Turnip is an ancient cultivated plant, which people began to grow more than 40 centuries ago.
Unjustly forgotten, it is now very rarely present in the diet of modern man.
But that was not always the case.
Turnip was once a familiar and everyday food in Persia, Ancient Rome and Egypt, Europe and Russia.
And its healing and beneficial properties were used in folk medicine.
Turnip: composition, how to apply
Turnip is a grassy and unpretentious plant from the Cruciferous family. It is a close relative of radish and radish. In Russia, this root crop was indispensable for every family, and dishes from it were everyday.
But years passed, and times changed. Turnip was gradually superseded by potatoes and began to forget about its beneficial properties.
There is no doubt the fact that turnips are useful for humans. Her chemical analysis confirms this. The root crop contains a unique complex of minerals and vitamins that can support human health.
Among them stand out:
• Vitamins: PP (0.8 mg), provitamin A (0.1 mg), A (17 μg), B1 (thiamine 50 μg), B2 (riboflavin 40 μg), C (ascorbic acid 20 μg), E (0.1 mg tocopherol), P (niacin 1.1mg equivalent).
• Macro - and - microelements: 0.9 mg of iron, 238 mg of potassium, 143 mg of sulfur, 49 mg of calcium, 17 mg of magnesium, 17 mg of sodium, 34 mg of phosphorus.
The amount of vitamin C exceeds the indicators in all known root crops. Sulfur cannot be found in any root crop, but it is so beneficial for the body! Glucoraphanin, which has anti-diabetic and anti-cancer effects, is still found only in some varieties of cabbage. In terms of phosphorus content, turnip is the leader among all vegetables of the Cruciferous family.
Turnip is a low-calorie root crop. In 100g there is only 30-32kcal.
Nutritional value of root crops:
• 1.5gr of protein;
• 0.1g fat;
• 6.2 grams of carbohydrates, including sugar (5.9 grams) and starch (0.3 grams);
• 1.9g of dietary fiber;
• 0.1gr of organic acids;
• 0.7g ash;
• 89.5gr of water.
An extensive set of useful properties found its application in medicine, in cosmetology, dietetics, and cooking.
Cooking Application. Dried, stewed, boiled, salted, pickled turnips are used. Leaves and pulp are used in the preparation of delicious salads, soups, sauces, stews, casseroles. Based on its juice, fortified cocktails are prepared. It goes well with boiled, stewed or baked meat, poultry and fish.
In France, it is customary to cook a root crop with lamb, carrots and onions. The top of the dish is turnip, baked with duck meat and honey. We used to have a chowder once popular. In Asian countries, it is customary to dry or pickle it.
Turnip goes well with sour cream, cream, honey, apples, carrots, lemon, raisins, herbs. To remove its bitterness, turnips should be doused with boiling water.
Turnip in medicine. Healing properties have leaves, root crops and plant juice. Many doctors advise using turnips as an aid in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism, diabetes, oncology, tonsillitis, cough, kidney stones, edema, heart and blood vessels, asthma, tuberculosis.
Use turnips as a medicine should be very careful. Given that there are contraindications to its use, consultation with a doctor is necessary before starting use in treatment.
Use in cosmetology. Even our ancestors knew about the effect of turnips on skin and hair. They skillfully used the pulp to maintain firmness, elasticity and freshness of the skin.
• Moisturizing mask. Grate the flesh of a fresh vegetable, mix with cream and add 1h l of honey. Apply for 10 minutes on the face, rinse with water, and then wipe the face with a cooled tea leaves.
• Toning mask. Boiled turnip is crushed in a blender. Pour into this slurry 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp carrot juice, 1 tbsp sour cream, mix. Apply on face and neck for 20min.
Juice has a tonic and cleansing effect, so it is used to wipe dry skin. Wiping your face in the morning with a slice of fresh turnip helps get rid of blackheads and pustules.
The juice is also able to strengthen hair roots, activates their growth, eliminates dandruff.
• 30 minutes before washing, a mask is applied to the hair: mix 4 tbsp turnip juice with 1 tsp onion juice, 1 tbsp burdock oil. The mask is rubbed into the roots of the hair.
Turnip in Dietetics. Turnip refers to dietary products and is included in the diet of children's, dietetic and therapeutic nutrition. For weight loss, nutritionists advise that potatoes in all dishes be replaced with turnips. This technique allows you to cope with extra pounds in a short time, provided that fatty foods are excluded from the diet. There are no special turnip-based diets. But if you want to correct the figure in a short time, you can safely use turnips in your diet.
