As of: February 12, 2021 11:29 a.m
Beetroot strengthens the immune system and contains many healthy ingredients. It’s best not to boil the tuber, but to prepare it in the oven. Then the ingredients are best retained.
Many people only know beetroot in a jar or pre-cooked and sealed. But through cooking and processing with vinegar, sugar, salt and aromatics, the beetroot loses its original earthy, slightly sweet taste. If you want to enjoy the real beetroot taste, you should use the fresh tubers.
Like its white, yellow and red-and-white ringed sisters, beetroot has many healthy ingredients and properties. Beets are also low in calories: 100 grams contain just 40 calories. However, people who are prone to kidney stone formation should not eat too many of the tubers as they contain a lot of oxalic acid, increasing the risk of calcium oxalate stone formation.
Beetroot contains a lot of folic acid and strengthens the immune system
The beetroot owes its name to the pigment betanin (beetroot red), which gives it its purple-red appearance. The pigment betanin is one of the secondary plant substances (flavonoids) that act as antioxidants and intercept free radicals and thus strengthen the immune system. Beetroot also contains a lot of folic acid and iron, both of which are needed for the formation of red blood cells.
The need for folic acid is particularly increased during pregnancy. Just 200 grams of beetroot covers 50 percent of your daily requirement. In order to be able to use the plant-based iron, our body needs vitamin C. That’s why ingredients containing vitamin C such as apples, oranges, sauerkraut or a little lemon juice should always be used with beetroot. Like all beets, beetroot also provides protein and plenty of fiber as well as potassium, magnesium, zinc, vitamins B and C.
Recipes
Fresh beetroot can be prepared in many different ways. Recipes and tips for shopping and storage. more
Whether as a salad, soup, juice or vegetable dish: beetroot and its white and yellow relatives can be prepared in a variety of ways. more
Nitrate as a blood pressure lowerer
Like spinach or lettuce, beetroot tubers are rich in nitrates. In infants whose intestinal flora is not yet fully developed, high nitrate levels can be harmful. In adults, however, nitrate has positive effects. The body converts it into nitrite and this relaxes the blood vessels. That’s why beetroot can reduce high blood pressure in the short term. Whether this will be successful in the long term has not yet been scientifically proven. In addition, nitrate increases the performance of muscle cells.
Do not cook beets in water
When buying, the tubers should be plump and the skin should be smooth and undamaged. Juicy green leaves are a sign of freshness. Smaller tubers have a more delicate aroma than larger ones. Cumin helps against the musty aftertaste of the large tubers. After removing the leaves, beets wrapped in paper will keep in the refrigerator for up to four weeks.
If beetroot is cooked in water, it bleeds out and many healthy ingredients end up in the cooking water. It is better to cook the tuber with the skin on in the oven and peel it later. This also brings out the natural sweetness better. It is best to wear gloves when cutting beets. Without gloves, the red paint can be removed from your hands with lemon juice.
Experts on the topic
Specialist in internal medicine, diabetologist, nutritional doctor
At the straw house 2
20097 Hamburg
Sports and nutritionist
Spiridon-Louis-Ring 22
80809 München
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