Beetroot is another name. All about beets

Red maiden Beetroot

I don’t know about you, but in my childhood beets were not held in high esteem. Now I like this simple beet salad with garlic for its content of nutrients and pungent taste. As a child, the cakes were much nicer. The turning point in my attitude towards beets was the fairy tale film “Morozko”, in which Marfushechka’s cheeks were rubbed with this vegetable for blush. After watching the movie, although the root vegetable did not become my favorite, I no longer rejected salads with it, prudently leaving a little “for makeup.” Now, many years later, I understand that beets are good not only for vinaigrette and herring under a fur coat, but smearing them on your cheeks is not such a stupid idea!

Eastern guest

Today, in order to prepare a dish that includes beets, it is not at all necessary to boil it for a long time, then peel the beetroot, painting your hands a persistent red color. You can just go to the store and buy a ready-to-eat root vegetable. Did you know that inexpensive, healthy and now familiar beets were a delicacy hundreds of years ago?
Like many plants, beets appeared in our latitudes thanks to traders who brought wild beet seeds from the East and India to Babylon, and then to Ancient Rome and Greece. By the way, initially only the leaves of the vegetable were eaten, and the roots were used to prepare medicine.
It is believed that in ancient times people ate leaf beets, or chard. It is still cultivated as a vegetable plant. The chard root grows no thicker than 2-3 cm, but its leaves are very large and juicy.
Be that as it may, both the Greeks and Romans fell in love with beets. What is there! She received honors that hardly ever went to other plants! This vegetable could only end up on the table of a wealthy person, since it was not cheap. The Greeks made offerings to the gods in the form of silver figurines of beets or real root vegetables on a silver platter. Why such reverence? Most likely, because both the root vegetable and the leaves are rich in vitamins and beneficial microelements, and regular consumption of beets has a beneficial effect on health.
Already by the beginning of our era, cultivated forms of beets appeared, which were entirely used for food, around the 10th century. they became famous in Rus', and after 3-4 centuries they “conquered” Europe.
In the middle of the 18th century. It turned out that beets contain sugar. Now this fact does not surprise anyone; many are accustomed to buying it in bags. And in the 11th century. Cane sugar was imported into Russia from abroad, and it cost so much!! Naturally, I wanted to get more sugar and spend less on it. Beets came in handy in solving this problem.
The work of breeders began in 1747, when scientist Andreas Marggraff established the sugar content of beets. Another 50 years passed, and a factory appeared in Lower Silesia, where sugar was no longer produced from cane, but from beets.
Even politics contributed to the history of the emergence of sugar beets. The fact is that Napoleon was not pleased with England's success in the sugar cane trade, and therefore the emperor established an unprecedented bonus - a million francs - for anyone who would come up with a cheap way to produce sugar. And although sugar beets were developed during Napoleon’s lifetime, Bonaparte did not live to see the moment when sugar production was put on stream.

Beetroot of our time

Beetroot (lat. Béta) is a genus of one-, two- and perennial herbaceous plants of the Amaranthaceae family. Its most famous representatives are common beet (table beet), sugar beet and fodder beet.
The gastronomic advantage of beets is that they go well with a variety of foods. In the summer, it is used to make a light and tasty version of okroshka - beetroot soup (kholodnik). And in preparing salads there is complete freedom: beets can be combined with herring, nuts, cheeses, prunes, mushrooms, olives, lemon zest and juice... By the way, you shouldn’t peel beets before cooking, much less cut them: the beneficial nutrients will be digested from the root vegetable vitamins and microelements.
The word “beet” itself has Greek roots. In Russian, it is correct to pronounce it with an emphasis on the letter E. By the way, in the southwestern regions of Russia, beets are called the same as in our country - beetroot or beetroot. There is an opinion that the Old Slavonic word “burshch” means “beetroot”. Perhaps the beet-based soup was named after the plant from which it was prepared.
White sugar beet roots contain up to 23% sugar! Who knows how much this product would cost now if it weren’t for beets! There is even a monument to this vegetable in Kyiv. However, what’s surprising: Ukraine is in 1st place in growing beets. By the way, Belarus ranks 3rd among sugar beet producers, and Russia ranks 2nd.
Fodder beet, as its name implies, is usually used as animal food. It happens that unscrupulous producers try to sell it under the guise of table beets. What are the differences? Fodder beets contain more fiber and are much larger than table beets, but the taste of the latter is much better, because it’s not for nothing that its new varieties have been bred for many years.
We owe the origin of fodder beets to German peasants, who back in the 16th century. noticed the dependence of good milk yields of cows on the presence of beets in the animals’ diet.
Initially, there was no official division of beets into types. But over time, each type began to be developed and improved depending on the purpose: the feed one should be large, the sugar one should contain as much sugar as possible, the table one should have excellent taste.

Carefully! Beet!

