The Health Benefits of Eating Watercress

Watercress is one of the oldest plants used in folk medicine. It is very healthy and it is highly recommended to include watercress in your diet.

This plant, which can be usually found from May to November, is valued in many cultures since ancient times. As the name suggests, it grows in areas with clean water and you can easily grow watercress yourself in a pond or stream. You can grow it even in pots.

You should harvest it before it starts to bloom and use only those growing in clean water. Avoid using watercress where cattle are usually fed. In order to grow it on your own, you will need to plant seeds in small pots with moist soil and wait for about 10 days. Keep the pots moist.

When the first sprouts appear, you can move it to water which is slightly alkaline. Freshly squeezed watercress juice is great for the kidneys and liver, purification of blood and detoxification of the body. According to some studies, this juice is very helpful in the fight against cancer, especially breast cancer. Many nutritionists include this plant among superfoods. It is worth mentioning that this plant is not recommended to pregnant women.

Watercress is packed with many minerals and vitamins and it is suitable as an addition to salads, sandwiches, stews, pies and even for baking (it is used as a spice too). You can use it to create lots of interesting shakes.

It is really easy to incorporate watercress in your menu. Keep in mind that this plant has a bitter taste and many people compare to a combination of spinach and arugula. It best to use it as a base for salad – add some sea salt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and green onions. Consume it after one hour.

You can also combine it with tuna, olives and feta cheese. It also fits in very well with pasta.

When you are making a sandwich use thin sheets of roast beef or ham, mayonnaise, horseradish, pepper salt and watercress, in order to get a tasty and healthy sandwich.

Use watercress with spinach for a great, healthy addition to the main meal, but also in creamy mushroom soups and broths and even in a tasty bread.

Have you ever used watercress? Do you have some specific watercress recipe? Feel free to share your experience with us!