Parsnips Nutrition and Benefits

By Research Staff
May 24, 2019

How This Helps

Parsnips Health Benefits and Useful in:

Instructions

Parsnips Nutrition Value:

Serving size: 100 g

Nutrients Amount

Energy 314 kJ (75 kcal)

Water 79.53 g

Carbohydrates 18 g

Sugars 4.8 g

Dietary fiber 4.9 g

Fat 0.2 g

Protein 1.2 g

Vitamins

Thiamine (B1) 0.09 mg

Riboflavin (B2) 0.05 mg

Niacin (B3) 0.7 mg

Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.6 mg

Vitamin B6 0.09 mg

Folate (B9) 67 μg

Vitamin C 17 mg

Vitamin E 1.49 mg

Vitamin K 22.5 μg

Minerals

Calcium 36 mg

Iron 0.59 mg

Magnesium 29 mg

Manganese 0.56 mg

Phosphorus 71 mg

Potassium 375 mg

Sodium 10 mg

Zinc 0.59 mg

Source: USDA Nutrient Database

Flavor

They’re filled with vitamins, high in the minerals potassium and manganese, and a great source of fiber. Parsnips may be used in precisely the same way as carrots, though their taste is markedly sweeter, particularly when cooked, more like a fantastic sweet potato.

Parsnips are sweet, like carrots, but rather than that carroty taste, they taste nuttier and more earthy.

They can be eaten raw, especially when they are small and youthful –but when cooked they achieve a sweet toastiness that leaves some people wanting more. Generally you can cook parsnips just as you would potatoes, peel or just scrub baby ones, halve, quarter or cut into smaller pieces and then boil, roast or mash. To enhance their sweetness, you could coat them in honey and mustard that will caramelise during roasting for additional stickiness.

Parsnips supply similar nutrient value as potatoes, though parsnips are lower in calories and contain just about 50% of the protein and vitamin C content of potatoes.

Science and Research

Parsnips Benefits for Health Condition:

Obesity:

Parsnips are an amazing low-calorie vegetable, which contains high amounts of soluble fiber and add a lot of bulk to your food. This easily fills you up and thus prevents the release of the hunger hormone, Ghrelin. As a result, you reduce the tendency to snack between meals and are able to lose weight more effectively.

Antioxidants:

Similar to carrots, parsnips contain high amounts of polyacetylene anti-oxidants like panaxydiol, falcarindiol, falcarinol and methyl-falcarindiol. These compounds are anti-inflammatory in nature and offer anti-fungal and anti-cancer effects. Vitamin C is another antioxidant found in parsnips, which maintains connective tissue health and protects against several diseases and cancers by scavenging the free radicals from the body.

Heart Diseases:

Parsnips contain unusually high concentrations of potassium, which acts as a vasodilator and decreases the blood pressure, thereby lowering the stress on the heart. Also, high levels of folate present in Parsnips, converts the compound, homocysteine to amino acids like methionine and cysteine. If homocysteine is not converted to its harmless products, it can cause significant damage to the blood vessels in the heart, leading to stroke.

References