I always thought beets were high in iron, but recently looking on the nutritional label of a jar of beets, I saw absolutely 0% iron. there is however quite a bit of potassium, which of course is good. Any comments on the iron thing?
The heme form of iron is more readily absorbed by the body; but, since it is found only in meat, it is not an option for vegetarians. The iron found in plant foods is a non-heme iron and, therefore, harder to absorb. In order to utilize this type of iron, consuming foods rich in vitamin C at the same time will greatly improve the absorption rate of iron since vitamin C converts non-heme iron into the usable form. Cooking in an old-fashioned iron skillet is said to help put some iron back into the diet, but this is debated. Beetroot juice, made from raw beets, is an especially good addition to any green drink. Beetroot juice contains phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and potassium, as well as vitamins A and C, niacin, folic acid, and biotin. When these nutrients are captured in a juicing process, they remain in a form that is much easier to assimilate than synthetic nutrients. For many years in Europe, beetroot has been used as a treatment for cancer. Specific anti-carcinogens are bound to the red colouring compounds, which supposedly help to fight against cancer. As far as the anemic is concerned, beetroot increases the uptake of oxygen by as much as 400 percent.
You're talking about cooked and preserved beets as opposed to fresh beets. The iron levels are different because the canned ones have them washed away. Same with canned and fresh spinach. Only eat canned vegetables when you absolutely have to. Fresh is best. Frozen is far better than canned, though not quite as good as fresh.
Beets in a jar would have been cooked, destroying all of the good nutrients. The iron in beets is actually in the beet greens, which are great juiced with some other leafy greens, such as swiss chard, spinach, celery, parsley, cucumber, carrots, and apple. Trace amount of iron are present in the beetroot, provided they are consumed raw, as cooking depletes many of the vitamins and enzymes. Raw beet makes a wonderful addition to a nice raw salad.
