In the list of garden crops, beets are far from the last place. This vegetable is unpretentious, stores well and is used in many dishes. If the crops growing in our beds are ranked according to the degree of their usefulness, red beets will become the undisputed leader.
How are beets beneficial for the body? Which useful material in its composition they force you to turn it into a vegetable close attention and traditional medicine and medical specialists using traditional methods?
Chemical composition of beets
Both the benefits and harms of red beets are determined by the presence in root vegetables of a large number of substances that affect human organs.
In this regard, beets have a rich range of macro- and microelements, acids, vitamins and other substances. But it’s worth starting with finding out the energy and nutritional value root vegetables
There are 42 kcal per 100 grams of raw food. Depending on the variety and growing conditions, root vegetables can accumulate up to 14% sugars; beets contain up to 1.5% proteins, a lot dietary fiber And small quantities fat and ash. At the same time, the burgundy pulp contains sufficient vitamins of group B, essential for the body, vitamins PP, C and K, as well as a long series mineral salts. The main place among macroelements is occupied by potassium, followed by iron, magnesium and sodium, manganese and iodine, zinc, phosphorus, rubidium, chlorine and such a rare element cesium.
Organic acids in red root vegetables are represented by oxalic, citric and malic acid; beets contain pectins and anthocyanins, flavonoids and amino acids.
What are the benefits of raw beets, and do their properties change after boiling or stewing? Since red beets are often eaten boiled or stewed, one cannot fail to mention those changes in the composition of the vegetable that occur as a result of heat treatment:
- Beets lose a certain amount of vitamins, especially ascorbic acid and some other compounds.
- The calorie content of the vegetable increases slightly, reaching 44 kcal.
- Increases from 30 to 65 glycemic index boiled root vegetable, that is, beets after heat treatment cause a rise in blood sugar levels twice as fast, which should be taken into account by diabetics.
Otherwise, the beneficial properties of boiled and raw beets are very similar. What is the effect of vegetables on the human body?
Red beets: benefits and harms
Some of the beneficial properties of red beets and contraindications for their consumption can be attributed to most vegetable crops.
Thanks to the abundance of indigestible fiber running throughout digestive tract, serious stimulation occurs motor function intestines. As a result, the body is cleansed, metabolism and digestion are improved.
The B vitamins present in red beets actively influence the normalization of metabolism.
Dietary fiber inhibits the absorption of cholesterol, which, when released into the blood, can cause the development of atherosclerosis and other heart diseases and vascular system. Both raw and heat-treated beets are useful for this.
The vitamin composition of root vegetables provides significant support to the immune system, which is especially important given the good preservation of beets until spring, when vitamins are most needed.
The carbohydrates contained in beets can quickly replenish energy and restore vigor to a person.
But there are beneficial properties of boiled beets and raw root vegetables that no other garden crop has:
- Due to the content of iron, copper and vitamin B1 in root vegetables, beets increase hemoglobin levels.
- Eating beets helps stimulate brain activity.
- The vegetable, if consumed systematically and for a long time, has the ability to cleanse blood vessels of excess cholesterol, which reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis, strengthens the walls of capillaries and has a positive effect on the condition of the walls of blood vessels.
Red beets are good for the body:
- in case of hypertension, with high blood pressure;
- as a mild natural diuretic and laxative;
- if there is a risk of developing cancer;
- How protective agent if there is a possibility of fatty liver;
- an effective antioxidant that prevents aging.
With such weighty useful action red beets, raw root vegetables sometimes act differently than cooked vegetables.
What are the benefits of raw beets?
At medicinal use Red beets and products made from this vegetable often use raw root vegetables.
Indeed, in this case, beets completely retain all bioactive substances, vitamins and amino acids. In particular, the usefulness of raw beets is determined by the presence of betaine, which has a beneficial effect:
- on liver performance and health;
- metabolic processes;
- on the progress of the fight against heart disease and atherosclerosis;
- at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
Raw root vegetables have an extremely active effect on digestive system, cleansing the body of toxins and waste. Beets are also beneficial for the body because they resist the development of tumors.
