Spring Radishes
Heirloom Radish Bunches at Farmers Market
I'll admit that until recently, I've ignored radishes. I'm putting that behind me and moving my cuisine to a new level by adding these powerful detoxifiers and cancer-fighting vegetables into my culinary routine. They can enhance our health and even the taste of food. In ancient Greece, radishes were once so valued that gold statues were created in their image.
Health Benefits of Radishes
It shouldn't be surprising that they are so nutritious, given that they are part of the famously healthy cruciferous family, which includes foods like kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Radishes contain significant amounts of vitamin C, folate, potassium, and fiber, as well as vitamin B-6, riboflavin, thiamin, manganese, calcium, copper, zinc, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, and selenium.
It's the phytonutrients together with these nutrients that really make radishes so valuable to us. Such phytonutrients include indoles, which detoxify, and flavonoids like zeaxanthin, lutein, and beta carotene – all powerful antioxidants. Phytonutrients are potent cancer-fighters, due in part to important isothiocyanate antioxidant compounds called sulforaphane, which seem to protect our cells from the genetic mutations that cause cancer. They can also help prevent cancer by eliminating potentially cancerous cells before they can start to form a tumor.
Some phytonutrients in radishes can even function in antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory ways. They also help to remove bilirubin from the liver, prevent jaundice, purify the kidney and urinary systems, relieve congestion, regulate blood pressure, and prevent respiratory problems such as bronchitis and asthma. Radishes have a natural laxative effect that can help push waste smoothly through the body. They also facilitate bile secretion to improve digestion. Take April's Healthy Challenge and try a variety of colored radishes like red, rose, purple, lavender, and white and incorporate them into meals as more than just a garnish. Make them the main event in roasted vegetables, stir-fries, salads and sandwiches. These vegetables have a nice tangy taste that provides flavor to almost any food, with almost no calories (10 calories for a 1/2 cup) but a major amount of nutrition!