Beetroot + Red Spring Onions: the crimson combo your heart, gut & immune system will thank you for!

(4-min read • evidence linked to 2024–25 sources)

Two reds, double the power: nitrate-rich beetroot and quercetin-packed red spring onion team up for a heart-happy, gut-loving boost in every bite.

Key nutrient	Beetroot	Red spring onion	What the research says
Dietary nitrates	250-400 mg/100 g	< 10 mg	Boost nitric oxide → lower systolic BP and improve exercise tolerance (British Heart Foundation, GoodRx)
Betalains	45-60 mg	–	Potent anti-inflammatory and liver-support pigments (Healthline)
Quercetin	trace	20-25 mg/100 g	Antioxidant that calms histamine, supports capillary health, may lower BP (Healthline, plantmedicines.org)
Prebiotic fibre	Pectin	Fructans	Feeds Bifidobacteria → better SCFA production for gut lining (Biology Insights)

Beetroot at a glance

• Heart & stamina. Controlled trials show one small glass of beet juice can drop systolic blood pressure by ~4–6 mm Hg within hours, thanks to nitrate-driven vasodilation. British Heart Foundation

• Brain blood-flow. MRI data in older adults links nitrate-rich beet juice with better frontal-lobe perfusion, supporting sharper reaction times.

• Kitchen tip. Roast at 200 °C for 25 min to keep nitrates intact while caramelising natural sugars.

Red spring onions (young red onions)

• Quercetin powerhouse. Red varieties carry up to 3× the quercetin of white onions, a flavonol tied to lower inflammatory markers and modest BP drops in meta-analysis. Healthline

• Gentler on breath. Milder allium sulphides = less lingering odour than mature onions.

• Kitchen tip. Serve raw to keep vitamin C: slice thin, soak in ice water 5 min to soften bite without nutrient loss.

• Beetroot + Red Spring Onions. Beetroot and red spring onions together offer a particularly heart-supportive mix — beetroot is rich in dietary nitrates, which the body converts into nitric oxide to help relax blood vessels and lower blood pressure www.heart.orgResearchGate, while red onions are among the best sources of the antioxidant quercetin, which helps protect arterial health and reduce inflammation Verywell Health+14Thorne+14WebMD+14.

  
  

Why they work better together - Beetroot + Red Spring Onions

Synergy	Benefit
Nitrates + vitamin C	C protects beet nitrates from premature breakdown, giving a stronger nitric-oxide hit.
Betalains + quercetin	Water- and fat-soluble antioxidant mix = wider free-radical “coverage”.
Mixed fibres	Beet pectin + onion fructans diversify microbiome, increasing gut-healing SCFAs.

5-minute recipe: Glow-Up Raw Beet Slaw

1. Grate 1 raw beetroot.

2. Slice 2 red spring onions (white & purple parts).

3. Toss with 1 Tbsp apple-cider vinegar, 1 tsp olive oil, a squeeze of orange, and a pinch of salt.

4. Chill 10 min – acid preserves colour and boosts iron absorption.

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Did you know? The dark-green stem of a red spring onion isn’t just edible — it can pack nearly double the vitamin K and about 50 % more vitamin C than the white bulb, making it one of the easiest ways to boost bone and immune health in a single chop. healthline.com

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More Facts|Eating Beetroot Leaves!

Yes — the leafy tops of beetroot (often tossed away) are completely edible and surprisingly nutrient-dense. One cooked cup delivers sky-high vitamin K (well over 500 % of your daily value) plus impressive vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium and fibre, meaning beet greens can bolster bone strength, immunity, vision and steady energy just as effectively as many “super-greens.” Sauté them with garlic, blitz into pesto or blend into a smoothie for an earthy kick and an instant nutritional upgrade — this is exactly what recent studies compiled by Healthline show https://www.healthline.com/health/nutrition/beetroot.

Quick Q & A

Can raw beets spike blood sugar? Fibre slows uptake; vinegar in the slaw further tempers any rise.

Can I eat the green tops of spring onions? Yes – even higher in vitamin K and chlorophyll than the bulb.

Take-away

Adding just ½ cup roasted beet and ¼ cup sliced red spring onion to your day delivers:💓 natural BP support • 🛡 broader antioxidant shield • 🦠 happier gut flora • 🧑‍🍳 splash of colour

Next grocery run, think “double-red” – quick, low-cost nutrition upgrade you’ll actually taste.

Sources: Healthline Beetroot Nutrition 2023; BHF beet-juice BP review 2025; Healthline Quercetin guide 2023; PlantMedicines quercetin BP meta-analysis 2024; BiologyInsights onion quercetin levels 2025.