TRIED & TESTED: Love Beets

Until I started writing this, I didn’t realise that there was so much more to Love Beets than just their juices*. I’m not sure about you, but my memory of beetroot is from my little school where I spent most of my time trying to avoid having it on my plate. Unfortunately, I was at one of those schools where you didn’t get a buffet choice and you had to have a bit of the meat, carbs and veg and there was no arguments about it. I don’t think even a letter got you out of school meals – it was before the time of the dairy-free, gluten-free era.

So why avoid beetroot? Because it tasted like earth (I liked the fact it looked a bit like blood).

I’ve since come to realise Beetroot has a Marmite effect, you either love it or hate it. And for the sakes of this review, I’ve drunk more beetroot juice than I even have in my life. The Original Beetroot Juice is a dark, mulberry red and tastes like… beetroot. The smell puts me off, but the taste isn’t so bad. And if you’re the kind of person who eats and drinks things because they’re good for you, then you should consider beetroot juice.

Here are just some of the perks of beetroot:

• Raw beetroots contain lots of iron – a constant lack of energy could signify a lack of iron so this could help perk you up, with a more lasting effect than coffee.
• Gym bunnies take heed – the nitric oxide in beetroot juice helps widen blood vessels, allowing more blood to flow and reducing the amount of blood required by the muscle, so you can workout more and use less oxygen.
• Your heart will thank you for it – potassium, found in beets, is the main mineral required by muscles, including the heart, for contraction, and it can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and strokes.
• It loves your liver – and beetroot juice helps support it. It contains the bioactive agent, betaine, which helps protect the liver and bile ducts and helps it work efficiently.

Don’t forget, Love Beets have 2 different types of beetroot available in the UK – plain beetroot juice (ok, so it has some lemon in too which acts as a natural stabiliser), and a Cherry Berry Beet Juice which contains beet juice, apple juice, cherry puree, blackcurrant juice and lemon juice. The Cherry Berry one is definitely more palatable if you’re not so keen on beetroots as it’s got a delicious sharpness to it.

And if you want all the benefits of beetroot juice but aren’t so keen on the taste, these are perfect to add into smoothies – I love it whizzed up with apple and cucumber.

More information

Where to buy: Their UK website hasn’t yet launched so ask them on Twitter
How much: From £1.85 for a 250ml bottle
Who’s it for? Those who want an interesting health kick

*Love Beets was started by some Brits who then spent most of their time launching their products in the US – everything from infused baby beets, to precooked beets, even to snack trays complete with crackers and cheese!