Medicinal properties of beet tops: use and contraindications

Most people eat only beet root crop, not suspecting that beetroot leaf also brings considerable benefits. Most often, the tops are introduced into the diet of livestock, but with certain knowledge and relevant recipes, you can easily cook healthy and tasty food based on it.

What is the beneficial use of beet tops and whether to really pay attention to this part of the root, let's try to find out.

The composition and nutritional value of beet tops

The beneficial properties of beet leaves were discovered by our ancestors, from whom one could borrow many recipes for its preparation. Their addition to the diet helped our people to maintain their health for many years, which was largely made possible by the presence of ascorbic acid in the composition (struggling withdepression and strengthens fragile capillaries), as well as folic acid (activates the brain and nervous system).

In addition, among the useful components of beet tops should include such components as:

• Vitamins of group B - B1, B2, B6, B9 - are responsible for the metabolism and are necessary for normal functioning of the nervous system, strengthening the immune system, optimal functioning of the heart and other internal organs.
• Vitamin A (there is a lot of it in beet leaves) is responsible for the timely rejuvenation of skin cells, visual acuity and harmonious work of the digestive system.
• Vitamin PP (nicotinic acid) - is directly involved in redox processes that are necessary for the metabolism of fats, and also prevents the accumulation of cholesterol in the blood and improves metabolism.
• Minerals - magnesium, iron, aluminum, copper, calcium, chlorine and many other macro-and microelements necessary for normal functioning of the body.
• Flavonoids are substances that have anti-inflammatory activity, cleanse the body of harmful compounds and improve metabolism.
• Organic acids, carotenoids and amino acids.

Nevertheless, beet tops are not only characterized by useful properties, but also have some contraindications, which we describe below.

Useful properties of beet tops

If we talk about the beneficial properties of beet leaves, they are all directly related to its composition. So, folic acid occupies a very important place in the diet of a pregnant woman, because it helps to avoid the appearance of problems with the intrauterine development of the fetus.

Carotenoids have a positive effect on human vision, are good prevention of cancer, in particular, and lung cancer, reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Choline - has a beneficial effect on the state of the liver and prevents its fatty degeneration. Pectic substances inhibit the activity of harmful intestinal bacteria, which has a positive effect on metabolism, and regular use of such greens will save you from atherosclerosis.

The constant use of beet leaves for food helps the overall health of the body, namely:

• normalization of digestion (beet tops, like root crops, have a mild laxative effect and help clean the intestines from toxins, slags and other harmful compounds);
• regulation of metabolism (accelerates the metabolism of fats, stimulates the production of digestive juices and enzymes);
• rejuvenation of cells and tissues (useful components of beet tops promote the formation of new cells, stimulate the processes of growth and development of tissues, thereby slowing down the aging of organs);
• improve the functioning of the heart (high content of vitamins, especially B9, favorably affects the state of the blood vessels and contributes to the disappearance of blood clots and cholesterol plaques).

The use of therapeutic properties of beet tops in traditional medicine

Beet tops, namely its benefits and possible harm, for good reason became the object of increased interest of many gardeners. Private research served as the basis for creating useful folk recipes involving the use of the leaves of this root crop.

• For example, for the treatment of constipation prepare infusion: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of fresh, crushed leaves is poured with a glass of boiling water and infused for 40-60 minutes. Ready means accept on по glasses 3-4 times a day (before meal).

• With a severe headache and tiring migraines, heavily crumpled beet leaves will help, which are applied in the form of compresses to the temples, and gruel made from the leaves - to the forehead for 15-20 minutes. In addition, a well-kneaded beet sheet helps in the treatment of conjunctivitis, for which it is simply applied to the eyes.

• If you suffer from pain in the legs associated with the appearance of corns and the formation of cracks on the feet, it is enough to lubricate such areas with beet juice or to apply leaf gruel to them in the form of a compress. The duration of such procedures will depend on the speed of healing.

• Beet leaves are beneficial to women who suffer from mastitis (the dangers of this disease are probably known to all the fair sex). For the preparation of a therapeutic agent, it is sufficient to stretch the sheet and apply it daily to the seals in the chest for 30-40 minutes.

In general, beet tops are an indispensable source of minerals and vitamins that contribute to the overall improvement of the body's state, and therefore you should not neglect such a useful product.

How to use beet leaves in cooking

As it turned out, beet leaves are often used in the preparation of various dishes, and even their preparation for the winter is not uncommon. Before using, cut the tops well washed (always on both sides), crushed with a sharp knife and doused with boiling water. Thanks to this procedure, the leaves become soft, tender and completely get rid of the specific beet flavor.

