Turnips aren't just for the livestock!

😎 I usually think of turnips as more of a winter vegetable, but last week I received a bunch of small, sweet, turnips and they were quite good eaten raw and sliced thinly onto a salad. 🥗

🌰 Turnips originally come from Russia, Siberia and the Scandanavian península. They are a member of the cabbage family and has round or top shaped roots, white skin with purplish or greenish crowns, and thin, green, hairy leaves.

🌰 They flourish in poor soils and keep well, making them traditionally popular with the poor. However, it’s valuable for its nutrients and medicinal and healthful qualities.

🌰 Raw turnips have a tangy flavor similar to a mild radish but are sweet when cooked. The root is high in Vitamin C.

🌰 Turnip greens can be cooked the same way you would cook spinach or other greens. The greens are good sources of vitamins A, K, and C, folate, and calcium. The greens also contain lutein, which helps the eyes stay sharp and clear.

🌰 Raw grated turnip can be used as a digestive aid and also cleans the teeth.

🌰 Turnips warm and purify the body, because of their sulfur content. Because turnips are alkaline, they help to detoxify the body. I often include turnips in vegetable broths for that reason.

🌰 As a member of the brassica genus, turnips contain dithiolthiones, a group of compounds that have anticancer, antioxidant properties. Also, indoles that protect against breast and colon cancer.

🌰 The sulfur in turnips has antibiotic and antiviral properties and warms and purifies the body.

🌰 Turnips are alkalizing, so help to detoxify the body.

🌰 Turnips can also mildly stimulate the liver and other tissues out of stagnancy which is why they are often included in cleansing diets.

👉🏼 Please note, because turnips contain high amounts of goitrogens that interfere with thyroid function, they should be eaten in moderation by those with low thyroid function.

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Tell me, do you eat turnips as part of your diet, or grow them? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!