Beetroot is known to mankind since ancient times. Ancestral beet according to some sources is India, according to other sources - China, but it is known that already in ancient Mesopotamia beets were used for medicinal purposes in the form of decoctions of leaves and fruits. It is interesting that for a very long time only leaves of the plant were used for food. Yes, and still in many regions, the main application is precisely the leaves. In general, the culinary arts of different countries often approach a very biased use of the same plant. For example, in Argentina they do not know about the root of parsley, while actively using leaves, but in Chile, eating onions, consider green onions inedible.
Beetroot is of three kinds - ordinary (red), sugar and fodder. Sugar beet in its pure form appeared only in the XIX century and became the main source of sugar, before that time all the sugar was extracted and sugar cane. Fodder beet in Europe and the USA is a very important element for the fattening of cattle.
Regular (red) beet is one of the most popular food products in the world. Salads and borscht, beet cutlets and mashed potatoes are very popular in many countries of the world, thanks to good nutritional properties, accessibility, long-term storage and cheapness of beets. A very large place beet is in the diet of vegetarians.
Red beet - good and bad
Beetroot has a wide range of applications in folk medicine. Its long-noted useful properties are due to the presence of vitamins of group B, PP, C and others. Beet leaves are very rich in vitamin A. The presence of vitamin B9 helps prevent heart disease and increase hemoglobin in the blood. Beet extracts toxins from the body and promotes rejuvenation. This root is an excellent source of copper, phosphorus, sodium, iodine, potassium and iron for your body. Regular intake of beetroot, prevents the appearance of cancerous tumors. Separately, it is worth highlighting the benefits of beet for the liver - root crops purify the liver of toxic accumulations, promote cell regeneration and more accelerated process of blood filtration.
But in addition to good, there is a beet and harm. People suffering from urolithiasis, gastrointestinal problems and metabolic disorders may consume significant amounts of beet because of the high content of oxalic acid in it. This is especially true for raw beets and fresh beet juice. Contraindicated beet and people with high acidity. Beets effectively reduce blood pressure and this should be remembered for hypotension.
In recent years, much has been said about the benefits and harms of juice from raw beets. With obvious benefits, one should not forget that this very strong product can cause allergy, and it is desirable to use it in small amounts (about 50 grams per reception), diluting it with water or other juices. A good combination is a beet-carrot and a beet-apple cocktail.
Beetroot and its beneficial properties for weight loss
Low caloric content of beets (about 40 kcal) naturally did not go unnoticed