Good and Good for You -- Beets

It’s one of the more underappreciated Superfoods, but it is one of my favorites so before you squinch your nose and say “yuck”, you might want to hear what good things beets can do for you.

BEETS

When I use the term "beets" in this post, I'm actually referring to the root of the beet plant, which is the most edible part of the plant.

Beets have been cultivated since the BCs, starting in the Mediterranean and spreading as far east as China by the early ADs. Beets enjoyed a long reign of popularity until that upstart spinach showed up on the scene…but that’s another story for another day.

In the 19th century the beet once again became highly regarded with the development of the sugar beet in Germany which provided a sugar (sucrose) source alternative to the tropical sugar cane (which probably saved some mula on importing). Beets are still used today in producing table sugar.

You can eat your regular Joe Beet as a cooked veggie (boiled, roasted, deep-fried or sauteed) or served cold as a salad topping (if you haven’t tried it, you should).  In many European and far Eastern countries, pickled beets are both a popular and traditional side dish.

Healthwise, this is what you can look for in a beet:

Ÿ Beets are full of the antioxidant betacyanin which is what gives them their deep red color. Betacyanins are used in the food industry to make red food colorants for intensifying the red coloring of other foods like tomato pastes, jellies, ice creams, and breakfast cereals.
Ÿ Beets are high in potassium, calcium and folic acid, the latter of which is particularly good for healthy fetal development.
Ÿ The Ancient Romans used beets to fight fever and as a laxative to combat constipation (because they’re very fibrous…the beets, not the Romans).
Ÿ A cup of raw beets is high in carbohydrates but low in fat which makes them a great instant energy source.
Ÿ Beets contain a number of beneficial minerals like magnesium, iron, calcium, and potassium. They also contain vitamins A, Bs and C.
Ÿ Beets have been shown in studies to guard against cancer, especially colon cancer.
Ÿ In Medieval times, beets were used in treating illnesses related to the blood and digestion. Today they are still recognized as having blood cleansing qualities.

Beets have been used to make wine.

Some people pee pink after they eat beets.

When you buy beets, look for those that are firm and not wrinkled. If you store them with their leaves still attached, you can only keep them in the fridge for 3-4 days (reason being that the beet’s job as a root is to supply moisture to the leaves). If you de-green them, then the beet will keep for a couple weeks.

Interestingly enough I read somewhere that round-bottom beets are sweeter than flat-bottom beets...huh, so many comments, none appropriate, let's move on.

Beets are best when eaten fresh and you want to make sure to not overcook them when you do cook them because the heat will destroy all the nutrients you’re trying to take advantage of.

ONE WARNING – if you are prone to kidney stones, you will probably want to avoid beets. Because they are chocked full of oxalic acid, several sources indicate that they have been identified as a contributing factor to kidney stone production.