For a long time beets have been considered a cheap, boring and rather unglamorous vegetable. However, over the last 5-6 years they are experiencing a true revival. You’ll be hard pushed not to find some form of beet dish on a brasserie or café menu. Nowadays beets are used in salads, spreads, soups, side dishes and even drinks and desserts.
Personally, I believe that due to their beautiful colour, lovely taste and excellent nutritional profile beets have earned their spot in the limelight. Beets are rich in fibre and minerals, especially potassium, manganese and iron. They contain B vitamins, including folate – an important nutrient for expecting mothers, which (in its synthetic form – folic acid) is prescribed during pregnancy to prevent birth defects.
Beets can also keep your blood pressure in check. It has been shown, that after drinking approx. 500ml of beet juice, there is a significant and sustained decrease in blood pressure. This can be explained by high content of naturally occurring nitrates, which get transformed into nitric oxide by the body. Nitric oxide promotes relaxation and dilation of blood vessels, increasing blood flow and lowering blood pressure.
Furthermore, beet is also a heart protective vegetable. Beets contain a compound called betaine, which (together with folate) helps lowering blood homocysteine levels. Homocysteine, is a harmful metabolite which can damage blood vessels and is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Even pigments present in beets have beneficial properties. One group of such pigments – betalains – function as anti-inflammatory compounds. They inhibit the activity of cyclo-oxygenase (or COX) enzymes, responsible for the production of pro-inflammatory molecules. Inhibition of COX activity suppresses downstream inflammatory cascade and alleviates inflammation and pain. COX inhibition, by the way, is the mechanism through which aspirin and ibuprofen exert their effect.
There are many ways to enjoy beets. You could try to:
- Juice them
- Grate them raw and add to salads and slaws,
- Oven-roast or slightly steam them and serve as a warm salad or side dish
- Pickle them.
