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Hi everyone, Mike Stuchiner, Master Herbalist, here with Z Natural Foods. Today's video is going to be discussing the correlation of the nourishing powers of beets and nitric oxide. And then, after I discuss that topic, I'm going to answer, as a part of this video, what would be considered some frequently asked questions about being able to powder beetroot juice, powder things of that nature. But before we get started, two things: one, if you want more information about me and Bernie, please check out my YouTube channel at, "A Master Herbalist," with an "s" perspective. Two, very important, our medical disclaimer. The information you are about to receive is for educational purposes only and is not intended to treat, prescribe, or diagnose any specific or general medical condition. It is also never to be used as a substitution for your primary healthcare provider's diagnosis, treatment protocol, or medical information. With that said, let's get started. With a deliciously sweet taste, beautiful deep red vibrant color, and crunchy texture, beets contain a treasure trove of nutrients and compounds that provide the body with a level of nourishment rarely found in a single food. Beets are classified within the top 10 foods with the highest antioxidant activity, and they possess many unique qualities. They not only support powerful mechanisms of action like healthy blood flow, which directly correlates with vibrant health, but beets also may work as a transport system for any powerful nourishment which you consume into the body. One of the things that I think most people tend to be very confused and overwhelmed by when it comes to information on health and well-being correlated to food are the three compounds or your three, yeah, we'll call them compounds: nitrates, nitrites, and nitric oxide because there's a lot of very confusing information, conflicting information. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to just try to simplify this for everybody so we understand. We've heard for years now how nitrates and nitrites are harmful to our health and to avoid them at all costs. The concept of this topic is similar to what we were told about saturated fats. Years later, we learned that information was not 100% accurate. Much like how all thoughts are not created equal, nitrates and nitrites can have positive and negative effects depending on specific factors. Substances like fats, nitrates, and nitrites are all essential precursors for producing other compounds that may positively affect human well-being. Nitrates, also known as NO3, are formed when nitrogen is combined with oxygen and are found in vegetables like beets. Nitrates are also what gives meat a pinkish-red color. Nitrites and NO2 are a salt or ester of nitrous acid. The primary difference is the oxygen atoms they possess. Nitrates contain three oxygen atoms, and nitrites contain two. Nitrates turn into nitrites during a process called entero-salivary circulation, with bacteria and enzymes found in the mouth and the body. The body produces a large number of nitrates and secretes them in the saliva and into the digestive tract, where they function as an antimicrobial, killing bacteria like salmonella. Nitrates are then converted into nitric oxide, which helps the body transmit arterial cells that relax the system and control the cardiac rhythm, supporting healthy blood flow by dilating blood vessels, which relax muscle cells. If there is an increased amount or an excessive amount of nitrates, it may also be converted into nitrosamines, known to be carcinogenic. These compounds are created when nitrates are exposed to high heat. While vegetables like beets are high in nitrates, it's believed that the large number of antioxidants and other compounds found in beets is the primary reason nitrates don't become this toxic carcinogen. In simple terms, it may not necessarily be the nitrates and nitrites specifically that convert into these toxic substances, but instead, the wide range of various factors that could potentiate this conversion itself. Now, with that said, let me go on a side note. If you've read a lot of our product descriptions and articles, you'll notice that I use the term "full spectrum" or "Whole Foods complex." This is an excellent reason why standardized or isolated compounds are never really going to get you the true full-spectrum nourishing benefits that you're looking for. This is the reason why it's important to always utilize food, herbs, and so on in their full spectrum or their whole food complex. And the reason is that all of those compounds are a necessary part of what we are discussing right now. Because if you use a standardized version of beetroot juice powder or, let's say, whole beet juice powder that's been standardized to specific compounds, you might not get the same health benefits from it. Nitric oxide is composed of nitrogen and oxygen and is created in the human body from dietary L-arginine and nitrates. Its primary role is as a vasodilator, vascular tone modulator, and blood pressure modulator, and it also supports what is known as hemodynamics, which is how blood flows through your blood vessels. With that said, let's now discuss, now that we have a basic understanding of nitrates, nitrites, and nitric oxide, let's now discuss beets via a traditional TCM perspective, Traditional Chinese Medicine. From a Traditional Chinese Medical perspective, beets have a sweetened flavor and are neutral in taste. And due to their high water content, being a fresh food, they are considered cooling or Yin in nature. The term cooling and heating act as a classification system describing the effects that symptoms and characteristics of food and herbs have on the body. Beets' primary function in TCM, as a tonic food, is to circulate chi and disperse cold, nourishing the small and large intestines, the liver, and the heart. Because beets may support liver detoxification phases one and two and nourish the heart, TCM believes they also "calm the Shen," aka the spirit. Finally, beets nourish blood and support