Turnip: what are the benefits for the body
Useful properties of turnips have been known for a long time. Her healing ability was used by her ancestors in the treatment of even the most serious diseases at that time. The substances in the composition have a beneficial effect on the entire body, helping to cope with violations in the functioning of internal organs and their systems.
The health benefits of turnips are based on the combined action of all the constituent substances.
• Recommended use for diabetes, as the root crop is able to bring sugar to normal.
• Normalizes intestinal activity due to the fact that it positively affects its motility, improves the production of gastric juice and the absorption of food by the body.
• Must be included in the diet of those who suffer from polyneuritis, gout.
• Helps to cope with joint pain and salt deposits.
• Having an expectorant property, the root crop helps to cope with a strong catarrhal cough, it is used in the treatment of asthma, whooping cough and tonsillitis.
• Its effect on the development of cancer has been proven. Glucoraphinin can stop the growth and spread of cancer cells.
• Improves all sharing processes.
• It has a positive effect on the digestion process.
• Helps to remove excess fluid, toxins and toxins, dissolving salt in vessels.
• Prevents the growth and spread of pathological fungi and bacteria due to the presence of natural antibiotics.
• It is considered a good way to prevent atherosclerosis due to the ability to lower cholesterol.
• Sulfur salt cleanses the blood and disinfects it. The ability of this salt to break small stones in the bladder and kidneys has been proven.
• Strengthens sexual function.
• Affects the quality of vision.
• Having a sedative effect, it calms the nervous system, improves sleep, affects the activity of the brain.
• Heals colds and viral diseases.
• It affects the condition of nails, teeth and hair.
• Able to relieve eczema, acne. Scabies, cracks on the surface of the skin, gout are treated with broth.
• Reduces toothache, headache in a short time.
• Strengthens the immune defense.
• Quickly satisfies hunger, and fills a person with energy.
• Affects positively on the work of the heart.
It has a calming, diuretic, laxative, wound healing, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic effect on the human body.
Turnip: what is the harm to health
In all products, along with valuable and useful properties, negative ones are always present. Uncontrolled use of turnips can provoke or cause a complication of a number of diseases. It is harmful and contraindicated in:
• identification of its individual intolerance;
• gastritis;
• an ulcer;
• prick;
• nervous disorders;
• diseases of the kidneys, liver, intestines, duodenum, with any form of hepatitis, cholecystitis;
• thyroid disease.
In its raw form with excessive use, it can provoke gas formation and bloating.
Less noticeable for the body will be side effects from eating a vegetable if it is steamed or boiled in the diet. Such heat treatment will allow root crops to be consumed in a small amount even to those to whom it is completely contraindicated in its raw form.
Despite a small number of contraindications, before deciding to improve her health or use it for prophylactic purposes, you should consult a doctor.
Turnip for children: useful or harmful
Those parents who enter turnips in the nutrition of their children do the right thing. Already from 6-8 months, along with zucchini, cabbage and pumpkin, turnip should be present in their diet. It is not an allergenic product, easily digested and absorbed.
The balanced composition of the root helps the children's body:
• cope with constipation and discomfort in the intestines;
• ensures the proper functioning of the digestive system;
• strengthens the immune system;
• develops mental abilities in accordance with age.
As a source of calcium, turnips have no equal among vegetables. Therefore, its presence in the diet is important for the formation and growth of the skeleton.
Turnip is introduced into food gradually, in small portions. At this time, it is important to more closely monitor the reaction of the body. If the child feels calm, does not feel discomfort, then you can safely continue to give him the vegetable.
Getting to know her should not be raw. Turnip is boiled in water without salt, grated. In the first feeding, the baby should be given 0.5 h l mashed potatoes. To improve its taste, you can add a little mixture or breast milk.
Children over one year old can offer:
• soup - mashed potatoes from turnips and carrots;
• sweetened curd with grated turnip;
• mashed potatoes with the addition of zucchini, pumpkin, broccoli;
• steamed turnip;
• grated turnip salad with apples, carrots or boiled eggs;
• semolina or millet porridge with turnips.
Raw turnips are allowed to be given to children over 2 years old. The decision to introduce turnips into food is made only in conjunction with the pediatrician.
Turnip should not be a guest at our tables. Useful properties, healing effects on the body, accessibility should make its presence in the diet constant.
