The most widely consumed vegetables globally include root vegetables, which have been a crucial ingredient in various Asian and South American recipes and are now popular worldwide. While you may have tasted some of them, this article will reveal the healthiest options.
All vegetables that grow below the surface, like carrots and beets, are considered root vegetables or starchy vegetables. These vegetables vary in type and contain unique nutrients, providing diverse health benefits.
1. Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a type of root vegetable that are both sweet and starchy, providing a delicious and nutritious addition to any diet. With variations in size and color – including white, orange, and purple – sweet potatoes boast high levels of essential nutrients and numerous health benefits.
Baked sweet potatoes provide an abundance of vitamin A, offering 769 percent of the daily requirement in just one cup. Additionally, the same measurement provides 65 percent of the daily requirement of vitamin C and 50 percent of the daily requirement of manganese.
Fiber, antioxidants such as beta carotene, anthocyanins, chlorogenic acid, copper, niacin, and pantothenic acid are all abundant in sweet potatoes.
Consistently incorporating sweet potatoes into your diet can enhance immunity, support healthy eyesight, facilitate digestion, combat detrimental free radicals, enhance neurological function, and combat cancer. For more extensive information on the advantages of sweet potatoes, refer to the following resource.
It is quite easy to include sweet potatoes in one’s diet. They can be prepared in a variety of ways such as boiling, baking, roasting, or steaming, with or without the skin. Furthermore, their inherent sweetness allows them to enhance both sweet and savory recipes.
2. Turnips
The cruciferous vegetable group includes turnips, along with other nutritious options like broccoli, kale, collard greens, brussels sprouts, and cabbage. Turnips are a great source of minerals such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium, which have been found to promote heart health by reducing blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Additionally, turnips possess high amounts of fiber that facilitate digestion, and vitamin C that enhances immunity and skin wellbeing. As with other cruciferous veggies, turnips possess indoles, phytonutrients that guard against cancers particularly of the prostate, stomach, breasts, lungs, and colon.
3. Beets
The root vegetables called beets contain crucial nutrients like manganese, folate, fiber, and antioxidants and have a bright red color.
High levels of nitrates are found in them, which encourage the inner lining of your blood vessels to produce nitric oxide. Nitric oxide has the ability to naturally expand and unwind the vessels, leading to a decrease in blood pressure. Consequently, they are a beneficial supplement for individuals with high blood pressure. However, caution must be exercised when taking medications for the same as it may result in excessively low blood pressure.
The usage of nitrates has been proven to enhance blood flow to the brain, bolster lung function, reinforce muscle contraction, elongate the period of time prior to fatigue and boost endurance during physical activity. This proves advantageous to athletes, empowering them to elevate their performance and augment their stamina.
Moreover, nitrates have the potential to reduce inflammation and expedite muscle recovery.
Beets are an excellent choice for increasing hemoglobin levels naturally due to their significant folate content. Additionally, they contain a considerable quantity of iron and vitamin C, which effectively enhance iron absorption in the body. Beets can be used in salads, juices, and as soup garnishes. Besides, they can be roasted, boiled, steamed, or fermented to gain extra probiotic advantages.
4. Radishes
Radishes are sturdy, low-carb root vegetables that are rich in nutrients and may aid in warding off certain health conditions. They have a high vitamin C content, with one cup of raw radishes (116g) containing 29% of the recommended daily amount.
In addition, they possess small quantities of other essential vitamins and minerals, such as folate, vitamin K, niacin, B2 and B6, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc, manganese, selenium, and copper.
Eating raw radishes can aid in preventing gastric ulcers, promoting overall digestive wellness, combating fungal infections such as Candida albicans, and providing protection against cancer. They can be included in salads or sandwiches as a tasty addition.
5. Onions
Most dishes rely on onions, which are a prevalent root vegetable. They contain a wealth of vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds with antioxidant effects that may help prevent specific illnesses.
Quercetin and anthocyanins, both flavonoid antioxidants present in onions, have been proven to decrease the chances of heart disease and heart attack, avert diabetes complications and aid in battling specific types of cancer. This makes onions an abundant storehouse of more than 25 flavonoid antioxidants.
On top of that, onions possess high amounts of sulfur-containing compounds, such as onionin A, that have the potential to reduce the spread and growth of tumors, particularly in the lungs and ovaries. Moreover, onions can regulate blood sugar levels, improve bone strength, and offer antibacterial properties.
6. Garlic
Adding garlic to your list of root vegetables to consume is also a popular choice. While it is similar to onions, chives, leeks, and shallots, it is known for having a stronger odor and slightly more nutritional benefits.
Throughout history, this substance has been utilized in Nepal, the Middle East, and East Asia for the purpose of remedying various ailments such as tuberculosis, colic, intestinal parasites, hypertension, diabetes, rheumatism, excessive gas, liver maladies, and dysentery.
Allium is present in it, which is an active component that plays a significant role in shielding from cardiovascular diseases, reducing blood sugar, controlling blood pressure, minimizing cholesterol, and combatting viral, fungal, bacterial, and parasitic afflictions, ultimately advancing the immune system.
Garlic can be enjoyed in various ways such as consuming it in its raw form, incorporating it into cooking, or taking it as a supplement. It is recommended to crush the cloves prior to adding them to your dish for optimal results.
7. Carrots
Eating carrots is highly nutritious since they contain vitamins A, C, E, K, beta-carotene, potassium, and magnesium. Consequently, consuming carrots provides various health advantages.