Some people should eat beets with caution. It can cause allergies - skin rashes or swelling of the respiratory tract. In this case, you should choose white beets, which do not contain red pigments - the main allergens. For those with heart problems, doctors do not recommend combining beets with garlic, so as not to overload the blood vessels. Additionally, raw beets are not the best choice for people with intestinal diseases.

Selected beets

How to choose good beets? It seems that they are all, like two from a casket, identical from the face, or rather, from the root. When choosing beets, you need to know some subtleties. To purchase a truly healthy product, pay attention to certain characteristics of root vegetables.
Form. The beets should be oval-spherical. But if it looks like a cone or is too elongated, this is a sign of improper cultivation or even indicates a fodder variety.
Weight. Too large fruits may indicate intensive feeding with chemical fertilizers. Normal beets weigh about 0.5 kg.
Color. The root can be dark red, burgundy and even almost purple, and the leaves can be either green with red veins or red. It is important that there are no white inclusions in the pulp.
Skin. If you plan to store beets, take the time to carefully check the appearance of the fruit. The skin should be intact and without signs of rot. This rule applies to all vegetables and fruits.
Homeland. It is advisable to clarify where the beets came from. It accumulates salts of heavy metals, and therefore it is not recommended to eat root vegetables grown in environmentally unfavorable regions.
You can talk about the benefits of beets for a long time. In combination with various vegetables, prepared in various ways, it helps to improve the health of many human vital systems. Beetroot excels in all parameters valued as table plants. So the words addressed to Marfushka from the fairy tale after the beetroot “rouging”, that she is not a princess, but a princess, can also be applied to the beets themselves.

Beetroot grows on every continent except Antarctica.
- The ancient Greeks sacrificed beets to the god Apollo.
- In Rus', beets were baked in the oven and served with tea.
- The ancient Persians believed that beets were a symbol of gossip, quarrels and discord.
- The word “beet” comes from the Greek “seuklon”, which means “royal”.
- Beetroot is used in cosmetology to care for facial skin and hair. Nourishing masks are made from this vegetable; it is believed to help get rid of freckles and dandruff.
- In Eastern Europe they believed that eating beets would help protect against the plague.
- There is a belief: if a man and a woman eat one beet together, they will fall in love with each other.
- In beets, not only the root crop is edible, but also the leaves, rich in vitamins A, C and iron.

Subspecies: Sugar beet Latin name Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris syn.

Sugar beet (beetroot)- a group of varieties of ordinary root beets (lat. Beta vulgaris); a commercial crop whose roots contain a lot of sucrose.

Story

Sugar beets appeared as a result of the work of breeders. In 1747, Andreas Marggraf discovered that sugar, which had previously been obtained from sugar cane, was also found in beets. At that time, the scientist was able to establish that the sugar content in fodder beets was 1.3%. In current sugar beet varieties bred by breeders, it exceeds 20%.

Marggraf's discovery was appreciated and practically used for the first time by his student Franz Karl Achard, who devoted his life to obtaining beet sugar and in 1801 equipped a factory in Lower Silesia where sugar was produced from beets.

Description

Sugar beets are a biennial root crop, cultivated primarily for sugar, but can also be cultivated for animal feed. In the first year, the plant forms a rosette of basal leaves and a thickened, fleshy root crop, in which the sucrose content usually ranges from 8 to 20% depending on growing conditions and variety.

Sugar beets love warmth, light and moisture. The optimal temperature for seed germination is 10-12 °C, growth and development is 20-22 °C. Seedlings are sensitive to frost (they die at −4, −5 °C). The amount of sugar in fruits depends on the number of sunny days in August-October. A particularly good harvest is harvested on chernozems.

Meaning and Application

Sugar beets are the most important industrial crop, providing raw materials for the sugar industry.

Waste production:

• pulp: used as livestock feed
• molasses: food product
• defecation mud: lime fertilizer.

In the 20th century, sugar beets were grown mainly in countries with temperate climates.

The highest sugar beet yields in the USSR were obtained in:

• Georgia (331)
• Ukraine (279).

Russia

In 2008, Russia produced 29.1 million tons of sugar beets.

In 2011, Russia harvested a record sugar beet harvest (46.2 million tons), thanks to which the country switched to exporting beet sugar in significant volumes (more than 200 thousand tons per year).

