Beet roots (Uses)As a vegetable
The usually deep-red roots of beetroot are eaten boiled as a cooked vegetable, or cold as a salad after cooking and adding oil and vinegar, or raw and shredded, either alone or combined with any salad vegetable. A large proportion of the commercial production is processed into boiled and sterilized beets or into pickles. In Eastern Europe beet soup, such as borscht, is a popular dish. Yellow colored beetroots are grown on a very small scale for home consumption.
Health benefits
Beetroots are a rich source of potent antioxidants and nutrients, including magnesium, sodium, potassium and vitamin C, and betaine, which is important for cardiovascular health. It functions by acting with other nutrients to reduce the concentration of homocysteine, a homologue of the naturally occurring amino acid cysteine, which can be harmful to blood vessels and thus contribute to the development of heart disease, stroke, and pheripheral vascular disease.
Additionally, several preliminary studies have shown betaine may protect against liver disease, particularly the build-up of fatty deposits in the liver caused by alcohol abuse, protein deficiency, or diabetes among other causes.
Beetroot juice has been shown to lower blood pressure and thus help prevent cardiovascular problems.
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