Description
Radish is one of the nutritious root vegetables featured in both raw salads as well as in main recipes. This widely used root vegetable belongs to the family of Brassica. In Chinese culture, radish along with cabbage and soybean curd (tofu) believed as healthy and sustenance food items. A popular Chinese proverb goes like this, “eating pungent radish and drinking hot tea, let the starved doctors beg on their knees.”
7 amazing Health benefits of Radish
- Since ancient times, Chinese believe that eating radish and other brassica group vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, and napa cabbage would bring wholesome health.
- They are one of very low-calorie root vegetables. Fresh root provides just 16 calories per 100 grams. Nonetheless; they are an excellent source of antioxidants, electrolytes, minerals, vitamins, and dietary fiber.
- Radish, like other cruciferous and Brassica family vegetables, contains isothiocyanate antioxidant compound called sulforaphane.
- Studies suggest that sulforaphane has proven role against prostate, breast, colon and ovarian cancers by its cancer-cell growth inhibition, and cytotoxic effects on cancer cells.
- Fresh roots are a good source of vitamin-C; provide about 15 mg or 25% of DRI of vitamin C per 100 g. Vitamin-C is a powerful water soluble antioxidant required by the body for synthesis of collagen. It helps the human body scavenge harmful free radicals, prevention from cancers, inflammation and help boost immunity.
- Also, they contain adequate levels of folates, vitamin B-6, riboflavin, thiamin and minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper and calcium.
- Further, they contain many phytochemicals like indoles which are detoxifying agents and zeaxanthin, lutein, and beta-carotene, which are flavonoid antioxidants. Their total antioxidant strength, measured regarding oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC value), is 1736 µmol TE/100 g.
Radish (Raphanus sativus), Fresh, raw, Nutrition Value per 100 g,
(Source: USDA National Nutrient data base)
| Principle | Nutrient Value | Percent of RDA |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 16 Kcal | 1% |
| Carbohydrates | 3.40 g | 3% |
| Protein | 0.68 g | 1% |
| Total Fat | 0.10 g | <1% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.6 g | 4% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Folates | 25 µg | 6% |
| Niacin | 0.254 mg | 1.5% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.071 mg | 5.5% |
| Riboflavin | 0.039 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin A | 7 IU | <1% |
| Vitamin C | 14.8 mg | 25% |
| Vitamin E | 0 mg | 9% |
| Vitamin K | 1.3 µg | 1% |
| Electrolytes | ||
| Sodium | 39 mg | 2.5% |
| Potassium | 233 mg | 5% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 25 mg | 2.5% |
| Copper | 0.050 mg | 5% |
| Iron | 0.34 mg | 4% |
| Magnesium | 10 mg | 2.5% |
| Manganese | 0.069 mg | 2.5% |
| Zinc | 0.28 mg | 2% |
| Phyto-nutrients | ||
| Carotene-ß | 4 µg | — |
| Carotene-a | 0 µg | — |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin | 10 µg | — |
