Who should avoid beetroot? Here, we're going to analyze danger, taste, safe change, and the best cooking tips. Beetroot is a high-nutrit...
Who should avoid beetroot? Here, we're going to analyze danger, taste, safe change, and the best cooking tips.
Beetroot is a high-nutrition food that has great character, a deep red color, and sweetness growing on the earth
People use these vegetables in many different ways; they use them for salads and smoothies, and some even use them as a snack before they start their daily workout. However, those who love to eat beetroot are still worried about whether they should avoid it.
What alternatives can we consider using instead?
We will find the simple answer to these questions and look forward to analyzing health benefits and risks. I would love to share practical tips on how I use it at home so you will enjoy it without any doubt.
What Makes Beetroot So Delicious (the Good Stuff)?
Before we talk about who need to stay away from beetroot, let's see why people love to eat it
Beets have dietary nitrates that can turn into nitric oxide, which helps to relax blood vessels. Many people say that when they drink beet juice or eat roasted beets regularly, they feel their blood pressure go lower and can work out better.
Beets have fiber that also can help with digestion, and folate supports cells to stay healthy.
The deep color of beets comes from betalains, which can fight inflammation as well as harmful radicals.
You can prepare it in any style, like roast, grate, or blend; in this way, you can enjoy a sweet or citrusy taste.
How I Prepare Beets
I always love to eat small roasted beets with walnuts or arugula and dressing made with lemon and olive oil. It tastes so nice, and actually you don't need many beets to taste delicious.
Who Should Avoid Beetroot? (or Be Careful)
This checklist is the main point in explaining why you must be careful. If you see the list that applies to you down below, please talk to your doctor about limiting swapping or sharing parts of your treatment.
1. Individuals who suffer from kidney stones caused by calcium oxalate should be particularly cautious.
Why? Because oxalates are found in beetroot (especially beet greens), and they can help people who are prone to calcium oxalate stones form them.
If your doctor tells you to eat a low-oxalate diet, you must avoid beetroot or eat small amounts of it with other high-calcium foods. (like yogurt, at the same meal) to help bind oxalate in the gut.
You can try carrot, pumpkin, and zucchini instead of beetroot because they have less oxalate and taste great when you roast or grate them into salad.
2. People who suffering with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or who are trying to take limit potassium
Why? Beets contain potassium. If your kidneys don't work properly, your body may have trouble getting rid of extra potassium that could lead to hyperkalemia.
Best advice: follow your renal dietitian's recommendations, and if you eat a small amount of canned beets, rinse them before you eat; that will reduce the potassium.
The best choice for less potassium is to eat cucumber, lettuce, cabbage, or a small amount of carrot for crunch and color.
3. Those who have very low blood pressure or use blood pressure pills daily
What is the reason? Beets typically lower blood pressure in most people. If you have low blood pressure or take hypertensive meds, eating many beets may make you dizzy. (especially beet juice)
Useful advice: Eat only a small amount of beet with meals.
(The fiber helps to slow absorption.) And don't drink beet juice if your doctor does not recommend it.
Better swaps: roasted carrots, cherry tomatoes, or red cabbages can be included to add color and sweetness to your salad without making your blood pressure go up.
4. People with IBS who follow a low FODMAP diet
Why? Because at a normal serving size, beetroot has moderate to high amounts of some FODMAPs, which can make some people feel bloated or uncomfortable.
If you are in the elimination phase, try to stay away or eat a small amount, like a few thin slices, and see how you feel. You have to be careful when you test during reintroduction.
For color and crunch, you can swap out carrots, parsnips, and bell peppers (in FODMAP-friendly amounts).
5. Babies younger than 6 months
What is the reason they should avoid beets? Because homemade beet purees and juice can have a lot of nitrate, and very young babies more likely to get methemoglobinemia, which is a rare problem that makes it harder to get oxygen to their body
Best advice: choose what is right for your children's age; don't feed them beetroot until your pediatrician says it's ok for them (usually low-nitrate vegetables are first).
6. allergies or oral allergy syndrome
Why? Because sometimes it is possible to have a real beet allergy, but it is not common. Some people with pollen-related oral allergy syndrome feel itchy in their mouths or throats when they eat fresh beets.
7. People with diabetes who want to manage their glucose levels
The reason is whole beets have a moderate amount of carbs and sugar that come from plants; many people can manage them well in their portion. But beet juice still can raise your blood sugar level faster. because it doesn't have any fiber
Practical advice: if you eat meals that are high in protein or healthy fat, it's best to choose a small amount of whole beet and keep your attention on your response. (CGM or glucometer)
If you want color and antioxidants without raising your blood sugar, you can try non-starchy berries or cucumber.
A Summary of The Benefits
- It's good to know what beetroot can offer for you even if you are on the limit list
- Help with circulation: nitrates turn into nitric oxide, which could help control blood pressure. (if you have high blood pressure)
- Antioxidant pigments: betalains give you color and can help the body's natural defenses.
