Impressive Health Benefits of Watercress

Watercress is an often overlooked leafy green that packs a powerful nutrient punch. Its small, round leaves and edible stems have a peppery, slightly spicy flavour. It is part of the Brassicaceae family of vegetables, which also includes kale, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. Once considered a weed, it was first cultivated in the UK in the early 1800s but is now grown in watery beds throughout the world.



Here are ten impressive health benefits of watercress.

1. Packed with Nutrients, Particularly Vitamin K
Watercress boasts many important vitamins and minerals, including over 100% of the RDI for vitamin K.

2. High Antioxidant Content May Lower Your Risk of Chronic Diseases
Watercress is extremely high in antioxidants, which may help prevent chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

3. Contains Compounds That May Prevent Certain Types of Cancer
Watercress contains potent anticancer compounds called isothiocyanates that have been shown to ward off several types of cancer.

4. Beneficial for Heart Health in Many Impressive Ways
Watercress has many potential benefits for heart health, including lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Diets high in cruciferous vegetables are linked to a lower risk of heart disease.

5. Mineral and Vitamin K Contents Protect Against Osteoporosis
Watercress contains many nutrients important for bone health, including over 100% of the RDI for vitamin K.

6. Boosts Immune Function Thanks to High Vitamin C Levels
Watercress is a good source of vitamin C, which promotes a healthy immune system and reduces your risk of infection.

7. Nutrient Density May Aid Weight Loss
Watercress is a highly nutritious vegetable that can help fill you up for very few calories, which may aid weight loss.

8. Dietary Nitrates May Enhance Athletic Performance
Watercress is a source of dietary nitrates, which have been linked to improved athletic performance. However, there are currently no studies on watercress that confirm these beneficial effects.

9. Rich in Carotenoids and Vitamin C, Which May Protect Eye Health
Watercress contains the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which are essential for eye health. Watercress is also a good source of vitamin C, which may protect against cataracts.

10. Versatile Addition to Any Meal
Here are some easy ways to add watercress to your diet:
Sprinkle it on your salad.
Stir it into your soup near the end of cooking.
Use it to replace lettuce in a sandwich.
Turn it into pesto by blending it with garlic and olive oil.
Serve it with eggs.
Use it to top any dish.
Watercress is a versatile addition to your meal routine. Eat it in a salad, soup or sandwich or use it to garnish any dish.

The Bottom Line
Watercress is a powerhouse vegetable that packs several important nutrients but is extremely low in calories. It contains a plethora of antioxidants, which may lower your risk of heart disease and several types of cancer. It’s also a good source of minerals that protect your bones. Additionally, watercress makes a delicious addition to any meal and is a nice change from the usual lettuce or spinach. Though watercress is hardly one of the most popular vegetables, its nutrition profile makes it a stellar addition to your diet.

The above words and picture taken from an article written by Melissa Groves RD.
Please see it in full with all relevant links here

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/watercress-benefits#section11

All the best Jan

PS This is a nice recipe that uses watercress

lowcarbdiabetic.forumotion.co.uk/t933-poached-salmon-watercress-mayonnaise-with-a-hint-of-dijon-mustard?highlight=watercress

Thanks for reminding me, I've been rather off salads for a while. I used to be fond of watercress especially with fish, I'll buy some later in the week.

When we used to go to the New Forest we passed a couple of watercress farms, and of course there's the Watercress Line which used to take it up to London from the Hampshire chalk streams.

chris c wrote:Thanks for reminding me, I've been rather off salads for a while. I used to be fond of watercress especially with fish, I'll buy some later in the week.

When we used to go to the New Forest we passed a couple of watercress farms, and of course there's the Watercress Line which used to take it up to London from the Hampshire chalk streams.

The watercress farms used to be one of the best places for wintering Green Sandpipers.

Watercress is good  

Back in August 2016, I wrote this …

All Aboard For Watercress

I've always enjoyed a steam train ride, there is something almost magical about it, and you somehow appreciate the countryside scenes more as the train takes you along the track. I know many people enjoy the variety of steam train rides that are available throughout the year on the many heritage type railways that you can find around the UK.


Continue to read more here:

https://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.com/2016/08/all-aboard-for-watercress.html

All the best Jan

PS I looked up the Green Sandpiper!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_sandpiper

I used to live near the Bluebell line, and also in Somerset there were trains on a short length of the Somerset And Dorset railway in Radstock, and the one at Cranmore owned by David Shepherd

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Somerset_Railway

Haven't been on any of the preserved lines around these parts.

Interesting about the Green Sandpipers, I used to see them on reservoirs and the sandpit behind Gran's house - now full of houses - and here they are regular on the reserves, estuaries and elsewhere.

We also get Wood Sandpipers regularly around this time of year, though there weren't either on the estuary where I walked the other day. Lots of Black Tailed Godwits though, some still in summer plumage, and there might have been Curlew Sandpipers and Little Stints hidden among the Dunlins but I didn't spot them.

I just realised what I need to eat shortly - salmon and watercress, and probably some toasted almonds.