Byte of BeetsBy
Patty "Sassy" KnutsonBEETSIf you're anything like me, you just
love the sweet and buttery taste of beets. You chop, slice, dice, grate and juice this delectable veggie.
But while you're happily munching away on your pretty and colorful beets, you may not realize just how important they are to your good health.
IT'S TIME FOR A NUTRITIONAL QUICKIE! 
The most dense nutrient you'll find in beets is folate , otherwise known as folic acid. One cup of boiled beets provides a whopping 34% of the folate you need for the day.
How many times have you heard of a nutrient, but you have no clue what it is or what it does?
Folate helps to produce and maintain your body's new cells. (This is especially important when rapid cell division and growth occurs, which is why it's so vital to have a sufficient intake of folate during infancy and pregnancy.)
Folate is also needed to duplicate your DNA. If your DNA is hindered it will affect cell division. Furthermore, if DNA forms improperly this could potentially lead to
cancer. Ack!!!
Isn't it interesting how folate plays such an important role, yet many don't have any idea how vital it is that we eat foods that contain this nutrient?
Besides residing in beets, folic acid is also found in abundance in
micro-algae (such as blue-green algae), sprouts, leafy greens, and
chloryophyll-rich foods in general.
But beware, the nutritional benefits of folate are easily lost in prolonged cooking. Eating raw or lightly steamed greens or sprouts regularly ensures ample folic acid in your diet.
FOLIC ACID AND VITAMIN B12 = FRIENDS FOREVERFolic acid and
Vitamin B12 are very close pals. They have many functions in common, and each requires the presence of the other to do its best job. But this partnership could actually cause a very specific challenge: Since they're so similiar and perform many of the same functions,
a B12 deficiency can be masked if you eat abundant amounts of folate (including grains and vegetables -- especially leafy greens, legumes and sprouts).
DOES THIS MEAN YOU SHOULD STOP EATING FOLATE?Oh my stars, no!
Just be sure your diet is stuffed to the gills with Vitamin B12. It's especially important that Vegans ensure they're getting enough B12 since it's found in greatest concentrations in animal products.
So be sure to take a B12 supplement regularly. B12 is also found in nutritional yeast. There are basically two types of nutritional yeast you can buy; in one type the B12 is added to the finished product, and in the other the yeast is grown in a B12 enriched medium. This last option is the best option because the vitamin is then incorporated into the living food.
Look for nutritional yeast which has been grown on molasses or sugar beets. I like Red Star's Nutritional Yeast, and highly recommend it.
Please follow this link to learn how to cook with Beets , including selection tips, cleaning advice, cooking techniques, and "Vegan Flavor Matches" (the foods, herbs, spices and other ingredients that tend to go perfectly with beets).Happy cooking!
About the author:Sassy is a Vegan Chef and Nutritional Consultant.
Her website
VeganCoach.com was created to marry these two loves, along with
over a decade of vegan experience, by teaching her fellow vegans the secret to
balanced vegan nutrition and easy vegan cooking
without recipes. Pop on in for a visit.
Copyright © 2007 by Patty “Sassy” Knutson
All rights reserved.
No part of this article may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Thank you.
