How to Make a Special Beet Smoothie to Control Cholesterol
Apart from drinking the following juice, it’s very important to have other healthy habits such as exercising and getting rid of any harmful habits, in order to keep your cholesterol under control.
Cholesterol is a waxy substance inside of blood lipids. The body needs it to some extent to continually produce healthy cells. However, if you have too much of it in your blood, it can build up in the blood vessels and increase the risk of heart problems considerably.
This medical condition is known as hypercholesterolemia. It hinders the functioning of vital organs and is life-threatening. While genetic predisposition is a factor, most of the time high cholesterol is caused by having an unhealthy lifestyle and not eating right.
This is why it’s really important to have better habits and resort to certain remedies that can help control it naturally. Therefore, try this special nutritional beet smoothie that can help break down fat.
What are the Dangers of Having High Cholesterol?
High cholesterol is a risk factor for many diseases. This substance blocks the arteries and hinders the blood flow within them.
Some of the consequences of this are:
- Excess weight or obesity
- Atherosclerosis
- Vesicular disease
- Heart attack
- High blood pressure
- Liver disease and ischemia
- High blood glucose levels
Take a look at this article: 6 Cooking Tricks to Reduce Your Cholesterol Consumption
High Cholesterol Symptoms
The main risk of having high cholesterol is usually not being able to tell symptoms what the symptoms are. In fact, this disease is often referred to as a “silent killer”.
Despite this disease, some common symptoms could cause an early diagnosis. Warning signs include:
- Abdominal bloating
- Dizziness and blurred vision
- Swelling of the extremities (edema)
- Bad breath
- Chest pain
- Weakness and fatigue
- Food intolerance
- Intestinal problems
- Hives or skin allergies
Why Use Beets to Lower Cholesterol?
- It has cleansing properties that support liver function (the liver is the organ where most of the cholesterol is produced). Its nutrients help purify the blood and eliminate toxins in the body.
- Also, its dietary fiber contents improve the fat absorption process, which prevents fat from building up in the body. This, of course, reduces the tendency to accumulate cholesterol.
- Its niacin contents support the formation of good cholesterol (HDL), which is crucial to rid the body of bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides.
- Among other things, it contains phytonutrients such as betanin and vulgaxanthin, which can help relieve swelling and cell deterioration.
Read this article too: Beet and Parsley Shake to Combat Varicose Veins
How to Make a Special Beet Smoothie to Control Cholesterol
Although beets are a star ingredient to this shake, there are other foods that help regulate cholesterol levels. As a result, you get a detox drink that improves your cardiovascular health, body weight and overall vitality.
Ingredients
- 1 apple
- 1 beet root
- The juice of 2 oranges
- The juice of ½ a lemon
Instructions
- Peel the apple and cut it into several pieces.
- Chop the beets into small cubes and set aside.
- Cut the citrus fruits in half and extract their juices.
- Blend all the ingredients and, if necessary, add some water so it blends easier.
- Blend for a few minutes until you get a smooth and lump-free drink.
How to Drink
- It’s a good idea to drink this shake right after making it because that is the precise moment when all of its properties are concentrated. While you can store it in the refrigerator, it will lose some of its nutrients after a few hours.
- Take it on an empty stomach at least 3 times a week.
- If you’ve just been diagnosed with high cholesterol, take it every day for 3 or 4 weeks in a row.
- Important: Don’t drink this smoothie if you have kidney disease. Beets contain oxalates that can cause complications in case of kidney stones.
In conclusion, although this smoothie helps control this lipid, you should remember that it’s essential to begin other healthy habits. Exercise on a regular basis, eat right, and avoid stress.
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All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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- Hobbs, D. A., Kaffa, N., George, T. W., Methven, L., & Lovegrove, J. A. (2012). Blood pressure-lowering effects of beetroot juice and novel beetroot-enriched bread products in normotensive male subjects. British Journal of Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114512000190
- Asgary, S., Afshani, M. R., Sahebkar, A., Keshvari, M., Taheri, M., Jahanian, E., … Sarrafzadegan, N. (2016). Improvement of hypertension, endothelial function and systemic inflammation following short-term supplementation with red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) juice: A randomized crossover pilot study. Journal of Human Hypertension. https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2016.34
- Cleveland Clinic. Cholesterol: High Cholesterol Diseases. (2016). Recuperado el 3 de junio de 2020. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11918-cholesterol-high-cholesterol-diseases
- Clínica Mayo. High Colesterol. (2019). Recuperado el 3 de junio de 2020. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/symptoms-causes/syc-20350800
- Clifford, T., Howatson, G., West, D. J., & Stevenson, E. J. (2015). The potential benefits of red beetroot supplementation in health and disease. In Nutrients. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu7042801
