~ Beets ~

BEETS ..... A SUPERFOOD..... NATURE'S MULTIVITAMIN.....
is a root vegetable.... and has been used as a NATURAL aphrodisiac throughout history.
They are full of anti-oxidants, vitamins A and C, potassium, Vitamin B-complex, high quantities of zinc and many more vitamins and minerals.
Beets boost your energy, lower your blood pressure, help you fight cancer, reduce arthritic pain and lose weight.

Being high in natural nitrates, these nitrates are converted to nitric oxide in the body.  Nitric oxide is known to expand the walls of blood vessels so you can enjoy more oxygen, more nutrients and significant energy.  They have been found to improve performance in athletes, because of the abundance of nitrates. . . . .
Hence, the reason they are used as an aphrodisiac.  Blood flow is increased to the genital areas (exactly what Viagra, etc does, but beets do this naturally). Beets also directly relate to the production of human sex hormones.

Anti-oxidants, in the root, as well as in its top greens, offer protection against coronary artery disease and stroke, lowering cholesterol levels within the body. 
They have anti-aging effects, promote wound-healing, act as a diuretic, an anesthesia, laxative, anti-inflammatory and have been proven to GREATLY reduce the activity of cancerous cells (hint hint).

Beets also have a gamma-amino acid, which plays an important role in metabolism and the ability to reduce fat improving the digestion of food and helping to create choline, the substance that increases cell activity in the liver. 
Additionally, they have been known to cure fevers, anemia, and diseases of the digestive and lymphatic systems.

AND..... an excellent source of folates!! - Folate deficiency may increase the risk of certain cancers, Alzheimer's disease, and certain birth defects, such as neural tube defects.

The tops are edible and can be cooked like spinach.  Juicing the entire vegetable is the best, although cooked beets/juice is better for digestion problems.
Beet juice is often used as a natural red dye in many foods, staining everything in its path, including the pink tinge to your urine!

Remember..... The fresher the beet juice, the better! 
Never over cook the beets, as it decreases the vitamin potency.

BEWARE: . . Beet greens are considered a high oxalate foods (oxalic acid, a naturally-occurring substance found in some vegetables) which have been implicated in the formation of kidney stones and urinary tract stones.  Do not go overboard eating beets if you already have stones of any kind.  In normal amounts, it could help to decrease the size of stones!!

Please do some research for ways to juice/cook beets and enjoy them to their fullest extent!

......AND THE BEET GOES ON.......