Black radish (lat. Raphanus) – beneficial properties and how they can be used

Types of radish

The plant varies in fruit shape - round, oval and oblong.

By fruit color: Black (summer and winter) - is one of the best, it has the most valuable medicinal properties, but the taste is very bitter and is not recommended for people with stomach problems.

The reason for the name black radish is the color of its skin, and its flesh is completely white

Green (Margelan and loba) - has a sharpness, but there is no bitterness in it. Its taste is softer and somewhat similar to radishes.

White (daikon) – tastes more tender and juicy, used mainly fresh for preparing salads.

When to pick radishes

Black winter radishes are best harvested in late autumn before frost. It cannot be frozen; it will lose its keeping quality and quickly rot. You should not rush to harvest the root crop; the better it ripens, the more minerals, essential oils, vitamins and other useful substances accumulate in it. But overripening of radish also affects its quality - it becomes rough and tough.

Dry weather is chosen for collecting root crops.

The root crop is dug up, the tops are cut off with a knife, being careful not to damage the fruit, otherwise it will quickly rot. Dry in a darkened and ventilated room.

Features of use for adults and children

To treat a cough that is not relieved by medications, and for a quick recovery, adults should take 1 tbsp. spoon of medicine 3-4 times a day. For children over 7 years old, the daily dosage of radish with honey is much less than for adults, and is 1 teaspoon 1-2 times a day after meals.

Doctors do not recommend treating a child with this mixture for more than 7 days. If the cough does not go away during this time, more serious methods must be taken. It is also necessary to make sure that the child is not allergic to the components of the medicine.

How to preserve radishes for the winter

Black winter radish can be stored well and for a long time, retaining nutrients and vitamins. To preserve radishes for the winter, the fruits are sorted - small, limp, damaged and rotten ones are removed. The best place to store radishes is a cellar or basement. At an optimal storage temperature of 3-5 degrees and air humidity of 80-85%, radish will retain all its healing qualities until spring. It is advisable to sprinkle the root crop with sand so that it does not lose moisture. You can store radishes on a glazed balcony, where the temperature does not drop below zero, and in the refrigerator, folded in a plastic bag with small holes.

A good way to preserve black radish for the winter is to preserve it - pickle or ferment it

Step-by-step preparation

1. Step 1:

   Option 1: traditional. You will need a radish, a sharp knife, honey and a container to place the radish. The container should not fit too tightly to the root crop. The radish needs to be washed very well from dirt with a sponge.

2. Step 2:

   For radishes, we cut off the side where the tops grow to create a flat base on which the root crop can stand firmly in the container.

3. Step 3:

   We cut off the tail from which the root grew.

4. Step 4:

   We cut a hole in the root vegetable with a knife and clean it out with a spoon or round knife. You can make additional strips with a knife at the bottom of the hole.

5. Step 5:

   Fill with honey.

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6. Step 6:

   Close the lid and put it in a cool, dark place overnight (about 10 hours).

7. Step 7:

   This is what a radish looks like in the morning - the root crop will dry out slightly and juice will be released from the top and bottom through the cut parts.

8. Step 8:

   Option 2: fast. For him, three root vegetables are grated.

9. Step 9:

   Place the grated radish in a bowl with honey, stir gently, and cover the top with a dish or cling film. Convenient to use food container. Leave in a cool, dark place, and after 3 hours the radish is ready to eat!

10. Step 10:

    Be healthy!

I learned in detail how to cook the 2 options presented from my grandmother and tried them on myself. The traditional option - making a hole in the root vegetable - requires more time to brew (about 10 hours). This way you will get more juice. The option with grated radish is much faster (ready to eat in 3 hours). In this case, however, less juice is released, but from the remaining radishes soaked in honey you can then make pancakes :)

As a cough remedy, take 1 teaspoon 3 times a day after meals. Usually they write that you need to add honey. From my experience, I noticed that almost all the juice is released on the first day, and then when you add honey, there is no more juice. I tried it with root vegetables of different sizes - the effect was the same.

Since, due to the naturalness of the components, the shelf life of the product is very short, it is necessary to know and follow the rules and storage conditions.

