February 2012
| Seasonal Feature: - Beetroots |
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Ranked as one of the top ten vegetables for its antioxidant content the beetroot is a real “superfood”
Health experts and nutritionists have long promoted beetroot as a tonic for the liver, heart, blood and digestion. A popular dietary staple of our Victorian ancestors’ it is now more often than not relegated to cheering up a limp looking salad! Well this month we thought we would put beetroot in the spotlight to inspire you to make the most of its enviable health credentials. From a nutritional perspective beetroot is a good source of fibre, potassium and folic acid which support the cardiovascular system helping to balance blood pressure and cholesterol. It’s a useful source of zinc and copper which have antioxidant qualities and can be protective to organs such as the liver. It is particularly useful for those with poor energy because it supplies a well-absorbed form of iron in conjunction with vitamin C which further aids iron’s absorption. The digestive system benefits from beetroot’s contribution of fibre, and the liver support helps with the processing of fats making beetroot a useful accompaniment to a fatty or rich main meal. The fabulous rich colour so characteristic of beetroot is thanks to a compound called betaine which is also responsible for many of the vegetable’s health attributes including its valuable anti-cancer properties. Betaine also helps prevent the accumulation of fatty deposits in the liver and reduces a compound called homocysteine which has associations with heart disease. So to get your share of the health wonders of beetroot don’t just use it in salad try one of our suggestions below: Ways with Beetroot... • Roast beetroot in their skins to retain as many of the nutrients as possible and serve as an alternative to potatoes; • Boil, puree and then add to cake recipes, this helps create a moist, naturally sweet cake (you won’t need to add as much sugar) and works particularly well with chocolate; • Puree beetroot and add to soups and sauces for a rich vibrant colour • Juice fresh beetroot for a nutritious detox drink or for those of you who are short of time try Twisted’s Carrot, Apple and Beetroot juice. |