Sugar beet processing technology

• The beets are stored in a carbon dioxide storage facility, where they can be kept for up to 90 days;
• Root vegetables are washed and turned into shavings;
• Obtaining diffusion juice with hot water (+75 °C);
• The juice is purified in several stages using calcium hydroxide and carbon dioxide;
• The resulting juice is boiled to a syrup with a solids concentration of 55-65%, decolorized with sulfur oxide and filtered;
• From the syrup in the 1st stage vacuum apparatus, a massecuite of the 1st crystallization (7.5% water) is obtained, which is centrifuged, removing the “white” molasses. The crystals remaining on the centrifuge sieves are washed, dried and packaged.
• “White” molasses is again condensed in vacuum devices of the 2nd stage and, using centrifuges, most often continuous, is separated into “green” molasses and “yellow” sugar of the 2nd product, which, having previously been dissolved in clean water, is added to the syrup entering the 1st stage vacuum apparatus;
• For additional sugar extraction, a 3-stage boiling and desaccharification stage is sometimes used;
• The molasses obtained at the last stage of crystallization is molasses - a waste product of sugar production, which contains 40-50% sucrose and by weight makes up 4-5% of the weight of processed beets

Sugar beet producers

Leading sugar beet producers (as of 2012)

Place	A country	Production (million tons)
1	Russia, Russia	45,1
2	France France	33,7
3	USA USA	32,0
4	Germany Germany	27,9
5	Ukraine Ukraine	18,4
6	Turkey Turkey	15,0
7	Poland Poland	12,3
8	PRC PRC	11,5
9	Egypt Egypt	9,1
Total	World	205,0
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

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Excerpt characterizing Sugar beet

Anatole stood up and entered the dining room. Balaga was a well-known troika driver, who had known Dolokhov and Anatoly for six years and served them with his troikas. More than once, when Anatole’s regiment was stationed in Tver, he took him out of Tver in the evening, delivered him to Moscow by dawn, and took him away the next day at night. More than once he took Dolokhov away from pursuit, more than once he took them around the city with gypsies and ladies, as Balaga called them. More than once he crushed people and cab drivers around Moscow with their work, and his gentlemen, as he called them, always rescued him. He drove more than one horse under them. More than once he was beaten by them, more than once they plied him with champagne and Madeira, which he loved, and he knew more than one thing behind each of them that an ordinary person would have deserved Siberia long ago. In their revelry, they often invited Balaga, forced him to drink and dance with the gypsies, and more than one thousand of their money passed through his hands. Serving them, he risked both his life and his skin twenty times a year, and at their work he killed more horses than they overpaid him in money. But he loved them, loved this crazy ride, eighteen miles an hour, loved to overturn a cab driver and crush a pedestrian in Moscow, and fly at full gallop through the Moscow streets. He loved to hear this wild cry of drunken voices behind him: “Go! let's go! whereas it was already impossible to drive faster; He loved to pull the man's neck painfully, who was already neither alive nor dead, avoiding him. "Real gentlemen!" he thought.
Anatole and Dolokhov also loved Balaga for his riding skill and because he loved the same things as they did. Balaga dressed up with others, charged twenty-five rubles for a two-hour ride, and only occasionally went with others himself, but more often he sent his fellows. But with his masters, as he called them, he always traveled himself and never demanded anything for his work. Only having learned through the valets the time when there was money, he came every few months in the morning, sober and, bowing low, asked to help him out. The gentlemen always imprisoned him.
“Release me, Father Fyodor Ivanovich or your Excellency,” he said. - He’s completely lost his mind, go to the fair, lend what you can.
Both Anatol and Dolokhov, when they had money, gave him a thousand and two rubles.
Balaga was fair-haired, with a red face and especially a red, thick neck, a squat, snub-nosed man, about twenty-seven, with sparkling small eyes and a small beard. He was dressed in a thin blue caftan lined with silk, over a sheepskin coat.
He crossed himself at the front corner and approached Dolokhov, extending his black, small hand.
- Fyodor Ivanovich! - he said, bowing.
- Great, brother. - Well, here he is.
“Hello, your Excellency,” he said to Anatoly as he entered and also extended his hand.
“I’m telling you, Balaga,” said Anatole, putting his hands on his shoulders, “do you love me or not?” A? Now you've done your service... Which ones did you come to? A?
“As the ambassador ordered, on your animals,” said Balaga.
- Well, do you hear, Balaga! Kill all three and come at three o'clock. A?
- How will you kill, what will we go on? - Balaga said, winking.
- Well, I’ll break your face, don’t joke! – Anatole suddenly shouted, rolling his eyes.
“Why joke,” the coachman said, chuckling. - Will I be sorry for my masters? As long as the horses can gallop, we will ride.
- A! - said Anatole. - Well, sit down.
- Well, sit down! - said Dolokhov.
- I’ll wait, Fyodor Ivanovich.
“Sit down, lie, drink,” said Anatole and poured him a large glass of Madeira. The coachman's eyes lit up at the wine. Refusing for the sake of decency, he drank and wiped himself with a red silk handkerchief that lay in his hat.
- Well, when to go, Your Excellency?
- Well... (Anatole looked at his watch) let’s go now. Look, Balaga. A? Will you be in time?
- Yes, how about departure - will he be happy, otherwise why not be in time? - Balaga said. “They delivered it to Tver and arrived at seven o’clock.” You probably remember, Your Excellency.
“You know, I once went from Tver for Christmas,” said Anatole with a smile of memory, turning to Makarin, who looked at Kuragin with all his eyes. – Do you believe, Makarka, that it was breathtaking how we flew. We drove into the convoy and jumped over two carts. A?
- There were horses! - Balaga continued the story. “Then I locked the young ones attached to the Kaurom,” he turned to Dolokhov, “so would you believe it, Fyodor Ivanovich, the animals flew 60 miles; I couldn’t hold it, my hands were numb, it was freezing. He threw down the reins, holding it, Your Excellency, himself, and fell into the sleigh. So it’s not like you can’t just drive it, you can’t keep it there. At three o'clock the devils reported. Only the left one died.

