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Current UsesAccording to John Heinerman Ph.D., in the Encyclopedia of Healing Juices, beets (and beet juices) are a blood-building herb that detoxifies blood and renews it with minerals and natural sugars. The encyclopedia goes on to note that there may be substances in beets that aid circulation. Other sources also speak highly of beets and beet juices. Dr. H.C.A. Vogel, in The Nature Doctor, states that beet juice contains betaine, which stimulates the function of liver cells and protects the liver and bile ducts. Norman Walker, D.Sc., in Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices, claims that beets build red corpuscles and add tone to blood. Of course, many of these claims are not substantiated in a "traditional" sense, and one might wonder if there is any "scientific" evidence of the health benefits of beets. There is. ResearchAn article in the February 27, 1996, issue of Cancer Letters reports on an animal study that shows that beetroot has a significant tumor-inhibiting effect. The abstract for the study says, "The combined findings suggest that beetroot ingestion can be one of the useful means to prevent cancer." More intriguing information centers around betaine, a substance found in a number of plants in the chenopodiaceae family. Sugar beets, broccoli, and spinach are particularly high in this substance. It is most often derived from sugar beets. Recent studies point to this substance as a contributor to the prevention of coronary and cerebral artery disease. This is because betaine is proving to be a methyl doner. A methyl doner ensures that homocysteine, a breakdown product of the amino acid methionine, is converted back to methionine. Mildly elevated levels of homocysteine have been found in patients with coronary artery and cerebrovascular disease. This condition is known as mild hyperhomocysteinemia, and is recognized as a risk factor for premature arteriosclerotic disease (Arteriosclerosis and Thrombosis. Vol. 14(3) March 1994). An article published in the April 12, 1995, edition of JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at the protective effect of fruits and vegetables against stroke. This study followed a group of 832 men for 20 years. The incidence of stroke in this time period was 191.7 per 1,000 in the men who ate two or fewer servings of fruits and vegetables a day, compared to 78.7 per 1,000 in those who ate eight or more servings a day. The study concludes that, "The more servings of fruits and vegetables they ate, the lower their risk of stroke." More recently, evidence has indicated that eating fruits, vegetables, and grains is a good way to prevent cancer of the colon and rectum. This study differs from others in that it notes that while many previous studies looked at specific substances in the foods for health reasons, a whole food effect may be what is important. Researchers found that anti-disease effects persisted even when the amount of individual nutrients in a food were low. |
   
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