Today we’re going to look at the food energetics of beetroot. I gave a little introduction to food energetics back in this post and we’ve already looked at the use of ginger and spearmint, specifically.
As we’ve already seen, different foods can be either heating (ginger) or cooling (spearmint). Beetroot is a little different however, as it is neutral in respect of temperature. This means that whether you tend to be more yin (cooler) or yang (warmer), beetroot won’t make that temperature condition any better or worse. On the other hand, it can help in many other ways.
In TCM terms, beetroot nourishes (strengthens) our blood and benefits the Heart and the Liver. It encourages qi and blood circulation and lubricates the Intestines. All of which combines to indicate that the food energetics of beetroot are helpful in:
- reducing irritability
- reducing constipation
- improving circulation
Cooking with beetroot
In cooking, many people will consider adding pickled beetroot to a salad, roasting it for a hot meal or blending it for a soup. It can however also be used in the same way as carrot, for adding moisture to a cake. In this case, it is most often combined with chocolate. There is a recipe for beetroot and chocolate cake here.
Beetroots are low fat, have antioxidant properties and are a great source of fibre. They are also packed with vitamins and minerals including folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. Although beetroots come in different colours the most common one found in the supermarket, will be the dark purple kind. This pigment is the result of betacyanin, which is thought to have anticarcinogenic properties.
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