Anatole left the room and a few minutes later returned in a fur coat belted with a silver belt and a sable hat, smartly placed on his side and suiting his handsome face very well. Looking in the mirror and in the same position that he took in front of the mirror, standing in front of Dolokhov, he took a glass of wine.
“Well, Fedya, goodbye, thank you for everything, goodbye,” said Anatole. “Well, comrades, friends... he thought about... - my youth... goodbye,” he turned to Makarin and the others.
Despite the fact that they were all traveling with him, Anatole apparently wanted to make something touching and solemn out of this address to his comrades. He spoke in a slow, loud voice and with his chest out, he swayed with one leg. - Everyone take glasses; and you, Balaga. Well, comrades, friends of my youth, we had a blast, we lived, we had a blast. A? Now, when will we meet? I'll go abroad. Long lived, goodbye guys. For health! Hurray!.. - he said, drank his glass and slammed it on the ground.
“Be healthy,” said Balaga, also drinking his glass and wiping himself with a handkerchief. Makarin hugged Anatole with tears in his eyes. “Eh, prince, how sad I am to part with you,” he said.
- Go, go! - Anatole shouted.
Balaga was about to leave the room.
“No, stop,” said Anatole. - Close the doors, I need to sit down. Like this. “They closed the doors and everyone sat down.
- Well, now march, guys! - Anatole said standing up.
The footman Joseph handed Anatoly a bag and a saber, and everyone went out into the hall.
-Where is the fur coat? - said Dolokhov. - Hey, Ignatka! Go to Matryona Matveevna, ask for a fur coat, a sable cloak. “I heard how they were taking away,” Dolokhov said with a wink. - After all, she will jump out neither alive nor dead, in what she was sitting at home; you hesitate a little, there are tears, and dad, and mom, and now she’s cold and back - and you immediately take him into a fur coat and carry him into the sleigh.

Beetroot is a seasonal herbaceous plant of the Amaranthaceae family. Root vegetables and beet tops are eaten.

The roots are well stored in winter, so in the fall beets are prepared for the winter. Beetroot contains a large amount of sugars, which is why some of its varieties are used for the production of granulated sugar.

Due to its unpretentiousness and high nutritional value, beets are grown everywhere.

The beneficial properties and contraindications of beets are determined by its chemical composition.

100 g of products contain:

• proteins 1.5 g, water 86 g, fats 0.1 g, carbohydrates 8.8 g,
• starch 0.1 g, dietary fiber 2.5 g, saccharides 8.7 g,
• organic acids 0.1 g, ash 1 g.

Everything else comes from vitamins and macro- and microelements:

• vitamin C 10 mg, B vitamins 0.24 mg (of which 13 mcg is folic acid)
• vitamin PP 0.4, vitamin A 2 mcg, vitamin E 0.1 mg, vitamin K 0.2 mcg,
• betaine 128.7 mg, beta-carotene 8 mcg, choline 6 mg, vitamin U 14.6 mg,
• boron 280 µg, vanadium 70.1 µg, cobalt 2.3 µg, manganese 660 µg,
• lithium 60 mcg, rubidium 453 mcg, thallium 0.7 mcg, chromium 20 mcg,
• iodine 10 mcg, calcium 70 mg, potassium 288 mg,
• sodium 50 mg, zinc 430 mcg, copper 0.14 mg.

Beetroot contains essential amino acids:

• valine, isoleucine, histidine, leucine, methionine, lysine, tryptophan, threonine, phenylalanine.

Most of the beets contain rubidium, vanadium and boron. The content of these elements in 100 g of product is several times higher than the daily human requirement.

The energy value of beets per 100 g of product is 40 kcal.

What are the benefits of beets?

The following beneficial properties of red beets are used in medicine:

• antihistamine, immunomodulatory, analgesic,
• laxative, sedative, regenerating,
• ulcer healing, diuretic,
• anticarcinogenic, antiseptic.

Beets contain many antioxidants. Vitamins A, E and C are like the three pillars on which many of the beneficial properties of fresh and boiled beets are based. Thanks to these vitamins, beets:

• increases immunity,
• protects against viral and bacterial infections,
• heals mucous membranes,
• has a beneficial effect on vision,
• human reproductive system,
• strengthens blood vessels and makes them more elastic.