- Digestive fiber: these help you keep things moving and feed good gut bacteria (people who can handle it).
- Folate: it is beneficial for cells; beets give you a boost.
The Best Life Example
If you are training for a 5k and can manage beets, a small roasted beet with dinner can be a tasty way to stick to your plan without having any concentrated juice.
Side Effect That Not Dangerous
- Beeturia: when people eat beets, they get pink or red urine; it is usually not dangerous, and in one or two days it will disappear.
- Red stool: the pigment also can change the color of your stool; that may be scary, but it's just betalains.
What Is the Reasonable Amount of Beet?
If you can manage beets and are a healthy adult, think of them as a side dish or garnish, not the main meal.
Whole beetroot: 1 small beet (100-120 g) roasted and shared or ½ small beet (50-75 g) in a salad.
If you are worried about blood sugar spikes or drops, it's better to limit beet juice, or you can mix it with fiber-rich food like chia or yogurt.
My Cooking Style
I roast a few small beets for the week and then slice two or three thin rounds and mix them with salad. This is the best choice, and you can enjoy the color and flavor without going high on sugar or oxalates.
Smart and Safe Swaps
Pick other foods based on why you chose to eat beetroot in the first place.
- Carrot ribbons Red cabbage, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes are all great for color and salad appeal. (They are lower in oxalate and potassium.)
- If you don't like beets, I can suggest some other foods that are high in nitrates, which can help you to stay strong.
- Arugula (rocket) has plenty of nitrates naturally, and it usually doesn't impact glucose in the same way beet juice does.
Other choices you can make (check for tolerance) are celery and romaine.
- For a boost of antioxidants and a gentler blood sugar level, you can try berries and pomegranate arils (a small handful) and red cabbage slaw with lemon.
- If you want to add color to smoothies without the problems that beets cause, try frozen berries, a scoop of unsweetened cocoa (flavanols), or a few pomegranate seeds. You can mix it with yogurt and greens.
- To add earthly sweetness to roasts, mix pumpkin, kabocha, carrot, and also parsnip with olive oil, salt, and spices.
Useful Tips for Eating Beets More Wisely
Combine with calcium: If you are worried about oxalates, you can eat beets with yogurt or another food that is high in calcium, so that will help the oxalates stick to the gut.
You can use a mix of small, thin slices of beet with a lot of low-oxalate greens; you can get the color, not the extra things.
If you are sensitive, cook it well, as I know some people can handle cooked food better than raw food. I suggest that roasting or boiling can be more gentle.
Don't drink beet juice if you feel dizzy or your sugar level goes up; use whole beets in a few slices with a meal.
Write down your answer, tracking short notes for a week about your energy, blood pressure, bloating, and sugar level. This will help you to find your personal sweet spot.
Easy serving plans (with simple change)
- Salad with citrus beets: you can have beets, orange segments, arugula, walnuts, and a lemon-olive oil dressing.
- For a lower oxalate version, replace the beets with carrots and keep the rest of the ingredients.
- For the roasted tray, you can use pumpkin, carrot, onion, and a few beet cuts for color. A tasty option is all tossed with olive oil, salt, cumin, and coriander.
- If you have IBS, please make sure to eat tiny pieces or don't eat them at all.
- Furthermore, you can use a protein bowl with quinoa, chickpeas, cucumber, herbs, and a spoonful of yogurt tahini dressing. (my favorite way)
- A change that is good for glucose: you can add a few beet cubes and more vegetables.
FAQs
Is beetroot bad for people who have kidney stones?
People who make calcium oxalate stones are better to stay away from or limiting foods that have high amounts of oxalates, like beets and beet greens. Do what your doctor tells you to do.
Can eating beetroot make your blood pressure drop?
Nitrates in it can lower blood pressure a little. This is helpful for some people. But if you already have low blood pressure or take pressure pills, you should eat only a small amount of whole beets and keep an eye on it.
Is drinking beet juice better for you than eating a whole beet?
Juice has more nitrates and natural sugar and no fiber. For most people, whole beets are easier on their blood sugar and digestion.
If I'm worried about oxalates, are beet greens ok?
Usually they have a lot more oxalates than the root; if you need to eat low-oxalate foods, you should not eat beet greens until your doctor says it's ok.
In My Opinion as a Home Cook
When used as a spice, beetroot really shines; just a little goes a long way. You can get color and flavor without losing a lot of nutrition by slicing them thinly, putting a few cubes on a tray to roast, or placing a small roasted beet between two plates.
When I cook for my friends who have kidney or blood pressure problems, I use carrot, pumpkin, and arugula to keep the plate colorful and feel low stress.
A Fair Ending
Beetroot is not bad for you, and it won't magically heal anything. It is a colorful vegetable that is full of nutrients and works well for many people in small amounts. But who should avoid beetroot? Those who suffer from calcium oxalate kidney stones or advanced kidney disease, very low blood pressure, IBS on a low FODMAP diet, babies under 6 months old, and people allergic to beets should avoid beetroot.
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