Radish, the name itself can bring an expression of disgust on your face! The pungent smell of Radish makes it an unpopular ingredient in the vegetable kingdom. However, Radish benefits (mooli benefits) to our health are numerous and is highly recommended by doctors. Radish is called “Mooli” in Hindi, “Mullangi” in Telugu, “Mullanki” in Tamil, “Mulangi” in Kannada and “Mūlī” in Marathi. When cooked well, Radish can taste delicious and make you ask for more. Let’s get started with learning a bit more about this vegetable and also some of the important Radish Benefits for hair, skin and health.
What Is Radish?
Radish is a root vegetable which belongs to the Brassicaceae family. It is believed that Radish was cultivated in the ancient European period and was later introduced to the rest of the world. They are filled with many chemical agents which are responsible for its sharp and pungent flavour. These edible roots are widely used in salads, soups, stir-fries and even the famous Mooli Sambar! Radish leaves are also nutritious and can be used for cooking purposes.
Types Of Radishes:
If you thought Radish root is available in only in the white version, commonly seen in the market, you are in for a surprise! There are many varieties of Radish grown across the world and the popular among them are:
- White Icicle: White Radish that is quite pungent.
- Sparkler: Bright red colour with a round shape and a white tip.
- Cherry Belle: Red Radish widely used in Salads.
- White Beauty: Sweet tasting Radish.
- French Breakfast: Crunchy Radish with a sweet and mild taste.
- Early Scarlet Gold: Round shaped radish with red skin and white inside.
- Daikon Long White: Grows up to 18 inches long and are quite huge.
- Fire and Ice: Radish with Red and White shades on the top and bottom.
Is Radish Good For Health?
Radish offers countless advantages to our body. It is known for its immune boosting properties, with the high amounts of Vitamin C. Radish is also a great source of dietary fibre to aid in better digestion and prevent constipation. As it is rich in anthocyanins and other powerful antioxidants, Radish can even ward off deadly cancers.
Radish Nutrition Facts:
Below is the nutritional value of Radishes per 100 gms of Serving:
- Total Calories: 16
- Total Carbohydrates: 3.4 gm
- Dietary Fiber: 1.6 gm
- Proteins: 0.7 gm
- Potassium: 233 mg
- Sodium: 39 mg
- Vitamin C: 24 %
- Vitamin B6: 5 %
- Magnesium: 2 %
- Calcium: 2 %
How To Eat Radishes?
Radishes are usually preferred in raw form to keep their nutrition intact. However, their strong smell and sharp taste can be repelling to a lot of people. In such cases, you can steam them lightly or add them to dips and soups. Adding radishes with sweet tasting vegetables like carrots can also neutralize the taste. Many people also use red radish or Daikon as an alternate to horseradish or Wasabi.
Impressive Radish Health Benefits:
Here we enlisted 18 radish benefits for skin, hair and health. Let’s have a look into them.
1. Prevents Cancers:
Everyone shrugs at the name of cancer and people are scared that one day they too might lose their lives or their loved ones to it. The disease is scary and very costly to treat, and in most cases, patients have plenty of side effects even after recovery is done. However, you can start now by having a radish every day, which would mean introducing your body to phytochemicals present in the veggie and the anti-carcinogenic properties would help beat cancer, say experts. In addition to that, vitamin C found in radish would help the cells stay long lasting and healthy for a long time.
2. Regulates Blood Pressure:
Radish is known to help with hypertension control and blood pressure control as well. The veggie is filled with minerals such as potassium which helps combat the draining effects of sodium in many diets, in turn controlling blood pressure levels for you. Ask your doctor and he too would agree with the same, which is why our grandparents always had a cup of radish juice on an empty stomach every morning. So don’t be late to go and eat a radish.
3. Keeps Diabetes Under Control:
The pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin in our body which helps absorb glucose in the bloodstream. When you are a diabetic, your body wouldn’t be able to absorb the insulin created by the pancreas, or maybe your body wouldn’t be able to produce that amount of insulin or any of it at all because of the disease. However, if you start eating a radish every day, you can have a lot of soluble fibre which would manage the glycaemic index and wouldn’t let the sugar levels in the blood jump around. This is why is highly recommended.
4. Lowers Frequency Of Colds And Coughs:
There are many of us who suffer from colds and coughs, and having radish would be good. This is because the humble vegetable has plenty of anti-congestive properties which would help clear and clean the mucus formations in the throat. The immunity levels too would be kept in check and this means the cough and cold would be taken care off too.
5. Treats Jaundice:
The veggie is of great help to beat yellow fevers and jaundice too. This veggie is known to shun away toxins from our system as well, keeping the liver in pink of health. The content of bilirubin in the blood is managed by the veggie and the oxygen levels increase when the veggie is consumed. Red blood cells aren’t destroyed and one can be assured of early recovery from jaundice too.
See More: Health Benefits Of Turnip
6. Prevents Constipation and Piles:
The veggie has plenty of powers to beat constipation and provide individuals with smooth bowel movements. Morning motion needs would be smooth since the high fibre content in radish allows the digestive system to function well, it helps with food clearing from the digestive tract too. The colon is kept in good stead and shape too, and the bile secretion also is facilitated to a large extent, say experts. Doctors also advise Radish for piles relief.