a resolution to what TCM calls "blood xu," which is a collection of symptoms that present as a blood deficiency. One of the questions that we get at Z Natural Foods is, is beetroot powder as good as eating beets? So, to answer that question, beet extract and freeze-dried powders have a wide range of uses in the functional food market. They have been shown to support antioxidant activity and the end product's functionality and mechanisms of action. When a food powder is created, the process that removes water, known as air-drying or freeze-drying, produces a shelf-stable, highly concentrated product that is exceptionally functional and versatile. So, there are absolutely spectacular advantages to using beetroot or beet juice powders versus fresh beets. Another question is, is taking beetroot as beneficial as eating beets? Beetroot extract and freeze-dried powder is a highly nutrient-dense, versatile, functional food with a wide range of uses and unlimited potential for nourishing the human body. Beet powders have also been shown to support antioxidant levels and end-product functionality. While it's true that a powder is not the same as eating a fresh beet, its nutrient density and versatility are considered some of its many positive attributes. These attributes must be considered when deciding if a functional food powder can provide equal or more nourishing benefits for supporting functional mechanisms of action. Now, naturally, with these questions, one of our more popular questions is, does beetroot powder really work? Well, in a review titled "The Potential Benefits of Beetroot Supplementation in Health and Disease," it was stated that based on the available data, beetroot appears to be a helpful dietary source of health-promoting agents that hold potential as therapeutic treatments for several pathological disorders. The powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vascular protective effects offered by beetroot and its constituents have been clearly demonstrated by several in vivo, in vitro, human, and animal studies. Hence, its increasing popularity as a nutritional approach to help manage cardiovascular health. Another general question we get a lot is, how good is beetroot powder for you? Beet powder is a tremendous source of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients and is considered one of the top 10 foods, as I stated earlier in this video, with the highest antioxidant activity. But the power and unsung hero of beets and beet powders are the nitrates and what are known as betalains. Nitrates turn into, quick review, nitrites during the process known as entero-salivary circulation, with bacteria and enzymes found in the mouth and body. Nitrates are then converted into nitric oxide, which helps the body transmit arterial cells to relax the system and control cardiac rhythm. So potentially supporting healthy blood pressure through the dilation of blood vessels, which relaxes muscle cells. Do you get all that? Do beets really lower blood pressure? The primary reason beets are highly regarded for their ability to support healthy blood pressure levels is not just their high concentration of antioxidants and nitrates but the result of how these compounds are converted and their effects on the human body, as explained earlier. Nitrates are converted into nitrites, converting into what many doctors believe to be the miracle molecule known as nitric oxide. And again, nitric oxide is composed of nitrogen and oxygen and is created in the human body from dietary L-arginine and nitrates. Its primary roles are as a vasodilator, vascular tone modulator, supporting healthy blood pressure levels, and once again, hemodynamics, which is how blood flows through your blood vessels. In a review discussing the role of nitric oxide, it was stated, "Nitric oxide is now known to play important functional roles in a variety of physiological systems within the vasculature. Nitric oxide induces vasodilation, inhibits platelet aggregation, and prevents platelet adhesion to endothelial cells. Therefore, NO2 has established itself as a very powerful molecule that plays a decisive role in regulating multiple functions within the male and female systems." Another study discusses how significant reduction in diastolic and systolic blood pressure were also observed in subjects that were treated with beetroot supplements. The study suggested that the antihypertensive effects exerted by this beetroot supplement may have been mediated by the reductions observed in plasma homocysteine levels. In this respect, a positive association between plasma homocysteine levels and hypertension was reported. Thus, elevated homocysteine levels can lead to endothelial cell damage and a reduction in what is known as vessel flexibility. In case you were wondering how antioxidants play a role in this entire process, it comes down to the idea that if there is an excess amount of nitrates, there is great potential that those nitrates may be converted into carcinogenic substances like nitrosamines, which are created when nitrates are exposed to heat, like in smoked foods and highly processed foods. While vegetables like beets are high in nitrates, as I stated earlier, the large amount of antioxidants is more than likely the primary reason nitrates don't become nitro cell lines. So, in conclusion, many factors play or I should say many factors potentially play essential roles when deciding which version of beats will be most beneficial to an individual and see natural foods. We see it as our mission to offer you the consumer a high-quality, versatile version of powerful functional foods used worldwide to support healthy, vibrant life science. Products like beetroot powder and beetroot juice powder provide more significant benefits for versatility and avoid the pitfalls that come with nutrient loss during shipping and spoilage. The bottom line whether fresh, juiced, or powdered beets provide a magnificent array of nourishment for sustaining optimal well-being. This is Mike Stuchiner, Master Herbalist, here with Z Natural Foods signing out. I'll see you next time.