Amazing health benefits of horseradish

Horseradish is a long root used frequently in the dishes to flavor the food. It tastes unique and strong. Horseradish is indent to Eastern and Mediterranean regions of Europe from where it spread to Americas during colonial times.

There are many health benefits of eating horseradish apart from increasing the flavor. It is used to treat some of the health problems like kidney stones, gall bladder stones, urinary tract infections, gout, sciatic nerve pain, cough, fluid retention, achy joints and intestinal worms in children.

Benefits of horseradish

• Horseradish is a good source of dietary fiber, it is low in calories and fat content. It is encompassed with vitamins, trace minerals and anti-oxidants. It also consists of diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties which are necessary for soothing the nerves.
• Horseradish comprises of a water soluble vitamin-vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant and helps in treating the viral infections and in boosting the immunity. It also flushes out the harmful free radical molecules in the body and protects  from cancers, infections and inflammation problems etc. 100 grams of fresh horseradish root consists of 29 mg or 41% of daily-recommended vitamin C value.
•   Horseradish is a potent gastric stimulant and helps in increasing the appetite and digestion. The phyto-chemical compounds present in the horseradish boosts the salivary, intestinal glands and gastric there by the production of digestive enzymes will be increases through which it helps for the proper digestion.
• This root is a store house of important minerals like iron, copper, sodium, potassium, magnesium, zinc and manganese. Iron is essential for the red blood cells production in the bone marrow and is also major during the process of cellular metabolism. Our body uses manganese as a co-factor for the powerful antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Where as potassium, an important component of body fluids and cell helps in controlling the heart rate and blood pressure.
• In addition to the above horseradish root is provider of small amounts of essential vitamins like folate, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6 and pantothenic acid.
• The spicy flavored horseradish treats the stuffy nose and other symptoms of sinus problem similar to the other food items which consists of hot and spicy ingredient peppers.
• Horseradish is not just a plant root with low calories but is a rich source of glucosinolates, which prevents our body from the risk of cancer. The glucosinolates makes the carcinogens inactive. Carcinogens are present in some of the food items and in pollution. There by it helps in preventing the cancer.
•  Mash a piece of horseradish and apply to the painful, swollen and inflamed joints or at tissues to get the relief. It is also believed to be a solution for the minor muscle aches.

Some of the major constituents present in the horseradish includes allyl isothiocyanate, 2-propenylglucosinlate (sinigrin), 2-pentyl isothiocyanate, phenylethyl isothiocyanate and 3-butenyl isothiocyanate. These compounds work as antioxidants as well as detoxification agents.