Red beets, table beets or blood turnips -- whatever you call them, beets are packed with nutritional benefits, from their red roots to their green tops. Beets are low in calories, with only 37 in a 1/2-cup serving, which makes them a great addition to any diet. When cooking with beets, take caution, as beet juice can stain dish towels, wooden spoons, cutting boards and even your sink.
Folate
Folate is a member of the B vitamin family and is necessary for the production of new cells and the building of DNA. It is a water-soluble vitamin, which means it is not stored in the body and any excess is excreted in urine. For this reason, you need to consume folate daily, and adding beets to your diet can help. According to the USDA Food and Nutrient Database, a 1/2-cup serving of boiled beets gives you 68 micrograms of folate, which is 17 percent of the recommended daily intake.
Fiber
Beets contain 1.7 g of fiber in a 1/2-cup serving. That may not seem like much, but it is 7 percent of the recommended daily intake of fiber. Researchers at the Research Institute of Nutrition in the Slovak Republic report that red beet fiber was found to lower cholesterol levels and prevent precancerous lesions in the colon. Findings were published in the journal "Die Nahrung" in 2000. Fiber in the diet also helps fight heart disease, diverticular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Vitamins and Minerals
Beets deliver vitamins A and C, niacin, pantothenic acid and vitamin K along with folate, although in lesser amounts. Beet minerals include sodium, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, sodium, zinc, copper and selenium. The mineral found with the highest concentration in beets is manganese, with a 1/2-cup serving containing 0.3 mg, or 14 percent of the recommended daily intake. Manganese is needed for health of bones, connective tissue, blood clotting, metabolism, blood sugar regulation and healthy brain function. Beet greens have a higher vitamin and mineral content than beet roots. A 1/2-cup serving delivers 110 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, 30 percent of vitamin C and 20 percent of potassium.
Betalain
The pigment betalain gives red beets their color, but its benefits go beyond what the eye can see. The "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" reports that when LDL, or bad cholesterol, goes through oxidation, it can form plaque in the arteries and cause atherosclerosis. Researchers at the University of Palermo, Italy, examined the effects of betalain on cholesterol. The results of their study, published in the March 2007 issue of "Free Radical Research," show that betalain compounds inhibit the oxidation of LDL in humans, an effect that can potentially fight cardiovascular disease.
References
- University of Illinois Extension: Watch Your Garden Grow: Beets
- Office of Dietary Supplements: NIH: Folate
- USDA Nutrient Database
- PubMed.gov: Nahrung: Effect of Red Beet Fiber on Hypercholesterolemia and Chemically Induced Colon Carcinogenesis
- Harvard School of Public Health: Nutrition Source: Fiber: Start Roughing It
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Manganese
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