Beet them!

Beetroot is surely Hogwarts’ favourite veg. It makes your tongue turn purple and your pee turn red. Plus, beetroot is deliciously sweet and earthy, like a snuggle with a pug (a puggle?) Magic.

Beetroot has long filled the cells of mankind with burly antioxidants and enough iron to make Popeye quake. But the real magic lies in its plant pigment. That glorious crimson colour holds a clever compound called betacyanin. This marvellous show-off is commissioned by our inner intelligence to offer all sorts of fancy ripostes in our bloodstream. Let’s hear it for betacyanin!

Oxidation is the damage done by free radicals that are found in oxygen. Down with free radicals! Picture oxidation as a type of rusting. Oxidative stress is a major part of ageing and just about every degenerative disease you can imagine. Even DNA corruption. Pah! Antioxidants can help fight the damage done by these marauding free radicals.

So where can you find those rotten, good-for-nothin’ free radicals? Well, everywhere, I’m afraid: they are in UV rays, environmental pollutants, chemical exposure, junk food, expired or oxidised oils, crap skincare, processed meats, alcohol, cigarettes.

We make many of our own renegade free radicals. Often, oxygen in the body splits into single atoms with unpaired electrons. We know that electrons like to be in pairs, so these atoms, now called free radicals, scavenge the body to seek out other electrons so they can become a pair; like iron filings to a magnet. This causes damage to cells, protein and DNA.

We can pump up on artillery, my friends; quash those marauding geezers with this beetroot gazpacho soup. Beets are still ranked as one of the most underused and misunderstood veggies. Both cooked and raw beetroots are easy to find in supermarkets, yet don’t always mosey their way into our shopping trolleys. Let’s rectify that with this week’s recipe.