Along with being interested in herbs and herbal therapies to accentuate our health, I've also had a particular interest in certain food items which may exhibit medicinal qualities.
Beets are one of those doubly beneficial wonders of Nature. They are both nutritionally bountiful and contain healing compounds as well😎
In actuality, I should say these bulbous, red roots are triply beneficial, because they also help prevent disease, due to their tonic affect upon the body.
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Now, I might have been a weird kid, because I actually liked beets that my mother brought to the family dinner table. My five sisters, hated them... Of course, that meant, I easily had extra helpings of the blood building veggie💪
Whenever my mother wasn't paying attention, my sisters would sneak their little red slices, onto my plate; which would quickly disappear 'down the hatch'...
Beets Guard Against Birth Defects
Did you know that fresh beets are high in folate? There are about 148 micrograms of this B vitamin, per one cup serving. So, that is 37% of the daily recommended value (400 mcs) for folate, alone. Add some lentils, spinach and asparagus to the mix for a super folate boost.
Lentils can have 350 micrograms- plus, of this nutrient in a single cooked cup. The baby in your womb, will love you for it... Folate (Vit. B9) aids normal cell division. It helps healthy fetal growth and development to prevent birth defects.
Beet root is also a good source for manganese - a trace mineral considered an essential nutrient. Manganese is especially helpful for brain health, along with the nervous system. This trace mineral also plays an important role with enzymatic activity.
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WAIT...!!! I'm not Finished...😏
Besides all the above, the mighty beet will provide you with an abundance of potassium too for a healthy heart.
AND... Iron, for healthy red blood cells; produced in our bone marrow.
AND... Vitamin 'C' too... for a healthy EVERYTHING...!!! We all know how valuable vitamin 'C' is. It also helps with collagen production in the body to help keep wrinkles and saggy skin away as we age.
I'm thinking about rubbing sliced beets all over my face to see if it takes a few years off my looks; but, for now, it's only a thought...😡
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Look at that luscious smoothie up above... That's one way I get my fill of beets. You can too, by adding some beet to your favorite smoothie recipe. I often include beet juice in my pre-workout drink, since it is known to enhance athletic performance.
There are so many ways to add beets to our diets. Grate some into your salad. Pop some beet juice into a stew or pasta sauce. You can even add beet juice to baked goods, like muffins, cake and breads.
One of my favorite ways to enjoy beets, is to pickle them. I slice them thin and cover them in a jar with apple cider vinegar, adding diced raw onions and a sprinkle of salt to the mix. Then let them sit in the refrigerator a few days to work their magic.
In closing, medicinally, beets get that deep red coloring from betalain, which is a potent anti-inflammatory agent. Beets contain phytochemicals such as anthocyanins, carotenoids, lutein/zeaxanthin, glycine, and betaine.
These substances have been identified as helpful in the fight against tumor growth in the body, protect the eyes, detox the liver, prevent anemia and so much more...
Now that I'm thinking about it, I've got some pickled beets sitting in the ice-box right now and I'm salivating... I'm going to go get them. I'll be back with another @NaturalMedicine article soon.
Hope you enjoyed this piece as much as I did writing it, finding something helpful.
Till next time, my friends, stay well and keep smiling.
Ciao
