Beet Greens: Complete Vitamin Profile

Beet Greens ‐ Vitamin Information

Beet greens are among the most nutritious vegetables available for consumption, representing a significant source of multiple essential vitamins. The deep green colored leafy vegetable is produced from the Beta vulgaris plant and is typically consumed cooked or lightly sautéed. It should be noted though that beet greens can often produce a since bitterness if not cooked properly. Beet greens are what botanists refer to as dicotyledons, meaning they contain two embryonic parts. When considering it nutritionally, beet greens function as a voracious warehouse of many different vitamins, making them a preferred choice among dietitians in terms of nutrition.

In total, roughly twenty-four known essential nutrients are found within beet greens, which consists of eight primary vitamins, four minerals, three macronutrients, several carotenoids and fat soluble vitamins, and other miscellaneous substances such as antioxidants and enzymes. Out of these twenty-four active ingredients, those relevant to Vitamin content include: Vitamin A, B2, C, E, and K, as well as minor components of Thiamine (B1), Niacin (Vitamin B3), and Riboflavin (B2). Taking into consideration only its vitamin content, beet greens become an even more valuable component of a healthy diet.

Let us first consider Vitamin A, also commonly referred to as retinol. Retinol serves numerous physiological functions ranging from vision support to epithelial cell maintenance and growth promotion. While vitamin A exists mainly in animal based sources such as dairy products, some vegetables may serve as alternative sources including sweet potato and spinach. Surprisingly enough however, out of all vegetables available on the market, beet greens possess the highest concentrations of Vitamin A at 15233 IU/100g serving size. Despite this stratospheric concentration level, humans have been recorded to intake much lower quantities with the European Food Safety Authority setting daily allowances for adults to span 380 - 500 µg between males and females respectively.

Secondarily, beet greens house a substantial amount of Vitamin B2, otherwise referred to as riboflavin. Undesirably, the human body cannot synthesize riboflavin itself and thus it must be ingested through dietary means. In particular, riboflavin remains an indispensable component associated with bodily process such as acting as a cofactor to aid cellular respiration and functioning as a regulator of free radicals. Furthermore, riboflavin helps facilitate the production of hemoglobin along with promoting a normal visual response. Fortunately, individuals count on consuming approximately 0.6 - 1.3 mg of riboflavin per day, achieving this goal through harmless servings of whole milk or 2 cups of boiled beet greens. Nutritionally, the body benefits greatly by simultaneously ingesting a variety of food sources rather than relying upon one item alone acts as an effective nutritional strategy for obtaining adequate amounts of riboflavin.

Moving forth, Vitamin C is yet another integral vitamin extracted from beet greens, offering similar benefits towards cell repair and providing an organic defense against certain cytopathic agents. Ascorbic acid is even utilized medicinally in protocols involving inflammatory responses and direct antioxidative effects due to its high concentration of bioflavonoid compounds. With regard to dietary uptake, optimal levels for adult men stand at 90 mg whereas women require 75 mg, both encouragedly attainable through regular beet greens consumption providing 30mg of Vitamin C in every 100 grams worth serving size.

Similar to vitamin C, Vitamin E too offers major contributions in aiding fundamental metabolic processes linked with antioxidant protection. Sources of vitamin E depend heavily on nutritious foods like nuts, grains, olives, sunflower seeds, egg yolk, and also Vegans don’t fret as you too can turn to leafy veggies such as beet greens. For everyone else, feel free to enjoy some slightly steamed beet greens in order to obtain 5mg of Vitamin E in each 3 ounce portion.

Last but certainly not least comes Vitamin K, described as an archetypal embellishment responsible for maintaining anticoagulation throughout the body as well as helping bones maintain their strength and store calcium. Deriving from the Norwegian word ‘koagulering’ which literally translates to “coagulating blood”, Vitamin K befittingly stands for its vital importance vis-à-vis health promotion strategies. Because it does have pro-clusivity properties, suitable vitamin K saturation recommends 80-120 ug for women and 120ug for men when taking into account specific age brackets spanning from 19-70 years old. All considered, utilizing potentially healthier items such as boiling your beet greens presents a unique opportunity in bolstering vitamin k absorption as 100 gr of cooked berratal provides close to double the recommended dosage in Europeans (116.5ug).

In summation, beet greens are an extraordinary nutrition powerhouse hosting a wide array of vitamins needed to lead a healthy life. And while no singular fruit or vegetable featured herein guarantees filling a void of necessary essentials, set against the backdrop of better alternatives compared to processed goods, beet greens can significantly improve human wellbeing alike. Nutritional supplements are never sought after as the primary treatment approach given any disease state; this notion rings especially true in regards to Vitamins where nature furnishes us we substantial portions naturally existing avenues. From lending a hand in sight conservation to optimizing bone mineral densities, beet greens prove valuable allies for various medical challenges posing somewhat unnecessary challenges for your everyday person looking to simply eat good tasting food and in the same token remain healthy as possible.