Daikon Seeds

Daikon Seeds (Latin name Raphanus Sativus) have been used for centuries to aid in digestion, relieve fatigue and for their ability to cleanse the blood and body. They are an effective treatment for hangovers, sore throats, migraine headaches, congestion and edema. Also, they are effective against anything caused by rich diet or food stagnation such as acne, diabetes, bloating and cellulite. They can aid in weight loss and improve kidney function, immune function and blood circulation. Topically, the oil is used to soften and heal dry, cracked skin. Modern medicine has also suggested they have the ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

How Daikon Seed is used

Daikon seed can be sprouted and then consumed similar to other sprouted seeds. It can also be cooked with grains. An extract can be made from the seeds and then put into capsules or tincture. Commonly, this extract is combined with things like holly leaf, garlic and hawthorn to effectively lower blood pressure and improve overall cardiovascular health. It can also be combined with other common remedies such as ginger and honey to treat digestive woes. The freeze dried sprouts and less often the extract also finds a place in whole food multi-vitamin and in commercially available whole food cleansing systems.

How Daikon Root is used

Daikon root is primarily used in Asian cuisine and traditional Chinese medicine. It is often served pickled. A broth can be created by boiling Daikon Root with seaweed and then taken to help rid the body of dairy build up and animal toxins. A tea made from the root is often used to aid digestion, fight disease and to treat both constipation and diarrhea. Two thin slices of pickled and then sun dried daikon is the traditional end to a meal in Japan as it is said to both cleanse the palate and aid in the digestion of the meal. Daikon can also be juiced. Laboratory testing has shown that the enzyme profile in daikon juice is very similar to the human digestive tract. It also contains phenolic compounds that block potentially dangerous reactions from occurring.



Helping Kidney Function

Alone, daikon, both in food form and in its extract, is a very effective diuretic. It causes the kidneys to process waste more effectively and thus excrete more urine. This helps to both improve kidney function and to treat edema. It also helps to clean the blood, eliminating the toxins through the kidneys, liver, sweat glands and digestive tract. Because of this, it helps food be digested more completely leading to less over eating and often weight loss.

Migraine Relief

The same action that allows daikon to treat high blood pressure also allows it to help prevent and treat migraines. Migraines are caused by blood vessels in the brain constricting. Daikon helps to dilate those blood vessels. It works best as a preventive but can also be taken at the first signs of a migraine.

Habitat

Growth of the daikon plant began in the Mediterranean but quickly spread east. Traditionally, it was grown across all of Asia and is still today especially common in China, Japan, Korea and the Philippines. Most recently, as its health benefits have become more widely known, it has come to Texas and California.

Dosage

The amount of daikon seed extract varies widely between brands. The therapeutic dosage for blood pressure is 400-800 mg per day. Many commercially available blood pressure blends contain much less of the extract than this. When used in a commercial cleansing program, most contain between 50 and 100 mg of freeze dried sprouts.

The benefits of using daikon root will quickly be seen if you give this super food and amazing supplement a try.