7. Aids In Weight Loss:
The benefits of Radish for weight loss are known to the health industry. Radish is almost nil when it comes to having calories, and the fibre is high, say experts. The leaves of this veggie especially should be consumed, and the whole tuber can be eaten or juiced. A glass of the juice before a meal makes you full and you won’t indulge in cravings later on
See More: Taro Health Benefits
8. Repels Insects:
In many cultures, the paste of radish can help with soothing irritating insect bites. Complications can arise if the stings and bites aren’t taken care of, and the antipruritic properties in radish can help cure the stings and bites, say sources. Inflammation can be brought down and the pains too, with the paste or the juice applied on the affected areas, say, experts.
9. Anti-Ageing Properties:
White radish benefits for skin are numerous. With plenty of antioxidants and vitamins in the humble veggie, radish should be eaten so that the free radical effect is reversed or slowed down. Raw radish paste, when applied as a mask to the skin would keep you young looking for long. It is even known for its skin-lightening properties.
10. Reduces Risk of UTI:
Radish helps the burning sensation during urination. Basically, radish has a special property that helps to increase the urine production that flushes out the waste product from our body. This basically improves our system from getting cleaned up and hence prevents any further infections in our urinary system. This makes the work of the kidney easier. Due to the diuretic property of radish, it helps to easy removal of the toxic product from blood and then washed out from the kidney. Hence it improves our kidney conditions and also helpful for people who are suffering from kidney disorders.
See More: Honeysuckle Health Benefits
11. Prevents Cardiovascular Problems:
Radish contains flavonoid antioxidants that are responsible for improving health conditions. It provides several health benefits among these it also helps in improving the cardiovascular condition. The compound anthocyanins not only provide colour to this vegetable but also reduces the heart diseases. This compound is really very helpful in lowering cardiovascular diseases as well as has other features like anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer property. Also lowering the blood pressure and maintaining it to normal condition would enhance easy blood flow that does not pressurize the artery walls.
12. Nourishes Skin:
Radish is highly rich in minerals like phosphorus and zinc that are beneficial for providing better skin texture. Vitamins C and B complex are also good for our skin. These supplements in radish improve our skin and reduce our skin disorders. Radish has the disinfectant property that helps to cleanse our skin and face packs can be made by smashing raw radish. Skin disorders like rashes, cracks and dryness are reduced by consuming radish or applying skin packs. It also helps to beat dryness by moisturizing our skin as this vegetable contains a large amount of water.
13. Hydrates The Body:
Other than the nutrients, radish contains a large amount of water that provides us with another benefit. Water is the main component required for a healthy body that needs to be maintained at an appropriate level otherwise it would cause health issues. Thus, this water content vegetable helps in hydrating our body which further helps to improve different conditions of our health. Reducing dehydration would basically improve the proper intake of nutrients within our body from the food items. Constipation problems, digestive disorders, skin disorders are reduced by staying healthy.
14. Strengthens Immune System:
Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant that consists of red radish and helps to improve our immune system health. Strengthening your immune system is very important for providing better health conditions. Improving your immune system means it helps to fight against many diseases from simple disease to complex one like cancer. Vitamin C helps to boost up our system which makes the work of the white blood cells easy to fight back against microbes and also free radicals that are formed within our body.
15. Prevents Respiratory Disorders:
Respiratory conditions are improved by consuming radish. Though radish is quite pungent but helps to cure many diseases and also prevents us from those diseases. This natural element helps to eliminate the extra mucus in our throat that causes sore throat, hence prevents us from illness. It also provides relief from nasal congestion and thus improves respiratory disorders. We get relief from respiratory disorders like asthma and bronchitis. Windpipe and lungs irritations are caused due to common colds or any sort of allergies that are also reduced.
See More: Red Bell Pepper Benefits
16. Fights Hair Fall:
Radishes are known for treating hair disorders, including hair fall, thinning and breakage. One of the best benefits of radish juice is to repair the damages caused to hair. It can strengthen the follicles from the roots to lower the chances of falling hair. Applying radish juice topically and massaging it well on scalp improve your hair’s volume. This is a wonderful radish benefit for hair regrowth.
17. Eliminates Dandruff:
If you are suffering from an itchy, flaky scalp, try Radish! The juice of radish can effectively treat yeast infections like Dandruff. It can temporarily offer relief from severe itching and irritation of the scalp. Just extract fresh radish juice and apply it on the scalp. Massage well and leave on for 30 mins. Follow it with an anti-dandruff shampoo.
18. Protects Liver and Gall bladder:
If you are suffering from gall bladder problems, Radish can be beneficial to you. Black radish juice is known for its incredible cleansing properties by reducing the blood lipid levels. By lowering cholesterol in the body, the chances of liver and gall problems can be significantly brought down.
Radish Side Effects:
Although Radish is quite beneficial to our health, over-consumption can lead to certain health complications. Listed below are some of the radish disadvantages:
- Bad Mouth Odour
- Dehydration
- Stomach disorders
- Burning Sensation
- Ulcers
- Lowered blood pressure
- May cause excess urine output.
- Taking Radish during pregnancy is not advised as it can cause flatulence and bloating.
Now that you have seen the top radish benefits for skin, hair and health, it’s time to start including it in your diet. Radish may smell gross, but once you develop a fondness for this vegetable, you will never leave it! There are many interesting recipes on the internet, which can show you how to make radish taste delicious. Just click on them and practice at home to make Radish more enjoyable.
