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Daikon radish: useful properties and contraindications of daikon. Video
The daikon radish is the most popular vegetable crop in Japan and has been cultivated here for over a thousand years. The Japanese, well-known advocates of the correct approach to the choice of products for the daily table, include radish in their diet as often as potatoes in Russia. And this is not surprising – the Japanese daikon radish is just perfect for adherents of a healthy diet, its composition is so impeccably balanced in terms of the presence of nutrients.
Useful properties of the Japanese daikon radish
The main valuable properties of daikon radish are low calorie content and high content of enzymes, minerals and vitamins. Unlike ordinary radish, there is no mustard oil in daikon, i.e. its taste is not hot, but tender and juicy, and the aroma is not at all harsh. These flavors allow the daikon to be used in food almost daily.
Due to the fact that the daikon radish is extremely popular among the Japanese, the sown area occupied by this root crop increases annually and takes first place among other vegetable crops.
Daikon is a real storehouse of macro- and microelements, such as:
- calcium
- potassium
- magnesium
- iodine
- selenium
- iron
- phosphorus
- copper
- sodium, etc.
The rich content of these elements in daikon helps to maintain healthy lungs, liver, heart, and maintain a normal blood composition. The Japanese radish contains vitamins C, PP, as well as almost all vitamins of group B. Thus, the product is simply irreplaceable for colds, disorders of the digestive and central nervous system.
The natural polysaccharide pectin, which is part of the daikon radish, has threefold health benefits: – lowers blood sugar; – lowers cholesterol; – reduces the risk of cancer.
Thanks to phytoncides, which are rich in Japanese daikon radish, the human body successfully resists viruses and bacteria. These volatile compounds also have therapeutic properties – they help relieve fatigue, normalize blood pressure, and increase efficiency.
The nutritional value of daikon radish is increased due to the presence in it of a large number of enzymes – enzymes involved in catabolism – the process of decomposition of complex food elements into simpler compounds. Simply put, daikon helps all food components to be converted into substances that the body is able to easily assimilate and thereby speed up metabolism, as well as exclude the processes of stagnation and decay in the gastrointestinal tract. Thanks to enzymes, fats, proteins and carbohydrates are more easily absorbed from food.
The high content of antioxidants in daikon radish gives it the right to be one of the products that effectively fight atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases and premature aging.
Daikon radish when organizing a healthy diet
Nutritionists recommend including Japanese daikon radish in their daily diet for people who want to eat right and have a balanced menu, as well as for those who dream of getting rid of extra pounds (normalizing weight). The fact is that the calorie content of the radish is extremely low – only 21 kcal per 100 g of product. In addition, due to its high fiber content, daikon perfectly cleanses the intestines, and potassium salts help to remove excess fluid from the body. These qualities make it easy to get rid of toxins and other decay products that interfere with normal digestion, and therefore the correct distribution of vital nutrients – proteins, fats and carbohydrates. And for the full effect, you can switch to a Japanese diet.
Nutritionists do not advise to go on a daikon diet, because radish (even with such a delicate taste), eaten in large quantities, can not only not benefit digestion, but also cause harm. It is much wiser and more effective to arrange fasting days using a wonderful root crop. At the same time, the amount of the daikon itself can be small – 100–150 g (for example, the Japanese, who consume at least 300 g of various vegetables daily, take a fifth of the daikon, that is, 55–60 g).
So, on a fasting day, you can prepare a salad according to a Japanese recipe for centenarians.
It will need the following ingredients:
- daikon – 600 g
- sweet onion – 1 head
- green peas – 100 g
- sesame oil – 2 tablespoons
- rice vinegar – 2 tablespoons
- sesame seeds – 2 tbsp. l.
- natural honey – 2 tbsp. l.
- soy sauce to taste
Daikon radish for weight loss
Peel the daikon and grate on a coarse grater. Chop the onion in half rings. Boil the pea pods in a little water for 3-5 minutes, then cut them across into small pieces (you can replace the peas with green beans). Mix all vegetables. Prepare a salad dressing: Combine sesame oil, honey and vinegar, whisk the mixture. Pour it over the vegetables and refrigerate for 1 hour. Sprinkle sesame seeds (preferably black) on the salad before serving and top with soy sauce to taste. It is recommended to eat the salad right away, because its shelf life is short – about a day in the refrigerator.
There are also Japanese recipes for pickled, salted and dried daikon, as well as boiled or stewed with squid and octopus. By the way, the Japanese eat not only root vegetables, but fresh daikon leaves, using them for salads, side dishes and as an ingredient for sushi and rolls.
Despite the many beneficial properties of daikon radish, there are also contraindications to its use. A large amount of daikon eaten at one time can cause flatulence (flatulence) and irritation of the digestive mucosa. The use of the Japanese daikon radish should be treated with caution by people suffering from gastritis, gout, stomach and duodenal ulcers. For chronic liver disease, kidney disease, serious metabolic disorders, you should consult your doctor before including daikon radish in your diet.