sos007Ambassador in reply to Paul12

No problem Paul. Skepticism is a healthy part of learning and debate. Here's another interesting 3-minute video on the health benefit of beet root:

youtu.be/7B2p-LuMQBE(Not working as expected?)

sos007Ambassador in reply to weee

Well done, good for you!!

To enhance nitric oxide production in your endothelium to induce vasodilation (relaxation and expansion of arteries' lining), it is important to have one of these 4 foods daily:

- spinach

- arugula

- kale

- broccoli

These are also high in folic acid which is important for reducing the risk of blood clots. Half of all heart attacks and strokes occur to people who have normal to optimal cholesterol levels.

Stu888 in reply to sos007

Yes you are right to mention Folic Acid as I read a study reported a few months ago that stated the only supplement worth taking was Folic Acid and it had benefits for cardio health.

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sos007Ambassador in reply to Stu888

Folic acid (B9) works best when combined with the other major B vitamins, B6 and B12.

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sandybrown in reply to Berthold

There is hidden sugar, free sugar in food and drinks. Yes, sugar in fruits and veg can be high per 100g. A small quantity do have benefits.

sos007Ambassador in reply to Berthold

Beets may be high in fructose (not sugar) but they are also high in fiber which does not result in a high insulin response. Beet juice on the other hand is 'juice' fructose without the fiber - so beet juice, like all other juices should be avoided. Nitric oxide relaxes the blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. If you're on blood pressure medication or naturally have lower blood pressure, having beets in large quantities may trigger this reaction. However if your reaction was due to beet juice and some other added ingredient then the fault is not with the beet.

As far as APOE4 and Alzheimers - if you have that gene it does not condemn you to Alzheimer's Disease. AD is one of the least understood diseases and much of the medical literature in explaining its causes has now come into question.

Today, researchers are beginning to turn to the possibility that AD has nothing to do with beta amyloid plaques, but is instead a vascular disease. AD is now being called Type 3 diabetes. As such, following the Mediterranean Diet which is high in fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and low in animal protein, will contribute to reducing your risk for AD.

Beans are full of fiber and are perfectly fine for fighting any form of vascular disease. I don't know what other starchy vegetables you were referring to in the Mediterranean Diet, but in my case I avoid all potatoes except sweet potatoes.

Legumes (beans, lentils, chick peas, green peas) are a staple in my diet and my triglycerides are extremely low as is my HbA1C measure (4.7 mmol/l).

Stick to the Mediterranean Diet and avoid all juices. I do not have difficulty finding things to eat when I have the full array of foods in that diet.

Concerned in reply to sos007

Beetroot's Gi is roughly the same as sucrose.

Fructose is not table sugar, but it is nonetheless still a sugar, and thickens blood seven times as much as glucose.

Do you mean your HbA1c is 4.7%?

Carbohydrate affects blood glucose directly; not animal foods per se.

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sos007Ambassador in reply to Concerned

Yes, I meant 4.7% for HbA1C.

Glycemic load is more important than Glycemic Index.

Read this: livestrong.com/article/3703...

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Concerned in reply to sos007

Yes, I realise GL is more important, but Gi can't be completely disregarded. The spiking of blood glucose and/or the consequent impact on insulin is why it was developed originally. Health necessitates ironing out those peaks and troughs.

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sos007Ambassador in reply to Concerned

GL factors in GI, so it is incorporated and allows you to make choices based on actual impact.

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Concerned in reply to sos007

Gi measures the rate; this is important in triggering insulin secretion, peaks resulting in hyperinsulinaemia. Disregarding this is a mistake, just like thinking avoiding saturated fat is more important than a controlled glycaemic-index and glycaemic-load. Concentrating on GL is yet another over-simplification to muddy the waters.

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Berthold in reply to sos007

Well the 15 grams of beets did not affect me so I guess it was the juice and dried beet powder I tried in the past as you say. Still concerned with BG rising at least 1 point after eating beans and I only eat sweet potatoes but it still hard to get all my calories and have been losing weight and hydration level. What I meant on APOE4 is that they all seem to be insulin sensitive and fat sensitive so it looks like they are all arriving close to T2D by the Dr Joseph Kraft assessment of hyper insulin response. The problem is laid out here and shows different approaches to vascular disease.

apoe4.info/wiki/Optimize_diet

The objective is to take the best part of each.

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Concerned in reply to Berthold

Our body has evolved to eat natural fats, including animal fats, over the last 2.5 million years. It's the fat from de novo lipogenesis that causes problems, resulting from a massive increase in carbohydrate consumption since the agricultural revolution.

The ancient Egyptians used to have the same chronic ill-health conditions that are prevalent again today.

Berthold in reply to Concerned

So with a smaller GI load will we get less calories which I could not find info on. Say a boiled sweet potato has a lower GL than a microwaved one. Of course this is a simplification as we are not just living om bread as some the Egyptians were.

Well 30grm of raw beet in short time ends up with a migraine all day. It is like they used to give a small dose of nitroglycerine or NOx to relieve chest pain but some people would get migraines.

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