BeetrootBeetroot is an excellent source of folate and a good source of manganese, and contains betaines which may function to reduce the concentration of homocysteine, a homolog of the naturally occurring amino acid cysteine.
In preliminary research, beetroot juice reduced blood pressure in hypertensive individuals and so may have an effect on mechanisms of cardiovascular disease. Dietary nitrate, such as that from consuming beets, may be a source of nitric oxide which for smooth muscle triggering and increased blood flow. | 
