Radishes: A Zesty Snack With A Number of Health Benefits

How Radishes Are Good For Your Health

Nutrient Content

Vitamins

Excellent Source of (Daily Recommended):

• Vitamin C – 29%

A Source of:

• Folate – 7%
• Vitamin B6 – 4%
• Riboflavin – 3%
• Vitamin K – 2%
• Pantothenic Acid – 2%

Minerals

A Source of:

• Potassium – 8%
• Manganese – 4%
• Copper – 3%
• Magnesium – 3%
• Calcium – 3%

Other

Also a Source of:

• Fiber – 7%
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids
• Antioxidants – Isothiocyanates,  Nitrates

*All nutritional information found at ( 1 )

How Radish Prevents Chronic Disease

Radish, like many vegetables, prevent several chronic diseases that plague America today. Most notably, radish helps to prevent cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

How Radish Prevents Cancer

In general, vegetables are recommended to be consumed daily in order to help prevent cancer. Radish is a great resource to incorporate into your diet to prevent various cancers.

• Radish has several beneficial effects to combat cancer development. Specifically, radishes can help counteract the effects of free radicals (unstable molecules that attack your tissues when in an excess form) and prevent cancer development and proliferation.

• First off, radishes fall under the category of cruciferous vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables contain compounds that are broken down into isothiocyanates. Isothiocyanates have been shown in a number of studies to reduce inflammation, promote apoptosis, and control cell cycle regulation. ( 2 )

  • Isothiocyanates have also been shown to reduce your risk for cancers in the gastrointestinal tract, prostate, and lung portions of your body. ( 3 , 4 , 5 )

• In addition, a study showed that radish extract contained several different types of isothiocyanates. These isothiocyanates found in radishes caused cell death in cancer cell lines by modifying their apoptotic activity levels. ( 6 )

• Radishes are also a good source of vitamin C content. Vitamin C is an effective antioxidant against free radicals, and vitamin C also reduces your risk for lung, prostate, ovarian, and stomach cancers. Specifically, vitamin C prevents free radicals from causing cell damage. ( 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 )

How Radish Prevents Diabetes

• Radishes are an effective way to treat individuals who are at high risk for diabetes. This positive health effect is primarily due to radishes’ fiber content. The fiber found in radishes help keep you fuller for a more extended period and prevent you from overeating. ( 11 )

• Radishes are also low on the glycemic index chart, meaning they do not necessarily impact your blood sugar levels drastically. ( 12 )

  • Some studies have shown that radish sprouts can help maintain and lower high blood sugar levels. ( 13 )

  • However, more studies must be done to confirm this interaction between radishes and the prevention of type 2 diabetes.

How Radish Prevents Cardiovascular Diseases

• Radishes play a role in preventing cardiovascular disease by lowering your blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels.

• Radish contains small amounts of potassium, which has been shown in a number of studies to play an effective role in lowering your blood pressure.

  • In fact, it has been found in a study that consuming high levels of potassium can reduce your risk of stroke by approximately 25%. ( 14 )

• Radishes are also rich in nitrates. Nitrates are especially important in reducing your risk for cardiovascular disease because they can lower your blood pressure by vasodilating your blood vessels. ( 15 )

  • One study showed that nitrates could decrease coronary vascular resistance. This effect improves your metabolic function and myocardial contraction ability. In short, nitrates help improve your heart health and reduce your risk of cardiovascular diseases. ( 16 )

Radish Promotes a Number of Health Benefits

Radish not only helps to prevent diseases but support and promote the function of several important systems in our bodies.

How Radish Promotes Digestion

• Radish is especially beneficial for digestive health because of its fiber content. The fiber in radishes is a mix of soluble and insoluble fibers. These fibers help prevent constipation by making it easier for food to pass through your gut and also feed your healthy bacteria. Ultimately, your digestive health and bowel movements will remain healthy and productive. ( 17 )

• One study worked with rats to show the benefits of radishes. The rats were fed radish leaves and improved their overall digestive function. The researches attributed this benefit that they saw to the increased bile production in these rats who were fed radish leaves. ( 18 )

How Radish Prevents Fungal Infections

• Radish is loaded with the anti-fungal protein called RsAFP2. RsAFP2 has been shown to cause cell death in fungi and prevent yeast infections. More studies need to come out to confirm these significant effects of radishes against other types of fungal infections. ( 19 )

How Radish Promotes Immune Health

• Radishes promote immune health through their vitamin C content. Specifically, the vitamin C in radishes has been shown to increase white blood cell production. White blood cells are essential to combat free radicals and foreign particles once they enter our body, and vitamin C is vital for maintaining a healthy immune system. ( 20 )