Pastinaca sativa
1 association assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.
A pale taproot related to carrot and parsley, sweeter than a carrot because frost converts some of its starch to sugar. It is almost always cooked rather than eaten raw.
Also known as Wild parsnip (cultivated form), Pastinake
What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.
Parsnip is among the higher-fibre root vegetables, and dietary fibre as a category has reasonable trial support for stool frequency and consistency. Parsnip itself has not been the subject of any such trial.
Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.
Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.
AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.
| Nutrient | Amount | % DV |
|---|---|---|
| Macronutrients | ||
| Calories | 75 kcal | 4% |
| Protein | 1.2 g | 2% |
| Total fat | 0.3 g | 0% |
| Carbohydrate | 18 g | 7% |
| Fibre | 4.9 g | 18% |
| Total sugars | 4.8 g | — |
| Water | 79.5 g | — |
| Fats | ||
| Saturated fat | 0.05 g | 0% |
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.112 g | — |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.047 g | — |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Linoleic acid (omega-6) | 0.041 g | — |
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin A | 0 µg | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 17 mg | 19% |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 0% |
| Vitamin E | 1.49 mg | 10% |
| Vitamin K | 22.5 µg | 19% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.09 mg | 8% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.05 mg | 4% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.7 mg | 4% |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.6 mg | 12% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.09 mg | 5% |
| Folate | 67 µg | 17% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 µg | 0% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 36 mg | 3% |
| Iron | 0.59 mg | 3% |
| Magnesium | 29 mg | 7% |
| Phosphorus | 71 mg | 6% |
| Potassium | 375 mg | 8% |
| Sodium | 10 mg | 0% |
| Zinc | 0.59 mg | 5% |
| Copper | 0.12 mg | 13% |
| Manganese | 0.56 mg | 24% |
| Selenium | 1.8 µg | 3% |
| Other measured compounds | ||
| Beta-carotene | 0 µg | — |
| Alpha-carotene | 0 µg | — |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | — |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 0 µg | — |
| Caffeine | 0 mg | — |
| Ash | 0.98 g | — |
Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
Source record: Parsnips, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170417).
% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.
Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
Polyphenol (class)
An umbrella term for thousands of plant phenolic compounds. Useful as a category, but a "high polyphenol" figure says nothing about which compounds…
Flavone
A flavone found in parsley, celery and chamomile, and the compound most often invoked in chamomile sleep research.
Soluble fibre
The gelling soluble fibre of apples, citrus peel and many fruits.
Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.
Roasting drives off water and caramelises sugars, which raises the sugar concentration per gram and produces the characteristic sweetness. Nothing is created; the water is simply gone.
Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.
Worth knowing
Parsnip foliage and sap are rich in furocoumarins, and contact followed by sunlight produces painful blistering burns. Wild parsnip is a notorious cause of this. The peeled root eaten as food is not the problem; handling the plant is.
Worth knowing
Parsnip carries appreciably more starch and sugar than carrot or turnip, and roasting concentrates it further. That is worth knowing for anyone counting carbohydrate rather than a reason to avoid it.
Allergy
People allergic to celery, carrot or mugwort pollen occasionally report oral symptoms with parsnip, since all belong to the same botanical family or cross-react with it.