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{{for|the village in the Netherlands|Beets (Netherlands)}}
{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Beet
| image = Koeh-167.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = ''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris''
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Caryophyllales]]
| familia = [[Chenopodiaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Beta (plant)|Beta]]''
| species = '''''B. vulgaris'''''
| binomial = ''Beta vulgaris''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus]]
}}
'''''Beta vulgaris''''', commonly known as '''beet''' or '''beetroot''', is a [[flowering plant]] species in the family [[Chenopodiaceae]]. Several [[cultivar]]s are valued around the world as edible [[root vegetable]]s, [[fodder]] (mangel) and [[sugar]]-producing [[sugar beet]].<ref name="usdaDB">{{cite web
|url=http://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=BETA
|title=The PLANTS Database
|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture, National Plant Data Center, [[Baton Rouge]], [[Louisiana]]
|format=Database
|date=2006 }}</ref>
==Description==
''Beta vulgaris'' is a [[Herbaceous plant|herbaceous]] [[biennial plant|biennial]] or rarely [[perennial plant|perennial]] plant with leafy stems growing to 1-2 m tall. The [[leaf|leaves]] are heart-shaped, 5-20 cm long on wild plants (often much larger in cultivated plants). The [[flower]]s are produced in dense spikes, each flower very small, 3-5 mm diameter, green or tinged reddish, with five petals; they are wind-pollinated. The [[fruit]] is a cluster of hard [[nut (fruit)|nutlets]].
==Taxonomy==
Three [[subspecies]] are recognised:
*''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''maritima''. [[Sea beet]]. [[North-West Europe]]. Plant smaller, to 80 cm tall; root not swollen.
*''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris''. [[Europe]]. Plant larger, to 2 m tall; with a rounded fleshy [[taproot]]. The ancestor of the cultivated beets (''not'' subsp. ''maritima'', as sometimes stated){{dubious}}. Var. ''Ruba'' is the red beet.
*''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''cicla'' - see [[Chard]]
==Uses==
===Food===
Spinach beet leaves are eaten as pot herb. Young leaves of the garden beet are sometimes used similarly. The midribs of Swiss chard are eaten boiled while the whole leaf blades are eaten as spinach beet.
In Africa the whole leaf blades are usually prepared with the midribs as one dish.<ref name="prota">Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.</ref>
The leaves and stems of young plants are steamed briefly and eaten as a vegetable; older leaves and stems are [[stir frying|stir-fried]] and have a flavour resembling [[taro]] leaves.
The usually deep-red roots of garden beet are eaten boiled either as a cooked vegetable, or cold as a [[salad]] after cooking and adding oil and [[vinegar]]. A large proportion of the commercial production is processed into boiled and sterilised beets or into [[Pickling|pickles]]. In [[Eastern Europe]] beet soup, such as [[Cold borscht]], is a popular dish. Yellow-coloured garden beets are grown on a very small scale for home consumption. <ref name="prota"/>
Beetroot can be peeled, steamed, and then eaten warm with butter as a [[List of delicacies|delicacy]]; cooked, pickled, and then eaten cold as a [[condiment]]; or peeled, shredded raw, and then eaten as a salad. It is also common in Australia and New Zealand for pickled beetroot to be consumed on a burger.<ref>http://www.weird-food.com/weird-food-vegetable.html</ref>
Garden beet juice is a popular [[Healthy diet|health food]]. [[Betanin]]s, obtained from the roots, are used industrially as red [[Food coloring|food colourants]], e.g. to improve the colour of [[tomato paste]], sauces, desserts, [[jam]]s and jellies, [[ice cream]], sweets and [[breakfast cereal]]s.<ref name="prota"/>
===Medicine===
The roots and leaves have medicinal uses.<ref name="prota"/>
The Romans used beetroot as a treatment for fevers and [[constipation]], amongst other ailments. [[Apicius]] in ''[[De re coquinaria]]'' gives five [[recipe]]s for soups to be given as a [[laxative]], three of which feature the root of beet.<ref>Apicius ''De Re Coquinaria'' 3.2.1, 3, 4</ref> [[Hippocrates]] advocated the use of beet leaves as binding for wounds.
