They are the best-known and most widespread winter vegetable in this country - beetroot. The tubers can be used in a wide variety of ways in the kitchen. The range extends from the vegetable side dish to the salad to the soup. Beetroot is generally considered tasty and healthy. The prerequisite is, however, that they are cooked raw, they are not unproblematic for everyone.
Winter vegetables and superfood
Recently, beetroot has been categorized as a superfood. This is of course not entirely wrong, as the bulbous winter vegetables contain a whole range of substances that are extremely healthy and important for the human body. These include, for example:
- iron
- vitamin B
- vitamin C
- Folic acid
- various micronutrients
- many phytochemicals
However, it must be mentioned that these important substances are actually only found in raw beetroot. As soon as you boil or fry them, most of the nutrients are lost immediately. A superfood can only be used in its raw state. Because of this, a trend has developed that results in the vegetables being eaten raw more and more. Raw pieces have recently become more and more common in salads or as carpaccio. In the pureed state, the plant is also often used in smoothies.
Note: Beetroot always needs to be peeled before they can be eaten. Eating the shell is forbidden - if only because it can be heavily contaminated.
Problem raw vegetables
However, beetroot cannot be eaten raw without hesitation - at least
not from everyone. In addition to the many positive nutrients, the tubers also contain oxalic acid. This oxalic acid can cause health problems in a person's body. For example, it may 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 the beetroot.
Nitrate can be classified as relatively harmless. However, if the vegetables are stored incorrectly or transported too long, nitrate will in most cases be converted into nitrite. However, nitrite is a major hazard, especially for babies and small children. You should therefore under no circumstances eat beetroot raw.
Note: Nitrite can also lead to significant health problems in adults who suffer from high blood pressure, for example.
Who should do without?
Beetroot is therefore a not entirely unproblematic vegetable. When cooked, the tubers are absolutely safe and can be consumed without hesitation.
However, most of the positive nutrients that would qualify them as a superfood are then also missing. Raw, on the other hand, certain people can get serious health problems from the plant. However, it should also be clear that this does not automatically apply to everyone. The following people in particular should be careful:- Babies
- Toddlers
- People with kidney problems
- People with other pre-existing conditions
- High blood pressure patients
- old people
Those who belong to one of these groups should rather avoid eating raw beetroot. The benefits of the healthy nutrients in the tuber are offset by too many health risks.
Right measure
All other people can eat raw beetroot without hesitation. However, the right amount is also important in this context. Excessive consumption can, over time, cause problems for this group as well. It is therefore important to find the right amount. If you eat a few pieces of beetroot once a week, you certainly don't have to worry. It looks different if you were to take it every day. Unfortunately, the tolerable amount differs considerably from person to person, which is why no precise information is possible.
