“The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious.” – Tom Robbins
The Beet, also known as Beta Vulgaris, is a herbaceous biennial plant that belongs to the Amarathaceae-Chenopodiaceae family that’s best known for its many cultivated varieties.
During the time of the Ancient Rome, beets are used as a medicine to cure various ailments. The Bulbous roots and the leaves were used to cure fever, constipation, blood conditions and low libido.
The roots found on beets have a different range of colors from deep purple to golden yellow and white. These oblong-shaped roots are attached to purple-green leaves which are filled with nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids.
Health Benefits that beets offer includes:
- Anti-aging
- Hormonal Rejuvenation
- Antioxidant
- Anti-inflammatory
- Detoxification and Liver support
- Digestion Support
- Cancer Prevention
- Great source of Energy
Phytonutrients such as betalains can be found in beets. There are two kinds of betalains in beets which is the Betanin and vulgaxanthin. These two are thoroughly studied and was found to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and can also support our body’s detoxification processes. Other vegetables such as stems of chard or rhubarb also have these betalain pigments, but the ones found on beets has a higher concentration.
Fiber in beets known as Pectin also helps in clearing toxins that are removed by the liver in our body, and it also helps prevent them from re-absorption.
Beets are also an excellent source of folic acid and are also rich in manganese, potassium, magnesium, copper, and iron. Beets also contain high levels of boron that can help our sex hormones to stay active in our body.
Not just that, raw beets also contain Vitamin C, B1, B3, B5 and B6 which is an excellent source of dietary fiber.
High levels of homocysteine are the ones that can cause coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular diseases. But luckily, the betain found in beets can help lower homocysteine and which can also reduce inflammation. You can also enjoy beet leaves either raw or cooked; these leaves are also rich in carotenoids, flavonoids, vitamins A and K.
Researchers have studied that the combination of phytonutrients in beets can help prevent various types of cancers such as breast, prostate, and colon cancers. It can also support healthy vision and the overall health of the nerve cells. With such a high level of ORAC value up to 800, they are also good antioxidants.
Beets also contain a very low glycemic index, resulting to a prolonged release of sugar into the bloodstream. So you don’t need to worry of sugar spikes even though beets are high in sugar.
If you’re one of those people that want to lose weight, beets is the perfect vegetable for you. Beets contains low calories and are almost fat-free. Beets are also rich in fiber, different kinds of vitamins and minerals which can provide you with optimal health support. There are also a variety of ways to consume beets as you can eat it raw, cooked, grilled, marinated or juice it if you want.