Can Eating Beets Suppress Appetite?
Health wellness

Can Eating Beets Suppress Appetite?

by BODY COMPLETE RX

You bet! The answer is yes. Beets are rich in fiber, and that means eating them will feel fuller for longer periods of time. Suppressing your appetite with healthy food is probably the easiest way to begin cutting calories. If you’re not hungry and eating clean then dieting or eating less (or whatever you want to call it these days) doesn’t feel like punishment.

Keeping your hunger in check is a key player in weight loss.

So instead of eating a snickers try beets, it’ll do you better. This is why we like beets, they’re a natural appetite suppressant that contain literally no fat content and a crap ton of minerals.


Beets contain a chemical compound called betaine (trimethylglycine (TMG)), which aids digestion, reduces bloating, and maintains stomach acid. —All of which are important for looking and feeling like your best self.  But that’s just one way eating beets acts as a natural appetite suppressant, they also contain a lot of fiber. Fiber is so important for weight management and feeling like your best self. 

 

Our plant-based, protein powder is formulated with the perfect blend of pea protein, beetroot powder, and sweet potatoes, to help you burn fat, stay full, and build muscle.

Fiber and Weight-loss


Most of us know that fiber is a two-way street, there’s insoluble fiber and soluble fiber, a balanced diet gives you both. Beets provide additional benefits by supplying you with a 50/50 ratio of both the soluble and insoluble fibers.

 

Soluble fiber is the one that keeps you full for longer: during digestion it turns to gel and this means it takes longer to digest. If you’re full you’re less likely to overeat or consume a surplus of calories. Fiber is a nature’s au natural appetite suppressant. 


Essentially, staying full means soluble fiber could prevent stomach fat and help shed it, there’s even studies that it works. There’s also other benefits to a diet rich in soluble fiber it can aid you in losing weight soluble fiber can lower blood sugar and cholesterol. 


Basically, it does a lot. 


Insoluble fiber on the other hand adds bulk to your stool and helps you move food efficiently through your stomach and intestines. Staying regular is always a good feeling, not having diarrhea is also good: insoluble fiber helps with both of those. 


Together the two are essential for good stomach health, digestion, and regular bowel movements, but enough about fiber. Let’s talk about the other thing beets are known for in the health world, betaine. 
 

What is Betaine and How Does it Suppress Appetite?

Even if we ignore the fiber in beets, studies show that betaine could help lower overall body fat percent and body fat mass. In one clinical trial, supplementing with betaine even increased lean mass and helped replace fat. 
 
woman in socks standing on weight scale
 
As a digestive enzyme, betaine hydrochloride indirectly helps suppress appetite. It has been shown that digestive enzymes increase beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome, and a healthy gut will help you absorb more nutrients.

 

Some research even suggests that simply enhancing the good bacteria present in the gut alone, may lead to a reduction in body fat, mass, and weight. 
 
 

Beets, Fiber, and Betaine

Due to the presence of both fiber and betaine in beets, the root vegetable is very efficient for reducing body fat mass *but it doesn’t directly impact weight. (There’s a difference between loosing body fat percentage and losing weight. Read this study for more deets on beets number one ingredient, betaine.) 


See what we did there, beets, deets— clever right? No? My sixth-grade teacher told me all that matters is if you find yourself funny, we’re just going to go with that.


Beets contain between 114 and 297 mg of betaine per 100 grams, it’s recommended to take roughly 6 grams a day. Mayo Clinic says this amount should be broken down to 3g servings twice a day, taken with meals. However, you’re likely won’t meet the recommended dose of betaine by eating just a few servings of beets so a supplement betaine intake with other sources: a varied diet. 


Other plant-based sources of betaine include:

  • Spinach
  • Wheat Bran
  • Wheat Germ
  • Whole Grains 
  • Pretzels 
  • Broccoli



Betaine is essentially a chemical compound that is made naturally within the body and also different plants and shellfish. Of course, there’s more to it but we’re not going to bore you with the exact science. The point is it’s not a man-engineered supplement, it’s naturally incurring and it’s not harmful. 


Of course too much of it or for certain individuals there could be minor side-effects like an upset stomach or diarrhea. Please talk to your provider if you have existing health conditions or concerns before taking a supplement. Otherwise eat beets folks or take a supplement that comes packed with even more essential nutrients to aid you on your wellness and healthy living journey.