I used to hate radishes, and most every other kind of vegetable
for that matter, until I started doing some research into the health
benefits of radishes and other raw fruits and vegetables. But radishes
in particular, having such a deep red-purple color, have many nutrients,
vitamins, and minerals that aren't found in other places.
Radishes
are one of the few edible roots in the world, but was actually first
farmed actively in Europe before 0 AD. Now they are grown and farmed all
throughout the world. Radish, in modern days, has become more of a
general term, since we now regularly see many different forms of
radishes. There are different types of radishes for each of the four
seasons. Their colors range from white, to pink, to deep reddish purple,
and anything in between. Though there are a lot of different kinds of
radishes, the common summer radish variety that you see in most grocery
stores are some of the best and healthiest.
1. Detox. I've written
a few different articles on the value of detoxification in the human
body, and radishes are a very good detox vegetable. Especially for those
who need to cleanse their livers, radishes promote healthy liver
cleansing and function.
2. Fiber. Radishes are very high in
roughage, or fiber. This has multiple benefits. First, it gives you a
great dose of your daily fiber, which most people are greatly deficient
in. Secondly, it fills the stomach up with indigestible plant matter,
helping to give a boost toward weight loss. This generally means that
you have to eat the radishes instead of juicing them however. When you
juice them, a lot of the fiber is removed.
3. Promotes Healthy
Skin. Radishes contain many natural vitamins and minerals which are
healthy for the skin. Some include Vitamin-C, zinc, some phosphorus, and
some vitamin-B complex. It even has been shown to help relieve certain
skin diseases.
4. Has Unique Vitamins, Minerals, and Nutrients on
the Color Wheel. Like my mom always told me, when eating vegetables,
it's important to have a rainbow of colors on your plate. Colors in
vegetables are a good measure of some of the vitamins and minerals
present in high abundance. Radishes, especially the deep reddish, purple
summer radishes are fairly unique in color. They contain vitamins,
minerals, and nutrients that most other vegetables don't.
Radishes
are easy to grow. Being that they're a root, not much can get to them
to hurt them. But that still doesn't answer the question of why you
should grow your own when you can easily buy them in the store. In the
modern world of corporate farming, numerous studies have shown that a
lot of our foods have lost their nutrition value of vitamins and
minerals. That's because corporate farms only replenish the soil just
enough to get the crops to grow again the next year. They don't
replenish the soil with the full range of fertilizers that plants need
in order to have all the vitamins and minerals they can. If you really
want to get the right health benefits of radishes, you really ought to
consider buying some seeds and growing your own. Then you can control
the soil and the conditions set for their growth. And as was stated
earlier, different varieties of radish can be grown all year long.
They're easy and very healthy. Best of luck!
By
Ben Mester 