Beets prevent the development of atherosclerosis. The joint work of antioxidants, copper and iodine promotes excellent functioning of the endocrine system, restores human hormonal levels, and improves brain function.

Thanks to zinc, magnesium and B vitamins, beets have a positive effect on the human nervous system. This root vegetable makes sense to use for neurological disorders, stress and depression.

The beneficial properties of beets include the fact that it stimulates the liver, improves intestinal function, and improves the condition of joints and ligaments.

The properties of raw beets are especially beneficial for the liver. The human liver is a kind of wastebasket for the body. Thanks to vitamin B4, beets cleanse the harmful effects of toxic substances resulting from eating fatty foods, smoking, and drugs.

Betaine also has a positive effect on the liver. Thanks to this substance, beets prevent the accumulation of fatty deposits in the liver, reduce the risk of developing diabetes, and help quickly recover from cardiovascular diseases. Beets prevent the formation of gallstones.

The red root vegetable contains a large amount of boron. This element is important for our bones and joints. Thanks to regular consumption of beets, you can get rid of arthrosis, arthritis, and osteoporosis. In addition, the same boron makes beets a healthy food for women's health. It is especially useful to use during menopause and the postmenopausal period.

Beets prevent the formation of plaques in blood vessels and remove bad cholesterol. Thanks to cobalt, beets affect the concentration of adrenaline production and normalize the functioning of the pancreas. Beetroot is useful for obesity.

Beets are rich in lithium, and this chemical element affects your state of mind. It is not for nothing that psychiatric clinics use drugs with lithium to treat mentally ill people. In this regard, beets suppress fear, emotional tension, aggression, reduce anxiety, and increase resistance to stress.

The beneficial properties of table beets include the fact that they are used for bronchitis, asthma, and also treat runny nose, tuberculosis and hormonal disorders. Thanks to magnesium, fresh beets and beet juice can be used in the treatment of hypertension and atherosclerosis.

The beneficial properties of boiled beets are in no way inferior to raw root vegetables. The only thing is that the content of vitamins in boiled beets decreases (vitamins B6, C, A are destroyed during heat treatment of the root crop). Boiled beets are a natural laxative and, due to their diuretic effect, remove heavy metal salts.

Beet root vegetables contain fiber and pectins, which help cleanse the intestines of toxins.

What are the beneficial properties of beet tops?

In addition to root vegetables, beet tops can be eaten for medicinal purposes. It is important to note that the concentration of some elements in beet tops is much higher than in the beets themselves.

Vitamin PP, which is found in large quantities in beet leaves, is involved in hematopoiesis, improves the condition of blood vessels, and prevents the development of internal hemorrhages. Beet leaves are rich in salts of iron, calcium, potassium, manganese and phosphorus.

The benefits of beet leaves also include the fact that they help cure intestinal and stomach ulcers and chronic gastritis. This therapeutic effect of beet tops is manifested due to the content of a rather rare vitamin U in it. This element has a pronounced regenerating, antihistamine and analgesic effect.

Beet tops have high antioxidant properties. The joint work of manganese and cobalt improves blood condition, rejuvenates the skin and prevents the appearance of early gray hair. Another beneficial property of beet leaves is the removal of bad cholesterol from the body.

Beet juice

Beetroot has a high shelf life and is suitable for long-term storage.

During the winter, it retains all its beneficial elements, so beet juice can be used for medicinal purposes all year round.

The beneficial properties of beet juice are as follows:

• useful for anemia;
• retains all the vitamins and mineral salts contained in beets;
• improves metabolism; improves blood circulation;
• helps overcome depression; saves from insomnia;
• eliminates increased excitability; removes harmful substances from the body;
• has a laxative effect; cleanses the body of bad cholesterol;
• treats seasonal vitamin deficiencies; quickly restores strength after physical activity;
• improves brain function; reduces the risk of developing cancer;
• treats inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity;
• normalizes intestinal microflora and destroys harmful bacteria;
• useful for boosting general immunity.

Beetroot juice is contraindicated to drink immediately after preparation. The fact is that the juice turns out to be very concentrated, and harmful compounds accumulate in it. Therefore, after squeezing, the juice must stand for 2-3 hours. Upon contact with air, harmful substances evaporate.

Treatment with beet juice should begin with 1 tbsp. spoons, gradually increasing this rate to 50 ml. Beet juice does not taste very pleasant, so it is recommended to dilute it with juice from cranberry, pineapple, carrot or orange.

Beetroot juice causes side effects: nausea, severe stomach pain, vomiting. If these symptoms appear, you should stop drinking beet juice and look for alternative treatments.

Beetroot treatment

For a runny nose:

1. Squeeze beet juice.
2. Keep him in the room for a day.

Place 2-3 drops into each nasal passage three times a day.

