Are Radishes Nutritious? Here’s What Dietitians Say Healthwise

Radishes are often overlooked at the supermarket, but if you want to switch up your vegetable game, add these pinkish-red orbs to your cart. Known for their peppery flavor and crunchy texture, radishes are a type of cruciferous vegetable like cauliflower and kale that contain antioxidants, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals. Ahead, learn what registered dietitians have to say about important radish nutrition and health benefits. We also share a few delicious recipes that incorporate the crisp veggie.

Top Health Benefits of Radishes

So why should we pay more attention to radish nutrition? In addition to adding a crunchy, spicy kick to your meals, radishes are also key in helping manage diabetes, lowering blood sugar and cholesterol, and are great for digestive health. Keep reading to learn even more health benefits behind the radish.

Protect Cells From Damage

Antioxidants neutralize, or “turn off,” harmful molecules called free radicals. (In high amounts, free radicals cause cell damage and oxidative stress, leading to chronic conditions like cancer or heart disease.)

Examples of radish antioxidants include glucosinolates or sulfur-containing compounds mainly found in cruciferous veggies. According to registered dietitian Nora Saul, glucosinolates fight oxidative stress and protect cells by reducing free radical damage.

Control Blood Sugar and Manage Diabetes

Your body stabilizes blood sugar by producing insulin, a hormone that moves glucose from the blood and into your cells. As it turns out, the anthocyanins, aka plant compounds in radishes (which give radishes their reddish hue), can lend a hand.

According to the journal Nutrients, anthocyanins improve insulin sensitivity, or how well your cells respond to insulin and take up glucose. Radishes also contain catechin, a compound that triggers insulin secretion.

Additionally, “radishes provide fiber, which can help slow down digestion” of sugar from other food, says registered dietitian Alison Acerra. This prevents spikes in blood sugar that, over time, can contribute to poor insulin sensitivity and diabetes.

Reduce Heart Disease Risk

Thanks to antioxidants called anthocyanins, radishes may reduce your risk of heart disease. According to the Journal of Translational Medicine, anthocyanins protect your heart by inhibiting inflammation caused by oxidative stress.

According to Izquierdo, anthocyanins can also reduce high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease. Anthocyanins decrease inflammation in the arteries, keeping atherosclerosis at bay. Atherosclerosis occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries, restricting blood flow to and from the heart.

The glucosinolates in radishes offer similar heart-healthy benefits. In the body, glucosinolates break down into compounds called isothiocyanates, according to Saul. Isothiocyanates have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, further preventing atherosclerosis and protecting your heart.

May Lower Cholesterol

While leafy greens may be best for lowering cholesterol, radishes can help. In addition to lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart disease, Shapiro says that radishes can also lower cholesterol, or LDL (low-density lipoproteins), known as bad cholesterol. Radishes also contain vitamin C, folate, and anthocyanins, which help protect against the hardening of veins and arteries.

Support Immune Function

Looking for tasty new ways to eat more vitamin C? One cup of raw radishes boasts 17 milligrams of this antioxidant, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. That’s about 20 percent of the daily recommended intake of 90 milligrams and 75 milligrams for men and women, respectively.

According to the journal Nutrients, vitamin C supports immune function by enhancing the activity of phagocytes, or cells that “eat” harmful germs. This key vitamin is also an antioxidant, as mentioned above, meaning it can protect cells from free radical damage and, therefore, aid in skin health.

Acerra adds that radishes contain selenium, another immune-boosting nutrient. Selenium keeps you healthy by activating T and B cells, aka white blood cells, which are involved in your body’s immune response.

Improve Digestive Health

Radishes offer a combo of soluble and insoluble fiber, which is great news for your GI tract. (Both types of fiber can make it easier to go number two.) Soluble fiber—which dissolves in water—can ease diarrhea by reducing excess fluid.

On the flip side, insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water. This type of fiber bulks up the stool, making it useful for relieving constipation and promoting regular bowel movements, says registered dietitian Amanda Izquierdo.

Help Satiate Hunger

According to Shapiro, radishes are a low-calorie vegetable, which makes them a healthy option to help stave off hunger without relying on junk food. “Radishes have a high fiber content to help keep you full on low calories. Since they are a good source of dietary fiber, which aids in digestion and helps to regulate blood sugar, radishes help to promote satiety and curb hunger,’ says Shapiro, who cautions that anyone with a GI sensitivity should avoid consuming radishes.

“As they are high in fiber, which can cause bloating, gas, or GI discomfort, radishes should be avoided by individuals who experience these issues. Those with thyroid disorders should also avoid eating radishes as they may interfere with thyroid function, especially when consumed raw.”

Provide Key Minerals Like Calcium, Iron, and Potassium

Radishes also contain small amounts of minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium—a nutrient that adds to the heart-healthy benefits mentioned above. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, potassium-rich foods can decrease high blood pressure.

One cup of raw radishes contains 268 milligrams, which can help you reach the recommended daily intake of 3,400 milligrams and 2,600 milligrams for men and women, respectively.

Fights Fungus

Radishes have a sharp flavor, and that flavor profile accounts for the cysteine-rich peptides that stop the growth of certain fungi. The proteins in radishes are effective for wiping out the fungus Candida albicans, a helpful benefit if you have a compromised immune system and need an immunity boost.

Keeps You Hydrated

Radishes are 95% water, acting as an excellent water source, and are a vegetable known to keep you hydrated. They are also a crisp, refreshing addition that adds moisture to dishes. Next to cucumbers, lettuce, and celery, radishes are among the top water-containing vegetables.

Promotes Good Skin Health

Vitamin C, zinc, phosphorus, and polyphenols, naturally occurring compounds in plants, promote healthier skin. Radishes’ phytonutrients can help fight skin dryness, acne, and rashes and promote faster healing of bruises. Their water content also helps hydrate the skin.

Scientific research published in the journal Molecules suggests that radish extracts reduce wrinkles, prevent their formation, and increase skin suppleness.

How to Add More Radishes to Your Diet

Radishes can be served numerous ways to add peppery zing to your plate.

• Serve them raw along with other crunchy veggies and homemade hummus on a crudité platter or as an afternoon snack.
• Pickle them for a zingy addition to entrees.
• Slice them thin to top fish, tacos, salad, nutty noodle dishes, or grain bowls.
• Toss them in olive oil and roast them on a sheet pan with other root vegetables or grill or sauté them for a quick and healthy side dish.

In addition, here are a few of our favorite radish recipes for a complete meal:

Little Gems and Radishes With Ricotta Salata and Seeds

For a light and crunchy dish, top wedges of gorgeous Little Gem lettuce with peppery mixed radishes. Look for black, breakfast, French, Easter, and watermelon radishes for a rainbow array that’s almost too pretty to eat.

Miso Roasted Radishes

Prepare for a true explosion of flavor from the humblest of ingredients. Crisp radishes marry soft, caramelized shallots in the oven—and the whole thing is tossed in a tangy, savory, good-for-your-gut combo of miso and apple cider vinegar.

Crispy Chicken With Roasted Radishes

Chicken dinner gets revamped thanks to uber-crispy skin, lemony, buttery juices, and bright radishes.

Korean-style Lettuce Wraps with Pickled Radishes

There’s nothing a pickled radish can’t make more vibrant. Ramen noodles, lettuce wraps, salad, tacos, salmon, or even a cocktail.