Channel 5’s Dr Amir Khan has recommended adding a certain vegetable to your diet to help maintain healthy blood pressure and reduce inflammation.
In a recent TikTok video, the celebrity GP – who regularly shares health advice on social media – suggested that beetroot could offer a range of health benefits.
“Let’s talk about the health benefits of beetroot,” he began, explaining that beetroot has been extensively studied for its ability to lower high blood pressure, a significant risk factor for heart disease. “These blood pressure-lowering effects are likely due to the high concentration of nitrates in beetroot,” he said. “Nitrates are converted into nitric oxide by our body, which causes blood vessels to dilate and blood pressure to drop.”
Helping to keep blood pressure at a healthy level isn’t the only benefit beetroot brings. Thanks to pigments known as betalines, the bright red vegetable may also have anti-inflammatory properties, Dr Khan continued. “Although more studies are needed, long-term inflammation in our body can increase the risk of many chronic diseases, so anything that can improve that is a good thing,” he added.
Beetroot can even help us to maintain a healthy gut. “They are high in fibre,” Dr Khan explained. “Fibre bypasses digestion and travels to the colon, where it feeds friendly gut bacteria and adds bulk to our stools.”
The vegetable is also particularly rich in folic acid, which aids in “growth, development, and heart health,” according to the celebrity GP. “They also contain a good amount of manganese, which is involved in bone formation, nutrient metabolism and brain function.
“Plus, they’re high in copper, an important mineral required for energy production and the synthesis of certain neurotransmitters, or brain chemicals.” Dr Khan recommends adding beetroot to salads, steaming or pickling them to reap the benefits.
Dr Khan isn’t the only one lauding the health benefits of beetroot. BBC Good Food states that this root vegetable is “packed with essential vitamins, minerals and powerful antioxidants.”
The website explains that beetroot is “rich in protective antioxidants; may have anti-cancer properties; may have anti-inflammatory properties; may lower blood pressure and heart disease risk; may improve exercise performance and support energy levels; may improve digestive health; may protect the gut; may support brain health and reaction time; may be a useful addition to a post-menopause diet; and may relieve symptoms of Raynaud’s phenomenon,” a common and usually relatively harmless issue that sees blood stop flowing properly to your fingers and toes.