The Nutritional Benefits of Beet Greens
Beets are vegetables belonging to the family of Chenopodiaceae. Other members of this family are spinach, quinoa, turnip, and chards. We can deduce based on family line that beet greens are fit for human consumption. This might contravene beliefs of many, but even science has found that beet greens are as nutritious as the roots. Beet stems juicing is recommended for people with high blood pressure.
There are many ways of preparing beets as food to tap the nutritional benefits in them. The method we shall be looking at is juicing beet greens. However, it is worth mentioning that they can substitute any green like spinach in cooking or taken as a salad. So, if you are among those wondering whether can you juice beet greens? We shall address this and even provide a beet greens juice recipe.
Beet greens are rich in vitamin A, C, K, Calcium, Iron, Sulfur, Chlorine, Potassium, Sodium, and many other micronutrients. When you make beet greens juice, all these minerals and nutrients ends in the body, maybe except fibers. The old adage of eat your fruits and juice your vegetables holds true for beets. It would be hard to eat the amount of beets you get from an 8 oz glass of beet juice. And if you are juicing the beet greens it would take almost a pound of the greens to get the nutrients you get from an 8 oz glass of beet green juice.
The only disadvantage with beet stems juicing is that you lose the fibers in the leaves. Though the fibers in beet greens are important, we can compensate for them in other ways. In order to know the plant we are dealing with better, we shall look at some quick facts about beets. These will enable you to know when to juice and when not to. There are also some side effects associated with excess consumption of beet greens juice.
Contents
Beet greens nutritional analysis:
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Nutrients | Units of measure | Value in 100g |
Water | Grams | 92.15 |
Proteins | Grams | 1.82 |
Fat | Grams | 0.06 |
Fiber | Grams | 3.7 |
Vit C | Milligrams | 30 |
Vit B-6 | Milligrams | 0.106 |
Vit B-12 | Microgram | 0.00 |
Folic acid | Microgram | 0.00 |
Iron | Milligrams | 3.3 |
Magnesium | Milligrams | 72 |
calcium | Milligrams | 119 |
Phosphorus | Milligrams | 40 |
Vit a | International units | 6100 |
Threonine | Grams | 0.054 |
How to Effectively Juice Beet Greens:
Before we proceed, it is worth noting that Consuming raw beets juice either from the roots or the greens can paralyze your vocals. Always mix it with other fruits or vegetables while preparing the juice. Depending on the taste you want for your juice or the nutritional values you are targeting, there are many ways you make beet greens juice delicious.
Juicing beet greens is no different from juicing any other vegetable; just ensure the leaves are clean. Let’s look at a beet greens juice recipe that is composed of easy to get items:
Our favorite beet greens juice recipe:
- A bunch of beet greens together with their stems
- Two lemons
- Two apples
- I piece turmeric or ginger
- Pepper and a pinch of salt to add flavor
- 1 piece cucumber to neutralize the taste of the juice
- 2 tablespoons of vinegar and olive oil independently
Once you have your ingredients ready, start feeding them into the juicer in no particular order. It is not advisable to add water when juicing beet greens to maintain the taste. If you so wish, you can even mix the juice made with other fruit juices bought from the food stores.
What Makes Beet Green Juice Unique?
- The leaves contain lutein which is important for maintaining proper health of the eyes
- They have high levels of vitamin K which helps the body to maintain a healthy bone mass. It also prevents osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease
- The iron in beet greens helps in curing and preventing incidences of anemia by increasing the rate of red blood cells production
- The high level of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds in the beets makes it a good suppressant for cancer-causing germs. Juicing beet greens should be a regular practice for those infected or want to prevent cancer.
- The juice helps to purify the blood
- The beet juice is an excellent detoxifying agent
- The vitamin C in the juice helps to improve the immune system
- It boosts hormone production in the body and maintains good blood Ph
- It boosts body metabolism by making the processes efficient
- Helps in blood clotting in case of an injury due to its high levels of vitamin K
Can you juice beets greens which are withered?
