4 Impressive Health Benefits of Watercress

4 Impressive Health Benefits of Watercress

Watercress is often overlooked with lush green leaves that pack a strong punch of nutrients.

It has small round leaves and edible stalks with a slightly chili flavor.

Watercress is part of the Brassiness family of vegetables, which also includes cabbage, Brussels sprouts and cabbage.

Since they were considered weeds, they were first cultivated in the United Kingdom in the early nineteenth century but now they are grown on a waterbed all over the world.

Here are 10 impressive health benefits of watercress.

1. Packed with nutrients, especially vitamin K

Watercress is low in calories but packs a vast array of nutrients.

Nutrient density is a measure of the nutrients a food contains in relation to how many calories it provides. Therefore, watercress is an extremely nutrient-dense food.

In fact, it’s ranked number one on the US Centers for Disease Control’s Powerhouse Fruits and Vegetables list.

One cup (34 grams) of watercress contains the following3:

Calories: 4

Carbs: 0.4 grams

Protein: 0.8 grams

Fat: 0 grams

Fiber: 0.2 grams

Vitamin A: 22% of the Reference Daily Intake (RID)

Vitamin C: 24% of the RID

Vitamin K: 106% of the RID

Calcium: 4% of the RID

Manganese: 4% of the RID

As you can see, one cup (34 grams) of watercress provides over 100% of the RID for vitamin K, a fat-soluble vitamin necessary for blood clotting and healthy bones (4).

Watercress also contains small amounts of vitamin E, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B, fol ate, pantheistic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and copper (3).

2. High Antioxidant Content May Lower Your Risk of Chronic Diseases

Watercress is full of plant compounds called antioxidants that protect against cell damage caused by free radicals, which are harmful molecules that lead to oxidation stress.

Oxidation stress is associated with many chronic diseases including diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease (5).

Fortunately, diets rich in antioxidant foods like watercress can help protect against oxidation stress, which may reduce your risk of these diseases.

One study of antioxidants found in 12 types of calciferous vegetables that were found on more than 40 types of unique flavoring, a type of petrochemical, in watercress.

In fact, watercress outperformed all other vegetables in this study in terms of the total amount of phenol and the ability to neutralize free radicals .

What's more, studies have linked the antioxidants in watercress with a lower risk of cancer, diabetes and heart .

3. Contains Compounds That May Prevent Certain Types of Cancer

Because watercress is high in petrochemicals, it may reduce your risk of developing certain types of cancer.

Watercress and other calciferous vegetables contain congratulates, which are activated to compounds called ratiocinates when they’re cut with a knife or chewed).

Ratiocinates include chemicals such as sulfonamides and ethylene isothiocyanate 

These compounds protect against cancer by safeguarding healthy cells from damage, inactivating carcinogenic chemicals and blocking the growth and spread 

Ratiocinates found in watercress have been shown to prevent colon, lung

Additionally, research demonstrates that the ratiocinates and sulfonamides found in watercress suppress the growth of breast cancer cells .

4. Beneficial for Heart Health in Many Impressive Ways

Eating watercress may be beneficial for heart health in several different ways.

Watercress Is a Calciferous Vegetable

Watercress is part of the calciferous family of vegetables. A diet high in calciferous vegetables may benefit heart health.

A review of studies in over 500,000 individuals linked eating calciferous vegetables to a 16% reduced risk of heart disease (18).

Antioxidants Improve Heart Health

Watercress contains the antioxidants beta carotene, Xanthippe and lute in. Low levels of these carotids are associated with heart disease and high blood pressure (19).

Studies have shown that high levels of carotids not only protect against the development of heart disease but also lower your risk of heart attack and strokes (20).

Dietary Nitrates Boost Blood Vessel Health

Watercress also contains dietary nitrates, which boost blood vessel health by reducing inflammation and decreasing the stiffness and thickness of your blood vessels (21).

Dietary nitrates have also been shown to lower blood pressure by increasing citric oxide in your blood (22).

Watercress May Lower Cholesterol

Furthermore, watercress may help lower cholesterol, which can improve heart health.

In a 10-day study in rats with high cholesterol, treatment with watercress extract lowered total cholesterol by 34% and “bad” LDL cholesterol by 53% (23).