The beets belong to the same family as chard and spinach. Beet leaves have a bitter taste like chard, but is rich in chlorophyll. Although bitter, the greens have a higher nutritional value than its roots.
Both beetroot and beet greens are very powerful cleansers and builders of the blood. Betacyanin is the phytochemical in beet that gives it its rich ‘amethyst’ color that significantly reduces homocysteine levels.
Nutritional Benefits
Beets are loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C. The greens have a higher content of iron compared to spinach. They are also an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and iron.
While the sweet beetroot has some of the minerals in its greens to a lesser degree, it is also a remarkable source of choline, folate, iodine, manganese, organic sodium, potassium, fiber and carbohydrates in the form of natural digestible sugars.
Its iron content, though not high, is of the highest and finest quality that makes excellent food that is blood building. This renders it highly effective in treating many ailments caused by our toxic environment and surrounding.
Health Benefits
Beets have long been known for its amazing health benefits for almost every part of the body. And yet, it is something that very few people take, much less its juice.
Start adding beets to your juicing diet to enjoy all its heavenly goodness:
Acidosis: Its alkalinity is essential and effective in combating acidosis.
Anemia: The high content of iron in beets regenerates and reactivates the red blood cells and supplies fresh oxygen to the body. The copper content in beets help make the iron more available to the body. A great blood builder.
Atherosclerosis: This wonderful crimson juice is a powerful solvent for inorganic calcium deposits that cause the arteries to harden.
Blood pressure: All its healing and medicinal values effectively normalizes blood pressure, lowering high blood pressure or elevating low blood pressure.
Cancer: Betaine, an amino acid in beetroot, has significant anti-cancer properties. Studies show that beets juice inhibits formation of cancer-causing compounds and is protective against colon or stomach cancer.
Constipation: The cellulose content helps to ease bowel movements. Drinking beets juice regularly will help relieve chronic constipation.
Dandruff: Mix a little vinegar to a small cup of beets juice. Massage it into the scalp with your fingertips and leave on for about an hour, then rinse. Do this daily till dandruff clears up. Warning: you will smell awful during this hour!
Detoxification: The choline from this wonderful juice detoxifies not only the liver, but also the entire system of excessive alcohol abuse, provided consumption of alcohol is ceased.
Gastric ulcer: Mix honey with your beets juice and drink two or three times a week on an empty stomach (more frequently if your body is familiar with beets juice). It helps speed up the healing process.
Gall bladder and kidney ailments: Coupled with carrot juice, the superb cleansing virtues are exceptional for curing ailments relating to these two organs.
Gout: Another ailment that can be greatly helped by the cleansing that beets have to offer.
Liver or bile: The cleansing virtues in beets juice is very healing for liver toxicity or bile ailments, like jaundice, hepatitis, food poisoning, diarrhea or vomiting. A squeeze of lime with beets juice heightens the efficacy in treating these ailments.
Varicose veins: In similar ways that it helps to keep the elasticity of arteries, regular consumption of beets juice also helps prevent varicose veins.
Consumption Tips
Beet greens
Choose beetroots that are firm and unwrinkled. With the greens attached, beets can keep for only three to four days in the fridge as the root has to supply moisture to the leaves. Without the greens attached, beetroot can keep for a couple of weeks.
Beetroots with round bottoms are sweeter than flat-bottomed ones. Eat beets fresh to enjoy its flavor better. Do not overheat beets when cooking as heat destroys all the essential nutrients. Remove the skin before cooking.
If making juice, put in about a quarter slice of a lemon (with peel) to a medium-sized beetroot to increase the nutrients absorption rate, and to enhance the juice taste.
Caution
Individuals with a history of oxalate-containing kidney stones should limit their consumption of beets.
As beetroot juice is very potent, do not consume too much, especially if your body is not yet accustomed to it. For a beginner, start with the juice of half a medium-sized beetroot once a week, slowly increasing to one whole beetroot a week.
This delicious juice is so potent that it may cause some dizziness during cleansing as toxins are being eliminated. This process may cause some discomfort but there is nothing to be alarmed about. During this time, drink plenty water also to flush out the toxic materials.
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