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Beet this!

crohnsinct

Well-known member
Many other benefits of beets but just highlighting a couple here. I hate beets but I do juice them with some carrots, apple and ginger and find that delicious. Doesn't help much with getting their beneficial fiber but at least I am getting some of the beet benefits. If anyone has an awesome beet recipe that makes beets not taste like dirt, please share!

Many of the unique phytonutrients present in beets have been shown to function as anti-inflammatory compounds. In particular, this anti-inflammatory activity has been demonstrated for betanin, isobetanin, and vulgaxanthin. One mechanism allowing these phytonutrients to lessen inflammation is their ability to inhibit the activity of cyclo-oxygenase enzymes (including both COX-1 and COX-2). The COX enzymes are widely used by cells to produce messaging molecules that trigger inflammation. Under most circumstances, when inflammation is needed, this production of pro-inflammatory messaging molecules is a good thing. However, under other circumstances, when the body is undergoing chronic, unwanted inflammation, production of these inflammatory messengers can make things worse. Several types of heart disease—including atherosclerosis—are characterized by chronic unwanted inflammation. For this reason, beets have been studied within the context of heart disease, and there are some encouraging although very preliminary results in this area involving animal studies and a few very small scale human studies. Type 2 diabetes—another health problem associated with chronic, unwanted inflammation—is also an area of interest in this regard, with research findings at a very preliminary stage.

In addition to their unusual betalain and carotenoid phytonutrients, however, beets are also an unusual source of betaine. Betaine is a key body nutrient made from the B-complex vitamin, choline. (Specifically, betaine is simply choline to which three methyl groups have been attached.) In and of itself, choline is a key vitamin for helping regulate inflammation in the cardiovascular system since adequate choline is important for preventing unwanted build-up of homocysteine. (Elevated levels of homocysteine are associated with unwanted inflammation and risk of cardiovascular problems like atherosclerosis.) But betaine may be even more important in regulation of our inflammatory status as its presence in our diet has been associated with lower levels of several inflammatory markers, including C reactive protein, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. As a group, the anti-inflammatory molecules found in beets may eventually be shown to provide cardiovascular benefits in large-scale human studies, as well as anti-inflammatory benefits for other body systems.

It's important to note two other areas of potential health benefits associated with beets: anti-cancer benefits and fiber-related benefits. The combination of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecules in beets makes this food a highly-likely candidate for risk reduction of many cancer types. Lab studies on human tumor cells have confirmed this possibility for colon, stomach, nerve, lung, breast, prostate and testicular cancers. Eventually, we expect to see large-scale human studies that show the risk-reducing effect of dietary beet intake for many of these cancer types.

Beet fiber has also been a nutrient of increasing interest in health research. While many people tend to lump all food fiber into one single category called "dietary fiber," there is evidence to suggest that all dietary fiber is not the same. Beet fiber (along with carrot fiber) are two specific types of food fiber that may provide special health benefits, particularly with respect to health of our digestive tract (including prevention of colon cancer) and our cardiovascular system. Some beet fiber benefits may be due to the pectin polysaccharides that significantly contribute to the total fiber content.
 
I never liked beets, but I started roasting them and they're not bad, growing on me. As for greens, I prefer collards or kale.

I married a southerner and he showed me how good the pot liquor is with cornbread. Yum!

I make both vegan, so as not to undo all the good with animal products..:)
 

Tesscorm

Moderator
Staff member
I love them too. And make the exact same salad as Greypup. :) I either julienne fresh beets we've boiled or I will also julienne pickled beets and add to salad.

We also use them in a cold 'potato' salad - boil beets, potatos, eggs and then mix together with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, etc. You can also add other veggies - cooked green beans are good with this salad...
 

CarolinAlaska

Holding It Together
Jaedyn loves beets, but I can't find them organic and I read that they are one of the worst veggies for toxins... It is a dilemma for me since Jaedyn doesn't tolerate many veggies.
 

crohnsinct

Well-known member
Do you have a Whole Foods near you? They carry every color of beet and they are organic. Trader Joe's has them from time to time as well.
 

crohnsinct

Well-known member
O.K. am making Beet Loaf tonight for dinner. I already steamed and grated the beets and I have to admit, they aren't horrible. I must have purchased bad beets in the past. In a salad with eta (I don't like goat cheese) they are probably awesome.

So here is the Beet Loaf recipe for you beet lovers and probably even some of you non beet lovers. I will let you know how it turns out. I substituted Feta cheese for the goat cheese. Also..oops! I used all the grated beets not just the 1 cup mount. Oh well...more nutritious guess!

2 beets (about ¾ lb)
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
½ cup chopped onion
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp pepper
2 large eggs
½ cup crumbled goat cheese
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preheat oven to 350°F. Wash beets; place in
a microwave-safe bowl with 2 Tbsp water.
Cover and microwave on HIGH 8 minutes or
until tender; cool. Peel by rubbing with paper
towels. Grate on large holes of a box grater to
equal 1½ cups. (Reserve any remaining beets
for another use.). Combine rice, beets, walnuts,
panko, onion and mustard; stir in salt, pepper,
and eggs. Fold in cheese, and spoon mixture
into a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan. Bake 45 minutes or
until set.
 
A friend has gotten me into beets-I dice them small and add them to salads, soups, and sauces. Kids don't notice lol!
 
I've noticed normal grocery stores are carrying more and more organic produce all the time.. :)

Where I live The Vitamin Cottage has only organic produce and they're much cheaper than Whole Foods.
 
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