Amazing vegetables #2 Beetroot

Polska wersja

March 30, 2017

The inconspicious brown-violet dark earthy scented root can be a bit scary, but when you look inside this amazing vegetable, it will surprise you! Not only with its beautiful pink-violet color but also great flavor and fantastic nutritional properties!

FALL IN LOVE WITH A BEETROOT

Heart - the organ which is associated with love – will be grateful! That’s because of the nitrates naturally occurring in beets – they expand and relax blood vessels, lower the blood pressure and both relax and oxygenate the cardiovascular system. It’s very important for people who suffer from hypertension and for those who have increased physical activity. Beets contain high amounts of potassium, which regulates the cardiovascular functions and balances the intake of too high amounts of salt (sodium).

NATURAL DOPING

These days more and more of athletes pay attention to the natural sources of nitrates – if you are one of them, we have a good news: beets are one of the foods which contain very high amount of nitrates. Nitric oxide, because of its influence on cardiovascular functions, provides a better oxygenation and nourishment of muscles and the whole body – this is particularly important in the endurance sports. In addition, scientists have documented the positive effect of nitrates on the reduction of lactic acid content in muscles after exercises, which means that beetroots have the ability of reducing sore muscles! During the periods of intense physical activity, its recommended to eat natural foods rich in nitrates instead of investing in supplements and/or artificial medications that can be harmful to the body and cause damages. LYOFOOD beetroot powder is a natural and organic product; 3 tablespoons (equivalent to 2 small beetroots) provide approximately 250-300 mg of nitric oxide, which is the recommended dose before exercises.

ANTICANCER AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY BOMB

Beetroots exist in almost every shade of the shadow! From light yellow to dark purple and black. That’s because beets, as one of the few plants, contain very strong betalain group antioxidants: betacyanins (betanin) which provides pink-violet color and betaxanthin (vulgaxanthin) which gives an orange-yellow color. The mix of these two antioxidants creates different shades of beets. They have a strong anti-cancer effect, mainly on cancerous cells of breasts, prostate, liver, colon, skin and lungs. It’s important to remember, that beets which are harvested in a full sun, matured in the season, grew in ecological environment and peeled very thinly or not peeled at all, have the highest efficacy on human body. LYOFOOD beet powder which is produced in season with the highest quality ecological beetroots is one of the best choice!

TO RESCUE THE LIVER

Betalains strengthen and purify the liver and increase the flow of bile. They reduce the homocysteine levels in blood, thereby improving the functions of the liver. Spring is the month in which the liver is most active – it’s the best time to support it with beet powder to help its regeneration and purification from the toxins. Beet, in addition to regulating the liver functions, also improves the secretion and quality of gastric acid, which plays a significant role in treating indigestion, heartburn or even acid reflux.

BLOOD, ACID-BASE BALANCE AND HORMONES

Beets contain a lot of iron, folic acid and vitamin C, which are helpful in the treatment of anemia – they are essential in the formation of hemoglobin, which is a protein found in red blood cells – it transports the oxygen from the lungs to all body tissues. Beetroots contain several alkaline minerals, which have a beneficial effect on the acid-base balance of the body – they reduce the acidification of the system. Acidification is dangerous, because first it’s felt like a fatigue and malaise, but gradually can start causing many serious illnesses.
Beets reduce the “bad” cholesterol (LDL) in the blood and increase the “good” cholesterol (HDL). Thanks to the content of boron, they improve the functions of the hormonal system, especially sex hormones. This can be helpful to women with perimenopause as well as people suffering from a reduced libido.

BETTER LOOKS

Beetroot antioxidants not only protect your body from the cancer – they also catch free radicals responsible for the skin aging! Thanks to beetroots your skin will be smoothed, brightened, the circles under your eyes will be reduced. Beets, as millet, contain lots of natural silicon which is the main base of skin, bones, nail and hair.

“SECOND BRAIN” – TAKING CARE AND DIAGNOSTICS

Gut is the organ recently called by scientists our “second brain”. The researchers report on the impact of intestinal microflora quality not only on our immunity, but also on our emotions, mental state and on our appetite and tastes. Depending on the type of bacterial flora which populates our intestines, we fancy different flavors and foods.
Beets are rich in fiber, both soluble and insoluble in water. While the insoluble works like a broom, helping to cleanse the intestines, soluble fiber inhibits the absorption of toxic substances from food, lowers cholesterol, blood sugar and is the nutrient for beneficial intestinal bacteria – is a prebiotic.
Beet powder not only cleans and nourishes your intestines, but also helps to diagnose of their condition very easily! The proper working intestines process the beet and excrete the ballast colored pink-purple, maximum the next day after ingestion. If on the next day you don’t see that it happens, it may be the evidence of constipation – in that situation its necessary to increase the supply of food rich in fiber and fluids. If, after ingestion of beet powder, the color of your urine changes to pink, it means that you have the leaky intestine syndrome (your intestine structure is damaged – the intestinal diverticula have formed - they pass to the blood systems the substances which shouldn’t be passed). In this situation is the best to contact the dietitian and/or seek advice in reliable sources.

