Beet tops: benefits and harm to the body

With the onset of summer, fresh vegetables grown this season begin to appear on the shelves of vegetable stores. Among this variety one cannot but notice young beets, the value of which lies not only in the root crop, but also in its tops. Experienced culinary experts are attracted by both useful qualities and the gastronomic capabilities of beet tops, which they rush to use as part of various dishes. And this is not surprising, because such an additive gives the culinary research new attractive shades of taste, and its shape and color are suitable for use in decorative design.

More recently, beet tops could only be purchased with young beets, since they were in little demand. Today, a large number of dishes using this component has become popular, both because of excellent taste and because of its beneficial properties. For this reason, in modern markets, beet tops began to be offered as an independent product. In early summer, it is in great demand among knowledgeable professionals. In order to get an idea of ​​the extent of application of beet tops, it is proposed to consider its possibilities from various points of view.

Composition and calorie content

The aerial part of young beets has a solid list of vitamins, harmoniously combined with a high content of useful trace elements. Thus, there is an excess of vitamin C, which is an excellent antioxidant. It has the ability to increase the body's resistance to both various viruses and pathogenic bacteria. In addition, this vitamin creates the conditions for the formation of collagen, which forms the full-fledged composition of human skin, and is necessary to strengthen the hairline, as well as responsible for the plasticity of blood vessels.

Also, beet tops contain vitamin K, which helps increase blood coagulability and improves the digestibility of calcium, which is necessary to strengthen bone tissue. This property allows the inclusion of beet tops in the list of prophylactic agents against the development of osteoporosis. In addition, vitamin K has the ability to hold neurons in the human brain steady, which eliminates the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease. And it is important to consider that 100 g of the product contains a threefold daily norm of the presented vitamin.

The next in the list of useful components should indicate vitamin A, which helps to form bonds of free radicals, which is important for the formation of heart tissue and a healthy state of the mucous membrane in the oral cavity.

Plus, it is necessary to note the presence in the vegetable complex of B vitamins, which stimulate the metabolism in tissues at the cellular level. These components support the normal state of the nervous system, which is important for the body during emotional stress or during a period of high intellectual activity. In addition, vitamins of this group take part in the formation of muscle tissue and improve skin condition.

Next, it is necessary to present the mineral composition of beet tops, which also has a huge variety and a high concentration of various elements necessary for the formation of a healthy body.

1. Potassium is an element that takes an active part in regulating the balance of fluid in the body. This allows you to control the dynamics of the heart rate and stabilize blood pressure. In addition, potassium helps to reduce swelling of the extremities and increase the flow of oxygen into the human brain.
2. Chlorine is a substance that improves the digestive system, stabilizes the filling of blood with red blood cells, which positively affects its general formula, which helps to remove excess fluid from the body.
3. Sodium is a component that stabilizes the salt content in the water composition of the body, takes part in the formation of gastric juice, has an expanding effect on blood vessels and stimulates the secretion of most glands.
4. Sulfur is one of the elements needed to create collagen. It is needed to increase the elasticity of the skin and strengthen hair, and also inhibits the aging process. In addition, sulfur is an antihistamine and is involved in the synthesis of hemoglobin.
5. Phosphorus - a substance necessary for the implementation of energy metabolism, contributing to the strengthening of bone tissue and tooth enamel, as well as improving cognitive abilities.

The energy value of 100 g of the product is 21.1 kcal, it is represented by 4.2 g of carbohydrates and 2.1 g of fat.

What is useful beet tops

Exceptional healing properties of beet tops were known in ancient times. Doctors everywhere have recommended that this vegetable be included in the daily diet as a means of prolonging life. Today, these prejudices are confirmed by scientific facts due to the rich chemical composition of beet leaves.

For women

For women, first of all, the high content of vitamin A in the product, which allows you to maintain beauty, matters. This is expressed in the prevention of drying out of the skin and premature formation of wrinkles, as well as in counteracting the formation of cracks in the soles and palms. In addition, a high content of vitamin B5 strengthens the hair roots, and vitamin B9 contributes to the normal functioning of the reproductive system in women.

For men

For the male group, a high concentration of vitamin C is of great importance, which is not only able to stimulate the basic processes of the body, but also serve as an excellent prophylactic against prostate adenoma. A wide range of vitamins belonging to group B assists in the synthesis of testosterone, a hormone that determines male gender and stimulates reproductive abilities.

The most significant role for the formation of the male body is given to vitamin B1, which helps to increase muscle mass, which increases overall physical capabilities.

During pregnancy

Beet tops serves as a source of folic acid, a substance that is extremely necessary for the female body during the formation of the fetus. In addition, the high fiber content allows you to control the normal functioning of the intestinal tract, timely freeing it from the accumulation of toxins and deposits. The rich content of vitamin C contributes to the overall strengthening of the body of the expectant mother and her baby, and potassium helps to avoid edema in the last phase of pregnancy.

