Beetroot: a bit of a hero!
Beetroot is a rich source of bioactive compounds and is believed to be extremely beneficial for health. When researching functional foods recently, I found studies[1][2] into the functional properties of beetroot, which suggested that it can improve behaviour and attention, energy production, protect against tumor formation, reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure and maintain blood sugar levels – in humans. Being so high in natural dietary nitrates, beetroot is also said to improve athletic performance.
Other research[3] into the composition and effects of beetroot found that the plant has high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (other active ingredients include polyphenols, folates and minerals including manganese, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc).
So – definitely good for overall human health, including bone health and immune function. What about dogs? With the usual caveat of ‘moderation in everything’, yes – beetroots are fine for dogs to eat. In fact, beetroot is also included in a lot of commercial dog foods.
Beetroot is great in toppings and is a great favourite in baked treats.
Beetroot Baking
Enter beetroot powder.
Organic beetroot powder, made from ground beetroot, is a purple powder that has a longer shelf life than fresh beets and can be added to various food products. Originally purchased for use in smoothies, beetroot powder has now also become a popular ingredient in some of my training treat recipes.
Encouragingly, research[4] into the effect of a functional food like beetroot has found that beetroot added in powdered form also increases nutritional and health-promoting properties: the biscuits in the clinical trials contained more proteins, fibres, minerals, plant pigments and omega-3 fatty acids. And having experimented with different percentages and different cooking temperatures, the conclusion was that “there was no effect of baking temperature on antioxidant activity”.
A superfood that doesn’t significantly deteriorate after baking!
Well Dog Pantry
Make sure you get the organic 100% beet powder without additives. You will see that some “beetroot” powders are not a hundred percent beetroot and may contain other vegetables like carrot, kale or spinach.
- Add beetroot powder to water for use in toppings
- Add a spoonful or two of powder to the dry ingredients in training treats or cookies
Care and share
And on the ‘care and share’ front, beetroot powder can be used in smoothies, some sauces and even in chocolate cake!
A quick word about beet juice: Beetroot juice is used widely by athletes to replenish energy[5]. In nutritional terms, the juice and powder are both antioxidant rich. Both are convenient, but the juice will generally have a higher sugar content so I prefer to stick to the powder where possible.
References:
[1] Chen L, Zhu Y, Hu Z, Wu S, Jin C. Beetroot as a functional food with huge health benefits: Antioxidant, antitumor, physical function, and chronic metabolomics activity. Food Sci Nutr. 2021 Sep 9;9(11):6406-6420. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.2577. PMID: 34760270; PMCID: PMC8565237.
[2] Mirmiran P, Houshialsadat Z, Gaeini Z, Bahadoran Z, Azizi F. Functional properties of beetroot (Beta vulgaris) in management of cardio-metabolic diseases. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2020 Jan 7;17:3. doi: 10.1186/s12986-019-0421-0. PMID: 31921325; PMCID: PMC6947971.
[3] Ceclu L, Oana-Viorela N (2020) Red Beetroot: Composition and Health Effects – A Review. J Nutri Med Diet Care 6:043. doi.org/10.23937/2572-3278.1510043
[4] Mitrevski J, Pantelić NĐ, Dodevska MS, Kojić JS, Vulić JJ, Zlatanović S, Gorjanović S, Laličić-Petronijević J, Marjanović S, Antić VV. Effect of Beetroot Powder Incorporation on Functional Properties and Shelf Life of Biscuits. Foods. 2023 Jan 9;12(2):322. doi: 10.3390/foods12020322. PMID: 36673414; PMCID: PMC9858528.
[5] Chen L, Zhu Y, Hu Z, Wu S, Jin C. Beetroot as a functional food with huge health benefits: Antioxidant, antitumor, physical function, and chronic metabolomics activity. Food Sci Nutr. 2021 Sep 9;9(11):6406-6420. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.2577. PMID: 34760270; PMCID: PMC8565237.
Want to know more? These studies may be useful:
- Beynen, Anton. (2018). Digestive Characteristics of Dogs Fed a Dry Food Enhanced with Additional Beet Pulp. Creature Companion 2018; May: 34, 36.
- Le Bon M, Carvell-Miller L, Marshall-Jones Z, Watson P, Amos G. A Novel Prebiotic Fibre Blend Supports the Gastrointestinal Health of Senior Dogs. Animals (Basel). 2023 Oct 21;13(20):3291. doi: 10.3390/ani13203291. PMID: 37894015; PMCID: PMC10603684.
Important Considerations:
- Always consult your veterinarian before making any significant dietary changes, particularly where there are pre-existing health conditions or dietary restrictions.
- As some commercial foods contain beetroot as an ingredient, check the label to see whether it’s in your dog’s food before giving more. Excessive intake of any foods can have adverse effects.
- Ensure (where possible) that you use high-quality, organic products specifically formulated for pets (or better still, human grade ingredients) to avoid any potential adverse effects.
- Introduce new foods gradually to avoid adverse effects such as gastrointestinal upset or diarrhoea.
- I provide nutritional information purely as a helpful guide. Nutritional information on ingredients is obtained from the US Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central site (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/index.html) and any nutritional information provided in recipes is based on an online calculator: calories and other information will vary based on brands, ingredients and other factors.
- Check nutrient levels and recommendations for your dog’s weight, age and activity. For example this nutritional guideline produced by FEDIAF.
- I am not a professional nutritionist. I am sharing recipes that I have created and tested in my kitchen and that have been tasted and approved by our doggy friends.
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