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| Latin: |
Raphanus sativus |
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| Origin: |
Radish is an annual or biennial plant Raphanus sativus L., in the family Cruciferae/Brassicaceae, that is grown for its large, succulent root. The common radish is probably of Oriental origin. They are usually eaten raw and the young tops are sometimes shredded and added to salads.
The edible part of the root (the name radish comes from the Latin radix, meaning root), together with some of the seedling stem, forms a structure varying in shape, among varieties, from spherical, through oblong, to long cylindrical or tapered. The outside color of the root varies from white, through pink, to red, purple, and black. The most common radish is the oval, red-skinned variety, about the size of a cherry tomato. Daikon, a long, white, cylindrical variety that may weigh 450 g or more, is used primarily in Indian and Japanese cooking.
The plant grows to about 0.5 m by 0.2 m at a fast rate. It is in flower from June to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by bees and flies. The plant can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.
Generally, flower stalks form the first season, bearing white or lilac-veined flowers. The seeds are borne in a pod called a silicle.
The root is best harvested before the plant flowers.
Radishes are available all year long, and are at their peak from June through September.
The small, quick-growing spring varieties have a mild, crisp, moderately firm flesh and are quite perishable. The summer crops do not store well and should be used as soon as possible after harvesting. The winter varieties (including the Japanese forms) have much larger roots and often a milder flavor. These store well and can be either harvested in early winter for storage or be harvested as required through the winter.
The radish seeds are used for medicinal purposes in China. See Herbs, Herbs for Removing Food Stagnation, Radish Seed. |
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| Properties: |
| Pungent and sweet in flavor, cool in nature (the cooked radish tends to be sweeet in flavor, mild in nature), it is related to the channels of the lung, spleen and stomach. |
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| Functions: |
| clears away heat, produces body fluids, cools the blood, stops bleeding, keeps the adverse qi flowing downward, regulates the middle jiao, removes food stagnation, dissolves phlegm, promotes urination. |
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| Applications: |
| Radish is used to treat food stagnation, turgor (tension in living cells), aphonia (loss of voice) caused by cough due to accumulation of phlegm, nose-bleeding, diabetes, dysentery, dizziness and headache. |
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| Dosage and Administration: |
To be eaten raw, stir-fried, cooked, or made into medicated diet. It can also be decocted or pounded to get its juice for drinking, or applied to the affected part when used externally.
Wash and trim radishes just before using, being careful to remove any sand, and soak them in ice water for an hour or two to increase their crispness. Use sliced raw red radishes in salads, or braise sliced daikon in a little sesame oil and serve hot.
Radishes can be found in the produce section of most health food stores and supermarkets; daikon is found in specialty markets. They can be found both trimmed and with their greens still attached. Buy firm, compact radishes (softer ones indicate a pithy interior). If the leaves are still attached, they should be fresh and bright green. Discard the leaves, place radish roots in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. |
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| Cautions on Use: |
Patients manifesting symptoms of insufficiency of the spleen-yang should not eat it.
The Japanese radishes have higher concentrations of glucosinolate, a substance that acts against the thyroid gland. It is probably best to remove the skin.
The use of radish root is not recommended if the stomach or intestines are inflamed. |
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| Reference Materials: |
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| Toxic or Side Effects: |
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| Modern Researches: |
Radish contains glucose, sucrose, fructose, various kinds of amino acid, coumaric acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, phenylpyruvic acid, gentisinic acid, hydroxhenzoic acid, vitamin C, methylmercaptan, raphanusin and so on. It is low in calories and high in bulk.
Radishes have long been grown as a food crop, but they also have various medicinal actions. The roots stimulate the appetite and digestion, having a tonic and laxative effect upon the intestines and indirectly stimulating the flow of bile. Consuming radish generally results in improved digestion, but some people are sensitive to its acridity and robust action.
The plant is used in the treatment of intestinal parasites, though the part of the plant used is not specified.
The leaves, seeds and old roots are used in the treatment of asthma and other chest complaints.
Radish leaves contain mostly essential oil (volatile oil). For self protection, the outer skin (bark) of many plants contains essential oil, which in turn has elements that serve as an immediate chemical defense against herbivores and pathogens. How? There is an element called hydroxynitrile glucoside in essential oil. This element will release toxic hydrogen cyanide by endogenous plant glucosidase upon tissue disruption (see Anne Vinther Morant, Kirsten Jorgensen, Charlotte Jorgensen, Suzanne Michelle Paquette, Raquel Sanchez-Perez, Birger Lindberg Moller, and Soren Bak, "beta-Glucosidases as Detonators of Plant Chemical Defense," Phytochemistry Vol. 69, Issue 9 (June 2008), pp. 1,795-1,813).
Glucosidase is a catalyzing enzyme that improves healthy functions of our body. It is a lipase that decomposes fat; it can also check inflammation and improve memory (see Mikako Sakurai, Masayuki Sekiguchi, Ko Zushida, Kazuyuki Yamada, Satoshi Nagamine, Tomohiro Kabuta and Keiji Wada, "Reduction in memory in passive avoidance learning, exploratory behaviour and synaptic plasticity in mice with a spontaneous deletion in the ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 gene," European Journal of Neuroscience Vol. 27, Issue 3 (February 2008), pp. 691-701).
The juice of the fresh leaves is diuretic and laxative.
The seed is carminative (expelling gas from the alimentary canal so as to relieve colic or griping), diuretic, expectorant, laxative and stomachic. It is taken internally in the treatment of indigestion, abdominal bloating, wind, acid regurgitation, diarrhoea and bronchitis.
The root is antiscorbutic (counteracting scurvy), antispasmodic, astringent, cholagogue, digestive and diuretic. It is crushed and used as a poultice for burns, bruises and smelly feet. Radishes are also an excellent food remedy for stone, gravel and scorbutic conditions.
The plant contains raphanin, which is antibacterial and antifungal. It inhibits the growth of Staphylococcuc aureus, E. coli, streptococci, pneumococci, etc. The plant also shows anti-tumour activity. |
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