Beet juice is a naturally sweet juice with numerous health benefits. It is a highly potent juice and is rarely consumed by itself. Many people add other vegetables and fruits to it such as beet leaves, apples, carrots, and/or celery.
Types of Beets
Although most people think of beets as a reddish vegetable, they also come in other color varieties, namely white, golden and rainbow-colored. The green leaves attached to beets are edible and are highly nutritious.
The popularity of beets grew in the 19th century when people discovered that they are a rich source of sugar. When the British restricted sugar cane access, Napoleon ordered the beet to be used as the main source of sugar, increasing their popularity.
The Nutrients in Beet Juice
Beet juice is highly nutritious. It contains a number of essential vitamins and minerals:
- Folate
- Manganese
- Potassium
- Dietary fiber
- Vitamin C
- Iron, magnesium, copper, and phosphorus
Health Benefits
Beet juice is a powerful cleanser of the blood. It contains nutrients that work to protect against heart disease, and certain types of cancer, particularly colon cancer. The pigment that is responsible for the purple-red color of beets is a cancer-fighting agent called betacyanin. In patients with stomach cancer, beet juice has been found to have critical impact, inhibiting cancer cell mutations.
The B vitamin folate in beets aids in tissue growth. Foods rich in folate are important when a woman is pregnant. The folate aids in proper development of the baby's spinal column.
Other Helpful Facts about Beet Juice
If you have never eaten beets before or drank the juice, you may be alarmed to see a change in urine or stool color. This is nothing to be alarmed about because it is a natural effect of consuming beets or beet juice.
The potency of beet juice makes it so that it is better mixed with other fruits or vegetables. Be sure to first peel the beet before juicing it. Use half a beet per serving of juice. This will provide adequate nutrition and will not bring about any unwanted side effects.
Beet juice has long been used as a diuretic and some people use it in their weight loss regimen. It is sweet and may be used as a replacement for sugar. You can bake with it. It can also be found in many products, such as chocolate, as a sugar replacement.
Both the beet and its leaves are powerful blood cleansers. When used in moderation, limited to a few times per week, beet juice can be a healthy addition to your diet.
Vegetable Juice-Beet Recipe
- 1/2 beet
- Beet leaves from 1 beet
- 4 carrots
- 1/2 apple
- 3 to 4 leaves of spinach
- 3 oz. of raw cucumber
Be sure to peel the beet. Scrub the carrots if they are organic. If not organic, peel the skin to eliminate the risk of pesticides. Wash all fruits and vegetables carefully before juicing.
