It is a biannual herbaceous plant of the Chenopodiaceae family , its scientific name is Beta Vulgaris , horticultural and industrial. It has a thick, fleshy and edible root. There are several varieties but the best known is the so-called garden beet, it is red in color and its pulp is sweet.
Regardless of the color, many times the roots of this plant are not as strong as they appear. Just giving them a small prick can cause their pigments to come off, especially while it is cooking. Although our body does not process this pigment, it contains anthocyanin, which is a very beneficial flavonoid for health.
Its sweet taste is a clear example of the high sugar content, hence its importance to be used as an excellent source to extract and produce refined sugar. Its raw roots have a rickety texture that when cooked becomes soft and silky. As for its leaves, the taste is similar to that of chard: quite bitter. It is usually eaten in salads, pickled, cooked, and its leaves can be easily prepared like spinach . Countless are the benefits and properties of this root, in any of its varieties. You cannot miss all its benefits, so keep reading so that you know the best of this vegetable, how to prepare it, its nutritional information, therapeutic uses, among others.
Index
Most important varieties
Nature has given us different varieties with which we can prepare delicious dishes, we can also enjoy their benefits and properties. Among all of them, we can highlight the most common: sugar, white, yellow and red.
Sugar bowl
It is of the subspecies Beta Vulgaris rapa, it is used at an industrial level for the production of sugar and alcohol, due to its genetic manipulation it is possible to obtain up to 20% sugar from it . At the time of its growth, care must be taken that its root does not come out of the ground so that sunlight does not make its color white instead of its characteristic red.
One of the disadvantages that it has for the industry is that it cannot be stored for a long time because it reduces its size and loses sugar, because it is a plant that consumes many nutrients from the soil, it is recommended to alternate its cultivation site so as not to wear down the soils of culture.
Red
It is from the subspecies Beta Vulgaris Rubra , which is consumed mainly in salads, juices and can be preserved in vinegar.
White
It is elongated, like the red one, it is rich in sugar, its leaves can be used as vegetables (similar to chard) , it is rich in starch and its use is mainly in the industry for the production of alcohol.
Yellow
The baby yellow belongs to the cheonopodiaceae , spherical in shape, high in sugar which gives it a sweeter flavor than the red one. This variety of tuber can be found in any season of the year.
Properties
It is also known by its various names, such as wild chard, for the type of bouquet it produces, beets, garden beets, beet and sugar.
Despite its sweet taste, this root is considered and consumed as a vegetable.
Due to its high fiber and antioxidant content, it is used for various medicinal uses that are beneficial for the body, among its benefits are.
Benefits for skin
One of the properties it contains is folic acid, which is beneficial for skin care as it repairs and rejuvenates cells. It can be used to hydrate the skin after a scrub by rubbing coconut oil mixed with the root to moisturize the skin and prevent wrinkles.
Benefits during pregnancy
The red variety, due to its natural nutrients, such as vitamin C, folic acid and iron, is ideal for pregnant women. To increase the iron content in the body , pregnant women are recommended to drink juice of this root, this helps to raise their hemoglobin levels, which is very important for the day of delivery.
By having folic acid it helps the development of the fetus and the production of cells and vitamins C helps to absorb excess iron in the body and thus be able to have strong and healthy children. Helps to purify blood and maintain good blood pressure.
Is it good for diabetes?
One of the fears that a person who suffers from diabetes has is to be careful with what they consume, because if you are not careful, glucose levels can increase considerably and be harmful to health. Due to its high sugar content, many diabetic people shy away from consuming it, but it is very beneficial for the following reason.
As it has natural sugar, it is a source of potassium and fiber that help people, including diabetics . Due to its oxidizing agents, it helps in the cognitive function of the patient . It must be taken into account that due to its sugar content, it is the nutritionist who must create a diet for its consumption that does not alter blood glucose levels.
Properties of boiled beets
It can be eaten both raw and boiled. When it is consumed raw most of the time it is scratched and vinegar or oil is added but eating it raw makes its digestion difficult, but the best way to eat it is boiled, it is advisable to boil it with the skin so that it does not lose its color and flavor and it can be served with other vegetables.
SO IS IT BETTER RAW OR COOKED?
In both ways it can be consumed, to eat them it is advisable to boil or roast them (they maintain all the properties), to consume them raw it is good to use it as juice mixed with orange or lemon.
Contraindications
Despite the fact that this vegetable is a fruit source of innumerable health benefits, we must also be aware that excess consumption of it can cause us some discomfort, among which we can highlight:
- Contributes to the appearance of kidney stones.
- It exacerbates the symptoms of those individuals suffering from stomach upset and diarrhea.
- It produces an accumulation of iron and copper in our body, thus aggravating Wilson’s disease and Hemochromatosis.
- It has a negative effect on the growth of the fetus when consumed in high amounts.
- Lowers blood pressure, good for some but bad for others.
Does beet make you fat?
Being a vegetable that has high levels of sugar, it does not make you fat because it only provides 40 calories for every 100 grams consumed, as it contains fiber, folic acid and group B, its energy value is moderate and helps the body not have retention of liquids.
If you’re looking for more foods to help you lose weight, check out our article on Brown Rice: How to Reduce Belly Fat and Lose Weight .
Is it the “natural viagra”, myth or reality?
Its consumption for sexual health is highly beneficial. Since time immemorial, this root has been part of traditional medicine, becoming one of the favorite ingredients to prepare remedies to treat premature ejaculation. The ancient Romans considered it an aphrodisiac element and in recent studies carried out in London it was possible to demonstrate its enormous usefulness for cardiovascular health and to improve premature ejaculation. So beyond a myth, this tuber really helps fight premature ejaculation as erections last longer.
