The Healthy Temple

Did you know that one-third of the world’s sugar supply comes not from sugar cane, but from a special variety of beets known as the sugar beet? Beets also have the distinction of being very rich in red pigment, and they’ll stain your hands if you’re not careful.Beets are both sweet and earthy tasting and pair well with other root vegetables as well as with tangy-sweet fruits like pineapple. While most beets are deep red in color, there are a number of beet varieties that range in color from white to yellow to red. There’s even one variety, known as the Chioggia beet, which has red and white concentric rings. Beets come to us from the Chenopodiaceae family and are related botanically to spinach. In fact, one variety of beets is known as the spinach, or leaf beet, and is grown for its greens, which are actually more nutritious than the root itself.

Nutritional Benefits
Beets are a great source of folate, the b-vitamin known for its role in preventing birth defects in growing fetuses. The root of the beet is also a good source of iron, potassium and magnesium, although an abundance of nutrition actually lies in its leafy greens. A half-cup of beet greens, cooked, supplies upwards of 92% of your daily need for vitamin A (as beta-carotene). Beet greens are also higher in potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin B6 than the root itself. However, if it’s the folate you’re after, stick with the root. Beet greens only offer 2.5% of the RDA for this nutrient.