toothpick93 - 4-3-2013 at 06:52
So i was surfing the web as everyone else does when they are bored and wanted to know what makes the beetroot so red and why it stains. I was reading
the wiki and came across that it is a high nitrate source. ** Interesting** i continued reading along and came across also it has a high boron content
in it. It got be thinking...
Is there a link between the 2?
What is the nitrate compound in beetroot?
Are there any papers on this subject?
Fantasma4500 - 4-3-2013 at 11:08
definately sounds like there could be a link if theres high concents of both... havent actually heard about boron nitrate, perhaps because boron isnt
always that easy to get a hold of and then nitrates are used for pyro generally and.. well.. combining the two might only have happened a few times
for experimental reasons with nitrates across the whole periodic table..
you could take some of the liquid and boil it down alot and then react it with fx. K2CO3
then you could boil that down and see if there is an useful amount of nitrates in, boron chemistry i have no clue on tho.. always interesting to read
about these everyday things..
toothpick93 - 4-3-2013 at 22:54
But id need alot of beetroot to get a good result
bahamuth - 4-3-2013 at 23:41
It is folly "to try to get nitrate and boron from beetroot" - Boromir.
If you are reading and gulping down un-sourced wiki statements at least get them right, the wiki article mentions nitrites, not nitrate, and an
unsupported claim that it may be increasing performance in athletes. Also claiming boron is abundant in beetroot is also a extreme misinterpretation
of what is mentioned in the wiki article, it only states that the plant demands a very high amount of it to function properly. Not anywhere does it
state that the plant has a high content of it.
Additionally, when one speaks about "high" content of minerals or simple ions in foodstuff one speaks about trace amounts of the elements, like from a
few µg to 100's of milligram per kilogram of fresh or dried foodstuff. There are some exceptions but not many.
Nitrates can be bought or made. Boron can be extracted from neodymium magnets (~1% w/w) or other boron containing alloys (Borosilicate lab glass has a
very high content, and is even used in synthesis as a source of boron). Please take the time to indulge brainfarts with a little factual reading
before cluttering the board; remember kids, Google is your friend
PS. Sorry if I have an offending tone to my writing, only intention is in an educational tone is all...
bahamuth
zed - 5-3-2013 at 19:43
Not fond of beetroot, except in Borscht. Like the steamed greens though. For some reason, beetgreens have a salty taste. Just steamed greens, no
condiments required. Yummy.
blogfast25 - 6-3-2013 at 05:56
Bahamuth is correct.
For a really OTC source of boron, try boric acid (H3BO3).
ScienceSquirrel - 6-3-2013 at 06:21
Or borax, you can buy it by the kilo in the cleaning / laundry section of large pharmacies, supermarkets.
Just add hydrochloric acid if you want boric acid.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax