Use of Beetroot as a Medicine - Essay Example

USE OF BEEROOT AS A MEDICINE Description: Beetroot, whose botanical name is Beta vulgaris, is a vegetable shaped like a globe. It also has fresh green leaves and has a dark purple body. The vegetable is cultivated for consumption as well as a raw material for producing sugar. Often known as beet, this vegetable of South European decent is found in many varieties. Beet is found not only in Europe, but also in Asia and North Africa. It is also grown in the muddy marsh lands of the UK (Beetroots 2010). History: In the ancient times, especially during the pre-Christian era, beetroot as a whole was not eaten, instead only its leaves were eaten. Experts believe that the vegetable was first found and used by the European residents living in the Mediterranean region or the inhabitants of Western Asia. The vegetable is believed to be one of the early foods used by the civilised world as it has been in use since the past 4000 years. Even the Romans and Greeks used the vegetable in their diets. Historians suggest that ancient Romans and Greeks in fact offered beetroots to the God Apollo at the Delphi temple during various ceremonies (Beetroots 2005). In the modern era, not just the leaves but even the roots are used. This has become possible due to the advances in technology which helps in keeping the roots fresher for a longer period of time. Further, beetroots are used for the production of sugar. Also, the vegetable is often used as a food colouring agent. Food nutrient profile: Beetroot is rich in sodium, copper, calcium, iron, potassium, iodine, phosphorus, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B1, vitamin B3 and vitamin C. The vegetable has carbohydrates but mostly in sugar form. Also, beetroot has very little fat and protein. The below table provides the amount of nutrients present in per 100 grams of beetroot. Nutrient Units Value per 100 grams Proximates Water g 87.58 Energy kcal 43 Energy kJ 180 Protein g 1.61 Total lipid (fat) g 0.17 Ash g 1.08 Carbohydrate, by difference g 9.56 Fiber, total dietary g 2.8 Sugars, total g 6.76 Minerals Calcium, Ca mg 16 Iron, Fe mg 0.80 Magnesium, Mg mg 23 Phosphorus, P mg 40 Potassium, K mg 325 Sodium, Na mg 78 Copper, Cu mg 0.075 Manganese, Mn mg 0.329 Vitamins Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid mg 4.9 Niacin mg 0.334 Vitamin B-6 mg 0.067 Betaine mg 128.7 Carotene, beta mcg 20 Vitamin A, IU IU 33 Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) mg 0.04 Vitamin K (phylloquinone) mcg 0.2 Lipids Fatty acids, total saturated g 0.027 Fatty acids, total monounsaturated g 0.032 Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated g 0.060 Cholesterol mg 0 Phytosterols mg 25 Amino acids Threonine g 0.047 Isoleucine g 0.048 Leucine g 0.068 Lysine g 0.058 Phenylalanine g 0.046 Tyrosine g 0.038 Valine g 0.056 Aspartic acid g 0.116 Glutamic acid g 0.428 Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 22 (2009) The vegetable contains potent anti-oxidant betacyanin. This gives the vegetable a deep red colour, which in turn helps in purifying the blood. This red colour also contains anti-carcinogenic properties. Experts believe and several researches have indicated that betacyanin increases the body’s defense systems. It especially increases the defense mechanism of the immune cells and liver. The betacyanin content is also a powerful fighting agent against deadly diseases such as cancer. Further, beetroot also has silica contain that is considered to be important to gain health skin, bones, tendons, fingernails and ligaments. It is also important to note that the fibre content in beetroot helps in promoting not just good cholesterol level but also in maintaining bowel function (Beetroots 2005). The green leaves of the beetroots also have high nutritional value. These leaves contain carotenoids and beta-carotene. Carotenoid also acts as anti-oxidants and is rich in iron, folate, potassium and vitamin C. The other health benefit of beetroot includes helping the process of detoxifying the liver. The vegetable can also cleanse gall bladder and kidneys. Beetroots can fight acid and acidosis naturally as it contains various alkaline elements as well as nutrients such as calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium (Beetroots 2010). Another therapeutic quality of beetroot is that it can be used in treating anaemia. The beetroot, especially red beetroot is rich in iron, an important mineral needed for the formation of red blood cells. Beetroots have especially helped in treating teenagers and children with anaemia. It also helps in increasing the resistance power of the body. Beetroots not just help in combating internal disorder, but can also cure external problems such as skin disorders. To cure skin inflammation, boils and pimples, one can boil beetroots in water and apply that water on the affected areas (Beetroots 2010). . Traditional uses: It is believed that the vegetable has been grown for the last 4000 years. Most historians indicate that beetroots were first used by the ancient Babylonians. Evidences suggest that most early Romans and Greeks used the leaves of beetroots as vegetables and the root as a medicine. Romans in fact considered beetroot juice as aphrodisiac. The mythologies suggested that Aphrodite had in fact retained her beauty by eating beets. There is even scientific explanation for this