How to properly store radishes with honey? The best option for storing ready-made radish with honey (both regular and quick version with grated radish) is the refrigerator. It will retain the beneficial properties of the medicinal drink if you have prepared a large portion.

It is better to strain the finished black radish juice with honey into a separate, hermetically sealed container and store it in the refrigerator. The maximum shelf life when unopened, I repeat, always in the refrigerator, is three days.

Chemical composition

In folk medicine, black winter radish is mainly used for medicinal purposes.

What is good about black radish?

It has the greatest healing properties and contains a large number of substances beneficial to the body:

• Ascorbic acid;
• Phytoncides;
• Carbohydrates;
• Vitamins of group B, C, E and PP;
• Fats;
• Essential oils;
• Fiber;
• Minerals (iron, iodine, sodium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium);
• Choline.

Ascorbic acid helps increase the amount of glycogen, which stimulates the functional activity of the liver. Vitamins strengthen the body's defenses and help relieve inflammation. Essential oils have a bactericidal effect and kill harmful bacteria. Fiber and dietary fiber activate metabolism and intestinal function. The iodine contained in the root vegetable supports the function of the thyroid gland and endocrine system. Choline promotes the formation of phospholipids, which prevent the development of fatty liver disease.

Radish contains a large amount of potassium, its salts have a diuretic effect and remove toxic substances and toxins from the body along with urine. Black radish leaves contain a large amount of antioxidants, so they can be eaten to preserve youth and beauty.

Useful properties and contraindications

Due to its healing composition, round black radish has a lot of beneficial properties for the body.

• Anti-inflammatory;
• Antitussives;
• Expectorants;
• Bactericidal;
• Diuretics;
• Choleretic;
• Immunostimulating;
• Antioxidant;
• Painkillers;
• Antispasmodic.

The medicinal properties of black radish help strengthen the immune system, cure colds faster, and saturate the brain with oxygen. The diuretic effect will help remove excess fluid and lower blood pressure. Choleretic normalizes the digestive process and the secretion of bile. The antioxidant property will help rejuvenate the body and maintain the beauty of the skin.

Contraindications

• Increased acidity of gastric juice;
• Enterocolitis;
• Liver diseases;
• Ulcerative processes in the stomach and duodenum;
• Individual intolerance to components;
• Pregnancy;
• Children's age up to 3 years.

Black radish - its benefits and harm

Black radish is one of the most useful types of plants; thanks to its healing effects, it has received the name “queen of vegetables.” The fruit is widely used in folk medicine, cosmetology and cooking. The benefits of radish for the body are important - it replenishes the body’s reserves of vitamins and nutrients, and is a folk remedy for the treatment and prevention of many diseases.

What are the benefits of radish?

The beneficial properties of radish have a healing effect on the human body

• Stimulates juice secretion, which promotes better absorption of food and improves appetite;
• Cleans blood vessels and removes excess cholesterol;
• Strengthens the body's immune functions;
• Soothes coughing attacks;
• Dissolves gallstones;
• Improves digestion and intestinal function;
• Fights parasites and worms;
• Heals the genitourinary system of men and women;
• Treats skin diseases;
• Rejuvenates the skin and the body as a whole.

What cures

• Cold infections;
• Cough;
• Bronchial catarrh, tracheitis;
• Upper respiratory tract diseases;
• Tuberculosis;
• Cholecystitis;
• Rheumatism and gout;
• Atherosclerosis;
• Anemia;
• Diabetes;
• Eczema and long-lasting wounds;
• Constipation and flatulence;
• Cystitis and prostate;
• Toothache.

Health benefits and harms

Benefit - black radish is an effective means of maintaining health for all categories of the population - men, women and children. It is a natural antibiotic, fights pathogenic microflora, helps with inflammation of the genitourinary system and damage to the respiratory system.

A mask made from seeds infused with alcohol is used to remove age spots and freckles.

Externally used for rubbing against colds, rheumatism and gout. Radish is applied to purulent wounds, ulcers and eczema. The seeds of the plant are used for inflammation of the stomach, upper respiratory tract, bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis, gastritis and poor digestion of food. In lactating women, radish increases the amount of milk. Due to the large amount of fiber contained in the root vegetable, radish is used for weight loss.

