Beets Rock!
They protect very vital messenger molecules in the body. Especially hormones.
Every week I buy at least two bunches of beets using both the beets themselves - raw and cooked - and the beet greens too. Yum Yum. Delicious, and as you will see ... a healthy hormone food!
New health benefits from beets!
Medical researchers have just isolated a peptide (a small protein molecule) from beetroot.
This peptide can inhibit a particular enzyme that is responsible for the breakdown of messenger molecules in the body. Like... hormones.
Due to the particularly stable molecular structure and pharmacological properties of these beet-derived molecules — the lovely red beetroot peptide helps fight inflammatory diseases, such as neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases. And heart disease.
The beet does this by protecting our proteins. Especially our “hormones” - which are powerful signaling - “proteins”.
Beets contain 'protease inhibitors'. These beetroot peptides inhibit enzymes that digest proteins.
The beetroot peptide specifically inhibits “prolyl oligopeptidase” - which is involved in the breakdown of protein hormones in the body.
Thus... beets are “hormone protective”. They regulate and prolong hormone levels in the blood and body.
This also means that beets indirectly regulate “inflammation”.
This group of protective plant peptides in beets is also called 'knottins'.
When you eat beets you’re eating knottins.
How crazy does that sound? But it’s healthy.
When you grate beets into a salad, or dice beets into small tasty pieces, or sauté or make borscht... you are eating healthy knottins!
I’ve been cooking up a storm with delicious beets!
Dr.B
Reference:
Discovery of a Beetroot Protease Inhibitor to Identify and Classify Plant-Derived Cystine Knot Peptides. Journal of Natural Products, 2020; DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.0c00648
Excellent. Who doesn't love Beets. Is canned, ok? The reference to inhibit enzymes ... sounds bad, but obviously not?
Love this information and I love beets too! I go through seasons of buying and using fresh ones but I do use Oregon Brineworks yummy Beet/Apple Kraut almost daily either as an accompanyment to meals or mixed in salads, homemade tacos, or in "bowls." I have also been using Mercola's fermented beet root powder in my smoothies. Hooray for beets!