This Week: Turnips!

Turnips are a vegetable that people can consume raw or cooked. Turnips are a creamy white colour and a purple top. People often group this popular European staple food with root vegetables, such as potato and beetroot. However, the turnip is a cousin of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, arugula, and kale. Like other cruciferous vegetables, turnips provide plenty of nutrients and are low in calories. The leaves can also be eaten.
 
Turnips and their leaves are full of vitamins and minerals like calcium, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and Vitamin C. The leaves boast even more nutritional content than the vegetable does!
 
One medium turnip has 233 mg of potassium. Your body needs that mineral for just about everything, including helping your nerves send signals and keeping your muscles and heart in good working shape. When you don't get enough, you're at risk for high blood pressure, stroke, kidney stones, brittle bones, and high blood sugar.
 
 Turnips have glucosinolates -- plant-based chemicals that may help prevent all kinds of cancer, from breast to prostate. Turnips are also rich in the antioxidant lutein. This keeps your eyes healthy and wards off problems like macular degeneration and cataracts.
 
Dairy isn't the only way to build strong bones and stay one step ahead of the bone-weakening disease osteoporosis. Turnips have a significant amount of calcium, which also helps your heart, muscles, and nerves.
 
Turnips and other cruciferous vegetables that are high in fibre help make people feel fuller for longer, and they are low in calories. Eating high fibre meals also helps keep blood sugar levels stable. The fibre content in turnips may also prevent constipation and promote regularity for a healthy digestive tract. Regular, adequate bowel movements are crucial for getting rid of toxins through the bile and stool.
 
Detriments: Some health problems and medications don't mix well with turnips. Talk to your doctor if:

You need a faecal occult blood test. Turnips, broccoli, and some other fruits and vegetables may give you a false positive or false negative on this test, which looks for hidden blood in your stool.

Your blood clots too quickly. If you have certain conditions, too many turnip greens -- which are high in vitamin K -- can cause your blood to clot faster than normal.

You have a kidney condition. Your kidneys remove extra potassium from your body. If they don't work well, you may have too much potassium in your system. This causes a rapid heartbeat and muscle issues like weakness, cramps, or stiffness.