To juice or not to juice? It’s a dilemma many people face. Some like to drink it, others like to crunch through it. It may seem the same but when it comes to the amount of nutrition you are getting from either one, the two are certainly nothing alike. Here’s a Beet juice vs beetroot discussion to shed more light.
Fruits and vegetables are my life! It has something to do with how sweet they are, but it also has to do with the kind of upbringing I got. With my mother, everything was easy, but when it came to eating time, the bear in “mama bear” showed up! It was either you eat your food, yes including the vegetables, or you were on timeout for what seemed like decades.
It may seem harsh but now I am a middle-aged woman who as a result of the foundations my parents set us upon, I am a healthy, fit person who could easily pass for an 18-year-old. I rarely check into hospital sick, my hair is lustrous and always growing, I am always energized, my skin is ever glowing, I could go on and on.
I still take my veggies religiously because now I understand just how important these are. However, I have lately been battling with a dilemma. Of all vegetables and fruits, beets are my favorite. As much as I love my beets I haven’t a clue whether I should take them whole-cooked or uncooked, or if I should juice them? And is it all the same nutritionally?
Here’s a Beet juice vs beets discussion where I share with you what this nutritionist friend of mine told me. But first what are their major differences?
Beet juice vs beets-how do they differ?
Sugar content
To make a glass of beet juice you will need at least two or four beets. If you were to take the beets whole whether raw or cooked, you would only take one or two. This proves that you will be taking more sugar while making beet juice than you will be taking beets as a whole.
Now if you are taking beet juice simply as a healthy refreshment then you’ve got nothing to worry about. But, if you are taking beet juice while trying to lose weight, you may end up losing no weight at all or adding even more weight. Note that the increased sugars in beet juice mean increased calories and ultimately weight gain.
Fiber content
Fiber inside fruits and vegetables plays the all-important role of providing you healthy digestion. Even more, you get regular bowel movement thanks to fiber. When you are juicing beets, you will, of course, have to sieve and throw away most of the fiber. When you take cooked beets or raw beets, you are pretty much eating the whole thing and swallowing most of the fiber. This means higher fiber content in whole beets than in beet juice. To avoid digestive issues and irregular bowel movement, instead of disposing the fiber after juicing, you can take some of it and probably mix it into your food, salad or even back into your juice.
Number of calories
One cup of raw beets is said to have a calorie count of 58. One cup of beet juice, on the other hand, has a whopping 100 calories. On its own, this many calories in beet juice may not seem like much but when you factor in other drinks, supplements, and your normal meals, the calories will add up.
If you are taking beet juice while simultaneously working hard to lose weight or maintain weight, these calorie numbers show that you are better off taking raw beets as opposed to juicing it. Many frown upon having to take raw or cooked beets, but if you do a little research, there are actually some really creative ways to prepare and eat beets as part of a delicious snack or meal.
Beet Juice vs Beets
Beet juice features and ingredients
Normally, you would only need water and at least two beets to make a glass of beet juice. But nowadays, people make beet juice using other fruits and vegetables as ingredients. Examples include apples, kale, orange, cucumber, pineapple or carrots among numerous others. With the focus here being on beets alone, wouldn’t you want to know how taking this drink impacts your health?
Beet juice may contain higher levels of sugar which is not what you want if you are trying to lose weight. That’s the bad news. The good news is that beet juice has a ton of nutritional and health benefits. Beet juice contains high amounts of manganese essential for increased immunity, Nitric oxide for increased physical energy and folate for white and red blood cell production.
Pros
- Helps give you superior physical performance thanks to its high levels of Nitric oxide
- Carries increased amounts of folate which is a B vitamin in charge of red and white blood cell production in the bone marrow
- Has high levels of antioxidants, detoxifying and anti-inflammatory qualities needed to lead a generally healthy life
- Helps fight and prevent diseases thanks to its increased levels of manganese
Con
- Has higher calorie amount which is bad for someone who is trying to lose some weight
Beets features
To cook or to take raw? Beets are naturally very sweet tasting vegetables. But due to their earthy taste, many prefer to either cook or boil them. But what good does this do for your body? Cooking beets leads to the loss of important values like antioxidant levels, minerals and vitamin levels.
In short, someone who juices beets or eats them raw can reap more health benefits compared to someone who opts to cook them instead.Of all the ways you can take beets, taking them raw is the best way you can take them if you want to get maximum benefits and maintain complete health.
Pros
- Helps lower blood pressure
- Increased vitamin and mineral levels
- Has fewer calories
- Higher fiber content for healthy digestive tract
Con
- Taking raw beets isn’t as sweet as taking them juiced or cooked
Conclusion
For me, it’s not so much about the taste as it is about the health and nutritional benefits I get from beets.This is why I would go with taking beets raw any day. I have to admit that at first it got some getting used to for me to get over the unusual taste but with time I got used to it. Now I barely notice the taste. With the information in this Beet juice vs beets comparison you know which choice suits you best.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the telltale signs that my beets may have gone bad?
Beets tend to grow soft and squishy like tomatoes if they stay out too long without being eaten. Always store your beets inside your fridge in a dry area. Eat them within three days just to be sure that you are taking fresh beets and to maximize the benefits.
Can I take beetroot juice daily?
For a healthy adult, it is ok to take even 2 cups of beet juice daily. But this changes if it in case of a child or if the person has been found to be prone to getting kidney stones.
How do beets really help me?
Beets have very few calories, they are a good source of fiber, vitamin C, folate, nitrates and are full of nutrients. This helps lower blood pressure, purify the body, increase stamina and boost energy among numerous other benefits.
Can beets help me lose weight?
Beets have no fat, they are high in magnesium, and they have lots of dietary fiber. This means they can help you not only lose weight but also helps to promote proper muscle function.
Can beets help treat someone with Anemia?
Beets alone are good but when you have anemia, beet juice mixed with Amla is the key totreating and curing Anemia.
They are both rich in vitamin C and have what it takes to increase red blood cell production. This, in turn, helps increase oxygen circulation and ultimately cure anaemia.
