10 Benefits of Watercress
In all honesty, what is watercress? Is it just a fancy term to help jazz up a food item on the menu or to increase sales from clever marketing tactics? Fortunately, watercress is not just a fancy name but an actually beneficial vegetable plant that offers many nutrients. Watercress is a native plant from Europe and Asia but, nowadays, watercress production can be found in North America, Europe, and Asia.
The plant is grown in shallow water hence the name watercress! Keep on reading to see why watercress should be on your next grocery list and why you should let it be a regular for your daily diet.
Watercress Benefit #1: Antioxidant
People do not want to be sick. Even if it’s just a minuscule cold or a sore throat people will not be happy about getting sick. For good reason too because it interferes with our daily lives. We go to work, we have to go to school, etc, and that already takes up a lot of time during the day.
To handle being sick on top of that is just another thing to worry about. Watercress is at your service and will help keep your immune system top notch. Antioxidants help with keeping intruders out by enhancing your body’s defense system. It can also inhibit oxidation that cause free radicals that could later lead to cancer.
Watercress Benefit #2: Strong Heart
Heart disease is one of the top contributors of death and mortality rates in the United States. Though many of these cases are due to genetic factors, a lot of these cases are also linked to lifestyle choices. In other words, some of the heart disease cases can be preventable by choosing to make healthier choices such as a nutritious diet and staying physically active.
Watercress is a great vegetable to add to your diet because it offers many beneficial factors that help protect your heart. Watercress is a cruciferous plant which are a species of plants that have been found to keep your heart healthy. Also, watercress offers a variety of antioxidants that protect your heart.
Watercress Benefit #3: Eye See You
Our eyes give us our sight and let us see the beauty this world has to offer. That’s why it is important to take care of our eyes in order to prolong our ability to take in the sights! However, eyes are very fragile and are not always the perfect 20/20 vision we hope it to be.
Many people start to wear prescription glasses at an early age and some may be blind due to genetics. Regardless, eyes are still fragile and we have to take care of them. Watercress is a great way to keep our eyes nice and healthy. Watercress offers us plenty of carotenoids which are beneficial to keeping our eyes and eyesight healthy.
Watercress Benefit #4: Obesity
Obesity has been a big problem in the United States that not only affects adults but is now involving children as well. There are many factors of obesity which include genetics, underlying diseases, lifestyle choices, etc. One strategy that can be used to address obesity is diet and exercise.
Keeping a healthy diet and a consistent exercise routine may help decrease obesity and other diseases that may develop alongside. Watercress is a great ingredient to include in your daily diet because it does not have a large caloric content but brings a lot of nutrients to the table that will help benefit your body’s well being.
Watercress Benefit #5: Diabetes
Just like obesity, diabetes has also been another big problem. There are many different types of diabetes such as type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. Fortunately, type 2 diabetes can be prevented by choosing smart lifestyle choices that affect your diet and physical activity. Watercress can be added to your diet to help give your body a boost with many nutrients.
Its antioxidant properties can also help prevent development of diabetes in the future. You can add watercress to your salads, soups, sandwiches, etc. It’s easy to incorporate watercress into a lot of different recipes and cuisines.
Watercress Benefit #6: Folate
Folate is an important nutrient that our body needs especially to those who are expecting a child. Folate helps our bodies keep happy moods, assist with cell development and division, production of red blood cells, and also help prevent any birth defects. Some of these birth defects include the brain and spinal cord. Watercress is an excellent source of folate and can easily be added to your daily diet.
If you find yourself deficient in this nutrient, you may start to notice some symptoms such as feeling fatigued, mouth sores, and even shortness of breath. Add watercress to your diet and make sure you never have to experience any of these consequences.
Watercress Benefit #7: Thyroid
The thyroid gland is important for our body. It helps regulate our hormones that help with the function of our body’s organs and metabolic functions. The thyroid-stimulating hormone is what makes our thyroid gland tick and perform its functions.
However, if there is an issue with the thyroid-stimulating gland such as hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, this could lead to a lot of serious consequences such as effects on the brain and heart problems. Watercress aids the body by helping to reduce the secretions of hormones that may contribute to hypo or hyperthyroidism. So do yourself a favor and get some watercress!
Watercress Benefit #8: Calcium
As a child, we have also been taught that calcium will make us big and strong. Well, they weren’t lying! Calcium is very important to include into your daily diet because it makes you big and strong, no kidding! Calcium has many benefits that it provides for our bodies such as keeping our bones and teeth strong, and prevents any development of bone disease such as osteoporosis.
Calcium helps with our muscle function and receptors to our nerves. It also is beneficial to our blood and the efficiency of blood clotting. Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and should be added to your daily diet!
Watercress Benefit #9: Vitamin K
Vitamin K is another helpful factor when talking about blood and the body’s blood clotting abilities. For example, we all get a paper cut once in a while and the amount of pain and blood that comes with it is almost comical. Our body is triggered by this wound and starts to make the surrounding area around the wound start to swell and become inflamed.
Next, after a few moments, the blood will stop and this is all thanks to the vitamin K in our system. Without a proper amount of vitamin K in our diets, our blood clotting may not be as efficient and cause us to bleed out. So in other words, don’t forget to eat your watercress!
Watercress Benefit #10: Vitamin C
Vitamin C was one of those vitamins they really emphasized on you as a little kid – and with good reason. Vitamin C is very important to our health because of the many benefits that come along with it. It helps boost our immune system and keeps out intruders thanks to its excellent antioxidant properties.
It also has properties to keep our hearts healthy and strong, decrease your risk for developing any chronic diseases, helps with the efficiency of white blood cells, and it even helps with iron absorption. Watercress is an excellent source for vitamin C and can help aid your body with plenty of benefits!
