How to Juice Beets
The most well known variety of beet, the garden beet, possesses a vibrant, amethyst root vegetable and green leaves. The beets belong to the same family as chard and spinach, and can be traced as far back as the second millennium BC. Beet leaves have a bitter taste like chard, but are rich in chlorophyll. Although bitter, the greens have a higher nutritional value than the roots. Did you know that sugar beets are widely cultivated for producing table sugar, and provide one of the main alternatives to sugar cane? Given their long history, beets are seen all over the world, and prepared in many different ways; they’ve even been used medicinally to treat a wide variety of ailments.
Nutritional Benefits
Beets are loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C. The greens have a higher content of iron compared to spinach. They are also an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and iron. While the sweet beetroot has some of the minerals in its greens to a lesser degree, it is also a remarkable source of choline, folic acid, iodine, manganese, organic sodium, potassium, fiber and carbohydrates in the form of natural digestible sugars.
Health Benefits
Beets have long been known for their healthy attributes, yet they do not receive the recognition they deserve. Few people think of beets when they are looking for a vegetable to eat, but they should! Start adding beets to your juicing diet to enjoy all their health benefits.
Anemia: The high content of iron in beets regenerates and reactivates the red blood cells and supplies fresh oxygen to the body. The copper in beets help make the iron more available to the body. These attributes make beets great for strengthening blood.
Cancer: Betaine, an amino acid in beet root, has significant anti-cancer properties. Studies show that beet juice inhibits formation of cancer-causing compounds and is protective against colon and stomach cancers.
Liver or bile: The cleansing powers of beet juice are very effective in the easing of liver toxicity and bile ailments, like jaundice, hepatitis, food poisoning, diarrhea or vomiting. A squeeze of lime with beet juice heightens the efficacy in treating these ailments.
How To Juice Beets
Choose beet roots that are firm and unwrinkled. With the greens attached, beets can keep for only three to four days in the fridge as the root has to supply moisture to the leaves. Without the greens attached, beet root can keep for a couple of weeks.
To juice beets, be sure to first wash them carefully. Peel the outer skin and chop the beet into small enough pieces to fit in your juicer, and juice! Be careful: beets stain, so you may want to wear and apron, or even gloves. Keep in mind… NEVER drink beet juice by itself. Always add other vegetable and/or fruit juices such as carrot juice, apple or spinach. Beet juice is best in small amounts – about 1-2 ounces.