It should be taken into account that:
- fiber in fresh root vegetables adsorbs almost twice as efficiently harmful substances and slags;
- raw beet juice is a powerful cleanser that requires careful use;
- V fresh vegetable all vitamins are preserved;
- green beet tops are beneficial for the body, like root vegetables, and can be used for food and for medicinal purposes;
- raw root vegetables pose less of a risk to diabetics.
Juices and salads are made with the addition of pumpkin and fresh herbs.
Beneficial properties of boiled beets
How are heat-treated beets beneficial for the body? First of all, it should be noted that after boiling or stewing, root vegetables do not lose very many useful substances. In addition to ascorbic acid and vitamins B5, B9, all microelements, including phosphorus, copper, iodine and iron, potassium and sodium, are still active and ready to have their effect.
Some components after cooking are converted into more accessible form and are easily absorbed by the body.
As a result of heat treatment, such by-effect the effects of beets as an irritant to the stomach and intestines. For example, if at acute pancreatitis While raw beets are strictly contraindicated precisely because of a possible exacerbation of the disease, boiled root vegetables can be used as food during periods of remission.
It is important to remember that the beneficial properties of boiled beets will be preserved to the greatest extent if the root vegetables are boiled without removing the peel. In addition, during cooking it breaks down and goes into water. most of nitrates, which this vegetable can accumulate during growth.
Contraindications to eating beets
The use of burgundy root vegetables not only in medicinal purposes, but also in the composition familiar dishes does not always bring benefits; red beets are harmful in a number of diseases, as well as in the presence of an allergic reaction to the vegetable.
When can beets cause a person to feel worse? It is obvious that the use of root vegetables is dangerous:
- with a tendency to diarrhea, due to the laxative effect of beets;
- with urine and cholelithiasis, due to the presence of oxalic acid in vegetables, which can form sand and stones;
- with hypotension, due to the risk of an uncontrolled decrease in pressure;
- for pancreatitis, because raw beets can irritate the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines.
- with gastritis and peptic ulcer, due to stimulation of hydrochloric acid production.
It is not advisable to get carried away beet salads and juice if a person has osteoporosis and diabetes mellitus, and there is also a danger allergic reactions on substances contained in root vegetables.
Benefits of beets video
Beetroot is a biennial plant of the goosefoot family. vegetable crop. Her homeland is the Mediterranean. Oddly enough, the person first appreciated the taste beet leaves and only then I tried the beet roots.
The ancient Romans were very fond of this vegetable, who happily ate beet leaves soaked in wine and seasoned with pepper. By decree of Emperor Tiberius, enslaved Germanic tribes paid tribute to Rome in beets. It was also eaten by the ancient Greeks.
At the beginning of our era, boiled beet roots entered the diet of many European peoples. Beetroot apparently came to the Slavs from Byzantium. Apparently, this vegetable was known and bred in Kievan Rus already in the 11th century, where the Greek name for the culture “sfekeli” received the Slavic sound “beet”.
So it can rightfully be attributed to the original Slavic garden crops. Nowadays beets are grown all over the world.
Beneficial properties of beets
Since ancient times it has been used for scurvy and for the prevention of vitamin deficiencies. It is useful to use beet tops as food, which contain a lot of ascorbic acid and carotene. I.P. Neumyvakin suggested using beets to carry out home diagnostics of work gastrointestinal tract
. If after taking 1 - 2 tbsp. l. If beet juice is left standing for 1 to 2 hours, the urine will turn a beetroot color, which means that the intestines have stopped performing detoxification functions, and decay products and toxins enter through the liver, which also fails, into the kidneys and blood, poisoning the entire body.
Beets are very useful for anemia. For treatment, use a mixture of equal amounts of beet, carrot and radish juices.
The mixture is taken before meals, 1 - 2 tablespoons for several months. To treat anemia, you can use pickled beets. inflammatory processes. If you have chills, fever, or a rash after eating beets, it is better to be vigilant, as similar symptoms an allergic reaction may occur.
