Introduction: Radishes are nutritious and have great edible and medicinal value. However, many people are accustomed to peeling radishes and only eating the inner flesh, which is a real pity. In fact, the nutritional value of radish skin exceeds that of the flesh. According to nutritional analysis, the vitamin C content in radish skin is about twice that of the flesh; 98% of the calcium content is in the radish skin. What nutritional values and effects of radish skin have we overlooked?
1. Digestive System
For indigestion, bloating, poor digestion, and loss of appetite, you can pound the raw radish skin and drink the juice. For nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, and chronic dysentery, you can chop it, mix it with honey, and chew slowly. For constipation, you can boil it and eat it. For mouth ulcers, you can pound the juice and use it as a mouthwash. Moreover, radish skin contains plant fiber, which has strong water absorption capacity and can easily expand in the intestines, acting as a "bulking agent" to enhance intestinal peristalsis, thereby promoting bowel movements.
Crisp Pickled Radish Skin
2. Respiratory System
For coughing and phlegm, it is best to chop it, mix with honey, and chew slowly. For pharyngitis, tonsillitis, hoarseness, or loss of voice, you can pound the juice and take it with ginger juice. For nosebleeds, you can pound the raw juice, mix with a little wine, heat it, and drink, or you can drop the juice into the nostrils. For hemoptysis (coughing up blood), you can cook it with lamb or crucian carp and eat it. To prevent colds, you can boil it and eat it.
3. Enhancing Immune Function
Radish skin is rich in sulforaphane, one of the most beneficial compounds in cruciferous vegetables. It can boost the human immune system, stimulate the activity of liver detoxification enzymes, and protect the skin from UV damage. Not only that, for various urinary stones and difficulty urinating, you can slice it, stir-fry it with honey, and take it orally. For various types of edema, you can make a decoction with radish and floating wheat.
Korean Spicy Radish Skin
4. Lowering Blood Sugar and Lipids
Radish skin also contains substances that lower blood sugar, making it a good food for diabetics. Some of its components, such as quercetin and kaempferol, can increase coronary blood flow, lower blood lipids, and promote the synthesis of adrenaline. It also has effects of lowering blood pressure and strengthening the heart, making it an excellent dietary choice for patients with hypertension and coronary heart disease. Furthermore, it can be boiled and eaten. For beriberi, you can decoct it and use the liquid for external washing. For detoxification, relieving alcohol or gas poisoning, you can use it, or decoct the leaves and drink the juice. To promote joint health, it can be boiled and consumed.
5. Anti-inflammatory and Digestive Aid
Raw radish can aid digestion. Besides helping with digestion, it also has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, and its pungent components can promote gastric juice secretion and regulate gastrointestinal function. Additionally, radish juice has a cough-relieving effect. Pour half a cup of sugar water into a glass bottle, then fill it with shredded radish. Let it sit overnight, and you will have radish juice.
Stir-fried Radish Skin