Radish and its green leaves both offer multiple health benefits. You may or may not like its pungent smell but eat it as salad or drink its juice, radish will make you healthy.
Radish comes in many different colors, shapes and sizes. They can be black, red, pink, purple, yellow or white from outside but most radishes have creamy white interior. From a round shape of a golf ball size to a tubular shape of foot size long radishes are peppery crunchy.
Before we get into counting health benefits of radish let us look at its origin and nutritional values.
Table of Contents
What is Radish?
Radish is believed to have originated in China thousands of years B.C. and travelled around the globe. It is a root vegetable with scientific name of Rafanus sativus from the brassica family, a cousin of cabbage. Both the roots and leaves are nutrition rich and edible. Since the ancient time radish has both medicinal and culinary uses.
In the Asian countries radish is known as daikon. It's seeds and pods are also useful in addition to widely used roots and leaves.
You can easily grow radish in your backyard.
Nutritional Profile of Radish
Radishes are rich in vitamins and minerals. They also contain powerful antioxidant flavonoids zeaxanthin, lutein and beta carotene in addition to phytonutrients indoles.
100 grams of Radish contains following nutrients in % of daily value (Source USDA)
- Calories 16
- Total Fat 0.1 g 0%
- Total Carbohydrate 3.4 g 1%
- Sugar 1.9 g
- Protein 0.7 g 1%
- Dietary fiber 1.6 g 6%
- Vitamin C 24%
- Vitamin B-6 5%
- Sodium 39 mg 1%
- Potassium 233 mg 6%
- Calcium 2%
- Iron 1%
- Magnesium 2%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Health Benefits of Radish
Immune System Benefits
Radishes are rich in antioxidants which protects your body from disease causing oxidative stresses. In addition, vitamins and minerals in radish helps in better cell repair and cell production. The overall impact of all these capabilities is increased immunity to fight diseases. It provides good protection against cancer.
High Vitamin C content of radish is key to improve your immunity.100 grams of radish will provide you 24 % of your daily requirement of vitamins C.
Organ Health Benefits
Radish improves health of various body organs and glands
- Thyroid Hormone Balance - The sulfur and raphanin in radish helps to maintain hormonal balance in thyroid gland thus preventing conditions like hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism
- Kidneys - Diuretic, cleansing and antimicrobial capabilities of radish protects your kidneys from many disorders.
- Liver and Gallbladder - It removes bilirubin from the liver which intoxicates liver and causes jaundice. It also regulates production of bile, acids and enzymes to protect your liver and gallbladder from diseases.
- Heart - Radish Improves cardiovascular conditions due to flavonoids such as anthocyanins. It improves blood flow and strengthens heart muscles.
- Bones - Radish seeds are rich in calcium. It helps in strengthening of bones
Disease Prevention and Control
Radish helps in prevention and treatment of many diseases.
- Jaundice - Radish detoxifies your liver. It removes bilirubin which is the main cause of jaundice. It also prevents destruction of healthy red blood cells to recover from jaundice fast.
- Diabetes - Radish is a low glycemic index food. Consume as much as radish as you want. it won't affect your blood sugar levels.
- Cancer - Anthocyanins, vitamin c and folic acid in radish helps to prevent and control many types of cancers such as colon, intestinal and kidney cancers.
- Leucoderma - Radish seeds are specifically used in treatment of leucoderma from ancient time.
- Blood Pressure - Rich in potassium, radish helps in lowering your blood pressure. Potassium improves blood flow and erases the bad effects of sodium on the blood pressure.
Hair and Skin Health Benefits
Radish hydrates your body due to very high water content. This is beneficial to your hair and skin.
- Clear Skin - Clear skin also is a positive outcome of better metabolism. High fiber content of radish improves your digestion resulting in clear and smooth skin.
- Cleansing - Radish have natural cleansing capabilities. Use it as natural cleanser.
- Insect Bites and Stings - Radish heals your insect bites and stings fast due to its anti inflammatory and antibacterial capabilities.
- Skin Diseases - Due to high antioxidant contents and minerals and antimicrobial capabilities radish helps to get rid of skin diseases and keep it smooth. Eat radish regularly.;
- Hair Fall - Regular consumption of radish reduces hair fall. In fact topical application of radish juice like onion juice stimulates hair growth
- Dandruff - Eating radish and topical application of radish on your scalp can help in removing dandruff from your scalp.
- Healthy and Shiny Hair - Iron in radish helps to keep your hair healthy and shiney by improving overall texture.
Other Benefits of Radish
Radish helps to reduce fever, pain and inflammations. It also fights infections that cause fever. You can eat crunchy slices of radish or its juice to get the benefits.
Radish also is a good appetizer, it removes bad breath, gets rid of constipation and regulates metabolism.
So with all these advantages of radish, it certainly makes sense to add it to your regular diet.
Precautions and Tips
In order to get the best out of radishes keep the following in mind:
- Eat firm and crisp radish
- Soft roots are indication of old and less nutritious radish
- Look for soft skin not cracked
- Bright green radish leaves without blemishes are good for consumption
So add some thin slices of radish to your salad and enjoy the crunchy taste with all the benefits.