Long before beets were ever considered a food, they were used as herbal medicine.
Surprising, right?
Even today, research shows that your homegrown beets really can bring a bounty of health benefits!
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Ready to learn more? Here’s what we’ll take a look at in this article:
Beet BackgroundIn Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa where they originate – and long before they were first consumed as a root vegetable – beets’ ancient ancestors were harvested for use in herbal medicine.
Beets are used medicinally to this day to nourish and restore the body in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda.
But for the most part, beets are grown nowadays for food – to be roasted, canned, or pickled – or to be processed into sugar, in the case of sugar beets.
This vibrant root veggie brings an earthy flavor to any dish that you add it to. It is simple to grow and thrives in full sunlight, and it can be harvested early or left to mature for a larger root.
While the purple or red bulbous root is probably the most familiar form of this vegetable, it also comes in gold, orange, white, pink, and multicolored varieties, and the leaves are also edible and quite nutritious.
Read more about harvesting and enjoying the greens in this article. Here, we will focus on the nutritional benefits of the roots.
Nutritional ValueThe roots are high in several nutrients, and also low in calories. A half-cup serving has 34 calories, 1.5 grams of fiber, and virtually no fat.
For the needs of a healthy adult, this serving will meet over 100 percent of the daily value for vitamin K and 32 percent of the recommended daily intake of
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