Since Roman times, beetroot juice has been considered an [[aphrodisiac]]. It is a rich source of the mineral [[boron]], which plays an important role in the production of human sex hormones. [[Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein|Field Marshall Montgomery]] is reputed to have exhorted his troops to 'take favours in the beetroot fields', a euphemism for visiting [[Prostitution|prostitutes]]. From the [[Middle Ages]], beetroot was used as a treatment for a variety of conditions, especially illnesses relating to digestion and the blood. [[Bartolomeo Platina|Platina]] recommended taking beetroot with [[garlic]] to nullify the effects of 'garlic-breath'.<ref>[[Bartolomeo Platina|Platina]] ''De Honesta Voluptate et Valetudine'', 3.14</ref>
Today the beetroot is still championed as a universal [[Panacea (medicine)|panacea]]. One of the most controversial examples is the official position of the [[South Africa|South African]] Health Minister on the treatment of [[AIDS]]. Dr. [[Manto Tshabalala-Msimang]], Health Minister under [[Thabo Mbeki]], has been nicknamed 'Dr. Beetroot' for promoting beets and other vegetables over antiretroviral [[Antiretroviral drug|AIDS medicines]], which she considers toxic.<ref name=drbeetroot>{{cite news
|first=Fran
|last=Blandy
|title='Dr Beetroot' hits back at media over Aids exhibition
|publisher=Mail & Guardian Online
|url=http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__national/&articleid=280903
|date=2006-08-16
}}</ref>
===Other uses===
Forms with strikingly coloured, large leaves are grown as [[Ornamental plant|ornamentals]].<ref name="prota"/><ref name="protabase"/>
Beets are used as a food plant by the [[larva]]e of a number of [[Lepidoptera]] species — see [[List of Lepidoptera which feed on Beet]].
==Cultivation==
{{Main|List of beet diseases}}
[[Image:Beets produce-1.jpg|thumb|right|A selection of ''Beta vulgaris'', known as beet, at a grocery store.]]
Numerous [[cultivar]]s have been selected and bred for several different characteristics. For example, the "earthy" taste of some beet cultivars comes from the presence of the chemical compound [[geosmin]]. Researchers have not yet answered whether beets produce geosmin themselves, or whether it is produced by symbiotic soil [[Microorganism|microbe]]s living in the plant.<ref name=geosmin>{{cite journal | coauthors=Lu G, Edwards CG, Fellman JK, Mattinson DS, Navazio J. | title=Biosynthetic origin of geosmin in red beets (Beta vulgaris L.). | journal = Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (abstract) |volume=12 |issue=51(4) |pages=1026-9 |publisher=American Chemical Society |date=2003 Feb |url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12568567&dopt=Abstract
}}</ref> Nevertheless, breeding programs can produce cultivars with low geosmin levels yielding flavours more acceptable to shoppers.<ref name=nottingham>{{cite book |url=http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Stephen_Nottingham/beetroot.htm |title=Beetroot |author=Stephen Nottingham |format=E-book |date=2004}}</ref>
Major [[cultivar group]]s include:
*'''Fodder beet [[Mangelwurzel|wurzel]]''' or '''mangold''' used as animal [[fodder]].
*'''[[Sugar beet]]''' grown for [[sugar]].
*'''[[Chard]]''', a beet which has been bred for leaves instead of roots and is used as a [[leaf vegetable]].
*'''Beetroot''' or '''table beet''' (or, in the 19th century, "blood turnip") used as a [[root vegetable]]. Notable cultivars in this group include:
**'''Albina Vereduna''', a white variety.
**'''Bull's Blood''', an open-pollinated variety originally from [[United Kingdom|Britain]], known for its dark red foliage. It is grown principally for its leaves, which add color to [[salad]]s.
**'''Burpee's Golden''', a beet with orange-red skin and yellow flesh.
**'''Chioggia''', an open-pollinated variety originally grown in [[Italy]]. The concentric rings of its red and white roots are visually striking when sliced. As a heritage variety, Chioggia is largely unimproved and has relatively high concentrations of geosmin.
