Beetroot is in season now and widely available from your supermarket or fruit & veg shop.
Both the leaves and the easily-recognised bright red root can be eaten as a vegetable. The leaves can be steamed or used in stir fries and the root is either eaten raw or as a hot or cold cooked vegetable.
The colour of the beetroot is due to its Betanin content, which has powerful antioxidant benefits. It is thought that these antioxidants may give benefits in terms of prevention of cancer including colon, lung, prostate, skin, stomach and womb cancers.
Studies have also shown that it has a positive effect on blood pressure and, since Roman times, beetroot juice has been thought of as an aphrodisiac as it contains good levels of boron a mineral that plays an important role in the production of sex hormones.
So try some beetroot today in a juice or grated raw in a salad.
For a simple juice try 2 apples, 2 carrots, half a beetroot, 1 stick of celery.
Juice, pour and enjoy!