Beets are great this time of year! Ever wonder why?
From a Chinese Medicine view point, beets are good for building blood, nourishing the heart, calming the spirit, cleanses the liver, and lubricating the intestines. So how does that translate? It means beets help with anemia, building a healthy cardiovascular system, atherosclerosis, anxiety, blood pressure issues, chronic fatigue, irritability, restlessness, constipation, gout, herpes, eliminating free radicals, intoxication from alcohol or drugs, and developing a fetus.
Beets are a major source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, and C. Also a great source of iron, folate, potassium, calcium, sodium, manganese, copper, and phosporous for the body. Betacyanin, which has anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic properties, is the phytochemical in beets that give them their dark red-purple pigment.