x more nitrates than in red beet alone. Resync was the first company to use Red spinach in all Resync products to support blood flow for athletes' recovery. To learn more about the cardiovascular benefits of Red spinach, check our blog here.
- Green-leafy veggies like Arugula and Swiss chard are nutrient-dense and richer in dietary nitrates than red beets.
Besides red spinach and nitrates levels, other red veggies are very beneficial for your heart health. To check the top list of red fruits and vegetables for your heart health, check our blog here.
- Aronia berries (Chokeberry), are one of the healthiest (not sweet) berries the mother nature offers. This is based on the fact that Chokeberry has powerful antioxidant properties, higher than in most berries. These properties can be attributed to Aronia's anti-inflammatory phenolic compounds called anthocyanins. These compounds are known to improve blood vessel function, promoting healthy circulation. To learn more about Aronia, read our article here
3. Going Beyond Foods: Plant-based Supplements for Blood Flow
Food is our medicine. Food should always be our priority over any supplements. However, when you are on the go, or you are physically unable to eat so many red fruits & veggies per day, to gain extra edge supplements like Resync can offer potent benefits, especially for those looking for concentrated nitrates and polyphenol-based solutions to support blood flow & cardiovascular health.
At Resync, it starts with the most effective reds nature has to offer - red spinach, Aronia berry, red beets, mango, and then anti-inflammatory ingredients to keep your heart healthy.
As you may have learned from this blog, there are many different reds. One red vegetable or fruit, does not equal another. There is not one red alone that can effectively support the health of your cells. That's why combinations of reds & other powerful plant-based ingredients are the way to help your blood flow.
Resync is consistent, scientifically driven, and unconditionally committed to helping you live a healthier life. Our products have been trusted by functional medicine doctors, registered dietitians, chiropractors, strength coaches, and athletes worldwide since 2017.
Resync's Edge:
- Resync combines the best nature offers in powerful blends. Every Resync supplement contains three top reds - red spinach, beetroot, and Aronia Berry.
- Standardization and Consistency: Unlike many beet-based supplements, Resync ingredients are tested before production, and the finished product is tested after production. Resync has offered a consistent nutritional profile since 2017, ensuring that you get the desired benefit with every dose.
- Synergistic Power: The combined effect of Resync's ingredients creates a synergy that maximizes blood flow benefits, ensuring comprehensive cardiovascular support.
In conclusion, while red beet is a healthy vegetable and is beneficial in promoting blood flow, several foods present similar, if not enhanced, benefits. Variety in food, just like in life, is essential to our growth.
By broadening our nutritional horizons, we can support blood flow and cardiovascular health with a plant-based diet.
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Resync is backed by research. That’s why we break down complex science into practical takeaways you can use today. When you have the right information, you are empowered to make the right decision for you.
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Helping you lead a healthier life,
-The Resync Team
Written by:
Barbara Depta
