Health benefits of turnips

Introduction

Turnip comes from the family of cruciferae and its botanicalname is Brassica rapa which makes it a cousin to kale, cabbage, collards, andbroccoli. Turnip greens are its small and tender leaves which are very tastyand have a slightly bitter flavor.

Health Benefits

Turnip leaves are abundant in numerous nutrients and theyare very efficient in preventing and healing numerous conditions. Turnip greensare a remarkable source of vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B6, vitamin A, calcium,folate, dietary fiber and copper. They are very beneficial for those who sufferfrom colorectal cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis. Turnip greensare a very helpful addition to the diets of those who suffer from rheumatoidarthritis because they are abundant in beta-carotene.

Vitamin A maintains theproper functioning of the immune system while vitamin E and vitamin C fight thefree radicals and fix the damage they cause. Turnip is an excellent source ofcalcium which makes it very efficient in preventing and healing osteoporosis.Turnip greens are rich in copper so that is why they enhance the production ofconnective tissues. All the aforementioned ingredients of turnip greens havevery potent antioxidant properties and they fight the free radicals and reducethe risk of colon tumors. Turnip greens are abundant in vitamins whichsignificantly decrease the risk of rectal and colon cancer.

Calcium and dietaryfiber are also very important factors in protection against potentialcolorectal cancer. The antioxidant nutrients from the turnip greens minimizethe clumping of the platelet and lower the levels of bad cholesterol in the bloodwhich is very important for the prevention of atherosclerosis. The nutrientsprevent the oxidation of certain harmful substances and lower the levels ofhomocysteine which is responsible for the damage of the blood vessel walls.

Turnip greens are also very beneficial for the health of thelungs as they efficiently prevent and heal emphysema and lung inflammation. Foodsrich in vitamin A like turnip greens are very beneficial and should be includedin the diet of every smoker and those who are excessively exposed to cigarettesmoke. Turnip greens significantly reduce the decline of mental performancethat usually occurs with the process of aging. Green leafy vegetables arecommonly associated with the cognitive decline, while it may come as a surprisethat the consumption of fruit does not affect the decline at all. Vegetablescontain more vitamin E and they are usually consumed with fat which increasesthe human body’s ability to absorb vitamin E.