**'''Detroit Dark Red''' has relatively low concentrations of geosmin, and is therefore a popular commercial cultivar in the [[United States|US]].
**'''India Beet''' is not that sweet compared to Western beet.
**'''Lutz Greenleaf''', a variety with a red root and green leaves, and a reputation for maintaining its quality well in storage.
**'''Red Ace''', the principal variety of beet found in U.S. [[supermarket]]s, typical for its bright red root and red-veined green foliage.
==Properties==
[[Image:BeetrootTuna.JPG|thumb|right|Salad of baby beet, sun-dried tomato and tuna]]
''Beta vulagris'' roots contain significant amounts of [[vitamin C]], whilst the leaves are an excellent source of [[vitamin A]]. They are also high in [[Folic acid|folate]], soluble and insoluble [[dietary fiber|dietary fibre]] and [[antioxidant]]s. It is among the [[sweetness|sweet]]est of vegetables, containing more sugar even than [[carrot]]s or [[sweet corn]]. The content of sugar in beetroot is no more than 10%, in the sugar beet it is typically 15 to 20%.
An average sized cup (225.8 grams) of sliced beets will contain:
* [[Food energy]] 31 [[Calorie|Cal]] (130 kJ)
* [[Carbohydrate]] 8.5 g
* [[Dietary fiber]] 1.5 g
* Folate 53.2 µg
* [[Phosphorus]] 32 mg
* [[Potassium]] 259 mg
* [[Protein]] 1.5 g
Beets, like [[kale]], [[spinach]], carrots and [[turnip]]s, can be a source of [[nitrate]]s and should not be fed to infants under 6 months of age.
Beetroots are rich in the nutrient [[Betaines|betaine]]. Betaine supplements, manufactured as a byproduct of sugar beet processing, are prescribed to lower potentially toxic levels of [[homocysteine]] (Hcy), a naturally occurring [[amino acid]] that can be harmful to blood vessels thereby contributing to the development of [[heart disease]], [[stroke]], and [[Peripheral artery occlusive disease|peripheral vascular disease]].<ref name=umaryland>{{cite web |url=http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsSupplements/Betainecs.html |date=April 2002 |publisher=University of Maryland Medical Center |title=Betaine }}</ref>
===Red colouring===
The colour of red beetroot is due to a a variety of [[betalain]] pigments, unlike most other red plants, such as [[red cabbage]], which contain [[anthocyanin]] pigments. The composition of different betalain pigments can vary, giving breeds of beetroot which are yellow or other colors in addition to the familiar deep red.<ref name=hamilton>{{cite web |first=Dave |last=Hamilton |date=2005 |url=http://www.selfsufficientish.com/beetroot.htm |title=Beetroot Beta vulgaris }}</ref> Some of the betalains in beets are [[betanin]], [[isobetanin]], [[probetanin]], and [[neobetanin]] (the red to violet ones are known collectively as ''betacyanin''). Other pigments contained in beet are [[indicaxanthin]] and [[vulgaxanthins]] (yellow to orange pigments known as ''betaxanthins'').
Betacyanin in beetroot may cause red [[urine]] and [[feces]] in some people who are unable to break it down. This is called [[beeturia]]. <ref name=EASTWOOD>{{cite web |work=QJM: An International Journal of Medicine |date=1995 |author=M.A. Eastwood|coauthors= H. Nyhlin|url=http://qjmed.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/88/10/711 |title=Beeturia and colonic oxalic acid}}</ref>
The pigments are contained in cell [[vacuole]]s. Beetroot cells are quite unstable and will 'leak' when cut, heated, or when in contact with air or sunlight. This is why red beetroots leave a purple stain. Leaving the skin on when cooking, however, will maintain the integrity of the cells and therefore minimise leakage.
