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Is Beetroot Good For Diabetes?

January 9, 2023

11 min read

TLDR

Beetroot helps in regulating blood sugar levels and improves insulin sensitivity.
It is a good source of antioxidants and nitrates that improves heart health.
Beetroot also lowers your blood pressure levels.
Take care to include beetroot in moderate quantities and enjoy its benefits without worrying about blood sugar spikes.

Today, the modern consumer is interested in exploring all-natural ways to promote health and well-being and has a strong preference for “functional foods”. Beetroots have become more popular as a functional food in recent years.

Beetroots: Health benefits

Beetroot is known for its high nitrate content. Intake of dietary nitrates has been linked to improved cognitive function, increased athletic performance, and lower blood pressure levels.

In addition, it also contains a good amount of betalain pigments and other antioxidants, such as flavonoids, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, and phenolic acids, which also play a role in improving risk factors for various chronic diseases.¹

It has antitumor properties and helps in lowering blood lipid, and blood glucose levels. Also, it helps digestion, improves skin health, helps treat anemia, and osteoporosis, and has protective effects on the liver and kidneys.²

Beetroot Glycemic Index

Beetroot is considered a “medium glycemic index” food with a glycemic index value of 61 to 64 ^11,12.

In a 100-gram serving of beetroot, there are about 34 calories. Beetroot provides 3 grams of fiber per 100-gram serving. It is a rich storehouse of dietary fiber, manganese, and biotin

Beetroot for Diabetes

Does Beetroot Increase Blood Sugar?

Although beetroots have natural sugars, they don’t get converted into glucose quickly meaning they will not likely have a dramatic impact on blood glucose so long as it isn’t combined with many other carbs.

If you pair it with proteins, fats, and leafy greens – such as in a salad or with nuts, it will keep your overall carb intake quite low per meal.

However, as beetroot is a sugar-containing root vegetable with a medium glycemic index it should be consumed less frequently or in smaller amounts than other vegetables.

Remember to avoid canned beetroot as they contain added sugar and salt. Always opt for fresh beetroot and use them to add its unique sweetness and color to your meals.

Download the Hint app if you would like to track your sugar or carb intake.

Research Suggests Beetroot Is Good For Diabetes

A dozen research studies conclude that beetroot in its raw form or as juice is useful for regulating blood sugar levels and is effective for diabetes.

In 2021 study, with type 2 diabetes patients, concluded that raw red beetroot consumption for 8 weeks resulted in a significant decrease in fasting blood sugar, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and a substantial increase in total antioxidant capacity and cognitive function.³

A recent study has indicated that betalains, polyphenols, and dietary nitrate found in beetroot juice revealed a significant lowering of the postprandial insulin response and resulted in substantial suppression of post-meal glucose levels.⁴

According to a study, consuming beetroot with carbohydrates lowered insulin resistance in people who were obese.⁵

Beetroot juice tends to reduce post-prandial glucose and lipid levels. ⁶

Helps Lower Blood Pressure

Studies have shown that adding beetroots to the diet can help manage blood pressure which is common among people with type 2 diabetes.

A recent study, published in the journal of Hypertension, found that drinking a cup of beet juice each day seemed to cause a significant drop in blood pressure among people with hypertension.

They suggest that dietary nitrates in beetroot juice increase nitric oxide in blood vessels.

As nitric oxide is a vasodilator, it helps widen and relax blood vessels, thereby reducing blood pressure.^7,8

Improves exercise performance

Studies have shown that drinking beetroot juice increases blood nitric oxide which improves muscle performance in high-intensity workouts and also improves muscle strength.⁹

If you work out regularly to strengthen your muscles, we recommend you follow a high-protein diet while including beetroot in your meals.

Ways To Include Beetroot In Your Diet

The best way to eat and benefit from this vegetable is by eating it fresh and raw.

Incorporating beetroot into your diet is pretty simple by using the Hint app. Hint provides you with a variety of recipes with beetroot that can be included in your daily diet.

Here is a list of healthy beetroot recipes and their calorie information that can be included in your diet.