When breastfeeding

A fair amount of iodine in the composition of beet tops has a positive effect during breastfeeding, increasing the protective functions of the body. This is especially important for mothers with impaired thyroid function. The high iron content contributes to its rapid recovery in the mother's body and avoids the lack of oxygen in the cells of various tissues.

Also, the inclusion of beet tops in the diet allows you to stabilize blood pressure during a period when other drugs are not available. The content of vitamin K in vegetables contributes to the accelerated absorption of calcium, increasing its content in breast milk. This is of great importance in the process of forming the skeleton of an infant.

For kids

The rich content of vitamins in beet tops makes it possible to bring great benefits to the children's body with its systematic consumption. At the same time, a high concentration of vital minerals allows the child's body to develop dynamically. A full-fledged chemical composition promotes stable growth, the full formation of bone and muscle tissue, the timely formation of teeth and the strengthening of the nervous system.

When losing weight

Beet tops are characterized by the content of the natural antioxidant betaine, which helps to activate metabolism, which plays an important role in the process of losing weight. Proper consumption of beetroot leaves can lead to quality weight loss without the use of complex diets. For this purpose, one of the meals is replaced with a dish prepared from beet tops. This may well be a complex salad, in which, in addition to beet tops, other low-calorie fillers are used. Seasoning such a product is recommended with olive oil.

The benefits of beetroot juice

Unlike juice squeezed from root crops, juice from beet tops has a high concentration of useful vitamin A, which is able to stimulate growth, accelerate regeneration processes and takes part in the formation of visual pigment. In addition, beetroot juice can show healing properties in a number of cases:

1. A high concentration of ascorbic acid increases capillary elasticity and reduces susceptibility to seasonal depressions.
2. The content of folic acid increases brain activity and helps strengthen the nervous system, and also reduces the likelihood of abnormalities in the development of the fetus during pregnancy.
3. The presence of carotenoids in the composition makes beet juice very useful for various pathologies of vision, the prevention of cancer, and also reduces the likelihood of coronary heart disease.
4. In addition, beetroot juice contains choline, a substance that stimulates the formation of healthy liver tissues and protects against fatty degeneration.
5. The presence of pectin helps eliminate harmful microflora in the intestinal tract, which helps to speed up metabolism and improves the condition of the body as a whole.
6. Daily consumption of juice from beetroot tops has a beneficial effect on the state of the cardiovascular system, and also reduces the risk of atherosclerotic abnormalities.

With a decrease in the activity of immune function, it is recommended to use a combination of beetroot juice with freshly squeezed lemon juice and nuts. If honey is included in this composition, an excellent tonic with a general strengthening effect will be obtained.

Recipes of traditional medicine based on beet tops

1. With weakened intestinal tract function and frequent constipation, it is recommended to use a special infusion. To do this, 20 g of beet leaves are crushed and brewed with a glass of boiling water. The cooled drink is taken in four doses during the day.
2. For migraines, it is recommended to use a compress made from leaves of beet tops. To do this, they are boiled for 10 minutes, and then rubbed to a pasty state. The resulting composition is applied to the forehead and incubated for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. To treat mastitis, fresh juice of beet tops is squeezed out of the juice, getting a viscous mass. The resulting composition is coated with seals and held for half an hour.
4. To soften corns and prevent cracking on the heels, juice from fresh beetroot leaves is used. They are impregnated with tissue and applied at night in the form of compresses.
5. Crumpled leaves of beet tops are used as an effective remedy against acne. The resulting composition is applied to the face, excluding the area around the eyes.

Among other things, beet tops can prevent the appearance of freckles with the activity of the spring sun. To do this, the leaves, crushed to a pasty state, are applied to the active areas of the skin, and moistened with squeezed juice on top. Before applying such a mask, the skin must undergo training. To do this, it is washed with a special solution made of a glass of warm water, in which 2 tsp are dissolved. soda.

Harm and contraindications

Despite the many useful qualities of beet tops, there are conditions in which it is desirable to limit or completely eliminate its use. A high degree of biological activity of various elements that make up the leaves of the root crop, under certain conditions, has contraindications.

It is not recommended to use this vegetable, as well as its derivatives, for kidney diseases. Oxalic acid, which is part of it, is able to interact with a number of minerals, resulting in the formation of salts that can precipitate and accumulate in the kidney in the form of kidney stones.

Further, beet tops are not recommended to be included in the diet for problems with the gall bladder, as well as for inflammation of the biliary tract. In this case, dishes containing this product should be significantly limited, again due to the presence of oxalic acid, which can cause irritation. If these symptoms occur, it is recommended to increase fluid intake. The daily diet in this case should include at least 2 liters of drinking water per day.