==History==
Although beet remains have been excavated in the [[Third dynasty of Egypt|Third dynasty]] [[Saqqara]] pyramid at [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]], [[Egypt]], and four charred beet fruits were found in the [[Neolithic]] site of [[Aartswoud]] in the [[Netherlands]], it is difficult to determine whether these are domesticated or wild forms of ''B. vulgaris''. However Zohary and Hopf note that beet is "linguistically well identified." They state the earliest written mention of the beet comes from [[8th century BC]] Mesopotamia; the [[Greeks|Greek]] [[Peripatetic school|Peripatetic]] [[Theophrastus]] later describes the beet as similar to the [[radish]]. "[[Ancient Rome|Roman]] and [[Jew]]ish literary sources indicate that already in the [[1st century BC]] domestic beet was represented in the Mediterranean basin by leafy forms (chard) and very probably also by beetroot cultivars."<ref>Daniel Zohary and Maria Hopf, ''Domestication of plants in the Old World'', third edition (Oxford: University Press, 2000), pp. 200f</ref>With the imposition of the blockade of the continent during the [[Napoleonic Wars]] there was an impetus to develop beet for their sugar content.{{Fact|date=March 2007}}
==References==
<references/>
==External links==
{{commons|Beta vulgaris|Beet}}
* [http://database.prota.org/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?AC=QBE_QUERY&BU=http%3A%2F%2Fdatabase.prota.org%2Fsearch.htm&TN=PROTAB~1&QB0=AND&QF0=Species+Code&QI0=Beta+vulgaris&RF=Webdisplay PROTAbase on ''Beta vulgaris'']
* [http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Beta+vulgaris+craca ''Beta vulgaris craca''] - Plants For a Future Database entry
* {{cite book |url=http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Stephen_Nottingham/beetroot.htm |title=Beetroot |author=Stephen Nottingham |format=e-book |date=2004}}
* [http://www.news.wisc.edu/8104.html "Professor upbeat about unappreciated root crop"] - general information about beets (UW article)
* [http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Beta.html Sorting Beta names] - multilingual listing of the Beta species
* [http://recipes.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Category:Beet_Recipes Beet recipes] - 66 recipes exhibiting the range of beet uses
* [http://www.foodsdatabase.com/LinkedLabel.aspx?FoodId=20387 Nutrition facts]
[[Category:Chenopodiaceae]]
[[Category:Leaf vegetables]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Root vegetables]]
[[Category:Alternative_medicine]]
{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Beet
| image = Koeh-167.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = ''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris''
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Caryophyllales]]
| familia = [[Chenopodiaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Beta (plant)|Beta]]''
| species = '''''B. vulgaris'''''
| binomial = ''Beta vulgaris''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus]]
}}
'''''Beta vulgaris''''', commonly known as '''beet''' or '''beetroot''', is a [[flowering plant]] species in the family [[Chenopodiaceae]]. Several [[cultivar]]s are valued around the world as edible [[root vegetable]]s, [[fodder]] (mangel) and [[sugar]]-producing [[sugar beet]].<ref name="usdaDB">{{cite web
|url=http://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=BETA
|title=The PLANTS Database
|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture, National Plant Data Center, [[Baton Rouge]], [[Louisiana]]
|format=Database
|date=2006 }}</ref>
==Description==
''Beta vulgaris'' is a [[Herbaceous plant|herbaceous]] [[biennial plant|biennial]] or rarely [[perennial plant|perennial]] plant with leafy stems growing to 1-2 m tall. The [[leaf|leaves]] are heart-shaped, 5-20 cm long on wild plants (often much larger in cultivated plants). The [[flower]]s are produced in dense spikes, each flower very small, 3-5 mm diameter, green or tinged reddish, with five petals; they are wind-pollinated. The [[fruit]] is a cluster of hard [[nut (fruit)|nutlets]].
==Taxonomy==
Three [[subspecies]] are recognised:
*''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''maritima''. [[Sea beet]]. [[North-West Europe]]. Plant smaller, to 80 cm tall; root not swollen.
*''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris''. [[Europe]]. Plant larger, to 2 m tall; with a rounded fleshy [[taproot]]. The ancestor of the cultivated beets (''not'' subsp. ''maritima'', as sometimes stated){{dubious}}. Var. ''Ruba'' is the red beet.
*''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''cicla'' - see [[Chard]]
==Uses==
===Food===
Spinach beet leaves are eaten as pot herb. Young leaves of the garden beet are sometimes used similarly. The midribs of Swiss chard are eaten boiled while the whole leaf blades are eaten as spinach beet.
