Not everyone knows about the beneficial properties of beet tops and its possible use in culinary and traditional medicine. After reading the article, many will reconsider their attitude to the storehouse of useful substances of this plant, which they previously ruthlessly threw away.
Calorie chemical composition
As with any greenery, the calorie content of beet leaves is very small - only 28 kcal per 100 g.But with all the diet, it contains many vitamins and minerals. Detailed data on their quantity in beet tops are given below (per 100 g of product):
Vitamin A | 21 mcg |
Vitamin C | 6 mg |
Vitamin K | 400 mcg |
Vitamin B1 | 0.05 mg |
Vitamin B2 | 0.04 mg |
Vitamin B3 | 0.07 mg |
Vitamin B6 | 0.2 mg |
Vitamin B9 | 18.6 mg |
Potassium | 239 mg |
Calcium | 15 mg |
Sodium | 20 mg |
Fluorine | 15 mg |
Zinc | 0.3 mg |
Iron | 0.5 mg |
Magnesium | 10 mg |
Iodine | 2 mcg |
Phosphorus | 34 mg |
Beneficial features
- Beet tops are very useful, since each of the vitamins and minerals in its composition carries its own “benefit” to the body:
- vitamins C and K strengthen blood vessels and normalize blood flow;
- Vitamin A strengthens vision;
- the presence of fiber has a beneficial effect on the state of the intestine, "sweeping out" everything unnecessary from it. A healthy intestine is the key to good absorption of vitamins and minerals;
- potassium is good for the heart muscle;
- phosphorus improves the production of enzymes;
- sodium stimulates the secretion of gastric juice;
- folic acid (vitamin B9) helps the brain function better and regulates the formation of white blood cells.
Contraindications and harm
With all its merits, tops and contraindications are there.
- Limit the use of greens in such cases:
- people with a predisposition or kidney disease. A high content of oxalic acid can lead to the formation of stones in the renal pelvis;
- suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, as it has a mild laxative effect;
- with any exacerbation of diseases / inflammation of the digestive tract or liver.
How to store
Beet tops will fade after three to four days (even when stored in the refrigerator). But it, like other greens, is dried, salted, pickled. The easiest way is to freeze.
Important! Folic acid is best absorbed. «in company» with vitamin C.
Collection
If it is possible not to buy beet greens, but to collect from the garden, then you should approach the process of collecting it responsibly. Leaves are tasty at any time, but they are the most tender when still young. More mature processes have stiff cuttings. It is worth choosing only fresh, not wilted tops. It is necessary to cut it off, retreating about a centimeter from the root crop itself.
Treatment
When beet greens are bought on the market, then at home, first of all, you need to sort it out. Qualitatively well washed from sand or earth and dried.
Did you know? AT 100 g of tops contains about 90 g of water, and the rest — these are dietary fiber, starch, ash and organic acids.
Freezing
Freezing the tops is as simple as other greens. Prepared leaflets are placed in a food container or bag and put into the “on demand” freezer.
Video: how to freeze beet tops
Application
The range of applications of vitamin green is very wide. This is culinary, cosmetology and even traditional medicine.
In cooking
The “tops” of beets are a fairly universal product for culinary specialists. They can be used in the first dishes (cook beetroot, green borsch, okroshka), in the second (add to vegetable stew or stew with onions and carrots, and as a separate dish too). And topping vegetable salads gives an unusual and spicy “touch”. Especially advantageous are its taste qualities combined with spinach, cucumbers and nuts.
Important! If the botIf it is bitter, then you can get rid of it by simply dousing it with boiling water before adding to the dish.
In dietetics
For those who want to lose weight, beet greens are just a godsend. It is low-calorie, but at the same time a storehouse of vitamins and minerals. It contains enough fiber to maintain a normal digestive tract (which is important when dieting). It is useful to add such fresh greens to the diet. And if you replace one meal (for example, dinner) with stewed tops, you can get rid of extra pounds.
In cosmetology
Beet tops are used not only in cooking. It is also about a cosmetic effect. So, for example, tops can be used as a component of a mask to remove freckles or age spots. To do this, “pureed” leaves are mixed with baking soda and applied to the skin, avoiding the area around the eyes. After 10 minutes, rinse with warm water and moisturize the skin with cream.
Did you know? Tops in combination with suluguni and onions can be the original filling for pies or pies.
In folk medicine
With such a rich vitamin composition, the “tops” of beets can treat some diseases, our ancestors also knew. That is why this product is quite common in folk medicine.
The most popular ways to use it are:
- for constipation - One tablespoon of chopped leaves is poured with a glass of boiling water and insisted for an hour. If you drink a quarter cup of such tincture before eating, problems with stool will disappear;
- for headaches - “pureed” greens are wrapped in several layers of gauze and applied to a sore spot (forehead, temples, nape) for 15-20 minutes;
- if tormenting mastitis - the leaves are kneaded by hands to excrete juice, and applied to the inflamed area of the chest. You need to keep at least half an hour;
- if there are cracks in the heels, then the juice from beet leaves, applied and left overnight, will help to cope with them.
There are much more pros for introducing the green part of beets into your diet than cons. The benefits of this vitamin product are palpable at any time of the year.