Parsnips are closely related to carrots family of vegetables; grown for their sweet, succulent underground taproots. The root vegetable has similar appearance and growth characteristics as other apiaceae family members like carrots, parsley, celery, cumin, dill etc. Botanically, they belong to the umbelliferae (apiaceae) family of the genus: Pastinaca.
Scientific name: Pastinaca sativa.
Pastinaca sativa is a biennial cool season crop native to Mediterranean region. In the first year, it grows about 1-1.5 meter tall and bears underground taproots, which are generally harvested after the first frost of the season. If left undisturbed, the plant develops umbrella-shaped clusters of small yellow flowers and seeds during the next season.

Its fleshy, stout roots appear like that of carrots, but are white or cream in colour and sweeter than that of carrots. Good winter frost is essential for better crop, as frost converts much of the starch to sugars and helps develop long, firm parsnips. The roots are generally harvested when they reach about six to ten inches long, by pulling the entire plant with its root (uprooting) as in carrots.

Health benefits

Generally, parsnip contains more sugar than carrots, radish, and turnips. In general, it has calories (100 g provide 75 calories) comparable to that of some fruits like banana, grapes etc. Nonetheless, its sweet, juicy root is rich in several health-benefiting phyto-nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fibre.

It is one of the excellent sources of soluble and insoluble dietary fibre. 100 g root provides 4.9 mg or 13% of fibre. Adequate fibre in the diet helps reduce blood cholesterol levels, obesity and constipation conditions.

As in carrots and other members of apiaceae family vegetables, parsnip too contains many poly-acetylene anti-oxidants such as falcarinol, falcarindiol, panaxydiol, and methyl-falcarindiol.

Several research studies from scientists at University of Newcastle at Tyne found that these compounds have anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and anti-cancer function and offer protection from colon cancer and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).

Fresh roots are also good in vitamin C; provide about 17 mg or 28% of RDA. Vitamin C is a powerful water-soluble anti-oxidant, easily available to us from natural sources. It helps body maintain healthy connective tissue, teeth, and gum. Its anti-oxidant property helps protect from diseases and cancers by scavenging harmful free radicals from the body.

Further, the root is rich in many B-complex groups of vitamins such as folic acid, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, and pantothenic acid as well as vitamin K and vitamin E.

In addition, it also has healthy levels of minerals like iron, calcium, copper, potassium, manganese and phosphorus. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure by countering effects of sodium.

Heart Health: Everyone seems to be looking for the big secret to unlocking a healthy cardiovascular system, and while fruits and vegetables are always a good choice, parsnips make an even bigger impact than usual, given the high level of potassium, which acts as a vasodilator and reduces blood pressure, as well as stress on the heart. The high levels of folate in parsnips is the perfect complement, as it reduces homocysteine levels in the blood, which are associated with a higher risk of heart disease.

Dietary Fibre: Parsnips have been praised for their high fibre content for many years, particularly because it is composed of soluble fibre, the variety that is closely associated with reducing cholesterol levels (further boosting heart health) and with a lower chance of developing diabetes. On top of that, dietary fibre is a key component of our digestive process, facilitating healthy movement of food through the digestive tract, a reduction in constipation, and the prevention of other gastrointestinal disorders.

Birth Defects and Metabolism: While folate was already mentioned in conjunction with a healthier heart, it is also important to note that folate (a member of the B-vitamin family) is also connected with reducing neural tube birth defects in infants and optimizing metabolic processes related to energy production and your nervous system. Also, folate has been positively correlated with lower levels of depression in those who regularly add it to their diet.

Weight Loss: As a low-calorie option with high levels of soluble fibre, parsnips fill you up and prevent the release of ghrelin, which is a “hunger” hormone. This can significantly reduce your likelihood of snacking between meals and help you with your weight loss goals. Also, the optimized digestive processes help you eliminate waste and get your nutrient uptake into peak condition to get the healthiest nutrients from your food.

Immune System: Parsnips are also packed with antioxidant vitamins and organic compounds that protect the body from foreign invaders, as well as toxic by-products from our own cellular metabolism. Vitamin C and E act as antioxidants in the body and eliminate or neutralize free radicals that can cause chronic diseases, including cancer. Vitamin C also stimulates the production of white blood cells to attack disease and foreign microbes in the body, in addition to functioning as a key element in the production of collagen, which is a fundamental building block of our body.

Growth and Development: Although the content of protein isn’t impressively high in parsnips, the full range of minerals and vitamins that parsnips boasts means that it is an ideal snack or dietary addition because it can help to balance diets that may suffer from unpredictability or nutrient deficiency. Just as carrots are a great on-the-go snack, parsnips can similarly be a healthy option, rather than potato chips and junk food.