Are you missing out on one of the world’s most nutritious vegetables? Many people have been avoiding beets since childhood or have never even tried this highly beneficial food. Beets provide many types of antioxidants and are high in dietary nitrates, which play a positive role in health. Nitrates are first broken down by saliva into nitrites, which then turn into nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide is a gaseous, signaling molecule that is beneficial in small amounts as it causes blood vessels to relax for improved circulation. This seems to be the reason why beet juice has produced impressive results in clinical research on athletic performance and exercise.

Beets contain minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, silica, phosphorous, manganese and potassium while the vitamin content includes B1, B2, B6, C and folate, which is highly recommended for pregnant women because it is crucial for the growth of a healthy baby. Beets also contain antioxidants: betanin is the main red pigmented antioxidant in beetroots.

Incorporating beets into your daily diet is now easier than ever. Grown in Germany, Salus® Red Beet Crystals are an instantly soluble form of concentrated red beets. Since red beets are naturally sweet, no sugar is added. The beets are not genetically modified varieties and are certified organic by LACON in the EU.

The beetroots are cleaned and freshly pressed for their juice within 2-3 hours of harvest, then the water is removed with vacuum dehydration—a unique process that does not use heat, freeze-drying or solvents—and crystals naturally form. Red Beet Crystals contain all of the active constituents of the plant and are nine times as concentrated by weight as regular beet juice. Each 200-gram jar contains the equivalent of 2.5 kg of fresh-pressed organic beets.

Adding these delicious Red Beet Crystals to your meals and snacks is an easy way to boost your vitamin, mineral and antioxidant intake. Simply dilute the crystals in water or your favourite juice and serve. Salus® Red Beet Crystals can also be eaten directly from the jar or blended into power shakes, smoothies, salad dressings, soups, casseroles, muesli and other cereals. You can even sprinkle Red Beet Crystals on carrot cake and other desserts. The use of these flavourful, nutritious beet crystals is limited only by the imagination.

Heart Healthy Red Beet “Sangria”

Gather the following ingredients and mix together just before serving for our delicious and nutritious version of sangria. Top with frozen fruit to keep your punch cold or get fancy and freeze fruit and herbs in ice cube trays for an additional wow-factor. Serves 4 – double or triple the recipe depending on your number of guests.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sparkling water
• 1 cup Flora Heart Hawthorn tea (made with 2 tea bags)
• 5 cups organic or fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1-2 whole limes, juice only
• 3-4 tbsp Salus® Red Beet Beet crystals (to taste)
• Add fruit/ice cubes to garnish

About the Author: Flora Health

Flora Manufacturing and Distributing Ltd. was established in 1965 and is headquartered in Burnaby, BC. Flora is a privately owned nutraceutical manufacturer known for high quality whole food supplements, full-spectrum botanical extracts, unrefined seed oils, and European health tonics. Learn more at florahealth.com.