BEETROOT

Benefits

• Good source of folate 
• Rich in potassium 
• Contains some vitamin C 
• Leafy tops are rich in beta carotene, calcium and iron

Although beetroot has a reputation for stimulating the immune system and is thought to be rich in natural cancer - fighting compounds, the long-held belief of central European folk medicine that the popular root vegetable combats cancer has yet to be proved.

Beetroot has edible leaf tops, which contain beta carotene, calcium and iron; these may be cooked in exactly the same way as spinach. In ancient civilisations only the leaves were eaten, the root being used purely medicinally - to treat ailments such as headaches and toothaches.

Today, only the root is usually eaten - raw, ready-boiled, pickled in vinegar or canned. Beetroot has one of the highest sugar contents of any vegetable, containing the equivalent of a teaspoonful of natural sugars per 1OOg (3½oz) portion. It is a relative of sugar beet (once used only as an animal feed, but today harvested for sucrose).

What is unusual about beetroot is that the taste and texture of the processed vegetable remain quite faithful to those of the fresh original. Vinegar gives pickled beetroot an added piquancy. However, pickling beetroot does reduce the levels of all its nutrients - both vitamins and minerals.

Nutritionally, freshly boiled beetroot is a good if not better source of nutrients than the raw vegetable. It has higher levels of most minerals, including potassium (which regulates the heartbeat, and maintains normal blood pressure and nerve function). Most of the vitamin levels remain the same, including vitamin C, and there is only a slight loss of folate. Some people do eat beetroot raw, grated in a salad, but most prefer it cooked.

Leaving the beet unpeeled during boiling will stop the colour caused by the strong red pigment betacyanin bleeding out and staining cooking utensils. Commercially, betacyanin pigment is extracted from beetroot to create a food colouring called, not surprisingly, beetroot red. It is used in food processing to add colour to anything from oxtail soup to ice cream, and bacon burgers to liquorice.

Pink Urine?  
There is no cause for alarm if, after eating beetroot, urine or stools appear pink. Parents who feed their babies beetroot purée are often distressed by the resulting pink nappies. All that this indicates is a genetically inherited inability to metabolise betacyanin, the red pigment. The harmless compound simply passes straight through the digestive system.

Beetroot’s Benefits  
Apart from the various anti-carcinogens that beetroot (either raw or boiled) is thought to contain, it is also a good source of folate - an essential vitamin for healthy cells (deficiency of which is associated with ANAEMIA).

Fresh raw beetroot juice is such a concentrated source of vitamins and minerals that it has few rivals as a tonic for convalescents. For anyone who dislikes the taste, they can try diluting it with carrot juice.

Return To The Following Index Pages:

1. Fruit
2. Vegetables
3. Herbs & Spices
4. Vitamins & Minerals