There's a familiar vegetable gracing the dinner table when you're tucking into a roast which, when eaten more regularly, could benefit your digestive health and boost serotonin levels. Parsnips, that trusty root vegetable typically served alongside your feast, boasts some remarkable health advantages that often go unnoticed.
Nutrition specialists at Good Food have explained that this humble veg can work wonders for your gut health, supporting digestion thanks to its abundant fibre content. Being packed with both soluble and insoluble fibre, parsnips can encourage beneficial bacteria to flourish within your gut microbiome.
Your gut microbiome is essentially an internal ecosystem defined by its surroundings and residents, and it's entirely unique to each individual, reports Surrey Live.
The bacteria residing in your digestive system assist in breaking down complex carbohydrates and dietary fibres that your body cannot process independently. They generate short-chain fatty acids - a vital nutrient - as a result, whilst also supplying enzymes required to create certain vitamins.
Good Food's health editor revealed in a previous Instagram video: "They (parsnips) contain a protective plant compound called falcarinol which can have a calming effect, as well as influencing the good brain chemical serotonin."
Falcarinol is present in both parsnips and carrots, and whilst 70 per cent is "lost during cooking", what remains gets absorbed and could potentially have a soothing effect. The compound has also been previously suggested to influence cancer development.
In a 2005 study, scientists from the University of Newcastle discovered that this natural compound cut the risk of cancer developing in rats by a third. According to Science Daily, falcarinol was shown to shield carrots from fungal diseases, including liquorice rot which causes black spots on roots whilst in storage.
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The research team conducted experiments on 24 rats with pre-cancerous tumours under laboratory conditions, splitting them into three groups and providing them with varying diets.
Following 18 weeks, the scientists discovered that rats fed carrots alongside their standard feed, and the group given falcarinol with their feed - in an amount equivalent to that found in the carrots - were a third less likely to develop full-blown tumours compared to rats in the control group.
Parsnips are also loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, notably being an excellent source of vitamin C, which can help strengthen your immune system.
Health benefits of parsnipsNutritionist Kerry Torrens highlighted five of the key benefits to adding parsnips to your diet. These include:
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