Wild beetroot was originally gathered for its leaves. By the sixteenth century, the red beetroot had travelled widely and was being used as food.In ancient times, beetroot folklore has it that people believed the colour of beetroot showed how powerful it is. 

Folklore also has it that beetroot was eaten to promote good blood. The Greeks used beetroot to 'cool' blood, and Romans used it to fight fever.Carrot juice is often used as a 'base' juice in natural juice drinks, because it's sweetness hides other less palatable tastes. Many people mix carrot juice with beet juice for helping with liver problems. If the drink is a little too sweet, add cucumber or parsley juice.

Less folklore and more recent, is research by Dr Ferenczi of Hungary. He used large amounts of beetroot successfully for cancerous tumour regression, up to 1 kg daily have been used. The active ingredient is the purple colouring containing anthocyanin. It is now also available as a freeze-dried powder.