For hypertension:

1. Squeeze beet juice.
2. Mix it with honey (1 teaspoon).

Drink 0.25 glasses three times a day.

For constipation:

1. Boil 1 beet.
2. Divide into 3 parts and add to food at every meal.

You can also eat salads, first and second courses with beets for constipation.

For scurvy: regularly consume pickled beets;

For sore throat:

1. Peel raw beets.
2. Grate it, mix with 1 tbsp. spoon of vinegar.
3. Leave for a day.

Squeeze the juice and gargle with it 5-6 times a day.

For anemia:

1. Squeeze beet juice.
2. Mix 50 ml of beet juice with 250 ml of apple juice.

Divide the juice into 3 servings and drink throughout the day.

For mastopathy:

1. Mix puree with honey in a ratio of 3:1.

Lubricate the cabbage leaf with the resulting puree and apply it to the chest.

During menstruation:

1. Squeeze beet juice.
2. Dilute 50 ml of beet juice with cranberry juice in a ratio of 1:3 and drink throughout the day.

For bronchitis:

1. Squeeze beet juice.
2. Mix 50 ml with carrot juice and drink throughout the day.

For hepatitis:

1. Squeeze beet juice.
2. Leave it for 2-3 hours, add the same amount of honey.
3. Drink the resulting mixture 0.5 cups three times a day.

You can also combine beet juice and carrot juice in equal parts and drink it 2-3 times a day, snacking on honey (1 tablespoon).

For weight loss

Due to its calorie content, beets are a dietary product, so they are often included in various weight loss systems. Beets are rich in fiber and dietary fiber, which, when entering the body, create a feeling of fullness for a long time.

Beets, thanks to their rich vitamin and mineral composition, accelerate metabolic processes in the body, which means that the process of losing weight will happen faster. The beneficial properties of beets for weight loss include the fact that it improves the functioning of the digestive system and allows you to get rid of the ballast with harmful substances that are in the intestines.

During pregnancy and breastfeeding

Beets contain iron, which is often deficient during pregnancy, so the red root vegetable is prescribed as a preventive measure for iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women. Beets have a beneficial effect on the digestive system and are a mild laxative.

Regular consumption of beets during pregnancy can help get rid of constipation, rectal fissures and hemorrhoids. In addition, beets contain large amounts of choline. This substance is involved in the formation of the nervous system and brain of the fetus.

There is even an opinion that the acuity of a person’s thinking depends on the amount of choline he received while in the womb.

You should not neglect beets during breastfeeding. Some believe that beets should not be eaten while breastfeeding, because the vegetable can cause allergies in the child. But that's not true.

Despite the fact that beets have a bright color, they do not cause allergies. But it helps restore the nervous and emotional state of the child’s mother after childbirth. And also improve the chair. It’s not without reason that in many maternity hospitals women are given a piece of beetroot once a day.

For children

Beets are also good for children. It supplies the child’s body with all the necessary substances for normal growth and development.

Beets are especially useful for children suffering from a lack of muscle mass. The fact is that red root vegetables contain betaine, which promotes protein absorption. Beets should be included in the diet of children suffering from neurological disorders and children prone to emotional overexcitability. It is useful to give beets to children for constipation.

Beetroot should not be given as complementary food to children under 6 months of age.

The ideal time for complementary feeding with beets is considered to be 8-9 months of age. By this time, the baby will already have time to get acquainted with many vegetables and fruits. But if you notice changes in your baby's stool, postpone complementary feeding for a few more months.

In cosmetology

Beets are rich in betaine. This substance is often used in the cosmetics industry due to its moisturizing effect. Once in the cells, betaine retains moisture as much as possible. It is used to make moisturizing masks, face or hand creams, shampoos and conditioners.

Useful properties of beets in cosmetology:

• moisturizes the skin,
• relieves inflammation
• eliminates acne,
• smoothes out small wrinkles,
• cleanses the skin.

Moisturizing mask:

1. Grate the beets on a fine grater.
2. Mix the puree with the same amount of cream.
3. Mix.
4. Apply to face.
5. Leave for 20 minutes, then wash off the mask with warm water.

Anti-acne mask:

1. Boil the beets until tender.
2. Remove the root vegetable.
3. Pour 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar into the beet broth.
4. Wash with the decoction twice a day.

The benefit of beetroot broth is that it eliminates all kinds of inflammation on the skin. Within a few days, the acne will fade and the skin will become even in color. And in a week, acne spots will disappear.

Harm and possible contraindications

Despite all the benefits of boiled beets, there are some contraindications to its use.

Beetroot juice has many more contraindications.

These include:

• stomach ulcer,
• hypotension,
• duodenal ulcer,
• diabetes,
• gastritis in the acute stage,
• chronic diarrhea,
• urolithiasis disease.

