Beet The Odds – by Dr. Nathan Bryan & Carolyn Pierini

By the same first-listed author as the book we recently reviewed about nitric oxide, this time he’s teamed up with a clinician specialized in the biochemistry of human nutrigenomics, this time to extol the virtues of beets—and we do say “beets”, since while the root (thus, beetroot) is the most-discussed part of the plant, the leaves and stalks have benefits too.

We learn a lot about its effects on the heart and blood, and its antioxidant properties, as well as the unique properties associated with betalain and especially betanin. Lastly, unsurprisingly from this author, we also hear about beets’ benefits in the category of improving nitric oxide levels (as the plant is a good source of nitrates, which the body can use to make that).

The style is is quite bold and colorful; there’s little hard science here, and we are not treated to sources for claims as we go along. It’s also worth noting that this book is a scant 56 pages, so, a lot more than we can fit in an article here (such as our own Beetroot For More Than Just Your Blood Pressure), but still a little lighter than we’re used to.

There is an ad for Dr. Bryan’s beetroot powder supplements at the end.

Bottom line: beets are great (unless you are avoiding oxalates, in which case, maybe skip them as they’re quite high in those, but for most people without kidney problems this is a non-issue), and this short, light, enthusiastic book does a fair job of explaining how they’re great.

Click here to check out Beet The Odds, and beet the odds!