Root Vegetables: Biology, Nutritional Value and Health Implications

Plants served as main staple for humanity since time immemorial. Plant roots science is a fascinating domain that offers a window to the complex world of plants-microorganisms relationship. Plant roots were used throughout human history both as a food source particularly in times of food scarcity as well as for medicinal purposes aid in the treatment of various human disorders. Root vegetables are excellent sources of fiber and antioxidants and are low in calories and lipids—being indispensable in human diet. There is an increasing interest in the biochemical processes occurring in the rhizosphere between root tissues and the bacterial/fungal colonizers especially in soils where there is a deficiency in minerals such as iron, phosphorus and selenium or there is higher load of toxic metals such as aluminum, cadmium, nickel and lead. That interest stems from the need to improve crop yields in hostile environmental conditions such as drought and low nutrient availability in soils. In this chapter, we will focus on the typical edible plant roots as well as bulbs (are not proper roots) looking at their nutrient content as well as their use as health enhancers