Juicing a green vegetable is aimed at extracting the water or liquids in them. So, if they are not fresh or are withered, it means they have lost a lot of water. Juicing beet greens which are not fresh will require using a little water rather than using freshly plucked beet greens. The best way to do this is by soaking them in fresh water for about 2 hours before juicing them.
Storing beet greens:
Just like all the other vegetables the leaves of the beet plant can go bad very fast if not stored under good conditions. Since beet greens are sold with the roots still attached, try looking for those whose roots are still fresh. Avoid wilting or yellowing beet leaves since they will go bad in as soon as one day.
Once you have selected your beet leaves, they need to be cleaned. Eventually, store them in a refrigerator and cover them with a towel to prevent excess moisture from making them bad. Once well stored, you can use the greens for cooking or juicing at a later date. The beet greens can stay fresh in a fridge for about 5 days.
Beet stems juicing:
Beet stems can also be referred to as the beet stalks. They help in keeping the beet leaves fresh for a long period. When preparing the beet diets, most of the people irrespective of eating the roots and the leaves throw away the stems. The stems might not be the sweetest thing to eat; they are as nutritious as the roots and the leaves too. They are bitter compared to the leaves and the roots. There is no harm in cooking the stems or juicing them.
Beet stems juicing follows the same process as juicing the leaves or the roots. However, the best beet juice is the one that combines all the three components of a beet plant. The roots should be peeled to prevent the juice from having the earthly taste majority of the people complain to feel in most of the beet juices.
10 fast facts about beets you should be aware of:
Since we are talking about the beet greens, the beetroot must be waiting for consumption at a later date. As such we shall run through some of the fast facts about beets for awareness purpose:
- There are beets with white and yellow roots. Others are stripped on the inside.
- Apart from food, beet plant can also be used in food coloring especially the red beetroot
- Consuming beets can change the color of your urine because it is the avenue through which the betalin compound in beets flashes the toxins out of the body
- Beetroot juice if consumed in large quantities can cause kidney stones due to high oxalate levels
- The beets can cause tightening of the vocal cavity and cause difficulties while speaking or while trying to make an audio sound
- The high levels of metals components like copper, iron, and magnesium present in the beets can cause liver problems
- Consumption of beetroots mostly makes the stool and urine red or pinkish, but are you aware that beets can also make your stool black?
- Beets are high glycemic foodstuffs, and they can cause a spike in blood sugars although they help in normalizing blood pressure
- Pregnant mothers should avoid high intake of beets due to their high levels in nitrates and betaine
- Do not mix beets with other vegetables which have high calcium levels because it can combine with the oxalic acid to form indigestible compounds.
Beet Stems Juicing
In most of the times, the beet color affects its nutritional value. Majority of the people know and consume the red beet which is one of the healthiest among the different types of beets available in the market. Beet stems juicing as well as juicing beet greens is one of the most convenient ways to tap the nutritional components in those beets components.
Although they can be cooked and eaten like any other vegetable, they are not as tasty. The main advantage of taking them in juice form is that you can add sweeteners or other fruits which are special to you. However, you should be aware that there are some groups of people who experience health problems associated with beet juice.
These are mostly the people with kidney problems. If you are consuming the juice before consulting a doctor, you should start with moderate amounts and increase the measures once you notice no negative consequences are showing on your body.
How Much Beet Green Juice is Enough?
We have pointed that beet component including the beet green juice should all be taken in moderation. But the main question is how much is enough? Precisely, a maximum of two cups of beet juice is what is recommended, but it is advisable to stick to one cup and skip some days before consuming more. Studies at the Exeter University and other journal articles written by prominent doctors like Dr. Pina LoGiudice all seem to agree to this amount.
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References:
- What are the benefits of beetroots? Retrieved from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/277432.php
- Beet Greens Juice: Guide to juicing beet greens. Health benefits of beet greens juice. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.juicingbook.com/vegetables/beetgreen
- Dorman, K. (2018). What Are the Benefits of Eating Beet Greens? Retrieved from https://www.livestrong.com/article/509649-what-are-the-benefits-of-eating-beet-greens/
- 7 Things That Happen to Your Body when you eat Beets, retrieved from http://www.health.com/nutrition/beets-health-benefits