Anti-Cancer Properties
Incredibly, such a relatively small root crop like beets could have a wide range of vitamins and minerals and various properties beneficial to people’s health. For example, aside from the other benefits already mentioned, beets have anti-cancer properties due to their compounds like caffeic acid, kaempferol, rutin, ferulic acid, and betaine. These specific compounds have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. In addition, according to test tube studies, extracts from beetroot can slow down the cancer cells’ division and growth.
They are excellent folate sources that contribute to the production and repair of DNA. Even its color has a contribution. The red color of beets is a source of betalains, which, according to various studies, protect the body from cancer and make the heart healthier. In addition, betalains inhibit the formation of carcinogens while increasing the production of body enzymes and immune cells that fight cancer development. Beets are also rich in vitamin C and potassium, which you can get from the vegetable in raw, canned, or cooked form. People can maximize the nutrients in beets if they consume them raw, but it is all right to gently cook them, too.
