7 Health Benefits to Make
You Go Red as a Beet
The Beautiful Beet
The vibrant beet adds color to any garden
and to any dish. The round or pointed root can be red, purple, yellow,
or white, topped with a rosette of large green leaves.
Beets are naturally sweet root crops
loaded with nutrients and low in calories. The rough beet root isn.t
always high on the vegetable favorite list. However, the sugary flavor
and attractive hue of beets can fire up any recipe. Finding out how
it pumps color, nutrients and health to a diet is sure to help increase
its popularity.
If You Can.t Beet Them, Join
Them
1) An Instant Energy
Source
Naturally rich in carbohydrates, beets
pack a perfect punch of energy to the body. Carbohydrates make up the
body.s ready fuel source. Consuming beets boosts energy levels while
keeping the calorie intake in check.
Getting a super amount of carbohydrates
from beets fills up and satisfies the appetite all the while taking
care of sweets cravings as well.
- Beets: A Natural Weight
Loss Food
Beets contain no saturated or trans fatty
acids. Beets are tasty additions to healthy snacking. As mentioned,
beets are high in carbohydrates, but low in calories.
Beets also pack a wealth of fiber .
a potent nutrient against weight gain. Fiber easily fills the stomach
and satisfies hunger, without loading one with calories.
- Pack a Powerful Antioxidant
The rich color of beets, which is derived
from their pigment betacyanin,
is also responsible for its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants protect
the cells of the body from stress and damage from toxins and free radicals.
Animal studies have shown that eating
beets promotes greater antioxidant production in the liver.
Being the primary organ where toxins
are removed, the liver also needs substances to protect it from cell
damage. Antioxidants from beets guard the liver from free radicals and
cell injury to help keep the body healthy.
- Enlist a Potent Anti-Cancer
Agent
Betacyanin has also shown potential as
a guardian against cancer. Beets have shown benefit as a cancer-fighting
vegetable, particularly with regards to colon cancer.
The high fiber content in beets helps
keep the digestive tract healthy. The antioxidants in beets participate
in cancer prevention. In several studies, animal groups with chemically-induced
colon cancer showed increased antioxidant activity after receiving a
diet heavy with beets.
Studies have also showed that the consumption
of beets increases the number of specialized immune cells in the large
intestines. These soldier cells identify the growth of abnormal cells,
so they can be destroyed and controlled by the immune system.
Juice from beets have also shown potential
in preventing cell mutations linked with stomach cancer and nitrates,
a preservative in processed meat products.
- Guard Against Heart Disease
A high fiber diet is key in promoting
strong heart and healthy blood vessels.
Scientific reports have showed that aside
from antioxidant properties which also benefit the blood vessels, a
diet rich with beets was able to lower total cholesterol and triglycerides
in the blood by around 1/3.
High cholesterol levels, particularly
triglycerides, are implicated as a risk factor in heart disease.
Beets have also shown positive effects
in improving the levels of good cholesterol (HDL) in the body.
- Beet Inflammation
The reddish and violet colored beet may
look rough to some, but beets actually help in reducing swelling and
pain when the body experiences stress and/or injury.
Individuals who consume a significant
amount of beets in their diet showed a significant decrease in inflammatory
substances in the blood.
These inflammatory compounds
have also been associated with chronic conditions such as diabetes,
cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and Alzheimer.s disease.
Beets help prevent these chronic diseases which seem to be caused by
long-term inflammation.
- Secure Vitamins and Minerals
Beets are a rich and natural source of
the vitamin folic acid and the minerals calcium
and iron which are required for optimum health.
Calcium is for the bones while iron is
needed for the production of red blood cells.
Folic acid or folate is needed for the
formation and repair of the body.s cells. Pregnant women particularly
require increased levels of folic acid for the prevention of neural
tube defects and proper brain development in the baby.
Fresh and Up Beet
How to Select and Keep Beets
Fresh beets have a bright crisp greens
and a deep purplish red color in the root. When choosing beets,
pick the small, firm roots which are smooth, unbruised and well-rounded.
This allows for easier peeling and cooking.
Allow 2 inches of stem on the beet root
to keep it from .bleeding.. Keep beets unwashed in the refrigerator
crisper. The greens are fresh for 3-4 days, while the root can keep
for 2-3 weeks. Freezing raw beets are not advised; beets soften after
thawing.
Stomp to The Beet
How to include beets in your diet:
Beets are enjoyed for
their crunchy succulent roots and crispy greens. The root has a sugary
sweet taste while the greens are usually bitter. Raw beets pack a crunch
but do turn soft and creamy when cooked.
When preparing beets:
- Gently wash fresh beets under
cool water. Be careful not to pierce or bruise the beet; they easily
.bleed. causing loss of nutrients and color.
- Peel beets after cooking.
Colors run and stain utensils and containers.
- Wear kitchen gloves. Beet
juice can stain hands in the cooking process. Lemon juice can take care
of stains.
- Keep the bright beet color.
Lemon juice or vinegar intensifies the reddish hue, baking soda results
in a deep purplish color.
- Cook beets lightly. High heat
lessens antioxidant and anti-cancer properties.
- Freeze cooked beets. They
are able to maintain texture and flavor.
Quick Beet Fixes:
- Color your dish and keep the
crunch. Add beet greens to your fresh vegetable salad. Dice and grate
raw beets to add color to soups and salads.
- Roast beet. Include chunks
of beet when cooking vegetables or other items in the oven.
- Juice up with beet. Turn green
veggie juice into attractive red or pink by adding the delicious flavor
of sweet beets for a glass of the most delicious natural liquid
vitamins ever.
- Mix the beet greens. Sauté beet greens with other leafy vegetables such as spinach and mustard.
- Steam beets. Cook for 20-40
minutes.
- Pump up the beet flavor. Drizzle
olive oil on beets or marinate them in lemon juice or favorite herb
concoctions in order to enhance their delicious flavor.
Both beet greens and the
beet root are packed with vitamins, nutrients and
antioxidants which promote optimum health for the human body. Enjoy
the benefits of beets and add delicious color to a healthy diet.
Dr. Linda Kennedy MS SLP ND
