Beets are a healthy and nutritious option for vegetables. You can eat both the green tops and the purplish-red beet root. They belong to the same family as quinoa, spinach and chard -- the chenopods. However, the nutritional and health benefits vary depending on how the beets are cooked, with longer cooking times destroying more of the beneficial components.
Nutrition Facts
A 100 g serving of cooked beets, which is equal to about two 2-inch diameter beets, provides 45 calories, 2 g of protein and 2 g of fiber. This serving will also provide you with 20 percent of the daily value for folate, 6 percent of the daily value each for vitamin C and magnesium, 4 percent of the daily value each for phosphorus, vitamin B6 and iron, and 2 percent of the daily value each for calcium, zinc, niacin, riboflavin and and thiamine. Beets contain no fat or cholesterol. They are also a good source for manganese and copper.
Possible Health Benefits
Beets contain betalains, which are the compounds that give them their color. Betalains have antioxidant benefits, according to a study by Josefa Escribano and colleagues and published in 1998 in "Phytochemical Analysis." Consuming beets may also be beneficial in preventing birth defects, some cancers and heart disease, as well providing anti-inflammatory benefits and supporting detoxification, according to the George Mateljan Foundation.
Considerations
Only about 10 percent to 15 percent of Americans are capable of metabolizing and absorbing enough betalains to get the full possible health benefits, due to varying responses to these compounds in humans, according to the George Mateljan Foundation. Another issue with beet consumption is the presence of oxalates in the beet greens, which can be a concern for those with kidney problems. Oxalates can also slightly lower calcium absorption.
Uses
You can eat beets raw, cooked or pickled. However, you should cook them for as short a time as possible to maximize the amount of betalains and other heat-sensitive nutrients in the beets that you eat. Steaming is one of the fastest and healthiest ways to cook beet roots, as this only takes about 15 minutes. Prepare the greens the way you would prepare Swiss chard or other similar greens.
Expert Insight
Foods in the chenopod family, including beets, may provide health benefits not available from other types of vegetables due to the betalains they contain, according to the George Mateljan Foundation. The foundation recommends eating at least two servings per week of foods from the chenopod family. One serving consists of at least half of a whole medium beet.
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