If you’re a gardener, you’ve likely been fascinated by the beetroot before. It grows in shallow pockets of soil and leafy green stems shoot tall out of the ground. It’s a bit of a surprise that the inside of the root is pink.
Let me rephrase. It’s a deep, vibrant pink that makes you wonder how something so bright could come out of a place so dark (the ground, I mean). It’s magical!
When we think about magic, we picture things that are beautiful and mysterious; things that grant us what we hope for, deep down.
What do we hope for? Health. What do beets give us? Health.
See? Magical.
OK, it’s a bit of a stretch but we’re going with it.
The Health Benefits of Beetroot Are Impressive
We all know that vegetables are good for us, but research can help us understand just how good they are. According to studies, beetroots pack a whole lot of nutrients into a small amount of calories. They can help lower blood pressure, boost athletic performance, and may even help fight cancer.
They’ve also been said to enhance eye health, reduce the risk of dementia, and help constipation. The more research we do, the more benefits we find.
Beets have been linked to preventing anemia with their high iron content, aiding weight loss, and much more.
Having said this, beets can have negative effects on our health, too. As with many vegetables, they’re densely packed with nutrients; we need to eat a variety of foods to balance these nutrients.
Because they’re packed with oxalates, eating lots of beets can lead to a build up of small crystals known as kidney stones. In addition, gout could arise from eating beets, too. It’s always wise to speak to your health care professional about a diet that works best for your body.
Beets Can Still Do More
As if the health benefits weren’t enough, we can also use the magical root as a natural dye. People use beet dye to add a beautiful rose colour to fabrics both for crafts and regular use.
Others use it to dye their hair with lovely results.
You may have also heard of the sugar beet. Remember Lily’s story? She used to work on a sugar beet farm. Sugar beets are grown purely for making commercial sugar, widening the uses of the beetroot again.
Intriguing Beetroot Recipes To Try
Beets can be turned into anything from burgers to chips to brownies! You can also juice it for a bright, cheerful juice or freeze it and add it to smoothies. What’s your favourite way to eat beets?
We couldn’t resist sharing some of the recipes we found during our research. We’ll leave you with some highlights to see for yourself.
#1: Healthy Beet Brownies
A healthy way to eat brownies? Are you kidding? Yes please.
#2: Sea Salt Beet Fries
This one looks way to interesting to pass up. That dip you see? It’s a garlic cashew cream dipping sauce.
#3: Beet & Mozzarella Salad
Cold beets in a salad is truly something that everyone needs to try. Delicious.
