Which is healthier - raw or boiled beets?
Many of us remember the benefits of beetroot juice since childhood. Not everyone could drink at least a spoonful of sweetish dark red liquid, even with sugar. But it was not in vain that the parents tried to water and feed us with this root crop, because beets are very useful. Burgundy juicy pulp is not only indispensable for cooking borscht, beetroot or vinaigrette... It contains many vitamins and minerals that help our body, nourish it and help get rid of various diseases. In its raw form, beet juice is most often used, but the fruits themselves are much tastier when boiled beforehand. But is not their nutritional value lost? To understand which beets are healthier, raw or boiled, it is worth examining its composition and properties in both cases.
Comparative characteristics of raw and boiled beets
- 2.8 g dietary fiber;
- 1.6 g protein;
- 0.2 g fat;
- 9.6 g of carbohydrates.
In the process of heat treatment, the amount of carbohydrates and proteins in fruits slightly increases - up to 10 and 1.7 g, respectively. Proteins remain unchanged, but dietary fiber is slightly destroyed, leaving only 2 g. This also affects the calorie content of beets, increasing it by 9 Kcal.
Both raw and boiled beets contain many nutrients. Among them are vitamins of groups B and C, iodine, iron, potassium, magnesium and others. As you know, at high temperatures during cooking, a loss of vitamin composition occurs. Beetroot is no exception, but in its case the losses are not too great. Among others, it loses most of all vitamin C, but the rest of the elements remain practically in the same amount, if not digested.
The optimal baking time for beets is no more than 1 hour, and cooking is 15 minutes. With such a duration of heat treatment, the maximum amount of "usefulness" is preserved.
But what is really lost during cooking is nitrates and fruit acids. However, these losses play only a positive role. All harmful components remain in the broth, and acids will not corrode the intestines as much as when eating raw fruits.
Which is healthier - raw or boiled beets?
So, as it has already become clear, the benefits of beets are determined depending on the purpose for which they are used. Raw fruits are less high in calories and more "vitamins", so they are most often used when following a diet, including the form of juice. However, they contain more nitrates and acids, which, in the presence of certain diseases, leads to unpleasant consequences.
Raw beets are not recommended for hypotension, allergies, stomach and kidney diseases.
In a boiled form, the vegetable has practically no contraindications and it can be given even to small children. It does not irritate the stomach or cause allergies. However, it should be borne in mind that boiled fruits have a pronounced laxative effect. They also contain more sugar, which is important for people with diabetes. In addition, such beets do not allow the body to fully absorb calcium, which is necessary for osteoporosis. Thus, everyone must decide for himself what kind of beets he should eat, taking into account the existing diseases.