Not a waste, but a source of vitamins: what are the benefits of beet tops and how they can be used

Everyone knows about the benefits of such root vegetables as beet. But few people realize that tops are also incredibly beneficial for the body. She's rich useful substances and can easily replace cabbage and lettuce in the diet. Let's find out how beet tops are useful, what tops should be used and how to use them correctly cook.

Chemical composition of beet tops

Beet tops contain even more useful substances and elements than the root vegetables themselves. They include vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, B vitamins, iron, potassium, choline, and fiber.

Important! The leaves contain much less sugar than the beets themselves, which makes them suitable for consumption by people with diabetes.

The nutritional value

100 g of beet tops contains 0.13 g of fat, 2.2 g of protein, 4.33 g of carbohydrates, 91.02 g of water and 2.33 g of ash. The calorie content of the product is 22 Kcal.

Benefits and harms

Thanks to its rich chemical composition, the tops have a number of useful properties:

1. Vitamin C maintains healthy skin, bones, blood vessels, protecting the body from most infectious diseases and viruses.
2. High content of vitamin K (100 g contains about 300% of the daily value of this element). Consumption of beet tops prevents the destruction of brain neurons, which is considered to prevent Alzheimer's disease.
3. Vitamin A is good for the health of eyes, skin, mucous membranes, and also strengthens the immune system.B vitamins have a positive effect on several body systems: metabolism, immune and cardiovascular.
4. Iron is necessary for those who suffer from anemia.
5. Potassium regulates the amount of fluid in the body, thereby maintaining water-salt balance.
6. Fiber improves digestion and has a positive effect on intestinal function.
7. Antihistamines contained in beet tops help for allergy sufferers, reducing the intensity of allergic reactions.

But healthy products in some cases also have harmful effects on the human body. Beet tops are a source of oxalic acid, which reacts with minerals and forms stones. This can trigger the appearance of kidney and bladder stones. But the product will not cause any harm to the body if consumed in moderation.

Why is it useful?

Thanks to its chemical composition, beet tops have a positive effect on the human body.

For men and women

In particular, it is useful for men thanks to vitamins C and B vitamins. The first, in addition to the general strengthening of the immune system, prevents the problem of many men - prostate adenoma.

B vitamins enhance the production of the male hormone testosterone, thereby increasing reproductive abilities. Vitamin B1 has a positive effect, which helps build muscle mass, which is important for males.

Beet leaves are also beneficial for women. Vitamin A in this case is responsible for beauty. Its use prevents dry skin, wrinkles, cracks on the feet and palms. Vitamins B5 and B9 are also extremely important for the female body. B5 prevents hair loss, and B9 is necessary for the normal functioning of the female reproductive system.

For children and the elderly

The body of older people urgently needs vitamins A, C, and iron. In addition, B vitamins are poorly absorbed by the adult body, so consuming foods rich in B vitamins is extremely important.

All these substances are contained in large quantities in beet tops. Including it in the diet of an elderly person prevents age-related vision problems, the formation and division of malignant cells, and has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, digestion and memory.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the children's body. Vitamins and microelements contained in beet tops promote active growth, normal formation of bone tissue, tooth growth, and strengthening of the nervous system.

Application of tops

Beetroot tops are used not only as food, but also as a medicinal component in folk treatment.

In cooking

The tops are consumed in the same form as cabbage, which is familiar to everyone. Simply cut it up and add it to a salad or serve it as a side dish for meat dishes. It goes well with cucumbers, tomatoes, nuts, peppers and pumpkin. More unusual but tasty combinations are with mint and cilantro.

Beet tops are also prepared for the winter. It is pickled, salted, fermented, frozen, dried for later consumption in its pure form.

In folk medicine

Beet tops are often used as a remedy traditional medicine.

It helps against the following diseases:

1. Migraine. The mashed tops in the form of a compress are applied to the sore spot and held for about 15 minutes.
2. Calluses. Juice is extracted from greens by crushing them. Apply the resulting liquid to the damaged areas and wrap them with a bandage overnight.
3. Constipation. Finely chopped leaves are poured with boiling water, left for an hour, and then drunk before each meal in 50 ml portions.

Eating fresh tops helps with anemia, thyroid disorders, and cardiovascular diseases.

For weight loss

Beet tops contain the antioxidant betaine. Thanks to it, greens improve metabolic processes, promoting weight loss. To achieve the desired shape, replace one meal with a salad made from this product. To make it tastier, add other low-calorie vegetables to the salad and season with olive oil.

What tops to use

In order not to be disappointed in the taste of beet tops, you need to choose the right leaves for use.

Greens should be fresh, so choose springy leaves. Dark green is considered the optimal color. Tops that are pale or have a yellowish tint will most likely turn out to be dry and tasteless. Also pay attention to the spine: it should be short and dense.

How to store tops

Beet tops must be properly stored and processed before use.

If you want to enjoy the tops not only in spring and summer, freeze or dry them. But the benefits of such a product are minimal, and the taste is not as rich as that of fresh leaves. It’s better to marinate or pickle them according to your favorite recipe (similar to cabbage).

How to properly process and cook

Raw greens are the healthiest. It is not worth storing it in its pure form for a long time. It is better to cut it up as quickly as possible and use it in salads.

If you're not a salad fan, make cabbage rolls using tops instead of cabbage. This product also goes well with various soups, not necessarily cabbage soup or borscht. Tops are added to pea or mushroom soup.

When the leaves become bitter, they are blanched. That is, they are immersed in boiling water for half a minute, and then doused with ice water.

Contraindications for use

Like any product, in some cases beet tops cause a negative effect if used incorrectly. People with chronic or acute diseases of internal organs should be careful.

Side effects:

1. People with irritable bowel syndrome should not use the tops. It can cause diarrhea.
2. People suffering from kidney and urinary tract diseases are also better off avoiding tops, since the oxalic acid in its composition promotes the formation of stones. Since greens speed up your metabolism, your kidneys get too much workload.
3. If you have problems with blood pressure, you should choose another green. Beet tops have antihypertensive properties, that is, they can lower blood pressure.

Conclusion

Beet tops are an underrated product that literally all gardeners have in their garden beds. It is rich in vitamins and minerals, has a positive effect on the human body, fits perfectly into the diet and even helps get rid of some diseases.

Pay attention to this product, but remember to be responsible when consuming any food. First of all, familiarize yourself with the contraindications and possible side effects.