Since boiled beets are indicated for those who suffer from high blood pressure, they should be used with caution by those with hypotension.
Eating beets is healthy - everyone knows this. Just like the fact that it is best to eat vegetables raw. But not many people know the fact that the benefits of boiled beets are in no way inferior to raw root vegetables. Moreover, for some people it is precisely this form that makes possible use beets without harm to the gastrointestinal tract, because in this case the hard fibers of the vegetable do not irritate the already inflamed gastric mucosa.
ABOUT miraculous properties Our ancestors knew beets. It was not for nothing that girls rubbed a piece of the vegetable on their cheeks for a healthy blush. However, beets have a positive effect not only externally, but also from the inside, because this root vegetable in terms of composition is simply invaluable for humans. And if a person cares about his health and monitors his diet, then he will definitely have a question about which beets are healthier for a person - boiled or fresh, raw. The answer will be absolutely clear: both forms are equally useful. There are just a couple of nuances:
- you need to boil beets in their peels - this technique will keep everything in place important vitamins and microelements in the vegetable, especially vitamin A, which is concentrated near the skin;
- It is necessary to cook the root vegetable until soft, without overheating, since all the beneficial substances from the decaying vegetable will go into the water.
The composition of boiled beets is simply unique: it contains almost all the microelements and vitamins important for human health. This extensive list is presented by:
- B vitamins necessary for our nervous system;
- vitamin A, which is required by the eyes;
- vitamin C, which supports our immunity;
- vitamin D, taking care of correct growth cells;
- vitamins PP and H, which are responsible for correct exchange substances;
- fiber that sanitizes the intestines;
- iron, which restores the balance of blood cells;
- potassium, which improves the cardiovascular system;
- calcium, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of bone tissue;
- folic acid, regulating protein metabolism in organism.
Doctors recommend not to ignore dishes with burgundy root vegetables to prevent many health problems, including cancer, as well as recovery period after various diseases. How, and for what problems, is boiled beets useful for our body? It has been proven that the bright root vegetable:
- removes toxins from the intestines during prolonged constipation;
- adsorbs waste;
- balances stomach acidity in people with high acidity factor;
- helps fight fatty liver;
- eliminates bad cholesterol;
- helps cope with stress (due to the content of large amounts of antioxidants);
- protects against anemia during menstrual bleeding;
- stimulates sexual activity in men with oligospermia;
- reduces the risk of colorectal and prostate cancer;
- relieves swelling;
- helps restore strength after physical activity;
- stimulates the functioning of brain cells.
At the same time, boiled root vegetables belong to dietary products, because it only has 45 calories. The juice of boiled beets remaining after boiling is no less valuable. To a greater extent, its benefits are revealed when mixed with carrot or apple juice. Such drinks not only give vigor, but also rejuvenate the body.
Alternative to boiling beets
Having found out for themselves what the benefits of boiled or fresh beets are, many are trying to find alternative ways cook a vegetable without losing it unique substances, included in its composition. Therefore, in addition to boiling, nutritionists recommend:
- make juice from beets (preferably freshly squeezed, chilled in the refrigerator before use);
- bake the root vegetable in its peel (or better yet, wrap it in foil);
- Cook the vegetable in the microwave (until soft) or in a slow cooker.
These methods of preparing beets allow them to retain all the vitamins and microelements in unchanged quantities.
Beetroot is an annual, biennial and perennial. Belongs to the Amaranthaceae family. Beetroot has 13 types and only 2 of them are cultivated plants. It is grown in gardens to extract sugar and as a vegetable crop.
For many years, table beets have occupied a worthy place in folk medicine, cooking and cosmetology. Now it is difficult to imagine a diet without its use in the preparation of various dishes. And this is justified, since the vegetable has almost everything necessary elements for the human body. In this article we will talk about the benefits and harms of root vegetables.