In Africa the whole leaf blades are usually prepared with the midribs as one dish.<ref name="prota">Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.</ref>
The leaves and stems of young plants are steamed briefly and eaten as a vegetable; older leaves and stems are [[stir frying|stir-fried]] and have a flavour resembling [[taro]] leaves.
The usually deep-red roots of garden beet are eaten boiled either as a cooked vegetable, or cold as a [[salad]] after cooking and adding oil and [[vinegar]]. A large proportion of the commercial production is processed into boiled and sterilised beets or into [[Pickling|pickles]]. In [[Eastern Europe]] beet soup, such as [[Cold borscht]], is a popular dish. Yellow-coloured garden beets are grown on a very small scale for home consumption. <ref name="prota"/>
Beetroot can be peeled, steamed, and then eaten warm with butter as a [[List of delicacies|delicacy]]; cooked, pickled, and then eaten cold as a [[condiment]]; or peeled, shredded raw, and then eaten as a salad. It is also common in Australia and New Zealand for pickled beetroot to be consumed on a burger.<ref>http://www.weird-food.com/weird-food-vegetable.html</ref>
Garden beet juice is a popular [[Healthy diet|health food]]. [[Betanin]]s, obtained from the roots, are used industrially as red [[Food coloring|food colourants]], e.g. to improve the colour of [[tomato paste]], sauces, desserts, [[jam]]s and jellies, [[ice cream]], sweets and [[breakfast cereal]]s.<ref name="prota"/>
===Medicine===
The roots and leaves have medicinal uses.<ref name="prota"/>
The Romans used beetroot as a treatment for fevers and [[constipation]], amongst other ailments. [[Apicius]] in ''[[De re coquinaria]]'' gives five [[recipe]]s for soups to be given as a [[laxative]], three of which feature the root of beet.<ref>Apicius ''De Re Coquinaria'' 3.2.1, 3, 4</ref> [[Hippocrates]] advocated the use of beet leaves as binding for wounds.
Since Roman times, beetroot juice has been considered an [[aphrodisiac]]. It is a rich source of the mineral [[boron]], which plays an important role in the production of human sex hormones. [[Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein|Field Marshall Montgomery]] is reputed to have exhorted his troops to 'take favours in the beetroot fields', a euphemism for visiting [[Prostitution|prostitutes]]. From the [[Middle Ages]], beetroot was used as a treatment for a variety of conditions, especially illnesses relating to digestion and the blood. [[Bartolomeo Platina|Platina]] recommended taking beetroot with [[garlic]] to nullify the effects of 'garlic-breath'.<ref>[[Bartolomeo Platina|Platina]] ''De Honesta Voluptate et Valetudine'', 3.14</ref>
Today the beetroot is still championed as a universal [[Panacea (medicine)|panacea]]. One of the most controversial examples is the official position of the [[South Africa|South African]] Health Minister on the treatment of [[AIDS]]. Dr. [[Manto Tshabalala-Msimang]], Health Minister under [[Thabo Mbeki]], has been nicknamed 'Dr. Beetroot' for promoting beets and other vegetables over antiretroviral [[Antiretroviral drug|AIDS medicines]], which she considers toxic.<ref name=drbeetroot>{{cite news
|first=Fran
|last=Blandy
|title='Dr Beetroot' hits back at media over Aids exhibition
|publisher=Mail & Guardian Online
|url=http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__national/&articleid=280903
|date=2006-08-16
}}</ref>
===Other uses===
Forms with strikingly coloured, large leaves are grown as [[Ornamental plant|ornamentals]].<ref name="prota"/><ref name="protabase"/>
Beets are used as a food plant by the [[larva]]e of a number of [[Lepidoptera]] species — see [[List of Lepidoptera which feed on Beet]].
==Cultivation==
{{Main|List of beet diseases}}
[[Image:Beets produce-1.jpg|thumb|right|A selection of ''Beta vulgaris'', known as beet, at a grocery store.]]