Harm - despite all the beneficial qualities, radish also has a negative side - it irritates the mucous membrane and its excessive consumption can cause digestive upset. It is not recommended to treat with radish during pregnancy; the essential oils contained in it tone the uterus and can cause fetal rejection in pregnant women.

Use of radish during pregnancy and lactation

Pregnant women in the first trimester and if there are symptoms of a threat of miscarriage are prohibited from using the plant. This is because the vegetable causes uterine contractions, further increasing the risk of spontaneous abortion. Take this into account when using radish compresses externally.

In the second and third trimester, compresses are safely made if there are no contraindications and they are used internally with caution. It is allowed to drink vitamin mixtures of radish and carrot juice, increasing the amount of carrot juice. It is prohibited to use alcohol tinctures. Honey is also used with caution, as it causes allergies in pregnant women.

Breastfeeding women should not eat the vegetable because its essential oils are excreted in breast milk. After such a drink, the baby will refuse to latch on to the breast, which violates all the norms of natural feeding. The mother will either have to express herself after the radish has completely left the body, or transfer the baby to artificial nutrition. Therefore, before you eat a vegetable, you should think carefully about whether its benefits are worth the child’s health.

How to cook radish - traditional medicine recipes

At home, you can prepare effective remedies from black radish for the treatment and prevention of many diseases.

Black radish juice

Cooking recipe: take fresh radish, peel it, cut it into small pieces and grind it in a juicer.

You can grate the root vegetable and squeeze out the juice through cheesecloth

Benefit – black radish juice has antiseptic, choleretic and diuretic effects. Used to stimulate the secretion of gastric juice, increase appetite, improve digestion, and to dissolve kidney stones. The juice lowers cholesterol levels, which has a positive effect on the treatment and prevention of atherosclerosis. Treats cirrhosis and hepatitis, shows good results in cardioneurosis and heart rhythm disorders. Helps with radiculitis, intercostal neuralgia, vaginal trichomoniasis.

Radish juice, mixed in equal quantities with beet and carrot juices, is a good treatment for anemia.

Black radish with cough honey

How to cook: radish with honey is a universal folk remedy for coughs, proven over the years. There are many recipes for preparing a medicinal product. Here are recipes for the simplest cooking methods.

Recipe 1 – wash the radish, cut off the top and make a hole. Put honey in it, cover with the cut off top and put it in a dark place.

Honey will extract healing juice from the radish and after 12 hours you can drink it

Recipe 2 – peel the radish, chop it and add honey (100-150 ml). Stand in a dark place for several hours and squeeze out the juice through cheesecloth.

Radish with honey for children

The recipes for preparing the drug are the same as for adults, the only difference is in the dose; for children it is reduced.

How to take - adults are recommended to drink a tablespoon three times a day. For kids, take a teaspoon no more than three times a day. A child's body may have an allergic reaction to honey, in which case it must be replaced with sugar. The medicine tastes sweet and is well accepted by the child. If the medication you take does not help within three weeks, you should seek help from a doctor.

Black radish juice with honey soothes coughing attacks, speeds up the process of expectoration and removal of phlegm and mucus. The product relieves colds, bronchitis, tracheitis, laryngitis, normalizes metabolic processes, digestion, intestinal function, cures constipation and flatulence. The juice strengthens the immune system, treats anemia, atherosclerosis, and eczema.

Fresh radish is used to prepare dietary salads; it goes well with other vegetables and herbs

Contraindications to the use of radish with honey

There may be a kind of overdose, which is fraught with consequences. Among the first is the hepatotoxic effect caused by structural and functional disorders of the liver.

It is also necessary to first consult with your doctor or pediatrician (if given to a child), who will determine contraindications and advise whether or not you can eat the root vegetable.

Honey can cause allergies. In this case, it should be eliminated or replaced with sugar. Do not use if you have diabetes; you should not eat too much.

It should also be noted that allergies may be caused by a specific variety.

That is, if you purchased a species that you had never eaten before, it is better to first try a drop to determine this factor.

Have you tried this recipe for treating a cough using radish and honey?

If yes, share your experience! For more cough treatment recipes at home, see here!

Alena Yasneva was with you, good luck, health and good mood!