The plant is called beetroot, or beet.

Story

Before domestication, wild beets were used as food. In the 2nd millennium BC. e. Swiss chard was introduced into culture (presumably on the islands of the Mediterranean) as a medicinal and vegetable plant. The first root forms appeared (according to Theophrastus) and were well known by the 4th century BC. e.. To the beginning of AD. e. cultural forms of ordinary root beet appeared; in the X-XI centuries they were known in Kievan Rus, in the XIII-XIV centuries - in the countries of Western Europe. In the 16th-17th centuries, it was differentiated into table and fodder forms; in the 18th century, sugar beets emerged from the hybrid forms of fodder beets. From the end of the 19th century into the 20th century, culture spread to all continents.

Botanical description

The root of wild and leaf beets is taprooted, woody, and completely immersed in the soil. The wild form has a thin root; annual plant. In the cultivated variety, the root is fleshy and juicy, thick (root crop), in most varieties it protrudes above the soil surface; biennial plant.

Wild species: Creeping beet ( Beta procumbens C.Sm. Hornem.), large root beet ( Beta macrorhiza Steven), Beetroot ( Beta lomatogona Fisch. & C.A.Mey.), Three-column beets ( Beta trigyna Waldst. & Kit.), Spreading beetroot ( Beta patula Aiton) and others.

In the first year, it develops only the root and rosette of basal bare large, ovoid, obtuse, slightly heart-shaped at the base, wavy leaves on long petioles along the edge; in the second year, and sometimes by the end of the first year, a leafy stem appears on the fleshy root from the middle of the leaf rosette, reaching 0.5 and even 1.25 meters in height.

The stem is herbaceous, erect, strongly branched, grooved-grained; the leaves on it are alternate small, almost sessile, oblong or lanceolate; in the axils of the upper leaves, bunches (2-3) of small, dim sessile flowers appear, forming complex long leafy spikes. The flowers are bisexual, consisting of a green or whitish cup-shaped five-lobed perianth, five stamens attached to a fleshy ring surrounding the ovary, and a pistil with a semi-inferior single-locular ovary and two stigmas. Cross-pollination - by small insects.

Beetroot, red, vegetable, in the first year of life it forms a root crop weighing 0.4-0.9 kg of spherical-flattened, spherical-oval or flattened shape, having dark red, burgundy, red-violet pulp (the red color is due to the content of betacyanins, in primarily betanin, and the yellow tint - betaxanthin) and a rosette of green leaves with red veins or red leaves. Root vegetables are used for food (contains 13-20% dry matter, including 9-16% sugar, 1.8-3% protein, up to 0.5% organic acids, 0.7-1.4% fiber, 0. 8-1.3% mineral salts, vitamins C, B, P, PP) and young plants. Distributed on all continents. In the USSR, table beets were cultivated in all agricultural zones; in 1973, its crops occupied about 50 thousand hectares, the yield was 400-500 centners per hectare (up to 1000 centners). In 1974, 21 varieties were zoned, the best: Bordeaux 237, Incomparable A-463, Gribovskaya Ploskaya A-473, Podzimnyaya A-474, etc. In crop rotation, the crop is placed after cabbage, tomato, and cucumber. For autumn plowing, humus is added (at least 30 t/ha), and on acidic soils - lime (5-10 t/ha). Table beets are sown in spring or autumn (pre-winter sowing), in two-line ribbons or in wide rows (row spacing 33 cm). The seed sowing rate is 16-20 kg/ha, seeding depth is 2-3 cm. Care of crops: destruction of weeds with herbicides (spraying with pyramin), double thinning, fertilizing, loosening and watering (in hot summers and in areas of irrigated agriculture). Root crops are harvested using beet lifters and, after trimming the leaves, they are stored in vegetable stores. [ ] Varieties of table beets, depending on the shape of the root crops, are grouped into four varieties:
Egyptian(rounded-flat), Bordeaux(round-oval), Eclipse(round, oval-cylindrical), Erfurt(conical). Signs of a botanical beet variety are the shape and color of the root pulp, ringiness, consistency, and ripening time. According to the ripening period, all beet varieties are divided into early-ripening (vegetation period up to 100 days), mid-ripening (up to 130 days) and late-ripening (over 130 days).

Varieties

Fresh beets Nutritional value per 100 g of product

Hello, dear readers of the site.

Asia Minor and Transcaucasia are considered the historical homeland of beets. You can still find wild thickets there with woody roots and lush leaves.

It was the tops that local residents used for food for a long time (as it turned out in our time, they are no less valuable than root vegetables: they contain a lot of carotene, folic acid and vitamin C).

And dozens of generations of farmers changed before the red beets acquired juicy red roots.

This vegetable was very popular in Ancient Rome.

Dishes made from it decorated the tables of the most distinguished citizens (red beets were believed to evoke sexual desire).

