In a variety of references, for many generations, horseradish and the many forms of liquids and infusions created with the plant have been said to offer numerous alleged health benefits. For centuries, the fresh root of the humble horseradish has been used as an antiseptic, a diuretic and a stimulant, as well as a remedy for countless ailments ranging from headaches, coughs and asthma to ulcers, rheumatism and cancer. The history of the 3,000-year-old horseradish plant is intricate and mysterious:
The Delphic oracle relayed to Apollo, “The radish is worth its weight in lead, the beat its weight in silver, the horseradish its weight in gold.”
Egyptians wrote about horseradish in 1500 B.C.
The ancient Greeks used it as an aphrodisiac and as a rub for lower back pain.