HOW TO USE IT?

Beets have a sweet, slightly earthy flavor and a gorgeous pink color! LYOFOOD organic beetroot powder can be used in small quantities as a dye for pasta, cakes, creams, and in larger quantities to enhance the flavor and thicken up the dishes such as shakes, pancakes, loafs, baked goods. The taste of beets matches berries and balsamic vinegar – you can make variations of vinaigrette for salads. Experiment!

Check out this delicious recipe from Aga:

BROWNIE With Beetroot LYO Powder

Ingredients for Brownie:

185g butter
185g chocolate 70%
150g egg
250g fine brown sugar
85g flour
40g cocoa
50g white chocolate, chopped
50g dark chocolate, chopped
50g favorite chopped nuts
1.5 tablespoons LYO Beetroot Powder

Melt the chocolate with the butter at heatproof. Whip the eggs with brown sugar. Combine the egg mixture with the melted chocolate. Add flour, beetroot LYO Powder and cocoa. Mix until you obtain a smooth mass and add at the end the pieces of chopped chocolate and the nuts.

Bake 20 minutes / 170C. The dough should be baked on top and shiny, while in the middle a little bit uncooked, but lightly smooth. After the cake is cooled, leave it in the refrigerator sets.

Ingredients for beetroot and Mascarpone mousse:

300g whipping cream (divided into two portions 100g plus 200g)
250g Mascarpone cheese
60g sugar
60g egg yolks
11g gelatin soaked in 50g of water
2 tablespoons LYO Beetroot Powder

Soak the gelatin in water. Boil on low heat 100g cream with half of the sugar and two tablespoons of LYO Beetroot Powder. Mix the egg yolk with the rest of the sugar until it dissolves. Pour the boiled cream into the yolks, stirring constantly. Pour everything back into the saucepan. Heat the simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook until the cream thickens (about 5 minutes), or until the custard is thick enough to coat the surfaces of the bucket, and after driving your finger through it a clean track remains. Dissolve the gelatin in it. Mix with Mascarpone and leave to cool. Whip heavy cream to the so-called 'soft peaks', which literally translates soft tops. Gently with a spatula mix the whipped cream with the cooled cream cheese.

Apply the ready beetroot and Mascarpone mousse on the cooled brownie. Cool down.

Ingredients for the chocolate topping:

250g chocolate 70%
150g cream 36%
80g oil

In a small saucepan, boil the cream and pour it into chocolate. Add the oil and blend it. Use when the topping temperature reaches about 30 C. Spread the topping on the cooled cake, cut into long pieces.

Bon Appétit!

References:

1) Clifford T., Howatson G., West D.J., Stevenson E.J. The potential benefits of red beetroot sumplementation in health and disease. Nutrients. 2015 Apr; 7(4): 2801-2822
2)Pitchford P. Odżywianie dla zdrowia. Tradycje wschodnie i nowoczesna wiedza o żywieniu. 2010 Galaktyka
3)Żak-Cyran B. Alchemia pożywienia. 2008 Galaktyka
4)Fuchs D., Nyakayiru J., Draijer R., Mulder T.P.J., Hopman M.T.E. i in., Impact of flavonoid-rich black tea and beetroot juice on postprandial peripheral vascular resistance and glucose homeostasis in obese insulin-resistant men: a randomized controlled trial. Nutr Metab(Lond). 2016; 13:34
5)Porcelli S., Pugliese L, Rejc E., Pavei G., Bonato ., Montorsi M., La Torre A., Rasica L., Marzorati M. Effects of a short-term high-nitrate diet on exercise performance. Nutrients. 2016 Aug 31; 8(9)
6) Clement Y.N., Mahase V., Jagroop A., Kisson K., Maharaj A., Mathura P. I in. Herbal remedies and functional foods used by cancer patients attending speciality oncology clinics in Trinidad. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2016 Oct 21; 16(1):399

Written by nutrition expert Dominika Molenda

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