Numerous [[cultivar]]s have been selected and bred for several different characteristics. For example, the "earthy" taste of some beet cultivars comes from the presence of the chemical compound [[geosmin]]. Researchers have not yet answered whether beets produce geosmin themselves, or whether it is produced by symbiotic soil [[Microorganism|microbe]]s living in the plant.<ref name=geosmin>{{cite journal | coauthors=Lu G, Edwards CG, Fellman JK, Mattinson DS, Navazio J. | title=Biosynthetic origin of geosmin in red beets (Beta vulgaris L.). | journal = Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (abstract) |volume=12 |issue=51(4) |pages=1026-9 |publisher=American Chemical Society |date=2003 Feb |url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12568567&dopt=Abstract
}}</ref> Nevertheless, breeding programs can produce cultivars with low geosmin levels yielding flavours more acceptable to shoppers.<ref name=nottingham>{{cite book |url=http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Stephen_Nottingham/beetroot.htm |title=Beetroot |author=Stephen Nottingham |format=E-book |date=2004}}</ref>
Major [[cultivar group]]s include:
*'''Fodder beet [[Mangelwurzel|wurzel]]''' or '''mangold''' used as animal [[fodder]].
*'''[[Sugar beet]]''' grown for [[sugar]].
*'''[[Chard]]''', a beet which has been bred for leaves instead of roots and is used as a [[leaf vegetable]].
*'''Beetroot''' or '''table beet''' (or, in the 19th century, "blood turnip") used as a [[root vegetable]]. Notable cultivars in this group include:
**'''Albina Vereduna''', a white variety.
**'''Bull's Blood''', an open-pollinated variety originally from [[United Kingdom|Britain]], known for its dark red foliage. It is grown principally for its leaves, which add color to [[salad]]s.
**'''Burpee's Golden''', a beet with orange-red skin and yellow flesh.
**'''Chioggia''', an open-pollinated variety originally grown in [[Italy]]. The concentric rings of its red and white roots are visually striking when sliced. As a heritage variety, Chioggia is largely unimproved and has relatively high concentrations of geosmin.
**'''Detroit Dark Red''' has relatively low concentrations of geosmin, and is therefore a popular commercial cultivar in the [[United States|US]].
**'''India Beet''' is not that sweet compared to Western beet.
**'''Lutz Greenleaf''', a variety with a red root and green leaves, and a reputation for maintaining its quality well in storage.
**'''Red Ace''', the principal variety of beet found in U.S. [[supermarket]]s, typical for its bright red root and red-veined green foliage.
==Properties==
[[Image:BeetrootTuna.JPG|thumb|right|Salad of baby beet, sun-dried tomato and tuna]]
''Beta vulagris'' roots contain significant amounts of [[vitamin C]], whilst the leaves are an excellent source of [[vitamin A]]. They are also high in [[Folic acid|folate]], soluble and insoluble [[dietary fiber|dietary fibre]] and [[antioxidant]]s. It is among the [[sweetness|sweet]]est of vegetables, containing more sugar even than [[carrot]]s or [[sweet corn]]. The content of sugar in beetroot is no more than 10%, in the sugar beet it is typically 15 to 20%.
An average sized cup (225.8 grams) of sliced beets will contain:
* [[Food energy]] 31 [[Calorie|Cal]] (130 kJ)
* [[Carbohydrate]] 8.5 g
* [[Dietary fiber]] 1.5 g
* Folate 53.2 µg
* [[Phosphorus]] 32 mg
* [[Potassium]] 259 mg
* [[Protein]] 1.5 g
Beets, like [[kale]], [[spinach]], carrots and [[turnip]]s, can be a source of [[nitrate]]s and should not be fed to infants under 6 months of age.