In addition, beet tops are contraindicated in patients forced to take anticoagulants, drugs designed to reduce the rate of blood coagulation. After all, vitamin K contained in beet leaves can have the same effect, which can significantly increase the effect of drugs and lead to negative consequences.

In addition, the consumption of beet tops is contraindicated for people who systematically suffer from diarrhea. This is due to the significant content of pectins in the composition of the product, which has a powerful laxative effect, which can only worsen the situation in this situation.

It is also not recommended to use beetroot leaves for patients suffering from pancreatitis. This disease involves eating diets that exclude the consumption of foods containing various acids.

The presented product is contraindicated in inflammatory processes in the liver. The result is the ability to accelerate metabolism, which can lead to undesirable stress on the liver. In addition, beet tops are recommended to be excluded from the diet of hypertensive patients, as a means that can significantly lower blood pressure.

Collection and storage

For people growing beets in their own beds, there is one useful tip. Choosing the tops for a separate use, it is recommended to act in only one part of the garden, because the vegetable really needs its leaves, and their loss threatens to stop the development of the root crop. Buying beets in the store, you can often find root vegetables, separated from the leaves. However, the presence of fresh tops on them will be a clear indicator of the freshness of the product.

Separating the tops from beets in the kitchen, it is recommended to leave tails up to 3 centimeters long. They will protect the root crop from premature wilting. To prepare salads using beetroot leaves, they are washed under running water and dried using napkins.Surplus beet tops are stored in sealed packaging in the refrigerator, leaving them not washed for better safety. In this state, beetroot leaves may remain suitable for about 4 days.

Methods for harvesting beet tops
In cooking, many different options are used for harvesting beet tops for winter storage. Using a diverse recipe, the chef can not only diversify the winter menu, but also significantly reduce the time for making many dishes. Each house has its own priority list of culinary research, which becomes a determining factor when choosing a recipe for harvesting beet tops.

The easiest way to preserve beet leaves is considered to be drying. In this case, you can use various techniques - from natural drying in the open air to a forced procedure in the oven. The most attractive is drying using special equipment designed for the preparation of dried fruits. Such a preparation will not only preserve the natural color and mineral composition of the product, but also save a certain percentage of vitamins. With other drying methods, vitamins are almost completely lost.

To preserve the maximum amount of vitamins in the harvested product, it is best to use the cold pickling method. Pickled beet tops becomes an almost ready-made independent dish with excellent taste characteristics. For use, it is enough to season it with vegetable oil or another filling prepared according to a separate recipe. In addition, pickled beetroots can be used as an ingredient in the preparation of complex salads. When using pickled beet tops in hot dishes, it requires minimal time for heat treatment, as it is already ready for use.

For the longest preservation of beet leaves, the conservation method is used. During this procedure, sterilization is used, which allows you to completely exclude bacteria that can provoke the fermentation and depressurization of containers. However, the drawback of sterilization is the prolonged heat exposure, which leads to large losses of vitamins. But only conservation allows preserving greens without any problems until the next season.

Is it possible to freeze

To preserve beet tops for the winter by freezing, it is recommended to use exclusively young leaves with petioles. Later greens coarsen and lose their vitamin value.

Used packaging
Beetroots are recommended to be frozen in packages designed for use at low temperatures. Both vacuum and special packages designed for freezing, equipped with convenient fasteners, as well as containers made of food plastic with a tight-fitting lid are well suited for this purpose.

At the same time, the used package, like the container, must be absolutely dry and be able to close tightly, which will avoid premature oxidation. The maximum amount of air is squeezed out of the inner space of the container used, making sure that the leaves are not crushed and the juice is not allowed. This is most conveniently done using a cocktail tube. In addition, it is recommended to perform portion freezing so that you do not have to freeze it once again.

Freezer storage
In the frozen state, it is recommended to store beet tops in the temperature range from -5 to -20 degrees. At the same time, a lower temperature can provide the most favorable conditions for the maximum preservation of vitamins.The maximum shelf life of frozen beet tops is 10 months, after this period it begins to lose its useful properties. Thawed product is not recommended to be re-frozen. In this case, he loses valuable taste and most of the vitamins.

Recommendations for use
Freeze-dried beetroot tops retain gastronomic qualities and a large amount of vitamins. They are perfect for preparing hot dishes, where they are able to maximize their best qualities, not much different from a fresh product. However, such preparations are not suitable for use in salads, as frosts become especially soft as a result of freezing.

What can be cooked from beet tops

Beet tops are of great value at the beginning of the season, when it only appears and there is a big shortage of fresh vegetables. However, it is used mainly for preparing fresh salads that can replenish the body's vitamin supply. Nevertheless, this is a completely independent product that can be used to prepare many first and second courses, which differ not only in the useful composition of microelements, but also in excellent taste.

