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The Benefits Of Radish

Radish is one of the most famous root vegetables that has been cultivated in agriculture for thousands of years. Due to its pungent taste and aroma, it is firmly rooted in the expression “worse than bitter radish”. But if you weigh all its beneficial properties and evaluate its health benefits, you can hardly find a better product than radish. Let’s talk about the benefits and possible harms of eating radishes.

About radish and their types

Garden radish is an annual plant whose benefits were known to ancient people. The Greeks considered radish to be one of the main products, worshiped it, and brought it to the altar as a gift to the god Apollo. Its benefits were well known to the ancient Egyptians – it was included in the diet of the pyramid builders as a product that increases physical strength and endurance.

The most tangible benefit is from the use of its three types: black, green, and white.

The benefits of black radish

Black radish is the least tasty, but the healthiest of all its relatives. Its healing properties for colds have been known since the days of princely Russia.

It was indispensable both for external use in the form of compresses and rubbing and in the treatment of internal organ problems. Healers used to apply a patch of grated vegetable to the chest of the weak, who had been coughing for a long time and bury their noses with radish juice.

Black radish helped in the form of compresses for ear inflammation. Our ancestors already knew what harm intestinal parasites could do to the body and successfully fought them thanks to this root vegetable.

Black radish is also beneficial in the fight against bacterial infections and purulent skin lesions.

The benefits of green radish

Green radish has a mild, fresh flavor and is often used in vegetable salads. Its regular use not only improves digestion but also stimulates appetite due to the presence of special enzymes. It is indispensable for dysbiosis, the most common disorder of the digestive system today.

Green radish successfully copes not only with the disease itself, but also with its consequences: diarrhea, constipation, rumbling in the stomach, and lack of appetite.

The harm that excess cholesterol causes to the body can be prevented by including the root vegetable or its juice in your daily diet. Green radish removes excess cholesterol, which prevents the development of atherosclerosis and stroke in the future.

Useful properties of white radish (daikon)

The largest representative of this vegetable, the white radish or daikon, was bred in Japan several centuries ago and today is the staple food of the Japanese. It can grow more than half a meter long and weigh more than a kilogram. Tasty and juicy root vegetables do not have the bitterness characteristic of radish. In addition to its dietary properties, daikon contains a large amount of vitamin C.

Just one hundred grams of the root vegetable can replenish a person’s daily need for this vitamin.

Daikon is recommended for people with liver and kidney disease. It is able to cleanse them and dissolve sand and stones.

Regular consumption of white radish strengthens the immune system and increases resistance to infectious diseases. It is useful for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, diabetics, and people with stomach and intestinal disorders. In its raw form, the grated vegetable is applied to purulent wounds and inflammations.

Vitamin and mineral composition of radish

Radish contains easily digestible potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus. The root vegetable contains many useful organic acids, essential oils, enzymes, trace elements, and vitamins necessary for the body, namely:

  • A – has a positive effect on the condition of human skin, and increases resistance to infections;
  • B1 – normalizes metabolism, muscles, and nervous system;
  • B2 – supports vision, affects cell reproduction, and participates in the formation of many enzymes;
  • B5 – participates in the functioning of fat cells, stimulates the adrenal glands, and promotes skin regeneration;
  • B6 – restores the body after illnesses and the use of antibiotics;
  • C – strengthens the immune system, increases the elasticity of blood vessels, has a positive effect on the central nervous system, and prevents the formation of tumors due to its antioxidant effect;
  • E – delays aging, helps to assimilate proteins and fats and affects the functioning of muscles, nerves, circulatory system, and brain.
  • PP – has a positive effect on the general condition of hair, skin, and mucous membranes, and improves appetite.

Mustard oil, which is a diuretic and choleretic agent and normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, gives radish its characteristic bitterness.

Radish is included in the diet as a means of preventing atherosclerosis, bile, and urolithiasis. The fiber contained in the root vegetable stimulates intestinal motility. Regular consumption of radish prevents the formation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels. The radish contains active substances such as glucosinolates, which increase the activity of the immune system and promote the elimination of toxins from the body.

The calorie content of the product is only 36 kcal per 100 g, which allows everyone to consume radish, including those who are watching their weight and want to lose weight, as well as those who are obese or do not watch their weight at all.

The effect of radish on the body

The root vegetable and its green part are eaten. Both are a source of vitamin C and powerful antioxidants. Radish leaves contain a large amount of calcium. The chemically active sulfur present in the root vegetable relieves bile stagnation, thereby preventing the occurrence of gallbladder diseases. Potassium salts, which the vegetable is rich in, remove decay products from the body, and a large amount of phytoncides heals the intestinal microflora.

The inclusion of radish in the diet is a good prevention of such complex diseases as tumors and hepatitis. Regular consumption of the root vegetable has a positive effect on the state of the lymphatic system, cardiovascular and nervous systems. Radish has the most favorable effect on the functioning of organs such as the liver, intestines, gallbladder, and kidneys.

However, despite the enormous benefits of radish for the body, there are contraindications to regular consumption of radish. If you have liver and kidney disease not associated with stone formation, gastritis with high acidity, gastroduodenal ulcers, or inflammation of the small and large intestines, you will have to give up this product.

Those who follow a healthy diet and are going to include radish in their diet should remember that radish is not eaten in their pure form, it is added to salads (based on carrots, and apples) to minimize the sharpness of the fruit, radish is rubbed on a fine grater, allowed to stand for some time or consumed with sour cream, low-fat and unsweetened yogurt.

Despite the many beneficial properties of radish, you should be extremely careful in its use, not forgetting about contraindications. And then this gift of nature will become an indispensable assistant and make life much easier. So, take care of yourself and your health!

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Written by Bella Adams

I'm a professionally-trained, executive chef with over ten years in Restaurant Culinary and hospitality management. Experienced in specialized diets, including Vegetarian, Vegan, Raw foods, whole food, plant-based, allergy-friendly, farm-to-table, and more. Outside of the kitchen, I write about lifestyle factors that impact well-being.

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