Along with root vegetables, the Romans consumed leaves soaked in wine.

Emperor Tiberius demanded that the conquered Germans send tribute in red beets.

It appeared on the lands of Kievan Rus in the 10th century. And by the 14th century it became very widespread, becoming a worthy alternative to turnips and rutabaga.

As in Ancient Rome, beets were especially valued by men, who were confident that it gave them strength.

What does red beetroot cure?

The ancient Greek physician, father of medicine Hippocrates included red beets in the list of medicinal plants. Subsequently, Avicenna, Paracelsus and many other, lesser-known healers used it as a medicine.

Beets are rightly called the pantry of health, they are even called Ukrainian ginseng. This is an invaluable source of microelements, including iron, cobalt, potassium, sodium, magnesium and others.

In addition, it is rich in vitamins, pectins, fiber, and organic acids. So, by eating beets in any form, you will be protected from many diseases.

Thanks to the presence of pectins, red beets help remove toxic substances, heavy metal salts, radionuclides, and cholesterol from the body (the latter circumstance helps prevent atherosclerosis).

Fiber enhances intestinal function, the secretion of digestive juices and bile. The functioning of the liver, pancreas and the entire gastrointestinal tract improves. Eating beets can easily relieve constipation.

Anyone who regularly consumes this vegetable does not suffer from anemia. In addition, it contains vitamin U, which has anti-allergic and anti-ulcer properties. And folic acid is responsible for the rejuvenation of vascular and skin cells.

Eating beets is very important for the prevention of prostate diseases. It is also recommended for people with metabolic disorders - in particular, obesity (especially fatty liver).

With the systematic use of beets, a positive result on the part of the nervous system is noticeable: neuroses and insomnia disappear. Like chocolate, it contains tryptophan, which helps relieve depression.

Moreover, scientists found that animals fed beets developed immune bodies that could resist cancer cells. Beetroot also has a diuretic property, so it is indicated for fluid retention in the body.

What can be used

The water in which the beets were boiled can be rubbed into the hair roots. This is a good anti-dandruff remedy.

A pulp of raw root vegetables or napkins soaked in juice is applied to ulcers and abscesses. Beetroot juice is beneficial for both old and young. But it must be used correctly.

After all, freshly prepared juice contains harmful volatile substances that can cause deterioration of the general condition, nausea and even vomiting. To turn into a valuable medicine, it must sit in the refrigerator for 4 hours. It is good to combine it with freshly squeezed carrot juice in a ratio of 1:4.

Beetroot juice helps with hypertension. Use it with honey at a ratio of 1:1, 1 tbsp. spoon 7 times a day. It is used in the same proportion for menopause, but 1/3 cup 2 times a day. Relieves hot flashes, calms the nervous system. Beetroot juice is also used in cosmetics. Masks made from it give the skin freshness and softness.

Beets on our table

Both on weekdays and on holidays, beets deservedly take pride of place in our menu. And if someone says that they do not like beets, a suspicion arises that they simply have not yet learned how to cook them tasty. Is it possible to imagine Ukrainian cuisine without borscht - and borscht without beets? What about “fur coat” and vinaigrette?

This vegetable goes well with prunes, raisins, walnuts, peanuts, green peas, apples, and eggs. Wonderful salads are made with the addition of raw, sautéed or pickled onions. Beetroot with garlic is not only tasty, but also an extremely healthy quick salad.

And beetroot desserts - have you ever tried them? I bring to your attention my favorite recipe.

Chop the peeled raw beets into cubes, add chopped lemon, a pinch of salt, sprinkle with sugar and simmer over low heat until tender in a thick-bottomed container (without water).

Pour the resulting juice into a separate bowl. Add prunes, raisins, dried apricots, and walnuts to the finished beets. Place everything on a plate. Dissolve gelatin. Add powdered sugar, vanillin to the sour cream and beat with a mixer, add gelatin, as well as the juice released during stewing, and beat again.

Pour whipped sour cream over cooled beets. Let it harden. Melt the chocolate in a water bath, cool and pour it over the dessert (you can simply sprinkle it with grated chocolate).

1. When you are going to boil beets, you do not need to cut off the roots and tops, as the coloring substances will leave and the product will become dull.
2. The root vegetable should be placed in boiling water, to which you can add 1 teaspoon of sugar per 1 liter of water or a little vinegar (citric acid) to preserve the brightness of the color.
3. You can’t add salt to the water, otherwise the beets will turn out tasteless!
4. The pan must be covered with a lid.
5. The dishes should be selected so that they are filled with water as much as possible, since oxygen destroys vitamin C.
6. If the water boils away during cooking, add cold water.
7. You need to cook whole beets for about 1 hour, then place them under running cold water.
8. We clean the boiled beets immediately before cooking.

So don't neglect it!

In this video you will learn how to prepare a delicious red beet salad:

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