- Carrots help protect your heart. Carrots contain beta carotene, which is a form of Vitamin A. Studies have shown that people who eat a lot of vegetables, including carrots, have a lower risk of developing heart disease. In fact, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that adults eat at least two servings of vegetables per day to reduce their chances of heart disease.
- Carrots help reduce the risk of cancer. Carrots contain several antioxidants, such as vitamin C and beta carotene, which help fight cancer cells. According to the National Cancer Institute, eating foods high in antioxidants may reduce the risk of some types of cancer including ovarian, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancer.
- Carrots improve your vision. One cup of chopped carrots contains about 1 gram of beta carotene, providing nearly 20% of the recommended daily intake for most healthy adults. Beta carotene is converted in the body to vitamin A which supports your immune and inflammatory systems as well as vision. A high intake of beta carotene has been shown to protect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the common cause of vision loss.
- Carrots are a good source of fiber, which is essential for various functions, including promoting regularity and improving your overall digestive system.
- Carrots can also lower your risk of developing age-related conditions like Alzheimer’s Disease.
A plant that blossoms in China is known as Ginger and has close ties to other root vegetables, such as turmeric. The plant has a wealth of antioxidants, including gingerol, a unique component linked with numerous health advantages.
A study involving 1,278 pregnant women discovered that ginger proved to be successful in reducing morning sickness and nausea. In addition, it has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory capabilities, as evidenced by other studies indicating that ginger extract could alleviate menstrual pain and minimize symptoms in those with osteoarthritis.
Including ginger in tea, soups, smoothies, and stews is an excellent idea. It adds an invigorating flavor to every meal. Ginger is abundant in antioxidants, that can reduce pain and inflammation and help alleviate nausea.
Fennel, a flowering plant species that is closely related to carrots, is recognized for its licorice-like taste. Besides delivering minimal calories per serving, fennel is rich in fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and manganese.
Fennel has a unique taste, scent, and several health benefits due to the presence of anethole. According to a study conducted on rats, anethole can alter certain enzymes that aid in carbohydrate metabolism, leading to a decrease in blood sugar levels.
Furthermore, laboratory experiments have shown that anethole possesses antimicrobial characteristics and can impede bacterial development. Fennel can be consumed in its raw state, cooked or stir-fried, and incorporated into salads, soups, sauces, and pasta dishes.
Studies conducted on animals and test tubes have demonstrated that anethole, a compound present in fennel, can lower blood sugar levels as well as impede the growth of bacteria.
Celeriac, or celery root, is a root vegetable that is both delicious and adaptable, offering a wealth of nutritional benefits. A mere one-cup (156-gram) serving of celeriac contains a substantial portion of the daily recommended value of vitamin K, with 80% of this valuable nutrient provided. Additionally, celeriac provides a healthy dose of both vitamin C and phosphorus. Cooking and enjoying this vegetable is both simple and satisfying.
For proper blood clotting and bone health, the presence of Vitamin K is crucial. This nutrient is essential in the functioning of osteocalcin, which is a protein hormone.
Celeriac is a flavorful and crisp vegetable that is ideal for salads, and can also be cooked in a variety of ways such as boiling, roasting, baking or mashing. It is a vegetable that is abundant in nutrients and is especially rich in vitamin K, a vitamin that is imperative for bone health and blood clotting. Additionally, it can serve as a potato substitute in almost any recipe.
Curcumin, a component found in turmeric, has been demonstrated in various test-tube and animal studies to hinder the formation of blood clots, decrease cholesterol levels, and decrease indications of inflammation. Further research on humans showed that curcumin is beneficial in reducing joint pain, stabilizing blood sugar levels, and reducing depression symptoms.
Turmeric, which is readily obtainable as a seasoning, can be incorporated into both savory and sweet dishes as well as beverages, like golden turmeric milk. In order to fully utilize its advantages, it is necessary to combine turmeric with black pepper since the latter possesses a substance that can markedly augment the take-up of curcumin in your digestive system.
Curcumin is a component found in turmeric that has been linked to various advantages, such as enhanced relief from joint discomfort, regulation of blood glucose levels, and alleviation of depression symptoms.
With about 2,000 varieties grown in 160 countries worldwide, potatoes are an extremely adaptable and commonly accessible food source. Besides, they possess a considerable amount of fiber, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and manganese, making them highly nutritious.
Cooked and cooled potatoes are rich in resistant starch, a form of starch that remains undigested in your digestive system and contributes to the nourishment of your helpful gut bacteria. Besides, boiled potatoes are highly satiating and help you feel fuller for a more extended period, which could encourage weight loss.
Avoid consuming fried potatoes or processed potato items as they commonly contain excessive amounts of fat, sodium and calories while being low in nourishing content. Instead, opt for potatoes that are baked, boiled or steamed to receive optimal nutrients.
Potatoes are loaded with numerous essential nutrients and contain a significant amount of resistant starch. Additionally, their high satiety level could potentially aid in reducing body weight.
Additionally, rutabagas provide beneficial fiber that aids in promoting healthy digestion, while reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Additionally, they offer glucosinolates, which are sulfur-containing compounds present in cruciferous vegetables. These compounds may aid in guarding against the formation and progression of cancer cells and in averting oxidative stress.
Mash, bake or roast rutabaga and add them to soups, salads, noodles or desserts, as they are a great source of fiber and glucosinolates that could possibly prevent cancer and oxidative stress.
To enhance your diet and improve your health, it is advisable to incorporate a range of nutritious ingredients with these delicious root vegetables.