13 Amazing Health Benefits of Turnips

Turnips health benefits includes preventing cancer, enhancing cardiovascular health, supporting health bones, bolstering lung health, supporting digestion, avoiding atherosclerosis, curing common ailments, managing a healthy weight and managing asthma. Other benefits includes supporting the immune system, protecting eye health and ensuring a smooth glowing skin.

What is Turnip?

Turnips belong to the same family of vegetables that include collards, kale, broccoli, and brussel sprouts that thrive in temperate climates. Cultivated mainly for their white rounded roots, turnip sprouts and leaves are also eaten and quite nutritious. Turnips are a wise choice to add to a healthy diet, since they supply a host of benefits. Consumed since olden times and found mainly in northern Europe, turnip was a basic food staple in Roman and Greek cuisine.

Turnips grow as much as two feet high, with elongated hairy leaves. While they are available all year, they are enjoyed best in the spring and fall since they are sweet and small during this period. The older and bigger the turnip gets, the blander its taste becomes. Turnips keep quite well. When purchasing this vegetable root crop, be on the lookout for solid and heavy roots that smell sweet and has skin that is smooth to the touch.

13 Amazing Health Benefits of Turnips

Consistent with other vegetables, turnips are not high calorie but are nonetheless nutritious. Turnips have many health benefits that most people are unaware of. Here are some of them.

1. Prevent Cancer

Turnips are loaded with phytochemicals and antioxidants which both lower your risk of developing cancer. Glucosinolates also found in turnips likewise prevents cancer. These are plant chemicals which transform into compounds that aid the liver in filtering toxins. They combat carcinogens and even stall the development of malignant cancer cells. Eating turnips regularly can lessen the risk of many cancers including breast, rectal and colon growths.

2. Enhance Cardiovascular Health

It has anti-inflammatory qualities owing to an abundance of vitamin K. This vitamin aids in preventing strokes, heart attacks, as well as other heart conditions. Turnip greens help digestion through improved absorption of bile, resulting in lower levels of cholesterol. Turnips are also rich in folic acid which is generally good for circulatory and cardiovascular health.

3. Support Healthy Bones

Turnips are also replete with potassium and calcium, both needed for healthy bones. Eating turnips regularly thus lessens the risk of osteoporosis, joint damage, and rheumatoid arthritis. The rich levels of calcium also help augment the body’s creation of connective tissue.

4. Bolster Lung Health

Cigarette carcinogens result in vitamin deficiencies, specifically vitamin A. This eventually leads to conditions such as emphysema, lung inflammation, along with other health issues such as lung cancer. Turnips are rich with Vitamin A, helping maintain healthy lungs.

5. Help Digestion

It has lots of fiber content in the greens, which boosts the body’s digestive processes. Studies have further shown that glucosinolates could support the gut in processing bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori, known to cause health problems. Glucosinolates are abundant with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They offer benefits that include the prevention of many illnesses.

6. Avoid Atherosclerosis

Free radicals that are unchallenged result in oxidation of bad LDL cholesterol and the clumping of platelets, causing atherosclerosis, which is a condition that destroys and harms blood vessels. The vitamin C, vitamin E, as well as beta-carotene found in turnip roots and greens are a potent antioxidant combo that counteracts free radicals and their effects.

7. Cure Common Ailments

The healing and therapeutic abilities of turnips abound in managing a myriad of common ailments such as a lack of appetite and hemorrhoids. Consistent eating of turnips has been said to even fight kidney stones in their early stages.

8. Manage a Healthy Weight

Being low in calories, turnips can support a weight loss regimen. The high fiber content of the vegetable enhances a healthy metabolism, regulates a healthy weight and keeps your digestive system humming happily.

9. Manage Asthma

Since it have anti-inflammatory qualities, it is quite helpful in managing or even treating asthma. Research has established that asthmatic patients who ate turnips actually experienced wheezing to a lesser degree.

10. Smell Better

If you are looking for a natural alternative to your underarm deodorant, look no further. Drinking turnip juice is rather effective at banishing body odor.

11. Support the Immune System

Due to its high levels of beta-carotene, turnip root plays a vital role in keeping the body’s immune system running like a well-oiled machine.

12. Protect Eye Health

Because turnip greens are a rich source of a carotenoid called lutein, the vegetable supports eye health and even prevents ocular disorders like cataracts and macular degeneration.

13. Have Smooth Glowing Skin

They are abundant with vitamin A, vitamin C and beta-carotene. They are also rich in minerals such as copper, all essential for healthy skin. Consistent consumption of turnips results in bright and smooth skin. The potent levels of vitamins A and C help in preserving healthy, glowing skin.

Conclusion

Packed with vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K, as well as omega-3 fatty acids, not to mention anti-cancer plant compounds, turnips are quite a super food. Their green hairy tops are also a nutrition powerhouse. Turnips were, and still are one of the most significant vegetables that can be found in the world.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Natalie Thompson, APD is a non-dieting Accredited Practicing Dietitian passionate about inspiring positive changes in eating and lifestyle behaviors to help improve health while nurturing relationships with food and body.

After graduating with a Masters of Nutrition and Dietetics and Bachelor of Human Nutrition, Natalie Thompson worked in clinical dietetics in the community and in residential aged care with a non-government organization servicing the older adult and disabled population and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. She also has her my own private practice.

Natalie Thompson has a Bachelor of Human Nutrition from University of Newcastle with a Master of Nutrition and Dietetics from Griffith University. You can connect with Natalie on LinkedIn