For the preparation of salads from the green part of the beet, vegetable oil with apple, lemon or pomegranate juice is well suited, although sour cream, mayonnaise or balsamic vinegar will be a good alternative, and as for vegetables, it goes well with radishes, cucumbers and celery.

Beet tops are often used in the preparation of the first and second courses (for this purpose it is often harvested for the winter): borscht, okroshka, holodnik, meat and vegetable stews, meatballs.It is also considered a good basis for cake filling. For winter harvesting, it can be leavened, dried, pickled, pickled or preserved with other vegetables, so that during the cold season it can be used for culinary purposes (for example, added to a casserole or an omelette).

We give examples of several recipes with beet tops.

• To prepare the salad, rinse the tops well, cut into long strips and pour boiling water for a few minutes, then drain the water and let it brew for a while (until it cools completely). Next, cut one onion into half-rings, chop the parsley and garlic and chop the walnuts. All listed ingredients must be mixed, add a little vegetable oil and spicy adjika, and then salt. Salad prepared according to this recipe will allow your body to get all the useful vitamins and trace elements contained in beet leaves.

• Chicken soup with beet tops is prepared as follows. First you need to rinse the chicken well, put it in a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Then remove the foil and continue cooking for 20 minutes.After that, you can take up the vegetables, which are first peeled and then cut: potatoes - diced, onions - rings, and carrots rubbed with a grater. Onions with carrots should be slightly fried (until golden brown) and add to the chicken along with the potatoes. The most recently washed and cut beet leaves take their place in the soup. When the meat is ready, it is taken out of the pan, removed the bones, cut and returned. Salt and seasonings are added to taste, after which the dish is cooked for another five minutes and left to brew for half an hour.

The use of beet tops in dietetics

Beet leaves are excellent for preparing dietary vegetable salads, in particular, due to the high content of fiber. Due to this, the use of such dishes saturation occurs quickly enough, and those extra pounds are simply not added. For example, you can prepare a salad from beet tops, where the main ingredients are cucumbers, green lettuce, radishes, spinach, greens and nuts. In addition, you can vary it with other favorite dishes to your liking.

Harm and contraindications beet tops

Beet leaves have useful properties - this is a fact, but there are some contraindications to its use.

So, the tops are not recommended for people (neither for treatment, nor as a component of dishes) who suffer from the following diseases:

• diarrhea - all parts of the plant have a laxative effect;
• acute inflammation of the bladder and kidney - beet leaves can increase urination;
• cirrhosis of the liver or hepatitis - the acceleration of metabolic processes in the body increases the load on the liver;
• gout - there is a possibility of worsening the problem;
• hemorrhoids - undesirable because of the same laxative effect;
• hypotension - beet leaves reduce blood pressure;
• individual intolerance - in spite of the fact that beet-leaf tops allergy is considered to be quite a rare event, it is advisable to pre-test the indicated product if you are prone to any allergic reactions.

Beet tops can also have a negative effect on the body of people who use anticoagulants, as it contains large amounts of vitamin K, which further increases the concentration of the substance in the blood.

Beet tops: preparation of medical raw materials

If after all the information received about the benefits and dangers of beet leaves, you have a desire to prepare tops for the winter to use not only for culinary, but also for medical purposes, then you need to know that only young leaves with petioles are suitable for such blanks.

You can save stocks for the winter by pickling, freezing, pickling, canning, and drying. It is also important to understand that any heat treatment significantly reduces the amount of nutrients, partially destroying complex organic compounds.

Therefore, for use as a medicine, it is better to apply conservation without heat treatment, regular use of which will compensate for the lack of necessary elements in the winter period.

In addition, the mere thought that feeding on environmentally friendly products from your garden already brings health, adds strength to the owners during the autumn harvesting.

Dry leaves and petioles for future preparation of a medicinal drug can be immediately after pre-grinding in any way. Since there are not so many essential oils in beet tops, drying is mainly carried out at a temperature of up to +60 ° C. The procedure can be performed in special drying cabinets, dehydrators, with intensive ventilation or simply in the shade, since any methods of drying, except for drying under direct sunlight, are quite suitable for these purposes.

If you are going to use beet leaves as a medicinal drug, it is preferable to dry them beforehand. However, in some cases, suitable and freezing (for example, when creating compresses). This preparation does not take you much time, because all that is needed is to wash the tops well and after drying (together with the cuttings), finely chop them, spreading them out in small one-time portions into plastic bags.

Beet tops not only give your dishes an unusual taste,but also make them very fragrant, and this despite the fact that its beneficial properties will certainly have a positive effect on your health.