Beetroot: nutritional virtues and health benefits


Beetroot, this coveted vegetable as part of a healthy diet, given its nutritional virtues and its benefits for our health. 
Nutri4me, offers you an article, which summarizes the information you need to know! Stay tuned!

Beets : Description and varieties 

Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) is a root vegetable, just like carrots and turnips and which belongs to the Chenopodiaceae family.
 
Three main varieties of beets are grown today: 
 - Red beet (or vegetable), which we consume, whose leaves are also edible. 
 - Fodder beet, intended for animal feed; 
 - Sugar beet, used for the manufacture of sugar, alcohol, or fuel. 

The compound that causes the red-purple color of beets is betaine, which is a water soluble pigment, present in the tuberous part beets. Beets are available year round.

Beets Nutrition Facts & Its Health Benefits

Beet is mainly composed of water (87%), it contributes to hydration of the body, it takes an average of 2.5 liters of drinking water every day to compensate for the physiological loss. 

One serving (50 to 120 grams) is equivalent to half a small glass of water (43.5 to 104.5 ml), carbohydrates (8%) and Beets contain fiber (2-3%). 

Most of the carbohydrates in beets are monosaccharides, such as glucose and fructose. 
Beets are rich in fiber, but they also contain FODMAP, which can cause digestive problems in some people. 

Beetroot is one of the sweetest vegetables, and therefore the most caloric, with 50.1 calories per 100 g when raw, cooked, its value goes down at 47 calories per 100 g. 
 The beet has a quantity of protein (1.7 g per 100 g), slightly greater than the average amount found in raw vegetables (1.88 g per 100 g), as for lipids, beets contains only (0.25 g per 100 g) 

Beet contains a concentrate of iron and it provides B vitamins, especially vitamin B9 (or folic acid), which is very beneficial for pregnant women, vegans and vegetarians. Folic acid is essential for healthy fetal development!

Beet leaves contain a lot of vitamin A (essential for eye health), vitamin K (essential for bone health) and vitamin C (known to boost the immune system). 

The iron in beet leaves is actually higher than that of the leaves. spinach. beets can rejuvenate you and have excellent value nutritional. In addition, due to its ß-carotene content, it can ensure a healthy glow even in winter. 

Beetroot and beetroot juice are associated with many benefits for health, in particular improving blood circulation, lowering blood pressure and improving functions bodily. 
One of the benefits of beets is its ability to cleanse the blood. Its red color makes it an ally of blood cells, thanks to the iron it contains and allows blood to regenerate. Hence, it can promote the supply of oxygen to your body. 

As a result, it improves blood circulation by dissolving deposits inorganic calcium 

Eating sugar beets can improve physical performance in addition to improving oxygen uptake and exhaustion time. In order to maximize its effect, beets should be consumed 2-3 hours before training or competition.



Beets : Choose it and store it well

Choose firm, with not too dry bark, when raw. 
If she still has leaves, so much the better, after being cooked, its skin should be smooth, without brown spots or cracks, always prefer the smallest, because the larger ones can be fibrous. 

Store it for three or four days in the refrigerator, in a container hermetic. 
Cut it into slices, it can be frozen and then stored for several month. 

To cook a beetroot, dip it - including the skin and stem - in salted boiling water and vinegar. On average a good hour later, rub his skin so that it comes off easily. Then you can peel it. 

Note that in a pressure cooker or oven, you will cut cooking times in half.

Prepare a detox beet juice

This juice is one of the best juices in terms of nutritional value: rich in antioxidants, beta-carotene, vitamins and minerals, it is perfect for anemia (like carrot juice), it strengthens the immune system and for the beauty of skin and hair. It also helps lower cholesterol and lose weight!

Here are the ingredients for the preparation of a good detox beet juice: 
  • A cooked or raw beet 
  • A green apple 
  • Two small carrots 
  • A small lemon 
  • Half a glass of water 
  • Some ice cubes
Preparation steps 

- Peel the beets and cut them into pieces 
- Wash and cut the apple, you can keep the skin to preserve the pectin, if the apple is organic.
- Wash the carrots, peel them and cut them into small pieces 
- Slice the lemon and squeeze the juice 
- Put all the ingredients in a juicer or blender and add a glass of water for consistency and ice cubes if you want it cooler