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Also known as- Beta vulgaris
Introduction
The beet is a vegetable that was once considered an herb. In ancient times, beets had elongated roots like carrots. The globular red beet we now eat was only hybridized about 300 years ago.
Beets have the highest sugar content of all the vegetables. Beet juice and beet powder are used to flavor carrot, celery, and other vegetable juices, and also to color a variety of foods.
Constituents
Betaine (the same as the nutritional supplement trimethylglycine, not the same as betaine hydrochloride), and also alanine, alantoin, arginine, beta-carotene, calcium, fiber (about 10% by weight), GABA, glycine, histidine, magnesium, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), phosphorous, potassium, selenium, thiamine (vitamin B1), tryptophan, tyrosine, vitamin C, zinc, and, interestingly, although not in nutritionally significant amounts, zirconium.
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Parts Used
The dried root, powdered. May be administered directly, whipped into a smoothie or drink, or sprinkled on food
Typical Preparations
One or two teaspoons added to water or juice, 2-4 times daily. One teaspoon of powder provides the nutrition in one beet.
Summary
Beet powder provides a wide range of nutrients, but its most significant phytochemical is betaine. This plant chemical helps the liver and kidneys recycle the amino acid methionine to maintain the bodyÍs stores of s-adenosyl-methionine, more commonly known as SAM-e. Betaine also helps the liver process fat. This prevents the accumulation of fatty tissues in the liver (steatosis), especially in heavy drinkers, and it also prevents excessive triglycerides and LDL cholesterol in the blood. Other antioxidants in beet root prevent the oxidation of LDL into forms that can become plaques.
Beet root powder may also be helpful as a food choice for people with the rare disease cystathionine beta-synthase deficiency. Either beet root powder or supplemental trimethylglycine will lower homocysteine levels in this disease, but beet root powder provides a greater range of nutrients.
Benefits
This vegetable is a good tonic food for health. It contains carbohydrates, mainly in the form of sugar, and it has a little protein and fat. Beet is taken in a variety of ways. The skin should be removed before use. The leaves, like all green vegetables, should be cooked with a small amount of water and for only a short time. The fresher the beets, the better the flavour and the quicker they cook.
The beet juice is considered as one of the best vegetable juice. It is a rich source of natural sugar. It contains sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulphur, chlorine, iodine, iron, copper, vitamin B1, B2, C and P. This juice is rich in easily digestible carbohydrates, but the calorie content is low. The protein factors or amino acids are good in both quality and quantity.
Curative Properties
Beets are of great therapeutic value. They have properties to clean the kidneys and gall bladder. Being rich in alkaline elements, pottasium, calcium, magnesium and iron, they are useful in combating acidosis and acid the natural processes of elimination.
Anaemia
Red beet juice is associated with human blood and blood forming qualities. Due to its higher content of iron, it regenerates and reactivates the red blood cells, supplies fresh oxygen to the body and helps the normal function of vesicular breathing i.e. normal breath sound. It is thus extremely useful in the treatment of anaemia.
The juice of the red beet strengthens the body's powers of resistance and has proved to be an excellent remedy for anaemia, especially for children and teenagers where other blood forming remedies have failed.
Digestive Disorders
Beet juice is beneficial in the treatment of jaundice, hepatitis, nausea and vomitting due to biliousness, diarrhoea and dysentary. Adding a teaspoonful of lime juice to this juice increases its medicinal value and can be given as a liquid food in these conditions. Fresh beet juice mixed with a tablespoonful of honey taken every morning before breakfast helps the healing of gastric ulcer.
Leaves of beet root, eaten as green-leafy vegetable and its juice, mixed with lime juice, are also valuable in jaundice and gastric ulcer. The juice should be taken once daily.
Constipation and Piles
The cellulose content of the beet acts as a bulk residue, increases peristalsis. Its regular use thus prevents habitual constipation. A decoction of the beet root is highly valuable in chronic constipation and haemorrhoids, i.e.piles. It may be given in doses of half to one tumblerful at bed time.
Circulatory Disorders
The beet juice is an excellent solvent for inorganic calcium deposits. It is, therefore, valuable in the treatment of hypertension, arteriosclerosis, heart trouble and varicose veins.
Kidney and Gall Bladder Disorders
The beet juice, in combination with the juice of carrot and cucumber, is one of the finest cleansing material for kidneys and gall bladder. It is highly beneficial in all disorders relating to these two organs.
Skin Disorders
The water in which beet roots and tops have been boiled is an excellent application for boils, skin inflammation and out breaks of pimples and pustules. The white beet is better for this purpose. For an irritable skin the body should be sponged down occassionally with a mixture of three parts of beet water to one part of white vinegar. This mixture is also useful as a skin wash in cases of measles and eruptive fevers.
Dandruff
The decoction of beets mixed with little vinegar can be used externally to cleanse scurf or dandruff from the head. For dandruff, the beet water should also be massaged into the scalp with the ginger tip every night.
Precautions
None. Maximum safe dosages for young children, pregnant or nursing mothers, or those with severe liver or kidney disease have not been established, but there are no reports of any side effects from the use of the product.
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