Description
Medicinal Parts
The root is the medicinal part.
Flower and Fruit
The flowers bloom in clusters of 2 to 4 in paniclelike leafy inflorescences.
Leaves, Stem, and Root
The beet is a 0.5 to 1.5 m perennial with a swollen, edible tuber that is red or white. The large, upright leaves have long stalks and grow in rosettes that arise basally from the top of the tuber. They are deep green and tinged with red.
Habitat
The Beet is indigenous to the coastal regions of Europe, North Africa, and Asia from Turkey to India. Red Beets, Sugar Beets and the white variety are all widely cultivated.
Other Names
Chard
Actions & Pharmacology
Compounds
Saccharose (up to 27% in the pressed sugar beet)
Other oligosaccharides: refined sugar, ketose
Polysaccharides: including galactans, arabans, pectin
Fruit acids: including L(-)-malic acid, D(+)-tartaric acid, oxaluric acid, adipic acid, citric acid, glycolic acid, glutaric acid
Amino acids: including asparagine, glutamine
Betaine (trimethylglycine)
Triterpene saponins
Effects
Beet is said to have antihepatotoxic effects; in animal tests, the drug effectively keeps fat from depositing in the liver. This is probably due to the herb's concentration of betaine, which is a methyl group donor in the liver's transmethylation process.
Indications & Usage
Unproven Uses
Beet is used as supportive therapy in diseases of the liver and fatty liver.
Indian Medicine
The drug is used for coughs and infections.
Precautions & Adverse Reactions
No health hazards or side effects are known in conjunction with the proper administration of designated therapeutic dosages.
Overdosage
Taking very large quantities could lead to hypocalcemia and kidney damage because of the drug's oxaluric acid content.
Dosage
Mode of Administration
Beet is available as a granular powder in standardized form.
Daily Dosage
For the first 14 days, take 10 gm of drug after meals throughout the course of the day. For long-term treatment, the dose is 5 gm per day for at least 3 months.
