Beetroot is a naturally sweet and extremely versatile, earthy and grounding root vegetable that deserves a spot in the healthy food list. It is delicious, loaded with vitamins and minerals and has an impressive number of health benefits.
The most well known type of beetroot found all over the world is deep purple in color and that is the one we will be focusing on. Some other delicious varieties include golden and chioggia beets. Both are delicious and wonderfully colorful additions to salads.
Here are some of the reasons why beetroot is so good for you*:
- Beetroot is rich in vitamins A, C, B6, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, folic acid, and silica (which helps with calcium absorption)
- It is a sweet vegetable which contains natural sugars but the high fiber content helps slow down the absorption of the sugar in the body
- Beets are a rich source of anti-oxidants
- They contain betaine which is known to enhance the production of serotonin: the feel-good mood lifter
- Beetroot is known to help reduce blood pressure
- It is a liver tonic which helps with blood purification and cleansing
Extremely versatile, beets can be used raw, juiced, boiled, roasted and pickled. They can be used in salads, soups, curries and you can even add some raw, grated beets into your morning smoothie. Don’t forget to use the beetroot greens: boil, sautee or use in salads to get your greens in!
Check out the following recipes on the website for inspiration on how to cook with beets:
* A note regarding bio-individuality: beetroot is very high in oxalates and will need to be avoided by people who have an active oxalate issue. You can read more on that here.
