The nutritional and medicinal value of radish and how to eat radish

“Eat radishes in winter and ginger in summer, and you don’t need a doctor’s prescription.” This sentence makes people think that winter radishes are good for human health. So what nutrients do radishes actually have?

1. Nutritional and medicinal value of radish

White radish, also known as radish, is a 1-2 year old herbaceous plant of the genus Raphanus in the family Cruciferae. It is one of the main vegetable varieties in my country. Its rhizomes and leaves are edible. Its rhizomes, leaves and seeds (radish seeds) can also be used as medicine. It is a commonly used food and medicine product. Radish is rich in nutrients. Modern research shows that radish contains a variety of amino acids, trace elements (potassium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, etc.), crude fiber, minerals, mustard oil, vitamin C, B, etc. (the content of vitamin C is 8 to 10 times higher than that of pears), and is also a good source of calcium. In addition, it also contains carbohydrates and a small amount of crude protein.

According to Chinese medicine, radish tastes spicy and sweet when eaten raw, and is cool in nature. When eaten cooked, it tastes sweet and is flat in nature. It has the effects of relieving qi, relieving the middle, promoting body fluid, detoxifying, eliminating stagnation, widening the chest, resolving phlegm and heat, and dispersing blood stasis. It is mainly used to treat food stagnation, phlegm cough, aphonia, vomiting blood, epistaxis, thirst, itchy throat, dysentery, and migraine. It also has the effects of detoxifying alcohol, detoxifying aconite, eliminating fishy odor, and removing mutton. Modern research shows that it has antibacterial (sensitive to Gram-positive bacteria) and antifungal effects, as well as the effect of preventing the formation of gallstones, and can be used to treat cholelithiasis. Modern research shows that radish also has anti-cancer effects. The reason is that radish contains a variety of enzymes that can decompose carcinogens such as nitrosamines, and the lignin it contains can increase the activity of macrophages and strengthen the role of phagocytosis of cancer cells.

Radish can be eaten raw or cooked. It can be used to make soup, stew, stir-fry, pickle, and make kimchi. It can also be boiled and chopped for stuffing. Radish can also be used to make snacks, such as Youdunzi in the north and Shuradisu in the south. Youdunzi is shredded radish wrapped in flour and fried, while Shuradisu in Guangdong is a must-order for many people for breakfast. In general, radish loves meat and fish. The more meat and fishy it is, the better it is. Radish is not only loved by ordinary people, but sometimes it can also be served at noble banquets. Yuan Mei, a talented scholar in the Qing Dynasty who was very particular about leisure and elegance, suggested stewing shark's fin with shredded radish in Suiyuan Food List. Only by matching the rich with the rich can you feel calm and relaxed.

When eating radish, people are used to peeling it, but they don't know that 98% of the calcium in radish is in the skin, so it is best to eat radish with the skin (especially when cooked). Radish has a special spicy taste. Whether it is eaten raw or cooked, it has the effect of relieving gas, strengthening the stomach and digestion, and increasing appetite. Eating radish when eating greasy food such as meat can relieve greasiness and make the abdomen comfortable; eating radish when heartburn occurs after overeating certain foods such as sweet potatoes can relieve gas and stop acid; radish also has the effect of protecting the throat. Eating it raw (be sure to chew it slowly) or juicing it has preventive and therapeutic effects on people with pharyngitis, hoarseness of the vocal cords, and tonsillitis; radish contains more dietary fiber, which can promote gastrointestinal motility, keep bowel movements smooth, and facilitate the excretion of waste and toxins in the body.

2. There are many types of radish and many ways to eat them

There are many kinds of radishes. In terms of shape, there are long and round ones; in terms of color, there are white, red and green ones; in terms of taste, there are spicy ones and sweet ones; in terms of application, the spicy round red radishes are generally used for pickling in the north, or sliced ​​and dried into radishes for use in winter and spring when vegetables are scarce; the sweet and light white radishes and red small water radishes are generally eaten as vegetables; in Beijing and other regions, there is also a green radish called "Xinlimei", which can be eaten as fruit in winter and is called "fruit radish". It is a famous raw food variety. This article mainly talks about the most commonly eaten white radishes and small red water radishes.

3. Commonly used dietary recipes for radish

Rock sugar radish juice 500 grams of white radish, wash and chop, put it in a juicer to squeeze the juice, dissolve an appropriate amount of rock sugar in water, pour it into a cup and mix well before drinking. It has the effect of moistening the lungs and relieving cough. Drinking some rock sugar radish juice in autumn and winter is the best for treating phlegm-heat cough.

Honey pickled radish: Take an appropriate amount of white radish, wash and cut into small pieces, add appropriate amount of honey and marinate it. After 3 to 4 days, the radish is soaked in honey and can be eaten. It has the effect of relieving itching and pain for patients with sore throat and chronic pharyngitis.

Take white radish or radish, wash and cut into shreds, add a small amount of salt and appropriate amount of sugar and vinegar, mix well, marinate for 1 to 2 hours and eat, it has a good detoxification and hangover effect. Studies have shown that the amylase content in radish is very high, which can accelerate the excretion of acetaldehyde. The vitamin C in radish can also improve the function of the liver, promote the decomposition of acetaldehyde, and protect the liver.

Lamb stewed with radish 500 grams of lamb, wash with warm water, cut into pieces, dry the moisture, put in oil pan with scallion, ginger, rice wine, etc., stir-fry, add appropriate amount of water, and simmer over low heat. Cut the radish into pieces, add radish when the lamb is basically cooked and soft, add salt and MSG and other seasonings, stew until the radish is cooked and soft, then eat. Stewing radish with lamb not only has the effect of removing the smell of mutton, but also has the effect of aiding digestion, can nourish the spleen and kidney, strengthen the bones and muscles, resist wind and cold, and nourish without being greasy, digest in moderation, and not easy to get angry.

Double-white stewed duck: Kill one or half a duck, remove the hair and internal organs, wash and cut into pieces, add water and seasonings such as green onion and ginger to stew. Wash and slice the appropriate amount of white radish, soak 10 grams of white fungus, and when the duck is cooked and soft, add the radish and white fungus to the duck soup and simmer over medium-low heat. It has the effect of nourishing yin and clearing heat, and is most suitable for people with yin deficiency and heat.

Radish Four Juices Drink: 500 grams of white radish, 500 grams of sugarcane (peeled), 200 grams of water chestnuts, and 300 grams of fresh lotus root, squeeze the juice together, take 20 ml each time, and drink it with boiling water instead of tea. It has the effects of moistening the lungs and relieving cough, nourishing yin and promoting fluid production. It is effective in preventing and treating autumn dryness, lung heat cough, itchy and sore throat, dry mouth and tongue, etc.