They are the best known and most widespread winter vegetable in this country - beetroot. The tubers can be used in a variety of ways in the kitchen. The range extends from vegetable side dishes to salads and soups. Beetroot is generally considered tasty and he althy. However, the prerequisite is that they are cooked. Raw, they are not unproblematic for everyone.
Winter vegetables and superfoods
Recently, beets are often classified in the superfood category. Of course, that's not entirely wrong, as the tuber-shaped winter vegetables contain a whole range of substances that are extremely he althy and important for the human body. These include:
- Iron
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin C
- Folic acid
- various micronutrients
- many secondary plant substances
However, it must be mentioned that these important substances can actually only be found in raw beetroot. As soon as you boil or fry them, most of the nutrients are lost immediately. It can therefore only be considered a superfood when it is raw. For this reason, a trend has developed that leads to more and more vegetables being eaten raw. Raw pieces have recently become increasingly common in salads or as carpaccio. When pureed, the plant is also often used in smoothies.
Note:
Beets must always be peeled before they can be consumed. It is forbidden to eat the peel - simply because it can be heavily contaminated.
Raw problem vegetables
However, beets cannot be eaten raw without hesitation - at least not by everyone. In addition to the many positive nutrients, the tubers also contain oxalic acid. This oxalic acid can certainly cause he alth problems in a person's body. Under certain circumstances, it can promote the formation of kidney stones. In addition, oxalic acid makes it difficult for the human body to absorb calcium, which in turn can lead to the formation of urinary stones. And then there is the nitrate, which can also be found in relatively high doses in beetroot.
Nitrate can be classified as relatively harmless. However, if the vegetables are stored incorrectly or transported for too long, nitrate usually converts into nitrite. But nitrite poses a great danger, especially for babies and small children. You should therefore under no circumstances eat beetroot raw.
Note:
Nitrite can also lead to significant he alth problems in adults who suffer from high blood pressure, for example.
Who should do without?
Beetroots are not entirely unproblematic vegetables. When cooked, the tubers pose absolutely no danger and can be eaten without hesitation. However, most of the positive nutrients that would qualify it as a superfood are missing. When raw, the plant can cause serious he alth problems for certain people. However, it should also be clear that this does not automatically apply to everyone. The following people should especially pay attention:
- Babies
- Toddlers
- People with kidney problems
- People with other previous illnesses
- High blood pressure patients
- old people
If you belong to one of these groups, you should avoid eating raw beets. The benefits of the he althy nutrients in the tuber are offset by too many he alth risks.
Correct measurement
All other people can eat raw beets relatively safely. However, in this context too, the right amount is important. Excessive consumption can also cause problems in this group over time. It is therefore important to find the right balance. If you eat a few pieces of beetroot once a week, you certainly don't have to worry. Things would look different if you consumed them every day. Unfortunately, the tolerable amount varies considerably from person to person, which is why no precise information is possible.