How can I eat it?
We have already talked about the most common varieties, in addition to their multiple properties and benefits for humans. Now is the time to talk about the best way to eat it. We give you some recipes to prepare this delicious vegetable: gratin, in gazpacho, stewed, baked, sautéed, in salad and a delicious beet preserve.
Gratin
To gratin them you need:
- 1/2 kg of beets (for two people),
- cheese,
- onion,
- garlic and oil.
For the preparation: boil the tubers for approximately 30 minutes or until they are soft, then remove the skin and cut into squares or slices according to your preference, cut the onions into julienne strips, crush the garlic with the oil.
Place them cut in a refractory mold on top, place the onions and the garlic mixture with oil, place the cheese and put in the oven for approximately 20 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius until the cheese gratines. Serve it and enjoy.
Gazpacho
It is easy to prepare, you only need the following ingredients:
- a tomato,
- a large beet,
- half an onion,
- oil,
- Water,
- salt and pepper to taste.
The preparation is so easy. Boil the root for 30 minutes, then remove the skin and chop it into pieces and place it in the blender together with the tomato, liquefy and add the water little by little, until it is homogeneous, then add onion oil and salt to your liking, put it in a container and put it in the fridge for about an hour, after that time you can serve and enjoy.
Stewed
One of the ways to eat it is stewed, you only need beets, white potatoes, olive oil and a bay leaf. The preparation is very simple, boil both tubers until they are soft (approximately 10 to 15 minutes), remove the skin and cut them into small squares, fry the potatoes with olive oil and bay leaf for 5 minutes to to flavor, add the beets and add a consommé broth of your choice, let it boil for 5 minutes and that’s it.
Baked
This is one of my favorite preparations, it is easy to prepare and the ingredients are very easy to get, you will only need:
- beets,
- olive oil,
- bay leaves,
- oregano or any flavoring herb
- lemon or orange.
To prepare them you just have to peel and cut into squares. With the olive oil the bay leaf the oregano you are going to make a mixture and with it you are going to impregnate the beets in a refractory mold, put it in the oven previously heated to 250 ºC for approximately 30 minutes, when they are already au gratin remove them and you can sprinkle it on top lemon or orange juice and now serve them.
Sauteed
This recipe is easy to prepare, you will need:
- 1 kilogram of beets
- olive oil,
- chicken or meat broth according to your preference
- thyme
- Item
- bay leaves
The preparation consists of boiling the tubers for approximately 30 minutes until they are soft, remove the skin and cut into small pieces, place the garlic, bay leaf and thyme on a satin, add the broth and leave over low heat until the liquid gradually reduces, until it forms a kind of cream and ready to serve and enjoy this excellent recipe.
In salad
This is one of the most used recipes in homes, you will only need:
- 1/2 kg of beets
- 1/2 kg of potatoes
- 1/2 kg of carrots
- olive oil
- some coriander leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
In the preparation, boil the carrots, potatoes and beets for approximately 30 minutes or until they are soft, remove the skin and cut them into squares, place in a bowl, add the coriander, chopped into small pieces, olive oil, salt and pepper .
How to make Conserva with the red variety
You always want food to last a little longer, that is why here is a very practical advice to preserve these vegetables. You will only need:
- beets
- salt and pepper
- 500 ml of vinegar
The preparation consists of cooking these roots until they are soft, remove the skin and cut them into slices and let them drain. Then place the vinegar together with the salt and pepper in a container over low heat until it boils, in another container place the jars and lids where you are going to keep them, place the vegetables in the container and add the hot vinegar, cover the jar with the lids still hot to keep the metal procrastination And leave in the bain-marie for approximately 15 or 20 minutes and voila, so you can keep them for longer.
Nutritional information
How many calories does it have?
A beet contains approximately 46 kilocalories for every 100 grams consumed, that is 2% of what is needed daily for energy.
Glycemic index of this food
On the low glycemic index scale , which is 30 GI, it has a very insignificant index in sugar levels.
Therapeutic uses
Beet juice to lose weight
Its high fiber content and content of group B and its satiating power is a good ally when it comes to losing weight.
Against hair loss
This tuber is a great ally when it comes to preventing hair loss because it has folic acid and group B, you can consume it in juices or simply take a root, remove the skin, place it in a blender and add water, rub the scalp with this liquid, put on a cap and let it act for approximately 15 minutes, repeat twice a week.
To treat fatty liver
The liver is the main purifier of the human body that is why it must be kept healthy, this vegetable has iron, folic acid and B Vitamins, it is of great help when it comes to purifying it that is why it should be consumed in any of the forms either in salad or juices.
To combat gray hair
To cover the gray hair , beet water is used with henna water (henna) mix and cover the hair, this will cover your gray hair with a coppery color.
Against anemia
Due to its high content of sugar, iron and group B, it is excellent to fight anemia because it strengthens and gives energy to people, drinking a juice of this root in the morning guarantees strength and vitality for the rest of the day.
For menstruation
To regulate menstruation, you only have to boil a few pieces of the aforementioned vegetable until they soften, then remove it and continue boiling the water until a kind of syrup is formed, you drink it three times a day.
For sinusitis
In inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, this tuber works as an anti-inflammatory, you just have to extract the juice from the beets in a blender, squeeze the juice and place three drops in the nostrils for 5 days.
