The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

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    Behold the lowly beet

    Here in Orange County New York with its “black earth’ and proud agricultural heritage there are festivals this time of year honoring just about every food you grow in the ground or herd on the range.

    My town, Monroe, has its cheese festival (although no one actually sells cheese). And the local newspaper lists many more, with the notable exception of beets. This is especially strange

    Well, here is my ode to the lowly beet from NutritionData.com and whFoods.com.

    The good beet

    • Very low in saturated fat and cholesterol
    • Good source of vitamin C, iron, and magnesium
    • Very good source of dietary fiber, folate, potassium and manganese

    The bad beet

    • A large portion of the calories comes from sugars
    • Beeturia is the red or pink color to your urine or stool when you eat too many — it’s harmless
    • Contains oxalic acid: Avoid if you have existing and untreated kidney or gallbladder problems
    • Oxalates can also interfere with calcium absorption

    Graphs showing the nutritional content of beets along with recipes and cooking suggestions abound at the above links. Just avoid the temptation to drown beets in vingar like mom used to do.

    Illustration: Swallowtail Garden Seeds

    10/1/06 11:06 JR

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