Radishes are root vegetables that come in a variety of colors including red, white, purple and black. Radishes today are often overlooked, but remain a staple in salads. But radishes should play a larger part in your diet as they offer many health benefits due to their nutrition.
There are many different types of radishes meaning you have options to find the one you like best.
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Some types of radishes include:
- Bartender radish
- Chinese red meat radish
- Crimson giant radish
- Early scarlet globe radish
- German giant radish
- Giant of Sicily radish
- Helios radish
- Pink beauty radish.
(It’s easy to picture the color and shape of some of these just by reading their names.)
Let’s explore radishes further and reveal why you should be eating more of them.
Nutritional value of radish
One medium radish (4 grams) contains only one calorie, zero fat, zero cholesterol, minimal sodium (2 mg), zero carbohydrates and zero sugar. That alone makes radishes healthy and safe for people to consume, no matter their health conditions.
When you consume many radishes you can benefit from their fiber content, calcium, iron and vitamin C. These nutrients help radishes boost your health as well.
| Radish Nutrition Facts (Fresh, Raw) | Nutrient Value for per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Nutrients | Energy16 Kcal Carbohydrates 3.40 g Protein 0.68 g Total Fat0.10 g Cholesterol 0 mg Dietary Fiber1.6 g |
| Vitamins | Vitamin A7 IU Vitamin C14.8 mg Vitamin E0 mg Vitamin K 1.3 µg Riboflavin 0.039 mg Pyridoxine0.071 mg Niacin 0.254 mgFolates 25 µg |
| Minerals | Calcium25 mg Iron 0.34 mg Magnesium10 mg Manganese 0.069 mg Zinc 0.28 mg |
| Electrolytes | Sodium 39 mg Potassium233 mg |
8 Health benefits of radishes
There are many ways that radishes work to benefit your health, let’s examine those health benefits.
Liver: Radishes work as a powerful detoxifier, incorporating them into your diet can help maintain normal, healthy liver function.
Urinary disorders: Radishes are natural diuretics meaning they increase urine production. Urinating is our body’s way of releasing toxins. Furthermore, radishes can help clean out the kidneys and reduce inflammation in the urinary tract.
Weight loss: Radishes make you feel full and when you’re full you don’t eat as much. This means radishes can help promote weight loss. Additionally, they are high in water and fiber content, so they can keep you hydrated and reduce bloating.
Heart health: Radishes contain flavonoids which not only give radishes their color, but work to protect the heart. Flavonoids found in radishes have been found to boost heart health and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Digestion: Just as the fiber content in radishes can aid in weight loss, it can also aid in digestion. Fiber is essential for healthy bowel movements, so if you can’t seem to go you may want to reach for radishes. The fiber in radishes can work to bulk up loose stools if you have diarrhea as well.
Blood pressure: Similar to bananas, radishes contain potassium. Potassium is needed by the body to balance sodium levels. Too much sodium in the blood means an increase in blood pressure. Potassium found in radishes can reduce blood pressure because it relaxes the blood vessels.
Diabetes: If you’re diabetic is it advised you eat foods with a low glycemic index. This refers to the ability a food has to raise blood sugar. Radishes are considered to have a low glycemic index score, meaning they won’t cause sugar spikes.
Immune system: Radishes contain high amounts of vitamin C, which has been shown to boost immunity.
Radishes can work in just about every aspect of your body and health. If you were unfamiliar with the benefits of radishes prior, now you know how important they can be. You may want to incorporate more radishes into your daily diet to get the most from their nutrients.
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Sources:
http://www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/radishes/?F_All=Y
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2606/2
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-radish.html
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/radish.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/413273-health-benefits-of-radishes/
