Beetroot, also known as betabel, is an edible root vegetable native to the coasts of North Africa, Asia and Europe.
It is a very nutritious food used as an ingredient in salads, soups, pickles, creams, snacks and desserts.
The most common variety of beet is the deep red and medium sized beet; however, there are beets of many colors, including gold, pink, red, white and striped.
Beet, a vegetable with history
Beet was first cultivated by the Romans. Currently the main producers of this vegetable are the United States, Russia, France, Poland and Germany. Its use as food goes back to antiquity, at that time did not eat the root, but the leaves.
Beetroot belongs to the chard and spinach family, and both the root and its leaves are edible. In the 15th century, beet was introduced into the diet of countries such as France and Spain, although by that time only their leaves were eaten (in France, to this day, they still consume beet leaves). Already in the sixteenth century was popularized the consumption of sweet root beet in those countries, and was introduced in England.
In the 18th century, the German chemist Andreas Marggraf, a member of the Berlin Academy, was the first to obtain solid sugar from beet juice. At the beginning of the 19th century, it began to be marketed from a factory in Cunern (Poland).
The blockades that during this period the English made to certain products of the continent contributed to highlight the production of this type of sugar to counteract the lack of cane sugar. For this reason, the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte sent to plant in his country more than 30,000 hectares of beet, helping to create about 40 factories spread throughout Europe, from Denmark to Russia and Austria.
Today, beet is gaining wide acceptance on tables around the world because of its nutritional properties; in addition, it is a very versatile ingredient, which can be eaten raw, cooked or even pickled.
A scarlet palliative for anemia
Beet has group B vitamins, e.g. vitamin B2, riboflavin, which is related to the production of antibodies and red blood cells. Riboflavin contributes to the production of energy and the maintenance of the epithelial tissue of the mucous membranes, while niacin, vitamin B3, contributes to the functioning of the digestive system, the good state of the skin, the nervous system and the conversion of food into energy.
Beet leaves contain protein, phosphorus, zinc, fibre, vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, copper and manganese, as well as vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and calcium.
Beetroot is a very energetic vegetable and is highly recommended in cases of anemia, blood diseases and convalescence due to its iron content; it is also rich in sugars and potassium, among other virtues.
Red fruits in general are excellent fruits to combat anemia, because they almost always contain nutrients such as iron, folic acid, vitamin C and, in some cases, vitamins of the B group. Red beets have a significant amount of iron, which helps prevent anemia and increases the regeneration of red blood cells; in addition, vitamin C in beets helps increase iron absorption.
This vegetable can be enjoyed raw in salads, which is ideal, as they would be taking advantage of all its nutritional virtues, will give a touch of color and flavor to salads as a garnish, can also be enjoyed in juices along with other vegetables.
Although beetroot does not contain an enormous amount of iron to combat anemia, it does have folic acid and other nutrients in high amounts, which promote the production of red blood cells in the body, making it an ingredient that should not be missing in your diet if you have health problems in the blood.
If you don’t like the taste of beetroot but want to take advantage of its nutritional benefits, I recommend the natural beetroot supplements created by Reïva. Try them and give your body a dose of well-being.