![]() ![]() Prior to Romans cultivating the plant for its roots, the leaves were consumed, and the root was used more medicinally than for consumption however, by the Roman era, the beets were cultivated to larger, sweeter bulbs. The beetroot contains significant amounts of boron, which relates to the production of human sex hormones. During excavations, archaeologists discovered paintings of beetroots on the walls of lupanares (brothels) in ancient towns, preserved in ash from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Since ancient times, the beet has been used for dyes, teas, and medicinal properties treating constipation, fevers, skin disorders, circulation, and even as an aphrodisiac (as recorded by Roman physicians and naturalists of the time). After thousands of years of domesticating and cultivating, the beetroot today is bigger and sweeter than its wild ancestor. Before the beet became popular as a main dish, the beet gained its fame for other uses. maritima, a wild seashore plant growing around the Mediterranean and along the coasts of Europe and North Africa, the beet is a significant part of the world's history. The native sea beet was primarily eaten for its leaves rather than its root, which appears more like a skinny carrot than that of the modern, expanded beetroot we are familiar with in the 21st Century. ![]()
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