Watercress – Benefits, Uses and Side Effects

Watercress are sources  of vitamins and minerals that help fight and prevent various diseases:

• Relieve Stress;
• treat marks and blemishes on the skin;
• Improve Digestion ;
• Intestinal problems;
•  Control Blood Pressure;
• Prevents Cancer ;
• Combat  Constipation ;
• Relieve Flatulence;
• Improve Immune System
• Fight the  Flu .

Watercress Properties: Watercress  ‘ healing properties are beneficial for numerous conditions, ranging from respiratory congestion, through vascular deficiencies, to reducing the physical impact of a lack of vitamins.

One of the oldest vegetables on the planet, it is a distant relative of cabbage. Very tasty and nutritious, even more so when grown in the hydroponics system, watercress  is a plant that can be consumed fresh, but also dried, in the form of tea, in capsules, or extract.

Nutritional table:

• Energy (kcal): 17
• Energy (kJ): 69
• Proteins (g): 3.0
• Lipids (g): –
• Colesterol (mg): 0
• Carbohydrate (g): 2.0
• Dietary Fiber (g): 2.1

How to consume watercress?  Watercress  can be used as a vegetable, a juice can also be made with its leaves and an anti-mucus recipe, among several other ways to use it. The parts that should be used are the leaves and their stems. So, check out the Health Benefits of Watercress:

 Benefits of Watercress to Reduce Blood Pressure:  Watercress has good levels of Potassium , Calcium  and   Magnesium , consumption of the plant in its in natura version is associated with reducing blood pressure, preventing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and keeping the heart healthy.

Benefits of Watercress to Strengthen Bones: Whether for practitioners of physical activity, for children in development, for adults or the elderly who need muscle strengthening, Watercress  acts on our bones and muscles, leaving them healthy and strong. This characteristic of the plant is due to the presence of vitamin K, which facilitates the absorption of calcium  in the body.

Benefits of Watercress  to Prevent Diabetes: One of the biggest indications of watercress consumptionis for the control of blood sugar rates. Its nutritional properties make it effective to lower glucose and prevent diabetes.

Benefits of Watercress To Aids Weight Loss: With many nutrients and very few calories, Watercress  helps to provide satiety more easily, making us eat less, without reducing the amount of nutrients ingested.

Benefits of Watercress to Prevent Respiratory Problems: Because it has an anti-inflammatory effect and is rich in antioxidant properties, the herb reduces the symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinitis, bronchitis and sinusitis. In addition, watercress  strengthens the immune system preventing colds and flu.

Benefits of Watercress To Provide Energy: Watercress  has Sources of essential nutrients, such as Vitamin C and A, for example, consumption of the plant helps our body to be more willing to perform physical and daily activities, as it keeps the body healthy and nourished.

Benefits of Watercress to Fight Cancer: Rich in antioxidants and micronutrients, watercress  has been shown to be effective in fighting cancer cells. Cancer of the breast, prostate, esophagus and pancreas, for example, can be avoided and even treated with vegetable consumption.

Contraindications and Side Effects: Watercress can  cause miscarriage, stomach and urinary tract irritations. The food is contraindicated for consumption in any form for pregnant women in early pregnancy.