Daikon Radish and Other Cleansing Roots
Used medicinally for centuries, these herbal roots have powerful healing and cleansing properties that will enhance your detox. These earthy root vegetables have one thing in common – they come right out of the ground. As they grow in the earth they absorb its minerals and nutrients while the green tops pull down energy from the sun. Maybe that’s why root vegetables taste and feel so “grounding.”
Roots are also full of stabilizing flavors. The sweetness of beets or the mildly sweet tang of the daikon radish will nourish and warm you, especially in the cool autumn months after the harvest. And on top of all this comfort and nourishment they provide, they also cleanse your blood, liver and gallbladder. Daikon Radish and Summer RadishThe daikon radish is also known as a Chinese radish, Oriental radish or winter radish. Typically a daikon radish is a long cylindrical white root, shaped much like a carrot. It originated in East Asia and became an important herbal remedy in traditional Chinese and East Indian Ayurvedic healing systems.This large mild flavored root clears mucus, enhances digestion and removes stones and other deposits from the gallbladder. It is a powerful cleanser with high water content and special enzymes that fortify the liver and aid in detoxifying the digestive tract.
Radishes are high in vitamin C, potassium, folate and magnesium. The green tops are also edible and nutritious. You may use the whole summer or daikon radish with green tops in stir fry or salads. Or use the root in our roasted root vegetables or fermented raw in Korean kim chee. Radish tops can be blended up in green smoothies. Burdock Root Burdock root is a crisp, sweet root that grows wild in many parts of the world. It can be found in Japanese food stores under the name “gobo.” The burdock plant is known for its prickly burrs that easily stick to fur and clothing as a way to transport seeds. This tricky adaptation was the inspiration for manmade Velcro.
The root of burdock has been used as a potent herbal remedy and food since ancient times. As a blood purifier and a diuretic it cleanses bodily fluids by removing toxins through the blood and urine. Burdock root is a great aid in detoxing and weight loss as it alleviates all conditions of excess. In addition to purifying your blood, it helps reduce body fat and regulate blood sugar.1 Burdock root is high in calcium, iron, fiber, potassium and many flavonoids. It is an active detoxifying ingredient in our detox tea and is often blended with chicory, dandelion, or roasted barley for a coffee substitute. Use fresh burdock root in our carrot burdock stir fry or roasted root vegetables. *Burdock stimulates breast milk production in new mothers. It may also cause uterine contractions, so it’s not advised for use during pregnancy. Last, but definitely not least… Beets! Beets are one of our all-time favorite cleansing foods. They are most commonly dressed in deep purple, but actually come in red, white, gold and even rainbow colors. No matter the color, beets have a deep, earthy sweet flavor that is crunchy when raw or creamy and smooth when cooked.
Beets have the highest natural sugar content of any vegetable. In the 1800s European sugar manufacturers began extracting this natural sweetness to produce refined sugar. But beets are only wholesome, healing and balancing to your blood sugar when consumed as a whole food. They are also very low in calories when left in natural form. Beets cleanse the liver and the colon. The purple pigment is actually caused by betacyanin, a compound that enhances the beet’s cleansing effects. Beets are also high in fiber, folate and choline. These properties lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation. Choline is highest in egg yolks, followed by soybeans, beets and spinach. Beets are especially good at cleaning out nitrates from the liver and digestive system. Nitrates are a type of chemical used in preserving processed meats. They are highly carcinogenic, creating free radicals that lead to cancer. Betacyanin blocks the ability of nitrates to create free radicals. It disarms the toxins and clears them from the system. Heating beets lessens their nutritional benefit. For optimal healing, grate them raw for your salads or spring rolls. To maintain the most nutrients while cooking, keep beets whole. Leave 2 inches of the stalk and the entire root intact to steam or bake. This keeps the valuable juices and nutrients from “bleeding” out. The tough outer skin protects the beet and it can be removed easily after cooking. When beets are soft enough to pierce with a fork, run them under cold water while rubbing off the outer skin. And don’t forget to use the beet greens. What a fantastic package of nutrition when you find beets with their vibrant greens intact. Use beets and greens in our recipe for balsamic beets and beet greens. Handle beets with care as beet juice does stain. It can be removed from skin and cutting boards with lemon juice. You may also find that beets create a bright red color in your stool and urine! Don’t be alarmed. This is a normal condition called “beeturia” and it just reminds you of the powerful cleansing at work in your colon and liver!
1 Healing With Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition (3rd Edition), by Paul Pitchford
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These root vegetables – daikon radish, summer radish, burdock root and beets – are great purifiers.
Summer radishes are the more common and smaller radishes, commonly red but sometimes pink, white or even black. They tend to grow earlier in the year. While daikon radishes are the most cleansing, all radishes have a similar nutrient content.
