The natural pigments that give beets their dark, strong color are called betalains and they have a high antioxidant power. In addition, this vegetable is incredibly rich in nitrates. “Nitric oxide is a vasodilator. It causes our blood vessels to dilate, allowing greater blood flow and therefore more oxygen to our tissues,” he explained. Andy Jonesprofessor of applied physiology at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, who spent more than 10 years researching the effects of beets on athletic performance.
This is the reason why beets are considered a vegetable that improves blood circulation to various organisms in the body, including sexual ones. “The bacteria that live in our mouth cause nitrates to be transformed into nitrite and, subsequently, into Nitric oxide, a powerful molecule with diverse effects throughout our body. Among other things, nitric oxide increases blood flow to various organs, including the penis,” the British academic explained to the BBC.
According to specialists, adequate levels of nitric oxide are essential for producing and maintaining an erection, which may explain why the Romans used beet juice as an aphrodisiac. Although there are still no clinical trials that demonstrate that the consumption of beet juice has a similar effect to that of Viagra, There is evidence of the expansion of blood vessels it causes, resulting in other significant changes.
On the other hand, a study showed that eating two beets a day for a few weeks caused a drop in blood pressure of about 5 millimeters of mercury on average. “Essentially it tends to decrease. And it can decrease between 3 and sometimes even 9 millimeters of mercury, in the case of systolic blood pressure,” Jones said, adding: “If this type of change occurred in the entire population, the incidence of adverse cardiovascular events , such as heart attacks and strokes, would be significantly reduced.
Finally, other research showed that combining beet juice with exercise can increase connectivity in brain regions that control movement. In 2009, drinking beet juice was found to help increase physical endurance during high-intensity exercise by up to 16%.
According to research, nitric oxide also helps reduce oxygen consumption during exercise, slowing the rate at which people reach exhaustion. For the specialist Andy Jonesthe consumption recommendation is two or three medium beets, or a dose of beet juice per day; That’s all it takes to see positive effects.
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