NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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radish

A crisp, peppery cruciferous root—low-calorie, vitamin-C-rich, and a source of glucosinolate-derived isothiocyanates.

Moderate evidence 🥦Vegetables

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
8 verified / 8
Classification
Vegetables
❝
What the evidence says. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.

Nutrition per serving 1 cup sliced, raw (116 g)

116gSERVING
  • Sugars 2.2 g2%
  • Fibre 1.9 g2%
  • Protein 0.8 g1%
  • Other 111.1 g96%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C19%Fiber7%Potassium6%Folate7%Vitamin A0%Vitamin K1%Vitamin B65%Manganese3%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
19 kcal0.8 g protein1.9 g fiber2.2 g sugar
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C17 mg19%
Fiber1.9 g7%
Potassium270 mg6%
Folate29 µg7%
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin K1.5 µg1%
Vitamin B60.08 mg5%
Manganese0.08 mg3%
Copper0.06 mg6%
Magnesium12 mg3%
Calcium29 mg2%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is radish?

radish is a vegetable used for supports healthy blood pressure (cruciferous rct evidence). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. Radish is a low-energy cruciferous vegetable whose signature bioactives are glucosinolates—chiefly glucoraphenin and glucoraphasatin—that hydrolyze to the isothiocyanate sulforaphene, a phase-2 detoxification-enzyme inducer related to broccoli's sulforaphane. Direct human RCT evidence on radish itself is limited, so the strongest support comes from cruciferous-vegetable trials and cohorts: a randomized crossover trial (VESSEL) showed ~300 g/day of cruciferous vegetables lowered 24-h systolic blood pressure by 2.5 mmHg and improved glycemic control versus root/squash controls, and large prospective cohorts link higher cruciferous intake to lower cardiovascular mortality and colorectal cancer risk. Evidence for type-2-diabetes prevention is suggestive but not yet convincing.

Purported Benefits

✓Supports healthy blood pressure (cruciferous RCT evidence)
✓Very low calorie, hydrating, high water content
✓Provides vitamin C and potassium
✓Source of glucosinolate-derived isothiocyanates (sulforaphene)
✓Associated with lower cardiovascular and colorectal cancer risk

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
Standard serving: 1 cup sliced, raw (116 g). Eat whole (with skin where edible); favour whole fruit over juice.
Active Compounds
glucorapheninglucoraphasatinsulforapheneisothiocyanatesvitamin Canthocyanins (red varieties)

Safety & Cautions

A cruciferous (Brassicaceae) vegetable: raw consumption supplies goitrogenic glucosinolates that can modestly impair thyroid iodine uptake in very high intakes or iodine deficiency—not a concern at culinary amounts. Generally well tolerated; low in vitamin K so minimal warfarin interaction. Large amounts may cause gas/bloating in sensitive individuals. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining radish with any medicine.

Key Studies

Meta-analysis Mori et al. 2025 (dose-response meta-analysis) ✓ Full text
Dose-response meta-analysis confirmed a nonlinear inverse relationship between cruciferous-vegetable intake and colon cancer, with risk reduction emerging from ~20 g/day and optimal intake at 40-60 g/day (OR ~0.74-0.80).
Meta-analysis Pollock 2016 (meta-analysis) ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 8 prospective cohorts found higher green-leafy and cruciferous vegetable intake associated with a ~15.8% lower incidence of cardiovascular disease.
Meta-analysis Zurbau / Mukherjee 2018 (meta-analysis) ✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis (Singapore Chinese Health Study plus pooled cohorts, ~754,729 participants) found a borderline inverse association of cruciferous-vegetable intake with type 2 diabetes (RR 0.87; 95% CI 0.76-1.00).
Meta-analysis Wu et al. 2013 (meta-analysis) ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of observational studies found high vs low cruciferous-vegetable intake inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk (RR 0.82; 95% CI 0.75-0.90).
RCT (crossover) Connolly et al. 2024 (VESSEL, BP) ✓ Full text
In a randomized controlled crossover trial (n=18, mildly elevated BP), ~300 g/day cruciferous vegetables for 2 weeks lowered 24-h systolic BP by 2.5 mmHg (95% CI -4.2, -0.9; P=0.002) and serum triglycerides versus root/squash vegetables.
RCT (crossover) Connolly et al. 2025 (VESSEL, glycemia) ✓ PubMed
In the same randomized crossover trial, the cruciferous-vegetable intervention improved glycemic control (lower 24-h and postprandial glucose measures) compared with root/squash vegetables.
Narrative review Banihani 2017 (review) ✓ PubMed
Narrative review of preclinical and limited human data concludes radish (Raphanus sativus) may improve glycemic control via enhanced glucose uptake, reduced intestinal glucose absorption, and antioxidant effects, while noting clinical confirmation is still needed.
Prospective cohort Zhang et al. 2011 (Shanghai cohorts) ✓ Full text
Among 134,796 Chinese adults, the highest vs lowest quintile of cruciferous-vegetable intake had a pooled HR for total mortality of 0.78 (P<0.0001 for trend), driven mainly by reduced cardiovascular mortality.
8 sources cited · 8 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about radish

What is radish used for?

radish is most often taken for Supports healthy blood pressure (cruciferous RCT evidence), Very low calorie, hydrating, high water content, Provides vitamin C and potassium, Source of glucosinolate-derived isothiocyanates (sulforaphene). A crisp, peppery cruciferous root—low-calorie, vitamin-C-rich, and a source of glucosinolate-derived isothiocyanates.

Does radish work — what does the evidence say?

Moderate evidence. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent. Radish is a low-energy cruciferous vegetable whose signature bioactives are glucosinolates—chiefly glucoraphenin and glucoraphasatin—that hydrolyze to the isothiocyanate sulforaphene, a phase-2 detoxification-enzyme inducer related to broccoli's sulforaphane. Direct human RCT evidence on radish itself is limited, so the strongest support comes from cruciferous-vegetable trials and cohorts: a randomized crossover trial (VESSEL) showed ~300 g/day of cruciferous vegetables lowered 24-h systolic blood pressure by 2.5 mmHg and improved glycemic control versus root/squash controls, and large prospective cohorts link higher cruciferous intake to lower cardiovascular mortality and colorectal cancer risk. Evidence for type-2-diabetes prevention is suggestive but not yet convincing.

What is the typical dose of radish?

Standard serving: 1 cup sliced, raw (116 g). Eat whole (with skin where edible); favour whole fruit over juice.

Is radish safe? Any cautions or side effects?

A cruciferous (Brassicaceae) vegetable: raw consumption supplies goitrogenic glucosinolates that can modestly impair thyroid iodine uptake in very high intakes or iodine deficiency—not a concern at culinary amounts. Generally well tolerated; low in vitamin K so minimal warfarin interaction. Large amounts may cause gas/bloating in sensitive individuals.

How many studies support radish?

NutriDex cites 8 sources for radish, graded "Moderate".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). radish: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/radish

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_radish,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {radish: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/radish},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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