Skirret is a root vegetable. Knowing that it grows beneath ground level, it doesn’t come as a shock why it’s one of the healthiest crops on the planet. Alas, not that many people are familiar with it. Continue reading if this is the first time you have heard about this vegetable so that you may know the reason why you should add it to your diet.
It is in China where skirret originated from. Many Asian countries grow it and use it for culinary as well as medicinal purposes. However, skirret eventually spread to Europe. These days, it’s very common for this nutritious vegetable to thrive in cold areas on the planet and consumed in a wide variety of ways.
One of the nicest things about skirret is it’s a perennial plant, which means that it will continue to provide sustenance all year round! By the way, sometimes it’s also cultivated for ornamental reasons as it bears lovely flowers. These eye-catching blooms also grab the attention of insects, although the kinds which provide benefits.
Speaking of benefits, there are lots of perks that you can obtain from the consumption of skirret. It’s for the fact that it contains all sorts of nutrients such as iron, magnesium, copper, zinc, manganese, and vitamins A, B, C and E. Due to having an impressive nutritional profile, consuming skirret lets you enjoy the following:
Increased Energy
Being rich in sugar (the natural kind and not the one found in sweets), the addition of skirret in your diet can give you the energy you need to be able to carry out all sorts of physical and even mental tasks. It’s also for its sugar content why skirret is commonly added to dishes which can taste so much better with a dash of sweetness.
Other than sugar, this root vegetable is also loaded with B vitamins. According to scientists, various B vitamins such as pyridoxine, riboflavin and niacin are the ones responsible for converting carbohydrates present in the food you consume into fuel that your body cells can utilize as energy.
Neural Tube Defects Protection
By the way, another B vitamin found in skirret is folate. This particular nutrient is highly beneficial for women who are in the family way. It’s for the fact that it helps prevent neural tube defects from striking developing babies, which entails the improper formation of the brain as well as the spinal cord.
Antioxidant Boost
There are a number of nutrients in skirret that have superb antioxidant properties, and they are vitamins A, C and E. It’s of utmost importance for you to regularly supply your body with antioxidants because these molecules are the ones that neutralize excess free radicals before they cause many different problems concerning your health.
Eye, Skin, Hair, Heart and Joint Health
We all know that vitamin A is important for keeping the eyes in a healthy state. It also provides skin benefits. Vitamin C is also good for your skin because it slows down the aging process of skin by combating free radicals as well as encouraging the formation of collagen, which is a structural protein.
Although vitamin E also provides skin benefits, it is more popularly known as a protector of the heart. Furthermore, it helps keep your joints free of pain and inflammation. If you regard your hair as one of your best assets, then consume skirret regularly as its vitamin E content is very good for both your scalp and hair.
Reduced Inflammation
There is one more powerful antioxidant found in skirret — zinc. Scientists say that aside from having excellent antioxidant properties, zinc also possesses strong anti-inflammatory properties. There are so many health scares that stem from inflammation, and the consumption of zinc-containing skirret can help lower your risk of having them.
