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The photo of the swede does not make a particularly vivid impression, however, this vegetable is very healthy. You can evaluate the benefits of a root vegetable if you carefully study its composition and familiarize yourself with the options for using the vegetable.
What is rutabaga and how does it look
Rutabaga is a cruciferous vegetable that is a hybrid of turnip and cabbage. Outwardly, the rutabaga resembles both ancestor vegetables, in shape and density it is similar to a turnip, although it is larger in size.
The root vegetables of the swede can be oval or spherical, flattened or cylindrical. In the photo of a rutabaga berry, it can be seen that the vegetable is covered with a smooth or reticulated dense peel on top, the color of the peel is gray-green or purple in the upper part and yellow or white in the lower part. The pulp of the swede has retained much more of the cabbage, primarily of white or bright yellow color.
Rutabaga is an interesting vegetable from the point of view of cultivation in the garden. The culture has a high cold resistance, easily tolerates a lack of moisture and even in difficult conditions grows juicy and nutritious.
Where rutabaga grows
There are still disputes about the homeland of the root crop. Some scientists believe that the vegetable appeared randomly in the Mediterranean countries, while others insist that it spread throughout the world from Siberia. But most agronomists believe that the vegetable was bred in Sweden, since it is to this country that the first mentions of the vegetable, made in the 17th century, belong. For the same reason, the root vegetable is often informally called the Swedish turnip.
Currently, rutabaga is grown all over the world, the endurance of this crop allows it to be cultivated in any natural conditions. True, in most countries, the vegetable remains much less popular than potatoes, common turnips or cabbage. But in some European countries, the root vegetable still plays an important role in traditional cuisine, for example, it is respected in Germany, Finland and Sweden.
What rutabaga tastes like
Both turnips and cabbage can be distinguished in the taste of rutabagas. But most of all, the pulp of a vegetable still resembles cabbage, more precisely, not the leaves of the heads of cabbage themselves, but a stump, only less bitter.
Chemical composition of swede
The vegetable culture of rutabaga is famous not only for its unusual appearance and taste, but also for its beneficial properties. It contains many valuable chemical elements, namely:
- subgroup B vitamins - from B1 to B9 in their entirety;
- vitamins A and E;
- vitamin C;
- vitamins PP and H;
- beta carotene;
- potassium and phosphorus;
- sodium and calcium;
- magnesium and iron;
- cellulose;
- mustard oil;
- pectins;
- essential oils.
Also, the root vegetable contains selenium and zinc, which endow the vegetable with antioxidant properties, this significantly increases the value of the product.
What is rutabaga useful for the human body
Due to its composition, the root vegetable is a truly valuable vegetable in the daily diet. You can list a few of the main beneficial qualities of the product.
- Rutabaga effectively protects against colds and infectious diseases. The pulp of the root vegetable contains a lot of vitamin C, which activates the human immune system.It is useful to eat a root vegetable in the autumn-winter period - in action it will not yield to citrus fruits and will help to economically diversify the diet.
- The root vegetable has a positive effect on the functioning of the intestines and the entire digestive system. The vegetable promotes increased production of enzymes responsible for the breakdown of food, and also improves peristalsis. Fiber, present in large volumes in the swede, not only allows you to establish regular bowel movements, but also has a cleansing effect on the body, since it removes all toxic substances and even traces of heavy metals along with toxins.
- The vegetable has dietary properties. Its nutritional value is very low, while the use of swede helps to quickly free the body from accumulated toxins, to establish metabolic processes and reduce the amount of body fat.
- The vitamins in the swede and the minerals in the pulp are useful for the work of the heart and blood vessels. A large amount of potassium in the swede helps maintain a normal water-salt balance in the body, when eating a vegetable, cholesterol levels are lowered, and the walls of blood vessels are strengthened. Therefore, rutabagas can prevent heart attacks, strokes and atherosclerosis, as well as prevent blood clots.
- Calcium and phosphorus in the vegetable have a strengthening effect on the skeletal system and ligaments. With the help of a root vegetable, it is possible to alleviate the condition with osteoporosis and other joint diseases; it is very useful to include the vegetable in the diet for the elderly.
- Vitamins of group B and potassium in the composition of the vegetable have a positive effect on the muscular and nervous system in the human body. The root vegetable helps to get rid of increased irritability and sleep problems, improves muscle tone and has an invigorating effect, reduces stress levels and strengthens attention and memory.
For men, the root vegetable is especially useful due to its beneficial effect on the reproductive system, in addition, this vegetable protects against early baldness. Women can use the product with migraines, during menopause and during painful periods - rutabagas helps to restore well-being and emotional background to normal.
A vegetable can serve as the prevention of cancer - antioxidants in its composition contribute to the rapid renewal of body cells, which prevents the development of cancerous tumors.
Contraindications to swede
Of course, the beneficial properties and contraindications of swede are closely related to each other. It is not recommended to eat Swedish turnips:
- with individual allergies, in this case, the vegetable will cause nausea, flatulence, bloating and diarrhea;
- during pregnancy, the root crop often leads to increased gas production, and this can cause a lot of inconvenience to a pregnant woman;
- with inflammation of the urinary tract - a vegetable can have an irritating effect and aggravate the condition;
- with pancreatitis, stomach ulcers and gastritis in the acute phase, the use of root vegetables will only increase pain and worsen the condition;
- with flatulence and colic in the intestines.
