“THE PURPLE KNIGHT”- Beetroot

eets, oh sweet beets! Love them or not – you should definitively eat them because eating healthy is one of the very best things you can do for your self, your body and your mind because we are talking about one of the super foods. “The Purple Knight -Beetroot”

The Purple Knight-Beetroot 

The history of beets stretches back to ancient times. Folk medicine is full of stories about using beets and beet juice for fighting cancer. Beets tend to have a strong flavor– earthy taste–due to an organic compound. It’s called geosmin. Beetroot can be eaten raw – roasted, boiled, cooked, shredded, In a salad or pickled. There are 75 calories in each cup of beets.

A half cup of boiled beets contains 45 mg of folate -nearly 11% of the Daily Value.

Cooking Tip- To boil beetroot -trim and wash the beetroot, but do not peel. Place the beetroot in a large saucepan and cover with 2 cm of water. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until tender, 30 to 40 min. The greens can be cooked up the same way as spinach.

Buy them small- choose small or medium size beets. They are tender at that age.

Yes, you can buy R.W.Knudsen,Organic Beet or Lakeland Organic Pure Beet Juice which is 99% beet juice and puree and 1% lemon juice.

Nutritional highlights –

Beets are an excellent food to include in your diet (especially the greens) They are a good source of dietary fiber, calcium, tryptophan, iron, copper, and phosphorus, high amount of Vitamin B complex, Vitamins A and C.

Beetroots are an excellent source of folic acid and a very good source of manganese and potassium, but they do contain more sugar than any other vegetable!

Nutrition info: ½ cup of sliced beets contains 9 grams of carbohydrate, no fat, and 2 grams of fiber. Beets have a moderate glycemic index of about 64.

Benefits of Beetroot

Promote Liver Detoxification, Boost Blood Detoxification, Digestion and Regularity:

Beets are an excellent blood cleanser as the betalain in beets helps promote a liver cleanse. The liver is the vital organ that detoxifies the blood that comes through the digestive tract.

Pectin, in these root vegetables, helps flush out toxins from the liver. Betaines in beets stimulate the functions of the liver and keep it healthy. Beets help heal liver diseases. They are one of the super-foods that have the ability to reverse fatty liver .The fiber and the antioxidants in beets help in flushing out toxic substances and keeping digestive health. 

Benefits of Beetroots to Cancer Patients

The betacyanin present in the beetroot helps in preventing the formation of cancerous tumors. Beets contain a very high concentration of antioxidants.

Taking beetroot juice would help the cancer patients in a great way! Betanin pigments from beets have been shown to lessen tumor cell growth. The tumor cell types tested include tumor cells from, stomach, lung, breast, prostate, testicular tissue and colon. Beet juice is used in Europe for the treatment of cancer.

Lowers Blood Pressure

The high content of nitrates in beetroot produces a gas called nitric oxide. This gas helps to dilate your blood vessels which improves blood flow and lowers blood pressure. Beetroots are known to be very useful for heart.

The flavonoids and Vitamin C in beets help support the structure the smallest blood vessels in the body – capillaries

TIP-drinking 250 ml of beetroot juice a day can significantly lowered human blood pressure for several hours).

Prevent Anemia

Beets are extremely important in curing anemia. Eating beets and drinking beetroot juice helps in regeneration of red blood cells. Beetroots help in preventing and treating anemia, they are also known to be good remedy for menopause symptoms and menstrual disorders.

Promote Weight Loss

Packed with fiber and nutrients beets are an excellent addition to a weight-loss diet. Potassium and Magnesium help to detoxify the body and flush out excess water, preventing bloating. This helps optimize metabolism and helps in losing excess weight.

Treating Birth Defects

Several birth defects can be reduced or treated by taking beetroots because they contain high amount of Vitamin B complex, folate or folic acid which when consumed by the pregnant women can help it reduce the risk of having a child with abnormalities. There may be some side effects of taking beetroot juice during pregnancy, because of the presence of betaine which may affect both mother and the child.

Brain or Mental Health:

Beetroots are also known to have great mental health benefits. These red colored vegetables contain nitrates in them which have been proved to open up blood vessels and aid the blood flow freely. Blood flow to the brain is helpful in improving mental health. Poor blood flow to the brain results in onset of dementia.

Beetroots are Beneficial- as Aphrodisiac

Beets have been considered an aphrodisiac for millennia. Beets contain significant levels of the mineral boron, which has been shown to boost the production of sexual hormones.

Prevent Strokes

High blood pressure is a leading cause of death (Worldwide). Beets can lower your blood pressure. Potassium-rich beetroot helps lower the risk of stroke and some other heart issues.Potassium relaxes the blood vessels and reduces blood pressure throughout the body. 

Other Benefits of Beetroot -Boost Immunity and High Source of Fiber, Benefits in Arthritis, Anti Aging, Prevent Respiratory Problems, Boost Endurance & Stamina, Increase Energy Levels

Side Effects of Beetroots:

1.Beeturia

-Some percentage of the population suffers from a condition known as beeturia, where they excrete pink or red colored urine because of consuming Beetroots. This side effect is harmless, do not panic it’s not blood in your urine—it’s just beets. Same goes for your number-twos: if you notice red in the toilet bowl, you’re not bleeding; it’s just the beets making their way through your digestive tract.

2.Nausea and Diarrhea

Beetroot contains betaine pigment which increases the total cholesterol level in the body, and people with kidney disease must avoid beetroot so as to avoid any complication. (if you have a history of kidney stones; this may be dangerous for you). One of the side effects of Beetroots is it may cause nausea, diarrhea, and stomach upset etc in some people taking the vegetable.

3.Beetroot Lowers the Blood Pressure Level:

 Beetroot lowers the body’s blood pressure level. This can be a good thing for those who have high blood pressure. 

4.Iron and Copper Condition:

Beetroots are packed with minerals like and copper and iron so if you are suffering from Wilson Disease which doesn’t allow a person’s body to lose excess copper or Hemochromatosis (overload of iron in the body);you must avoid taking excess of beetroot.

5.Lowering Calcium Level:

One more side effect of Beetroots is it lowers the calcium level in the body and this may lead to many diseases including bone problems. Talk to your doctor for best advice on beetroot consumption.

× INTERESTING FACT

Organic Hair Dye- If you want a natural way to boost your hair color and add softness and shine to your locks, try beetroot juice. This organic, all natural dye does not contain the harsh chemicals. To make the hair dye, mix 1 cup of beet juice with ½ cup black tea and ½ cup rose water. Rinse hair with this mixture weekly to maintain a beautiful red tint to your hair.

There are a lot of wonderful benefits about the beetroot, taking proper dose of beetroot and maintaining the precautions can be helpful for you if you want to take the advantage of Beetroots for your health and it is always recommended that you start with a low dose of beetroot juice until your body start tolerating the cleansing effect. Appropriate dosage (for beginners) would be 4-5 ounces of beetroot juice a day! Enjoy

Photo Credit: Unsplash.com  

PIXABAY.COM

Sourchttps: Food Remedies & Health