Watercress is a powerful, spicy and spicy food, offering many possibilities for consumption. It is especially appreciated in soups, salads and stews. Traditionally grown watercress is green and has a characteristic peppery flavor, similar to that of mustard. It became a commercial crop in England around 1808, valued for its flavor and nutrient density.
Usually grown in pure spring water, watercress has been considered a superfood for centuries. It is known that Hippocrates set up his first hospital near a stream, where cress grows best, so that his patients could be treated with this plant, and Greek soldiers were given cress as a tonic to purify the blood before going into combat.
Do you wonder where to buy watercress? This delicious vegetable is available at most grocery stores and farmers markets, along with other leafy greens like spinach and kale.
If you have some watercress seeds, you can also choose to grow them at home. There are plenty of guides online on how to grow watercress, even without access to your own river or pond. Watercress is spicier than spinach due to its mustard undertones. It is excellent in salads, alone or mixed with other green vegetables.
It can also add a kick of flavor to sandwiches and can be pureed and added to soups for an extra kick of heat. It even pairs well with melons, nuts, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, leeks, and corn. You can also try taking out the juicer and making a glass of watercress juice. With its mild and refreshing flavor, watercress goes especially well with fruits such as kiwi, apple or pineapple.
Watercress is a cruciferous vegetable, this cousin of kale has a long history as a deliciously nutritious herb and as a natural remedy for many ailments. Additionally, it is often served in salads, added to sandwiches, and enjoyed as a lightly steamed side dish.
Why exactly is it such a healthy food?
Research not only shows that this nutritious cruciferous vegetable may be linked to a reduced risk of cancer, but it may also help lower blood pressure, fight inflammation, support bone health, and more. Watercress is a perennial vegetable that grows naturally along watercourses, thriving in both sun and water. This leafy green thrives particularly well in variable soil conditions, as long as the soil remains saturated with water. The leaves and shoots are cultivated for their culinary and medicinal uses. Although it tastes best during cooler times of the year, watercress can be harvested throughout the winter. However, after flowering, the flavor of the cress usually diminishes. Watercress is closely related to other cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and kale. It is also very common and can be found in the produce section of most supermarkets along with other vegetables.
Please note that it is important to wash it thoroughly before cooking or consuming it, as it may contain harmful parasites and pathogens due to its growth in nearby standing water.
watercress benefits
Thanks to its impressive nutritional profile, watercress has been linked to a number of health benefits. In fact, adding this leafy green to your diet may help protect against disease, fight inflammation, and promote better health.
1. It can help reduce the risk of colon cancer
As a cruciferous, leafy green vegetable, watercress has secured a place on the list of cancer-fighting foods. In fact, it is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, while being very low in calories, fat, carbohydrates, and sodium. It also contains beneficial compounds, such as isothiocyanates, which are naturally occurring chemicals found in many cruciferous vegetables. Promising research shows that these compounds may possess powerful cancer-fighting properties and may even help block the growth and spread of cancer cells. Other studies have pointed out that these compounds, when broken down, may help protect cells from DNA damage by inactivating carcinogens. These results suggest that this vegetable, along with other cruciferous vegetables, may help prevent and fight other forms of cancer, including liver, lung, and breast cancer.
2. Contains useful omega-3s
Most of us are familiar with foods that contain omega-3s, such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel. However, did you know that you can get your dose of these heart-healthy fats by increasing your intake of green, leafy vegetables? While watercress contains a variety of phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals, it also contains a relatively high proportion of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), primarily in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Although alpha-linolenic acid must be converted to active forms of omega-3 fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, adding watercress to your daily diet can be an effective strategy to increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids and protect you against heart disease if you don’t eat fish regularly.
3. Provides beneficial anti-inflammatory effects
Cruciferous vegetables are anti-inflammatory foods that contain antiviral and antibacterial effects that can help reduce inflammation. In fact, research published in Pharmaceutical Biology showed that giving subjects an extract of watercress was effective in reducing inflammation and tissue damage. Watercress is also high in antioxidants, which can help neutralize damaging free radicals to fight inflammation at the cellular level. These antioxidants play a key role in maintaining immune function, improving eye health, promoting better blood sugar control, and more.
4. Lower blood pressure
Minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium play a central role in regulating blood pressure levels. Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and magnesium and may help lower blood pressure levels. According to a study conducted by King’s College London British Heart Foundation Center, watercress and similar foods have been shown to benefit blood vessel health and may help lower blood pressure, block platelet aggregation, and even improve endothelial dysfunction. to protect against heart disease.
5. Promotes healthy skin, hair and nails
Phytonutrients found in foods like watercress can provide great health benefits for hair, skin, and nails. This is because superfoods like watercress are loaded with nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and potassium, all of which are essential for the health of your hair, skin, and nails. Thanks to its high water content, watercress can also promote good hydration.
6. Strengthens bones and teeth
Although dairy products are one of the best-known sources of calcium, leafy green vegetables also provide a healthy dose of calcium in each serving. In addition to providing a good amount of calcium, watercress is also a good source of magnesium and vitamin K, both of which can help maintain strong, healthy bones. Calcium can help prevent osteoporosis, a disease caused by a gradual loss of bone density. Vitamin K, on the other hand, can help maintain calcium stores in the bones to keep them strong, and magnesium has an impact on bone cell formation.
nutritional facts
One cup (about 34 grams) of chopped fresh watercress contains about:
3.7 calories
0.4 grams of carbohydrates
0.8 grams of protein
0.2 grams of fiber
85 micrograms of vitamin K (106% DV)
14.6 milligrams of vitamin C (24% of the daily value)
1085 IU of vitamin A (22% of the daily value)
40.8 milligrams of calcium (4% of the daily value)
0.1 milligrams of manganese (4% of the daily intake).
Each serving also contains 7.8 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids and 4.1 milligrams of omega-6 fatty acids.
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tags
cabbage watercress cruciferous