It is better not to use rutabagas for diabetes - the glycemic index of the product is very high, and the vegetable is likely to harm the body.
How rutabagas are eaten
The benefits of swede for the human body can manifest itself in full force if the vegetable is used correctly.
- For eating, choose healthy, smooth root vegetables with a whole, clean skin.
- Before use, the vegetable must be thoroughly washed under cold water, and then peeled from the dense skin.
- The pulp of the root vegetable is cut into small cubes and added to a salad, for example, to ordinary cabbage or carrots, with which the vegetable goes especially well in taste.
You can use rutabagas not only fresh as part of a salad.The vegetable is baked and fried in vegetable oil, boiled until softened or stewed under a lid, steamed. In all types of swede, it retains useful properties, although it is the raw pulp of the vegetable that contains the greatest amount of valuable substances.
It is best to eat the root vegetable in the morning or afternoon. Because the vegetable is high in fiber, it can have a negative effect shortly before bedtime and lead to bloating and nighttime flatulence.
How to use rutabagas
You can eat rutabagas not only for food - the plant has many medicinal properties. Traditional medicine offers many effective recipes based on the Swedish turnip.
- Rutabaga is good for chronic constipation. To improve peristalsis and remove toxins from the body, you need to make a soft puree from a boiled vegetable or bake a root vegetable in the oven. You need to eat a root vegetable 150-200 g every other day - this will eliminate constipation and, in general, establish regular bowel movements.
- The rutabaga plant is used in the treatment of colds. The recipe looks like this - the pulp of the root vegetable is crushed into a gruel using a blender, mixed with natural honey in a ratio of 2 to 1, and then taken three times a day with a small spoon, washed down with water.
- Taking a root vegetable for medicinal purposes is useful for heart and vascular ailments. In this case, the benefits and harms of swede juice will be in demand, a small peeled vegetable needs to be grated and squeezed through a thick gauze. Fresh vegetable juice is consumed in 100 ml on an empty stomach three times a day - the remedy not only cleanses blood vessels, but also eliminates edema, thereby improving kidney function. Also, home medicine will be beneficial for anemia - the iron in the swede will quickly raise hemoglobin values to normal values.
- Rutabaga is beneficial for bronchitis, pneumonia, and lingering cold coughs. The treatment is again carried out with the help of juice - 100 ml is taken three times a day, and to enhance the medicinal effect, it is mixed with cranberry or rosehip juice.
- In case of joint ailments, rutabaga with honey will provide effective assistance - the juice squeezed from one fresh root crop should be mixed with 30 g of natural honey and consumed twice a day on an empty stomach. It will relieve inflammation and pain and improve mobility.
With the help of root vegetables, skin ailments, cuts and burns can be treated. It is very simple to do this - the gruel from a fresh vegetable must be applied to the sore skin area and held with a compress for 30-40 minutes.
The Swedish turnip is used not only by traditional medicine, but also by home cosmetology. The beneficial substances in the composition of root vegetables have a beneficial effect on the skin, cleanse the epidermis, increase the elasticity of the skin, even out the complexion and prevent aging.
For example, the following nourishing mask is popular:
- fresh root vegetable is rubbed on a fine grater;
- the gruel is mixed with 10 g of honey;
- add 30-40 g of fat cottage cheese to the mixture;
- the ingredients are poured with carrot juice in such a volume that the mask acquires a semi-liquid consistency.
The mask is distributed over the cleansed skin of the face and left for a quarter of an hour, after which it is washed off. If the procedure is carried out at least twice a week, the appearance of the skin will improve very quickly, the epidermis will become smoother and more elastic, fine wrinkles will disappear.
For dry skin of the face, another simple mask will be of particular benefit:
- the peeled root vegetable is grated;
- in equal amounts, the gruel is mixed with fat sour cream;
- for a quarter of an hour, the mask is spread over the face.
For the best effect, it is also recommended to apply the mask twice or thrice a week. And rutabaga with sour cream will be especially beneficial in the cold season, when the skin needs careful protection.
Calorie rutabagas
The nutritional value of rutabagas is represented mainly by carbohydrates, they are contained in root vegetables about 7.7 g. Also, proteins are present in the vegetable in an amount of 1.2 g, and very little rutabagas contains fats - only 0.1 g.
The calorie content of the vegetable is 37 kcal per 100 g of pulp. Root vegetables, when consumed in moderation, are completely safe for the figure and cannot contribute to weight gain.
Conclusion
The photo of the swede shows an extremely nondescript and completely ordinary-looking vegetable that looks like a turnip. However, the chemical composition of swede is so diverse that this vegetable crop is a valuable source of vitamins, minerals and vegetable fiber. The use of root vegetables in the absence of contraindications has a very good effect on human health - the vegetable helps to fight chronic ailments and vitamin deficiencies.
