Radish

This humble root vegetable packs more health benefits than you may suspect. By stimulating the flow of bile, radishes are a useful tool for fat digestion, decongesting the gallbladder, and cleansing of both the liver and the blood. Radishes, both common and daikon radish, cleanse the thick phlegm residues of animal products that feed tumors and cancer. 

Raw radish strongly provokes Pitta in the digestive tract. It clears food stagnation and has a laxative effect. For Vata individuals radishes may be difficult to digest and create gas. 

The small variety of radish is beneficial for all three Doshas, while the large one is in fact irritating for all Doshas. 

Properties

Taste: pungent

Natural Attributes: contractive, sharp, dry, rough

Tissue impact (Vipak): pungent (reducing)

Thermal impact (Virya): warming 

Dosha impact: decreases Kapha, slightly decreases Vata, increases Pitta

Digestive impact (Agni): easy to digest

Channels (Srotas): opens 

Feces: moves

Urine: diuretic

Strength (Bala): clears congestionand obstruction

Mind (Manas): Rajasic

Effect: digestive stimulant, expectorant, lithagogue, detoxicant, cholagogue, diaphoretic, hypolipidemic

Chinese five element impact: Wood, Metal 

Chinese medicine syndromes: clears phlegm from the Lungs, Stomach, intestines, Gallbladder and Liver.

Medicinal properties 

• Nourishment (rasa): cures fever, dysentery, losing weight 
• Blood-circulation-liver: eye diseases, nose bleeding, vomiting blood, gallstones, occipital headache 
• Immunity: regular use will help prevent viral infections such as the common cold and influenza
• Kidney-Bladder: kidney and bladder stones
• Respiratory system: hoarseness, dyspnea, diseases of the nose and throat, clears sinuses, expels sticky phlegm, cough, moistens lungs 
• Digestive system: helps taste, removes accumulations, abdominal swelling, weak digestion, removes food congestion 
• Cleansing: neutralizes toxins

Harmful for: hypothyroidism (Raw brassicas contain chemicals that can block thyroid function called goitrogens. These chemicals are to some extent inactivated by steaming or cooking.