Red beet is a vegetable with a remarkable nutritional value. It has a pleasant taste, it can be eaten raw, boiled or cooked in the oven. Red beet is the most common form of beet we humans eat. You can buy it from any decently stocked supermarket. People have been eaten red beet for hundreds of years for its health benefits. For example the Romans ate red beet to cure fever.
Regardless of how you choose to cook and consume red beet it preserves all its health benefits. Red beet contains vitamin A, B, C, E, K and lots of potassium, folic acid and manganese. From red beet you will also get calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphor, selenium, zinc, sodium, copper, iodine and tryptophan.
One cup of red beet or 170 grams of red beet has 75 calories, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of sugar, a couple of grams of dietary fibers, a few proteins and lots of water, about 145 grams of water. Because it contains sugars diabetics should avoid eating red beet.
Because of all the vitamins and minerals found in red beet it has a revitalizing effect on your body. Your immune system gets strengthened by eating red beet frequently. If you have anemia, pulmonary diseases, heart or liver problems, constipation or colon cancer you should consider eating more red beet.
The red beet directly actions on your liver, reducing the fat deposits and toxins that affect your liver. Red beet is really good for the health of you liver. The potassium form red beet will protect your heart . The folic acid and potassium will lower your chance of ever suffering from high blood pressure. If you see that your urine or stool have a more reddish color don’t get alarmed because it’s the red beet.
Red beet is recommended for pregnant women because of all the folic acid or vitamin B9 that it contains. The folic acid helps prevent congenital malformations, ensuring that the baby is born healthy and normal.
Women that eat red beet also increase their fertility. Any woman that has a tough time getting pregnant should eat more red beet. Don’t expect miracles to happen but the folic acid from red beet increases the chances of getting pregnant. In ancient times red beet was considered an aphrodisiac because of its fertility improving benefits. Infertile men should eat some red beet also.
Red beet juice lowers your blood pressure. The American Heart Association claims that half a litter of red bee juice lowers your blood pressure in one hour. By drinking red beet juice your metabolism is improved, intestinal problems are alleviated, and helps your liver function better. A great juice is red beet with carrot juice.
The red pigment that makes the beet red is actually an anti-cancerous substance that is especially effective against colon cancer.
From red beet you can make wine, coffee and even red dyes that you can use to color your dishes. I advise you to buy smaller red beets because they are more tasty. I like to eat red beet raw in my salads. You should try some red beet in your raw salads. Mmmmm tasty.
July 2, 2009
Diets & Nutrition