If they’re good enough for Paralympic hero David Weir, they’re good enough for us
“Beetroot. It’s much better than caffeine.” As far as commendations go, it doesn’t get much better than that – especially when the new unofficial ambassador for beta vulgaris is none other than Paralympic superhuman David Weir.
According to Boris Johnson in this story for the Telegraph, it was a quick shot of David’s favourite vegetable juice that enabled the Olympian to win his fourth gold medal of the Games in the marathon. Take that, lurid-hued specialist sports drinks!
So, to celebrate the role of our company’s namesake in helping David wheel his way to victory, we’ve compiled a top-five list of why beetroot is best.
It gives you energy
David Weir knows what he’s talking about. Made up of 10 per cent sugar, beetroot is packed full of energy. However, unlike sweet confections, the sugars are absorbed more slowly into the body, making it perfect for endurance athletes.
It cures hangovers
Not everyone wakes up on a Sunday morning with a burning desire to be the best. Some of us wake up with a hangover. But don’t worry, because beetroot is there for us too. The pigment that gives beetroot its colour, beta cyanin, is an antioxidant that speeds up detoxification in the liver.
You can drink it
And not just as a nutritious vegetable juice, a la David Weir. Instead, boil some fresh, thinly-sliced beetroot, add sugar, water and yeast and leave for a while. What are you left with? Beetroot wine. Apparently it’s a full-bodied tipple that tastes a bit like port. Just don’t count on the beta cyanin neutralising the next morning’s hangover.
It makes you feel sexy
That’s right – sexy. Sometimes called ‘nature’s Viagra’, it contains high amounts of boron, which increases the levels of natural sex hormones in the body. Not only that, beetroot also contains betaine, a substance that relaxes the mind, and trytophan, which encourages a sense of wellbeing.
It’s inspired loads of cool stuff
Le Beat Route, anybody? Popular among new romantic types in the 80s, this Soho club played host to acts including Sade and Spandau Ballet. And what about The Beetroot Song, a 1963 ode to the vegetable performed by Lance Percival? No? Then there’s Sergeant Beetroot – a minor character from terrifying children’s drama Worzel Gummidge… OK, perhaps not such a vast array then. We at beetroot, though, couldn’t be more proud to share our name with David Weir’s secret weapon!