belief. Scientists explain that the boron mineral in beetroot helps in producing sex hormones in human beings. Romans also used beetroots to treat constipation, fever and a host of other illness. They formulated many soup recipes that could be taken as laxative and most of these had beetroots as a major ingredient (Beetroots 2005) Beetroots are not just used traditionally as a medicine, but are often used as ointments to heal wounds. In fact, Hippocrates, the great Greek doctor, who is also known as the Father of Medicine, suggested to use beet leaves to bind wounds. This vegetable had a key position during the fourteenth to sixteenth century, also known as the time of Renaissance. During this time, beetroot was used as an important medicine to cure illness, especially related to blood diseases and digestion problems. It is interesting to note that in medieval England, the juice of beetroot was given to the old and weak people as it was considered to be a food that could be easily digested. Physicians of those ages believed that beetroots, especially red beet, helped in blood circulations and preventing yellow jaundice. Interestingly, in case of cyanide poisoning, Africans use beetroots as antidotes. The ancient world also believed that the pigment molecule present in betanin found in the root of red beets would protect the user from oxidative stress. Therefore, for centuries in Europe, beetroots have been used to relieve people from oxidative stress. However, it is still not clear whether there is any effect of beetroot on oxidative stress (Beetroots 2010). Specific benefits and uses: In Europe, the vegetable has been used for the treatment of cancer for many years. It is believed that the anti-oxidant betacyanin that gives the vegetable a deep red colour has anti-carcinogenic properties. This red colored matter helps in fighting against cancer. It also increases the level of oxygen by more than 400 per cent (Weiss 1988: 323). Several studies have been undertaken to support these assumptions. One such study is conducted by the researchers at Innsbruck Medical University. The researchers discovered that red beetroot extracts have considerable effects on tumor inhabitation. The research indicated that the extract of beetroot was able to block the pro-inflammatory cascades found in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells. As it has been found that inflammation causes the progression and development of various clinical problems such as cancer and heart diseases, the benefits from the extract of beetroot can be linked to its anti-inflammatory properties. Further, the research findings indicated that the ingestion of beetroot can be used as an important mechanism to prevent not just the development, but also the progression of cancer (Winkler 2005:180). Experts also believe that the juice of beetroot helps in reducing blood pressure. The juice, just like most vegetables especially the green leafy ones, naturally contains ample amount of nitrate. This nitrate content in beetroot juice is said to reduce hypertension or high blood pressure. Further, the juice of beetroot is an exceptional solution containing deposits of inorganic calcium. Therefore, the beetroot juice also plays an important role in treating not just hypertension but conditions such as heart problems, arteriosclerosis and varicose veins. In fact, researchers at the Barts and the London School of Medicine conducted a comprehensive research to find out the correlation between beetroot juice and its effect on reducing hypertension. The researchers found that the blood pressure of their subjects decreased considerably by drinking around 500mililiters of juice of beetroot everyday. The research further indicated that the blood pressure decreased due to the ingestion of nutritional nitrate in the juice of beetroot. This type of nitrate is also found in most green leafy vegetables. The research suggested that drinking the juice of beetroot or similar vegetables that are rich in nitrate can help in maintaining the cardiovascular system properly. Further, it would help in fighting against lifestyle related diseases such as blood pressure as well (Ahluwalia et al 2008: 617). Thus, the above two cases rightly indicated that beetroots have medicinal properties that can help in countering diseases such as cancer and blood pressure effectively. Choosing and using: One should be very careful while choosing beetroots as selecting the right roots can only give the desired results. While selecting beetroots, one should only take those that are smooth and firm. These roots should have a red or purple hue as such roots are rich in betacyanin content, a potent fighting agent against cancer. Always avoid buying or selecting beetroots that have dried up or are too soft. These roots would not have enough juices left in them and therefore, would not have good nutritional value. Also, buying fresh beetroots have other advantage. As beetroots take a long time cook, fresh roots ensure that not just the cooking time gets reduced but even the cooked beetroots should taste good. While cooking beetroots, one should always take care to first remove the leaves of the roots completely. Thereafter, the vegetable should be washed by using cold water. One can also use a vegetable brush with soft bristles to remove the roots and dirt from the body. One can grate beetroots and eat them raw. The vegetable