Horseradish Benefits

horseradish benefits

Horseradish whose scientific name is armoracia rusticana is one of  aromatic herbs in the world of medicinal herbs and plants. It contains oils that kill bacteria and its infections and lower fever by increasing perspiration as the volatile oils are eliminated.

Horseradish is mainly used to treat lung infections and works by permeating the entire lung when the volatile oils are being eliminated. As it permeates through the lung it eliminates the bacteria and cleansing the lung in the process.

Horseradish  also has diuretic properties and eliminating excess fluids from the body thereby improving digestion and other body systems.

Traditionally horseradish poultices have been used to cover areas of infection and its drawing properties can clear infections such as pleurisy. To make the poultice for external application add the shredded horseradish herb to a mixture of flour and water to make a paste that is applied to an infected area.

Horseradish can also be taken internally as a tincture. To get maximum benefit one need to take 20 drops twice daily after eating. To treat a cold, mix the shredded herb with honey and hot water.

We should not forget that horseradish is also used for culinary purposes. For instance you can include fresh horseradish leaves to salads or for those who take fish, to smoked fish.

Horseradish Health

Horseradish health : The purpose of this post is to look at the health and medicinal uses of horseradish. In the middle ages horseradish root and leaves were used for medicinal purposes or rather as medicinal herb before the  Germans started using horseradish as a condiment. Horseradish health benefits are the result of its riches in vitamin C, A, pottassium, phosphorus and chromium. It is an excellent medicinal herb for flushing out toxins and providing nutrients to the tissues. It flushes out the toxins when used topically by irritating the tissues so that blood flow is stimulated while flushing out toxins also provides the tissues with nutrients through the fresh blood.

When you eat horseradish sauce its pungent burning smell travels right up the noses resulting in relief from congested sinuses. Horseradish is also a heating herb that promotes blood flow. The volatile oil in horseradish is also antiseptic.

On top of using horseradish soup which you can eat with other meals, horseradish can also be made into a syrup by covering a piece of horseradish root with sugar and leaving it for 24 hours before straining the resultant liquid. You can take one or two teaspoons of this syrup three times a day for the treatment of damp, phlegmy coughs.

A poultice of horseradish root can also be applied to arthritic joints and chilblains and removed as soon as is starts to burn.

How To Grow Horseradish and Other Perennials

In the following video the presenter shows the best way to grow horseradish and other perennial vegetables such as asparagus. As you might be aware horseradish is largely used for its culinary benefits but it is also has very effective medicinal properties. Horseradish is from the same family as mustard, broccoli and vegetables. It is rich in magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus.


Horseradish is a diuretic and antibacterial and its roots is used to treat urinary tract infections, sinus congestion and coughs among other benefits.  For more details on benefits of horseradish please visit post entitled Horseradish: Healing Benefits.

Horseradish : Healing benefits

Horseradish root

Horseradish has been used for centuries to treat various health complaints. The Greeks used it as a therapeutic rub for lower back pain, and also as an aphrodisiac. The American Indians used it to relieve headaches by rubbing it on the forehead. Some compounds in horseradish have antibacterial properties which explains why horseradish may help to treat boils, wounds and other skin infections.

Horseradish Remedies

Acne/Boils - Horseradish can help to calm down inflamation and treat minor skin infections. Add two teaspoons of grated horseradish to half a cup of honey and leave overnight. Apply mixture three to four times a day with cotton wool to the affected skin until healed.

Arthritis - Horseradish helps by irritating the skin which then encourages blood flow to relieve the inflamation. Boil a cup of milk and mix in two tablespoons of grated horseradish. Soak a clean cloth in the mixture ans apply to the affected area. The mixture when cooled to a tolerable temperature can also be massaged into the sore joint or muscle.

Aching feet - Take one or two horseradish leaves and gently blanch these. Remove any fibres running through the leaves and then strap to the bottom of the feet with a bandage. Leave for around thirty minutes. This may also help treat fungal foot infections.

Headaches - To one tablespoon of finely grated horseradish add half to one tablespoon of water. Wrap in a muslin cloth and apply to the area of the headache. Sniffing freshly grated horseradish can also help.

Itch skin - Make horseradish juice and apply to the affected parts of the skin.

Toothache - Grate horseradish and apply to the affected tooth and gum.

Stings. Grate horseradish and apply to the stung part of the body for around twenty minutes

Nasal Congestion and Sinus Infection - Sniffing grated horseradish can help nasal congestion and clearing of mucus from the chest.


Late Dr. Christopher, the famous medical herbalist recommended horseradish as a reliable remedy for sinus infections. Start with 1/4 teaspoon of the freshly grated root and hold it in your mouth until all the taste is gone. It will immediately start cutting the mucus loose from the sinuses to drain down the throat. This will relieve the pressure in your sinuses and help clear infection.


The root has also been used for indigestion and putrefaction in the digestive tract. Grate the root and squeeze out the juice. Take 15 to 20 drops of this juice three times a day between meals. Horseradish has long been taken with fish or meats to cut the fat and counteract spoilage. If a person were to eat horseradish with meat suspected to be spoiled (and all meat is in a degree of spoilage, beginning to putrefy as soon as the animal is slaughtered), by taking horseradish, you could ensure that the digestive tract would produce a protective mucous coat that could prevent further irritation, inflammation, nausea and possible absorb some of the putrefied substances in the meat.