Soup

To prepare soup for this recipe, you need to prepare the following components:

• beet leaves - 2 bunches;
• vinaigrette beets - 1 pc.;
• potatoes - 2 pcs.;
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• onions - 1 pc.;
• zucchini - 1 pc.;
• tomato - 1 pc.

Onions are fried in a pan, pre-chopped in half rings. In a browned onion add carrots, grated on a coarse grater, and also slightly fried. Next, grated beets are added, mixed and also fried. After that, 1.5 l of water is poured into the frying pan, which is brought to a boil. Meanwhile, finely chopped beet tops, tomato - slices. They are added to the pan after boiling. Prepared zucchini and potatoes are cut into small cubes, added to the soup and brought to readiness. Each salt and spices adds to your own taste. Ready soup is poured into plates, where you can add a spoonful of sour cream.

Pie

Ingredients:

• beet tops - 500 g;
• Ricotta cheese - 400 g;
• Parmesan cheese - 80 g;
• egg white - 2 pcs.;
• puff pastry - 1 pack;
• nutmeg - 1 pinch;
• ground pepper - 1 pinch;
• salt - 1 pinch.

The washed beet tops are blanched for 5 minutes, reclined on a sieve and squeezed, then cut into large pieces. Beat the egg whites until a dense foam is formed, adding salt and spices. Next, Ricotta cheese is added and mixed. After that, add grated Parmesan and beet tops, mix thoroughly. On a baking sheet with parchment paper lay puff pastry, filling and again puff pastry. The formed pie is placed in the oven at a temperature of 180 degrees and baked for 45 minutes.

Cutlets

To prepare the cutlets, it is necessary to prepare the following components:

• beetroot leaves - 20 pcs.;
• chicken eggs - 3 pcs.;
• onion - 2 pcs.;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• flour - 120 g.

Beet tops are cut into strips, onions - into cubes, garlic is rubbed through a fine grater. Further, all prepared ingredients are collected in a common bowl and thoroughly knead. The resulting mass is formed in a heated pan, like pancakes, and fried.

Salad

Ingredients:

• beetroot leaves - 1 bunch;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• dill - 1 bunch;
• pine nuts - a handful;
• olive oil - 2 tbsp;
• spices to taste.

Beetroot leaves are washed under running water, dried with a napkin and chopped. Cut onions in half rings, rub garlic through a fine grater, chop dill. Greens, onions and garlic are combined in a common bowl, salt and season, knead well. At the end, divide the salad into portions and sprinkle with nuts.

Fritters

Ingredients:

• beetroot leaves - 1 bunch;
• dill - 1 bunch;
• green onions - a small bunch;
• flour - 2 tbsp .;
• eggs - 2 pcs.

Beetroot leaves are finely chopped along with the rest of the prepared greens, transferred to a separate bowl, eggs, flour and a pinch of salt are added. The whole composition is thoroughly kneaded and form pancakes. Fried in a heated frying pan in vegetable oil.

Phali

For the presented dish, you need to prepare the following ingredients:

• beetroot leaves - 1 kg;
• walnuts - 200 g;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• saffron - 1 tsp;
• Suneli hops - 1 tsp;
• cilantro in seeds - 1 tsp;
• green cilantro - 1 bunch;
• vinegar - 1 tbsp;
• other spices and salt to taste.

Combine the nuts with spices, add vinegar and salt, mix well. Next, finely chop the beetroot leaves and knead with the rest of the mixture until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Insist 30 minutes until fully prepared.

Is it possible to eat raw beet tops

Fresh beet tops are eaten on a par with root crops. It is used as an independent dish or added to salads along with the rest of the greens. It is fresh beetroot leaves that contain the maximum amount of vitamins that are lost as a result of heat treatment. When preparing the product for the winter, there are also losses in the composition of vitamins, but to varying degrees for different cooking methods.

Is it possible to give beet tops to rabbits and chickens

Beet tops does not pose any danger to rabbits and is suitable for its full inclusion in the diet as part of other feeds. Rodents will take fresh leaves with pleasure and will be satisfied with the new supplement. For chickens, fresh beet leaves also have no contraindications and are great for use in the diet along with the rest of the greens.

Interesting facts about beets

1. In ancient times, some nationalities considered beets as a medicinal plant and used for medical purposes.
2. In the Middle Ages, many people believed that beets were able to act as a prophylactic against plague, and with regular consumption of vegetables, the risk of contracting a deadly disease is much lower.
3. The earliest information confirming the cultivation of this plant is 4000 years old.
4. Beet is considered to be the place of origin of India, then it spread to the Middle East and further to Europe.

Photo of beet tops