Beetroot Recipes	Calories (kcal) in 1 Small Cup (100 grams)
Beetroot salad	34
Mixed sprouts beetroot salad	40
Beetroot cucumber tomato raita	44
Beetroot cabbage raita	46
Beetroot and green apple soup	56
Beetroot rasam	69
Beetroot curry	107
Beetroot leaves dal	110
Beetroot coconut curry	123
Beetroot aloo curry	137
Beetroot halwa	183
Beetroot khichdi	253
Beetroot pickle	280

Beetroot Recipes	Calories (kcal) in one small piece (30g)
Beetroot idli	54
Beetroot and cheese chilla	56
Oats beetroot idli	58
Beetroot sesame roti	80
Beetroot poori	85

Beetroot Recipes	Calories (kcal) in 1 glass (240 ml)
Beetroot juice	27
Beetroot palak pear juice	36
Beetroot coriander juice	38
Beetroot carrot tomato juice	41
Beetroot carrot cucumber juice	41
Beetroot carrot juice	43
Beetroot buttermilk	44
Beetroot smoothie	124
Beetroot fig smoothie	143
Beetroot lassi	178

Download the HINT app for more information on beetroot recipes, calories, and nutrition facts.

Popular Beetroot Recipes

Listed below are the popular beetroot recipes with related calorie and nutrition information and whether they can be included in the diet by diabetic patients.

Beetroot Halwa

One small cup (100 grams) of beetroot halwa has 183 kcal. 37% of these calories are from carbohydrates, 9% from protein, and 54% from fat.

Though beetroot halwa is a good source of biotin, calcium, phosphorus, selenium, and manganese it contains high sugar and saturated fat. Hence, is not recommended for people with diabetes.

Beetroot Pachadi

One tablespoon (15 grams) of beetroot pachadi has 42 kcal and more than 75% of these calories are from fat.

Pachadi or pickles or chutneys are high in calories, contain high amounts of sodium and saturated fats, and therefore should be avoided by diabetic patients.

Beetroot Curry

One small cup (100 grams) of beetroot curry has 107 kcal. 44% of these calories are from carbohydrates, 17% from protein, and 39% from fat.

Beetroot curry is a good source of potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin D, magnesium, copper, selenium, manganese, vitamin B5, vitamin E, and carotenoids and therefore can be included in the diabetic diet. But remember moderation is the key.

Carrot and beetroot juice

One glass (240 mL) of carrot and beetroot juice has 43 kcal. 73% of these calories are from carbohydrates, 19% from protein, and 9% from fat.

It is a good source of dietary fiber, potassium, manganese, biotin, and an excellent source of alpha-carotene, beta carotene.

Research suggests that carrot and beetroot juice contains a high amount of essential nutrients and bioactive compounds.¹⁰ It helps relieve constipation and balance blood sugar levels.

Are there any side effects of eating beetroot?

Beetroot is beneficial for diabetes for a variety of reasons but there is one condition you should be aware of, it is called “beeturia”.

Beeturia is a condition in which urine or stools appear pink or red after one eats beetroot. But this is not a harmful condition and it will clear up after some time.

Who should not eat beetroot?

Anyone who is allergic to roots should avoid beetroot.

People with low blood pressure should avoid it because of nitrates, which dilate the blood vessels, and further lowers the blood pressure.

In addition, people prone to kidney stones containing oxalate should also avoid it.

Conclusion

Including beetroot and other vegetables in your diet not only help your health, but they also make your plate more appetizing to look at and more flavorful.

Beetroots are a great addition to any diet and can add variety to your daily meals. They can enhance the flavor of salads, and boost the nutritional value of meals.

If you want to learn more about which food fits into a diabetic diet and how to make dietary adjustments to keep your blood glucose within range, download the Hint app and subscribe to the diabetic diet plan within minutes.

By changing your lifestyle according to the Hint diabetic diet plan plan, you can control daily blood sugar levels and reduce your HbA1c within a few months.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. Are beetroots good for weight loss?

Yes. Because beetroot is high in fiber and low in calories, they help increase weight loss when added to a healthy diet.

2. Are beetroots high in iron?

No, they aren’t. 100 g of beetroot contains less than 1 mg of iron. For beetroot to be a high source of iron it must provide 20% or more of the daily value.

3. Do you poop red after eating beetroot?

Yes, eating beetroot or drinking beet juice can give your urine and/or your stool a slightly reddish or pink tinge. This phenomenon, called beeturia, is not harmful and it will clear up after a bit.

4. Is beetroot good for gestational diabetes?

Yes. Beetroot is a good source of dietary fiber, manganese, biotin, and phytonutrients such as betalains, lutein, and zeaxanthin. All of these are essential for maintaining a healthy pregnancy. But remember moderation is the key as it has a medium glycemic index.