Beetroots are rich in the nutrient [[Betaines|betaine]]. Betaine supplements, manufactured as a byproduct of sugar beet processing, are prescribed to lower potentially toxic levels of [[homocysteine]] (Hcy), a naturally occurring [[amino acid]] that can be harmful to blood vessels thereby contributing to the development of [[heart disease]], [[stroke]], and [[Peripheral artery occlusive disease|peripheral vascular disease]].<ref name=umaryland>{{cite web |url=http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsSupplements/Betainecs.html |date=April 2002 |publisher=University of Maryland Medical Center |title=Betaine }}</ref>
===Red colouring===
The colour of red beetroot is due to a a variety of [[betalain]] pigments, unlike most other red plants, such as [[red cabbage]], which contain [[anthocyanin]] pigments. The composition of different betalain pigments can vary, giving breeds of beetroot which are yellow or other colors in addition to the familiar deep red.<ref name=hamilton>{{cite web |first=Dave |last=Hamilton |date=2005 |url=http://www.selfsufficientish.com/beetroot.htm |title=Beetroot Beta vulgaris }}</ref> Some of the betalains in beets are [[betanin]], [[isobetanin]], [[probetanin]], and [[neobetanin]] (the red to violet ones are known collectively as ''betacyanin''). Other pigments contained in beet are [[indicaxanthin]] and [[vulgaxanthins]] (yellow to orange pigments known as ''betaxanthins'').
Betacyanin in beetroot may cause red [[urine]] and [[feces]] in some people who are unable to break it down. This is called [[beeturia]]. <ref name=EASTWOOD>{{cite web |work=QJM: An International Journal of Medicine |date=1995 |author=M.A. Eastwood|coauthors= H. Nyhlin|url=http://qjmed.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/88/10/711 |title=Beeturia and colonic oxalic acid}}</ref>
The pigments are contained in cell [[vacuole]]s. Beetroot cells are quite unstable and will 'leak' when cut, heated, or when in contact with air or sunlight. This is why red beetroots leave a purple stain. Leaving the skin on when cooking, however, will maintain the integrity of the cells and therefore minimise leakage.
==History==
Although beet remains have been excavated in the [[Third dynasty of Egypt|Third dynasty]] [[Saqqara]] pyramid at [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]], [[Egypt]], and four charred beet fruits were found in the [[Neolithic]] site of [[Aartswoud]] in the [[Netherlands]], it is difficult to determine whether these are domesticated or wild forms of ''B. vulgaris''. However Zohary and Hopf note that beet is "linguistically well identified." They state the earliest written mention of the beet comes from [[8th century BC]] Mesopotamia; the [[Greeks|Greek]] [[Peripatetic school|Peripatetic]] [[Theophrastus]] later describes the beet as similar to the [[radish]]. "[[Ancient Rome|Roman]] and [[Jew]]ish literary sources indicate that already in the [[1st century BC]] domestic beet was represented in the Mediterranean basin by leafy forms (chard) and very probably also by beetroot cultivars."<ref>Daniel Zohary and Maria Hopf, ''Domestication of plants in the Old World'', third edition (Oxford: University Press, 2000), pp. 200f</ref>With the imposition of the blockade of the continent during the [[Napoleonic Wars]] there was an impetus to develop beet for their sugar content.{{Fact|date=March 2007}}
==References==
<references/>
==External links==
{{commons|Beta vulgaris|Beet}}
* [http://database.prota.org/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?AC=QBE_QUERY&BU=http%3A%2F%2Fdatabase.prota.org%2Fsearch.htm&TN=PROTAB~1&QB0=AND&QF0=Species+Code&QI0=Beta+vulgaris&RF=Webdisplay PROTAbase on ''Beta vulgaris'']
* [http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Beta+vulgaris+craca ''Beta vulgaris craca''] - Plants For a Future Database entry
* {{cite book |url=http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Stephen_Nottingham/beetroot.htm |title=Beetroot |author=Stephen Nottingham |format=e-book |date=2004}}
* [http://www.news.wisc.edu/8104.html "Professor upbeat about unappreciated root crop"] - general information about beets (UW article)
* [http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Beta.html Sorting Beta names] - multilingual listing of the Beta species
* [http://recipes.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Category:Beet_Recipes Beet recipes] - 66 recipes exhibiting the range of beet uses
* [http://www.foodsdatabase.com/LinkedLabel.aspx?FoodId=20387 Nutrition facts]
[[Category:Chenopodiaceae]]
[[Category:Leaf vegetables]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Root vegetables]]
[[Category:Alternative_medicine]]