Let's consider how many and what elements are contained in the vegetable, what it is used for, and in what quantities it can be consumed without fear of harmful effects.
Wide range chemical content red beets. First of all, it is sugar in the form of glucose, sucrose and fructose. Also the vegetable is rich minerals: magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc and other elements. Potassium is the most great content– about 3.5%. Acids are contained in the form of oxalic, tartaric, citric and malic acid.
Calorie content of red beets
The calorie content is low, only 49 kcal when cooked per 100 grams. And in its raw form it is even less, only 40 kcal per 100g. It contains 1.5% raw protein, 0.1% fat, 8.8% carbohydrates, and 0.7% fiber. This suggests that the vegetable has beneficial properties, both raw and cooked, especially for people on a diet. The vegetable contains a large amount of vitamins - A, C, E, PP and subgroup B vitamins.
Benefits and harms for humans
Benefit for health
Due to favorable biochemical composition, it is useful for people with various diseases:
- For chronic constipation. Since beets contain fiber, organic acids and a number of other elements, it has a beneficial effect on metabolic processes in the body; rids the body of putrefactive bacteria, through action different acids, and is a “cleaner” of the body;
- For obesity and liver diseases. The root vegetable contains the lyotropic substance betaine, which regulates fat content in the human body. In addition, betaine prevents the penetration of chemical substances into the liver;
- For atherosclerosis and hypertension. Magnesium helps in the treatment of these diseases;
- As a laxative, diuretic;
- For anemia. The vegetable is useful for restoring blood flow, as it contains microelements responsible for these processes.
- During pregnancy for women. Violeic acid has a beneficial effect on the formation of the fetal nervous system;
- For illnesses thyroid gland. Beetroot, like no other product, has a high iodine content, and the use of this vegetable helps in the treatment of such diseases;
- When following a diet. Due to the fact that beets are low-calorie product, use it in any beetroot diet.
Usefulness in use is determined by two criteria. Firstly, it contains a whole periodic table of elements.
Beetroot contains unique collection microelements, which cannot be found in any other product in such an assembled form.
Secondly, the vegetable contains many substances that are not destroyed during cooking: the benefits of a boiled vegetable are no less valuable than a raw one.
Harm
Beets contain a rich range of various microelements and amino acids. At excessive consumption this vegetable, in addition to its benefits, it can also cause harm to some people prone to the following diseases:
- Diabetes. Sugar is contraindicated for diabetics, and beets contain a high amount of sugar;
- Urolithiasis disease. Beetroot contains oxalic acid, and with such a disease it is contraindicated;
- Diarrhea. The vegetable itself is a laxative when consumed;
- Osteoporosis. Eating root vegetables reduces calcium absorption.
In most cases, beet juice should be mixed with other juices to avoid stomach upset, headaches, and nausea.
Benefits of leaves
Let's look in more detail at the benefits of this amazing product, starting with the tops (leaves). The tops contain many microelements with beneficial properties. It contains more vitamins than the root vegetable itself. One of these vitamins is microelement U, which is essential for stomach ulcers.
In early spring, when salads and early cabbage have not yet grown in the beds, young leaves can completely replace these vegetables and replenish the human diet with vitamin dishes. Some families still have traditions when preparing the first course - rich borscht and botvinya, where the main ingredient is the tops.
The benefits of juice for the female body
The juice is widely used in alternative medicine, for both indoor and outdoor use. It is useful, first of all, due to the presence of vitamin B. As is known, this category of vitamins directly affects internal organs And nervous system.
Beetroot juice in glasses The juice contains elements such as iron, potassium, magnesium and others. They directly help blood flow in circulatory system human, increase hemoglobin, remove toxins. The presence of iodine has positive influence to remove radionuclides and stimulate the thyroid gland.
Chlorine removes toxins and cleans vessels, acting as a cleaner.
Fresh natural juices are beneficial for the body due to the content of organic acids. They, in turn, have a beneficial effect on immune system, strengthening it.
