What Vitamins Are In Sugar Beets?

Though they are known for their commercial use as sources of table sugar, sugar beets are as highly a nutritious vegetable as other varieties of beets. Betanin, a pigment found in sugar beets, is popularly used in alternative medicine to reduce oxidative stress, but there is not enough scientific data available to support the claim that this alone has any appreciable effect in human beings (see reference 4). We do know that beets are loaded with vitamins.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A promotes eye function. It helps us see in low light and it helps us see color. It is converted into a molecule that absorbs light. It is also used in the growth of the cells that line our organs. Sugar beets also contain beta-carotene, which serves as a precursor to Vitamin A (see reference 2).

Vitamin K

Your body uses Vitamin K mainly to protect against bleeding by clotting blood. Calcium absorption is aided in the presence of Vitamin K (see reference 3).

Vitamin C

Vitamin C promotes function of the immune system. It is used in forming collagen, the main component of connective tissue. It is an antioxidant, which essentially means it prevents oxidative stress, a process by which toxic byproducts of metabolism damage cells (see reference 2).

B Vitamins

Vitamin B1, or thiamine, is required for proper neuronal function. A deficiency in Vitamin B1 can manifest as cognitive impairment, bizarre behavior, abnormal posture, and paralysis of the eye muscles.

Vitamin B2, or riboflavin, is involved in energy metabolism. Riboflavin assists the body so that it can process fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.

Vitamin B6, or pyridoxine, has a role in gluconeogenesis. a process by which glucose is made from non-carbohydrate molecules. Some enzymes use Vitamin B6 in the production of amino acids, the building blocks of protein.

Vitamin B9, or folic acid, is a an important ingredient used to synthesize DNA. We need it to it produce red blood cells and avoid anemia. Additionally, neural tube defects, a type of birth defect, result from a deficiency in folic acid. Therefore, folic acid is an important vitamin in the diet of women of child-bearing age. Talk to your physician about a folic acid supplement if you are pregnant or may become pregnant (see reference 1).

Sugar Beets - Main Use in Society

Sugar beets are a major source of sucrose, or table sugar. This particular use of beets dates back to 1801 when King Frederick William III of Prussia backed the first beet sugar factory in 1801 located in southwestern Poland. Today, about 20% of the weight of a sugar beet comes from sucrose. If used for this purpose, they are harvested in the first season of growth when the root is still large (see reference 5).