A PARTNER AGAINST STROKE
Prevent colon cancer
Lower the risk of heart disease
Stabilize blood sugar levels
Decrease the risk of stroke
Protect against birth defects
Parsnips might as well be called Pursed Lips for the reaction that these strong-tasting, oddly sweet vegetables often get. And they certainly won’t win any awards for Best-Looking Vegetable in Show. They look like carrots that have seen a ghost.
But despite parsnips’ strong flavor and pale appearance, their nutritional profile is attractive. A member of the parsley family, parsnips are good sources of folate, fiber, and phenolic acids, which have been shown in laboratory studies to help block cancer.
Whenever experts compile their “A” lists for healing substances, they put dietary fiber near the top. And parsnips are an excellent source. One cup of cooked parsnips contains nearly 7 grams, or 28 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for fiber.
A little more than half of the fiber in parsnips is the soluble kind, which means that it becomes gel-like in the digestive system. This helps block the intestine from absorbing fats and cholesterol from foods. At the same time, it dilutes bile acids in the intestine, which can prevent them from causing cancer. Parsnips also contain insoluble fiber, which speeds the rate at which stools move through the intestine. This is important because the less time bile acids are present in the intestine, the less likely they are to damage cells, causing changes that could lead to cancer.
In a review of more than 200 scientific studies, researchers found that getting more dietary fiber can protect against a wide variety of cancers, including cancer of the stomach, pancreas, and colon. Fiber has shown similarly impressive ability to relieve or prevent many other conditions as well. Researchers have found that getting enough fiber in the diet can help prevent hemorrhoids and other intestinal conditions. Fiber can also curb the blood sugar swings that occur with diabetes.
Some nutrition experts say that too little of the B vitamin folate is our number one nutritional deficiency, particularly among younger folks, who often eat large amounts of fast food that’s largely devoid of vitamins. Parsnips are a good source of folate, with 1 cup containing 91 micrograms, or 23 percent of the DV.
Getting enough folate has been shown to prevent certain birth defects. It’s also strongly suspected of reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Folate decreases blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that may promote blockage of blood vessels.
Researchers in the Framingham Heart Study found that men who ate the most produce had a 59 percent lower stroke rate than those who ate the least. Even those who ate just a little more produce reaped substantial benefits. The study found that folks who helped themselves to an extra three servings of fruits and vegetables a day lowered their risk of stroke by 22 percent.
Obviously, unless you truly have a passion for parsnips, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever eat three or more servings a day. But eating just a half-cup will provide not only fiber and folate but also 280 milligrams of potassium, or 8 percent of the DV for this mineral. This will go a long way toward keeping your arteries in the swim.
Along with carrots and celery, parsnips are members of the umbelliferae family. Foods in this family contain a number of natural compounds called phytonutrients, which have been shown in laboratory studies to block the spread of cancer cells. Chief among these are compounds called phenolic acids. What phenolic acids do is attach themselves to potential cancer-causing agents in the body, creating a bigger molecule—so big that the body can’t absorb it.
Research has shown that members of the umbelliferae family can also fight cancer by inhibiting tumor growth.
Parsnips cook up like carrots, except they don’t take as much time. What’s more, they’re prepared in similar ways—that is, they can be mashed, puréed, or served in chunks.
To a greater degree than carrots, however, parsnips are a vigorous vegetable. It’s not uncommon for them to grow quite large, sometimes up to about 20 inches long. Large parsnips tend to have a strong flavor that many people find disagreeable. “Look for small or medium parsnips,” advises nutrition specialist Marilyn A. Swanson, PhD, RD, adjunct associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. “They have a better flavor and texture.” Parsnips measuring about 8 inches in length are the tenderest. You can accentuate their sweetness by adding ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, or mace to mashed or steamed parsnips.
The research is still preliminary, so it’s not yet certain how effective parsnips themselves are at blocking cancer—though there’s plenty of data proving that a diet rich in a variety of veggies does protect against cancer. And the American Institute for Cancer Research gives parsnips’ nutritional profile (lots of fiber and health-promoting phytochemicals) high marks. So go ahead and enjoy this vegetable for all the fiber and folate it contains.
High oven temperatures intensify the flavor of the natural sugars in parsnips. Experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta suggest roasting parsnips with other root vegetables such as carrots or sweet potatoes in a 400°F oven with a drizzle of olive oil and your favorite herbs. A variation recommended by the American Institute for Cancer Research: Roast parsnips with sweet potatoes and apple chunks, then flavor with reduced-sodium soy sauce and honey.
Buy them after the first frost. Look for locally grown parsnips at farmers’ markets after a cold snap. After the first frost, the starches in parsnips begin converting to sugar—lending them a surprisingly sweet, dense flavor.
Look for handsome young ones. Select medium-size roots with uniform creamy beige skin. Avoid limp, pitted, or shriveled roots. And avoid those with lots of little hair-like rootlets—they tend to be tough. Extra tip: Make sure you’ve really got parsnips— often, they’re displayed next to look-alike parsley root. But while parsley root is sold with greens attached, parsnips are more often sold without their leafy tops.
Trim the greens. If your parsnips come with greens on top, snip the greens before storing in the fridge. Otherwise, the greens will draw moisture and nutrients from the root itself, according to nutritionist Densie Webb, PhD, RD, coauthor of The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous.
Keep them cold. Although some root vegetables keep well at room temperature, parsnips should be kept in the refrigerator—or a root cellar, if you have one. “Keeping them cold and humid will prevent them from drying out and losing some of their nutritional value,” says dietitian Susan Thom, RD, a nutrition consultant in Brecksville, Ohio.
Stock up ahead of time. Parsnips will keep for a couple of weeks when stored in the refrigerator. Wrap unwashed roots in a paper towel, then store them in a perforated or loosely closed plastic bag. “The longer you keep them in storage, the sweeter they get,” says Thom.
Boil before peeling. Some of the nutrients in parsnips are water-soluble and are quickly lost during cooking. “They’re fragile in boiling water—some of those vitamins float away,” says Anne Dubner, RD, a nutrition consultant in Houston, Texas. In fact, you can lose almost half the water-soluble nutrients by cooking peeled parsnips. The solution, of course, is to cook them unpeeled. Once they’re tender, let them cool, then scrape or peel the skin away.
Trim about ½ inch from the top and bottom of each parsnip. Scrub the parsnips well but do not peel.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the parsnips. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until very tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting the tip of a sharp knife into a parsnip.
Remove the parsnips with tongs, and place on a clean work surface. Set the cooking water aside.
Using a paper towel to protect your fingers, hold each parsnip by the end, and scrape off the skin with a small paring knife or vegetable peeler. Discard the skin. Place the parsnips in a large bowl.
Add the sour cream, allspice, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid. With a potato masher or fork, coarsely mash the parsnips. Add 1 to 3 more tablespoons of cooking liquid if necessary to make the mixture smooth and creamy.
Makes 4 servings
Calories: 99
Total fat: 0.3 g
Saturated fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 91 mg
Dietary fiber: 4.3 g