Watercress, the new superfood
Watercress is a highly nutritious plant packed with essential vitamins and minerals, with a higher amount of nutrients than many vegetables, Watercress has now been labelled as a Superfood by scientists, but why?
The plant has health benefits and current research by scientists has shown that the high levels of antioxidants can increase the ability of cells to resist damage to their DNA, helping to protect against the cell changes that can lead to cancer.
The nutrients present in watercress and the health benefits of watercress has been known for decades with the ‘working classes’ in the early 19th century eating bunches of watercress in the mornings known as ‘Poor Mans Bread’ . Hippocrates the father of medicine built his first hospital close to a stream to ensure a fresh supply of watercress was present for his patients.
The nutritional value of watercress shows that if eaten as part of a daily healthy diet will supply high levels of Calcium (more than an average glass of milk), Vitamin A, E, K, C and Iron.