Watercress: nutritional, medicinal properties and contraindications

What is cress?

The cress (Nasturtium officinale) is an aquatic plant that grows in shape wild in rivers, ditches and sources of clean water throughout the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands. Others types of cress They can be grown in the ground or in a pot, like the garden cress (Lepidium sativum).

Is a fleshy plant, barely two spans high, which usually also appears lying on the surface of the water. Has the split leaves (lyrades) in irregular segments and the White flowers, gathered in terminal clusters. Blooms from early spring to late summer and For medicinal purposes, the leaves and flowers are harvested.

Although it is from the same family as canons, they should not be confused: the leaves of the watercress are larger and its flavor is more powerful than that of the lamb’s lettuce, even slightly spicy.

Nutritional properties of watercress

The cress leaves Are consumed fresh in salad or as an ingredient of soups and vegetable creams.

The healing attributes of watercress have been known since Antiquity. It was used together with fumitory, chicory and lettuce in depurative curesand for his rich in vitamin C it was highly valued to combat scurvy, a common disease in medieval Europe.

Watercress is well known for its culinary possibilities, but not so much for its medicinal virtues, and yet it is a great restorative and a good ally against anemia.

It is a plant very rich in mineral salts, as iron, sodium, iodine, phosphorus and manganeseand also contains glycosides (gluconasturtoside), enzymes and bitter principles.

Cress medicinal properties

for their remineralizing and vitamin virtuescress is very useful as support in states of weakness, anemiaconvalescence and lack of energy. It is also indicated for women affected by abundant rules and debilitating and in situations of stress fatigue either physical overexertion.In addition to iron, it contains folic acidso it is a vegetable highly recommended during pregnancy and even before this. It is also shown as a effective diureticindicated in cases where it is necessary to increase diuresis, due to fluid retention problems, difficulties in urinating normally, edema, cystitis and as a natural means to treat arterial hypertensionthe drop and excess urea in the blood.For oily skinhe watercress extract is included in the formulation creams, gels and soaps. He fresh cress is used so much to treat acne such as seborrheic dermatitis.The fresh juice is used as a lotion to stimulate the scalp and thus combat seborrheic dermatitis and prevent the hair loss. the chewed leaves for a while, they are indicated to promote salivation and to combat inflammation of the gums in case of gingivitis.

Watercress broth or tea for fatigue

Indicated as purifying and remineralizing, to be effective it is recommended to take a liter or more a day of the decoction or broth of the boiled plant.

You can also take some 150 grams of the juice of the fresh plant. But it is necessary to take it fresh, because once dry it loses part or all of its properties and it is even better to buy it from organic cultivation.

Watercress Precautions and Contraindications

Those prepared with watercress, internally, should be avoided by people with gastritis, gastroduodenal ulcer and hypothyroidism.

Experts warn that gluconasturtoside can interfere with the oxidation of iodides to iodine, which can affect the transport of iodine to the thyroid gland and decrease the production of thyroxine.

High doses or prolonged treatments are not recommended to avoid possible gastric or renal irritations.

Jordi Cebrian. Advisor: J Mª Teixé, herbalist at “El Manantial de Salud”