The element arginine slows down the growth of tumor tumors, providing healing effect. Thus the juice is side remedy in the treatment of oncology. The juice is used for external use for skin diseases. Many also use beet juice for rejuvenation and healthy skin.
Contraindications
And now about the contraindications, of which there are not many. But still, in this case, it is better not to eat the root vegetable. You should not eat beets in any form if you have low blood pressure, diarrhea, diabetes mellitus and individual intolerance.
Use of fresh vegetable
In cooking
The most famous dish is borscht. Unforgettable herring under a fur coat New Year, as well as vinaigrette, which contains a storehouse of vitamins. In addition, other useful and delicious salads: with cabbage and onions, garlic and mayonnaise, with apples, prunes and others.
Using beets in cooking for salads In cosmetology
Since ancient times, beets have been known for their nutrients and was appreciated by our beauties. The unique composition allows the vegetable to be included as a cosmetic healing agent with great success. This reputation is justified by the following features:
- Visible skin hydration due to high content potassium;
- Thanks to vitamin C, collagen production is stimulated;
- Cleansing skin pores with curcumin;
- Protection against pathogens;
If you wipe your face with beetroot juice diluted with water every day for two weeks, the feeling of dryness will go away without a trace.
All of the above methods have been tested in practice by a large number of people and are more effective and cheaper than many products purchased at pharmacies.
This vegetable should be given an award only for the fact that with its help you can prepare the famous hearty and healthy, adored for the most part the population of our country, and especially the stronger half of it. But if only that was all incredible benefits beets. Its composition is simply amazing. There are a lot of elements necessary for our body, such as iron, iodine, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium. The important thing is that their combination is especially favorably perceived by our body. Red beets are simply a storehouse of various valuable substances.
How is it useful for us? This cute and bright root vegetable consists of almost ten percent sugars, the rest of it is occupied by coloring matter, fiber, fat and protein. There are many varieties of this root vegetable, but the most useful are those whose leaves and fruits are colored purple-red. This means that this vegetable contains a lot of anthocyanin, a special coloring substance that promotes excellent health and also reduces the level of bad cholesterol. It contains a large amount of vitamins that are valuable for our body. Therefore, since ancient times, the first remedy against vitamin deficiency was red beets.
Unfortunately, not many people know how beneficial it is for the body, and therefore it is not present on every table every day. Meanwhile, it has the best effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system, strengthens blood vessels and improves the functioning of the stomach and intestines. The benefits of beets will be preserved even after cooking, but under one condition: they must be cooked whole and always with the peel. It is very good at a time when a person especially needs additional strength for successful recovery after serious illnesses. Experts recommend using one that is as rich as possible in the vitamins we need and is perfectly absorbed by our body.
The benefits of beets are so great that you can talk about them for hours. It has been proven that people who often consume this wonderful vegetable are not afraid of scurvy and anemia. Its leaves contain a lot of carotene and ascorbic acid, so eating them is especially useful. and iron have the most beneficial effect on the composition of our blood, and organic acids and fiber are needed for successful work intestines.
For constipation, healers recommend starting your day with a small portion of red beets, like the best remedy to solve this problem. To significantly improve the tone of the entire body, prepare the following drink and take it every day before meals. Take the juice of radish, carrots and beets in equal proportions, mix and drink half a glass, but do not forget that the benefits of beets, including their juice, will be maximum if you consume it immediately after preparation.
Almost all gardeners can envy the content of certain substances in this miracle vegetable. The benefits of red beets include: large quantities iodine, betaine and choline. They contribute better absorption proteins, improve liver function, resist the development of such serious diseases as atherosclerosis and deterioration of thyroid function, which develop precisely because of a lack of iodine in the body.
ethnoscience rich in recipes that include beets. In order to lower blood pressure, you need to take a mixture of its juice and honey. The benefits of red beets also include an excellent effect on the nervous system. After using it, your sleep becomes stronger, and in the morning you notice an increase in the overall tone of the body. Eat it as often as possible, drink it natural juice and always be healthy!