BEETROOT has long been a favorite South African food. What would a Sunday Braai be without beetroot salad staining everything with its bright red juice? But it is not only tasty – beetroot also packs a nutritional punch.
An average size cup of beetroot would contain approximately 31 food calories; 8.5g of carbohydrate, 1.5g of dietary fiber, phosphorous, potassium and 1.5g of protein. Cooked beetroot is a great source of folate that can protect you against high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s and dementia. Beetroot has a higher sugar content than most vegetables. It is rich in vitamin C, fiber, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and folic acid.
The leafy tops are an excellent source of beta-carotene, iron and calcium. It can help reduce blood cholesterol, and is a source of folate and potassium. Beetroot has the highest sugar contents of any vegetables. In the past people with diabetes were told to avoid it but it has a moderate Glycemic Index and can be included as part of a healthy diet. Red beetroots have been used in the past to boost the immune system. It is also believed that the phytochemicals carotenoids and flavonoids contained in the red pigmentation of beetroot may help decrease risk of cancer.
Beetroot has on occasion been regarded as an aphrodisiac - a substance arousing sexual desire. In Roman times, juice from roots of Beta vulgaris was considered aphrodisiac. Paintings of Beta vulgaris adorn the walls of brothels in Pompeii. They are portrayed amidst carnal scenes. Seeds and other traces of beetroot have been excavated from Pompeii, a town destroyed when Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. Murals depicting Romans drinking glasses of “red wine” have recently been re-interpreted, and it is now thought that at least in some cases they may be drinking beetroot juice.
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