Health That's why beetroot is so extremely healthy

Beetroot: Color-intensive and vitamin-rich tuber
The autumn is here. And with ever shorter days and falling temperatures, our need for vitamins and minerals is increasing. Just the right time for root vegetables. This includes the beetroot, although what we eat is not the thickened root of the plant. The beetroot is a biennial herbaceous plant.

In the first year, it stores vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals in a tuber. This is actually needed in the second year for the formation of a stem with inflorescence. However, she comes in between the man who gets the delicious tuber already in the first year. What we know as a classic globular beetroot is botanically the thickened section between the root collar and cotyledons, the so-called cotyledons.

A recent study showed that red beet juice can protect against tooth decay. The nitrate contained in the vegetables, which is converted to nitrite, fights caries-causing bacteria. (Image: Thomas Siepmann / fotolia.com)

Especially in the cool season, the beetroot is a real treasure: Due to the high content of vitamin B, potassium, iron and especially folic acid, it is very healthy and can also be prepared in a variety of ways: raw, steamed, cooked or fried, as a side dish, main course, dessert or as a juice.

But beware: Due to the color intensity you should wear gloves when peeling. The leaves are also suitable for eating. Another plus point is that it is available from local cultivation and therefore has no long transport routes behind it. In the trade, beets are often pickled in a spicy vinegar broth or already pre-cooked and vacuum-sealed in plastic film. From September to March there are the fresh tubers in well-assorted supermarkets, vegetable shops, at weekly markets and in some farm shops. Fresh beetroot can be recognized by a firm, smooth and intact peel. In the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator, it can be stored well for two weeks.

Incidentally, the intense color of the crisp, juicy meat with the aromatic taste is based in particular on the high concentration of the dye betanine. This is also used as a natural dye for food (E162), but it is not very heat resistant. If you consume large amounts, the red colorant may stain urine and stool reddish. However, this is harmless. However, if you have problems with kidney stones, you should be careful, because the contained oxalic acid can lead to stone formation in the kidneys.

Otherwise, the red beets are mainly attributed positive characteristics: their ingredients protect the heart and blood vessels and thus from hypertension and other vascular diseases. In addition to varieties with purple pulp, there are now, for example, white, yellow, orange-yellow or red-white-striped varieties. Heike Stommel, bzfe