can also be baked or boiled. Many prefer to eat beetroot raw by peeling and dicing it, while others choose to sauté it in butter. Often, the vegetable is used in salads. It takes at least two hours to bake beetroots in the oven or boil it in salt water. Many use small sized beetroots for making pickles by preserving them in vinegar (Beetroots 2010). One can also consume the juice made out of beetroots. This juice is considered to be among the best vegetable juices. The juice has considerable amount of natural sugar. It also contains important nutrients such as potassium, calcium, chlorine, sodium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, sulphur, copper and vitamin B2, P, B1 and C. Further, this juice can be easily digested as it contains carbohydrates in the form of sugar. Significantly, it has low calorie content. Also, amino acid and protein are also in good quantity and quality in beetroot juices (Beetroots 2010). In order to store the beetroots, one needs to cut the leaves about 50 mm from the root. This will help in preserving the roots for around four to five days, when kept in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator. There are a variety of recipes for cooking beetroots available on the Internet that one can use. However, one should not compromise on the therapeutic value of the food while cooking it. Therefore, I have chosen the below given recipe by Corinne Lutton (2007), which is not just tasty but is also very healthy. Healthy Beetroot Soup Ingredients: Potatoes: 450grams Beetroots: 3 Onion: 1 Garlic: 2 cloves Vegetable stock: 500 milliliters Fresh rosemary sprig Balsamic vinegar: 2 teaspoons Yoghurt: 50 milliliters Black pepper, grounded Process: First of all, peal the beetroots, potatoes, garlic and onion. Thereafter, chop the potatoes and beetroots in cubes. Chop the onion in slices and garlic finely. Thereafter, in a large saucepan put the stock. Also add balsamic vinegar and rosemary into the stock and boil it. Heat the stock in simmer for at least 45 minutes. Remove it from the fire. Let the stock cool down a bit. Take out the rosemary sprig from the stock. Put the stock in a blender and blend the stock into a smooth paste Put yoghurt into the paste. Season it with black pepper. Heat the stock again slightly and serve it. Cautions and concerns: However, one also needs to be cautious about using beetroots. People, especially with kidney stones containing oxalate should be careful about their consumption level of beets and should not eat them in excess. Every part of a beet plan has oxalic acid, which is considered to be a cause for the development of kidney stones. Therefore, people with kidney stones are often advised not to eat beetroots. The juice of beetroot is considered to be too strong; therefore one should not have it in excess, especially when one’s body is not familiar to it. A beginner should in fact start the diet of beetroot by consuming juice of a beetroot of medium size only once in a week. Once the body gets accustomed with the beetroot intake, then only one should increase the intake to an entire beetroot a week. However, this process should be done gradually and not at once (Beetroots 2010). People often complain that after drinking the juice of beetroot, they feel dizzy. This is due to the intoxicating effect of the vegetable which helps in eliminating the toxins from the body. However, this process of removing toxins often causes uneasiness. But there is not need to get alarmed. One can easily cope up with the situation by drinking loads of water to take out the toxins from the body (Beetroots 2010). One should also be aware about the following: Carefully choose beetroots: One should only select beetroots that are smooth and firm. Do not buy beetroots that are dried or soft. Fresh beets are tastier and it is easier and faster to cook them. May turn stools and urine red: As beetroot is a potent vegetable, it often causes urine and stool to turn red in colour. In case such a situation occurs, one should not be surprised. Drink juice of beetroot with other vegetables or fruits: One should always combine beetroot juice with other fruits or vegetables. It is not advisable to drink beetroot juice in itself as it might cause uneasiness. Some of these discomforts include increasing of heart beat rate, temporary paralysis of vocal chords and fever. Before cooking beetroots make sure that the skin is removed properly. Have beetroots moderately and only in small quantity. Pregnant women should not have beetroots as these can be toxic. Further, they might fall sick in case they take the beetroot juice without consulting their physicians. References: Ahluwalia, A. et al. March 2008, ‘Acute blood pressure lowering, vasoprotective, and antiplatelet properties of dietary nitrate via bioconversion to nitrite’, Hypertension, 51(3), pp. 617-19. Beetroots 2010, Botanical.com, viewed February 23, 2010, . Beetroots, 2005, FruitsnVegetables.com, viewed February 23, 2010, . Lutton, Corinne November 4, 2007, ‘Beetroot Recipes’, viewed February 23, 2010, . Weiss, Rudolf Fritz 1988, ‘Herbal Medicine in the Treatment of Cancer’, Herbal Medicine, pp. 323-326. Winkler, Christiana 2005, ‘In vitro Effects of Beet Root Juice on Stimulated and Unstimulated Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells’, American Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 1(4), pp. 180-185. Read More