When was the last time you ate nutritious watercress? When was the last time you saw it in the market? Watercress is among the cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, brussel sprouts. Unfortunately, it is not as abundant as other cruciferous vegetables and leafy greens. If available, grab a bunch. It can be simply be pan fried, added to soup and other viands or eaten raw.
Recently, watercress was published as a superfood. For one, cruciferous vegetables contain a bioactive compound called 3,3’-diindolylmethane (DIM) which has protective effects against certain cancers like breast and bladder cancer. Thomson et al (2016) stated that once consumed, bioactive constituents in food are rapidly metabolized into several intermediate and end products. The bioactive content and end products vary depending on many factors such as specific vegetable consumed, plant age, cultivar, and vegetable storage and preparation methods. The effects of cooking and storage on DIM concentrations need to be studied. The corresponding quantity of watercress or any vegetable to be consumed has yet to be established for any therapeutic effect.
Many other advantages of watercress were enumerated. Medical News Today cited its blood pressure lowering effect and antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid which can lower blood sugar levels, increase insulin sensitivity and prevent oxidative stress-induced changes in people with diabetes.
Indeed, watercress like any vegetable is low in calories because of relatively low protein, fat and carbohydrate content and thus favorable for weight reduction. Its fiber, iron, vitamin A and ash content are even lower than most of the common leafy veggies like ampalaya leaves, pako, kangkong, amti, pechay, kangkong and sweet potato leaves. It is next to kangkong in terms of highest sodium content. Its calcium content is much higher than that in sweet potato, pako, pechay and kangkong. Its iron content is comparable with pako but lower than all the other leafy greens enumerated. It has lower vitamin C compared to pechay and amti. This limited comparison can only highlight the fact that no specific food can be relied upon enough for one to consume in large quantities daily. We still recommend variety and moderation because no single food can provide all the nutrients one needs. Being a leafy vegetable, watercress can form part of one’s regular diet, part of the five servings of fruits and vegetables one needs to consume daily to derive the vitamins, minerals and fiber needed for good health. Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits everyday!