Beetroot (or beetroot) - perennial, biennial and annual herbaceous plant of the Amaranth family. This unpretentious and healthy vegetable is grown almost all gardeners. About what the benefits and harm of beets for the body, we will discuss in this article.
The composition of the beet, the red vegetable is so useful
Beets include carbohydrates: fructose, glucose, sucrose and pectins. It is also rich in minerals, vitamins and trace elements (B, C, carotenoids, pantothenic and folic acids).
In large quantities, half of the periodic table is represented in imitation, iodine, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, sulfur, chlorine, etc.
In addition, beets include organic acids (oxalic, citric, malic), amino acids (lysine, betaine, valine, histidine, arginine, etc.), as well as a large amount of fiber.
Did you know? Calorie beet (per 100 grams): 40 kcal calories, 0.1 g fat, 1.5 g of proteins 8.8 g of carbohydrates.Red beet, due to its biochemical composition, is beneficial for chronic constipation, obesity, liver diseases, hypertension, atherosclerosis, thyroid diseases, etc. The use of beets (in any form) has a positive effect on health, but it is necessary to remember about contraindications.
Is beetle harmful to health, dispelling myths
If you use beetroot in the recommended amounts, then this vegetable will not be harmful to health.
The recommended daily dose of beetroot - 200-300 grams. That is the amount it will benefit the body (provided that this vegetable is not contraindicated to you).
Of course, Burak is rich in beneficial properties, but there are also contraindications to its use. For example:
- It is not recommended to use beetroot with low blood pressure.
- It is necessary to abandon it in case of chronic indigestion or increased acidity.
- Exclude beets from the diet with urolithiasis.
- The use of this root is not recommended for people suffering from diabetes;
- In osteoporosis, it is necessary to use beets with caution (the root crop prevents the absorption of calcium in the body).
When it is recommended to take beets
Recommended use of beets for people suffering from obesity, with hypertension, liver disease and kidney disease. Thanks to the substances contained in it, the capillaries are strengthened, the blood pressure is reduced and the level of cholesterol in the blood is normalized, the fat metabolism and liver function improves.
Beets contain pectins, which remove heavy metals from the body (therefore, this root is recommended for use by residents of large cities), and also stimulates the formation of red blood cells and contributes to an increase in hemoglobin.
Organic matter betaine, which is part of beetroot, promotes the breakdown and assimilation of food proteins, and also participates in the formation of choline, which increases the functional activity of liver cells and improves their overall condition.
The presence of beets in the diet is useful for people suffering from atherosclerosis and diseases of the thyroid gland, as well as for the elderly, because the beetroot contains a large amount of iodine.
Beetroot can help with cancer. It is believed that the organic compounds contained in the red root crop inhibit the growth of tumors.
Did you know? Raw beetroot juice removes slags, improves metabolism and strengthens the human body. It is also recommended to take beauticians (as a means of preserving the freshness and beauty of the face).
Which beet is better to use (juice, raw, boiled)
Eat beetroot can be raw or boiled.
Did you know? The beet tops, includes about twice as many nutrients as its root crop (this applies not only to the kind of chard (leaf beets), but also to the table beetroot, which we use in cooking borscht, vinaigrette and other dishes).
Very often the question arises, “How is fresh beet fresh?”. The answer is simple: it preserves all the vitamins, it has a low glycemic index, and crude fiber is endowed with twice as much adsorbent force.
Important! It is not recommended to use freshly squeezed beet juice, as it is capable of provoking a strong spasm of blood vessels. Before its use, you must allow the liquid to infuse for 3-4 hours.
Raw beets are used in the form of salads from chopped root vegetables or tops, you can also drink beet juice, but how to eat raw beetroot, each of us decides on our own.Boiled beets are endowed with a high glykemic index, but despite this it remains useful for the body. In the process of cooking Burak loses only 3 vitamins: C, B5 and B9 (folic acid). The remaining minerals and vitamins enter the stomach of a person practically intact.
All the valuable components of the beetroot (which the heat could not destroy) become more accessible to the body (due to the partial breakdown of the fiber structure). Boiled beets include less nitrates than raw ones (during the cooking process they decompose or move into the broth).
Recipes for the use of beets in traditional medicine
Traditional medicine includes a huge number of recipes using beets, so we consider only the most popular ones.
With hypertension. In a freshly squeezed beet juice, add a teaspoon of honey, and drink a quarter of a glass before a meal. It is also recommended to use beet kvass.
With constipation. Burak is used in various forms (all kinds of culinary dishes, broth or beet juice). With persistent constipation beet broth is used in enemas.
With tuberculosis. Burak is part of the dietary dishes.
With a cold. Beetroot juice (preferably sour or fermented) is used as nasal drops (2-3 drops in each nostril 3 times a day).
In the treatment of cracks and ulcers. A dressing with beet pulp is applied to the affected area (as it dries, the dressing changes and the procedure is repeated).
With scurvy. The best healing food is fermented beets.
Is it possible to be treated with beets during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, a woman should use burak in the following cases:
- With increased pressure. It is recommended to drink 100 grams of borage juice in the morning after meals.
- With systematic constipation. Micro enema with beet juice is considered the most effective method.
- With a cold. Beetroot juice, you can gargle (the juice is mixed with boiled water) or nose instillation (drip into both nostrils a few drops per day).
- With iodine deficiency, edema, or strong weight gain (juice is diluted with water).
Important! Beets are not contraindicated for pregnant women with diabetes, people suffering from diarrhea or low blood pressure, but in these cases, it should be used carefully.
Contraindications to which excessive consumption of the product may lead
Contraindications to the use of beetroot:
- Beetroot is a natural laxative. Do not use it if there is a tendency to diarrhea.
- An excessive amount of beetroot in the body can provoke a spasm of blood vessels.
- The use of this vegetable is not recommended for people with increased acidity of the stomach (burak will increase it even more).
- When urolithiasis and with oxaluria, you should be very careful in the use of beets, because this vegetable can provoke the movement of stones (this vegetable remedy dissolves stones).
- Burak includes a large amount of sugar, so you need to limit the dose of the use of this vegetable in diabetes.
