The health benefits of radishes have been
known for millennia. Radishes have been used as both a food product and a
medicine since before the Roman Empire.
Radishes are a root vegetable, originally
cultivated as a crop in Europe and China. A member of the Brassicaceae – kale,
broccoli, cabbage – family, the radish is a common vegetable consumed around
the world because the plant is extremely fast growing. When seeds are planted,
sprouts appear in as little as three days.
Radishes are one of the most ignored
vegetables on your local produce aisle and they shouldn’t be! Radishes are
extremely low in calories, naturally fat-free and carry a low glycemic load.
The Good Stuff in Radishes
Fiber
Vitamin C
Folate
Potassium
Magnesium
Copper
Calcium
Manganese
B vitamins
You simply can’t go wrong with adding this
tart veggie to your total nutrition plan! Thin-sliced, radishes make a good
snack option that preserves well. A cup of radishes contains only 19
calories!health benefits of radishes They are also delicious tossed over salad
or added to soups or stews. Mix shredded radishes into potato or macaroni salads.
Weight Loss
Radishes are very filling, which mean that
they satisfy your hunger without running up your calorie count. They are also
low in digestible carbohydrates, high in roughage and contain a lot of water,
making radishes a very good dietary option for those who are determined to lose
weight.
Furthermore, they are high in fiber and low on the glycemic index,
which means that they increase regular bowel movements, which helps in weight
loss, and increases the efficiency of the metabolism for all bodily processes.
the lack of calories puts them at the top of the “best diet” foods. The
surprising number of nutrients found in these small vegetables means you aren’t
skimping on nutrition while cutting back on fats, sugars and carbs. They hold
up well and can be eaten raw or cooked. They add a unique flavor to many foods.
Cancer
Radishes are detoxifiers and are rich in
vitamin-C, folic and anthocyanins, they have been connected to treating many
types of cancer, particularly colon, kidney, intestinal, stomach and oral
cancer. Radishes are part of the Brassica family, and like the other members of
that taxonomic classification, these cruciferous vegetables are packed with
antioxidants.
Humans need antioxidants because certain
oxidation reactions can produce unnecessary results and by products which may
be cancerous or make the body prone to diseases. Radishes contain such
antioxidants which are usually found in citrus fruits and vegetables.
Furthermore, the isthiocyanates found in
radishes have a major impact on the genetic pathways of cancerous cells. They
alter the pathways so much, in fact, that they can cause apoptosis, cell death,
thereby eliminating cancerous cells from reproducing.
Cardiovascular Conditions: Radishes are a
great source of anthocyanins, which are a type of flavonoids, which not only
give color to radishes, but also provide numerous health benefits. Anthocyanins
have been the subject of numerous medical studies, and have been positively
linked to reducing the occurrence of cardiovascular disease, and they have also
displayed anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties.
Other Benefits
Apart from the benefits outlined above,
radishes work as a good appetizer, mouth and breath freshener, laxative, and
metabolism regulator. People whose weekly diets are supplemented with normal
amounts of radish see an improvement in blood circulation, and radishes are a
good treatment for headaches, acidity, constipation, nausea, obesity, sore
throat, whooping cough, gastric problems, gall stones,and dyspepsia.
Radishes are natural anti-inflammatory
relief from asthma, arthritis .and healthy skin because radishes have the
ability to keep skin will hydrate from the inside out of the body.
I suggest you have some slices of radish
to get your stomach working properly, and perhaps make you hungry for even more
nutrient-packed power food.