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Inconspicuous watercress has health-promoting and cosmetic properties. It is a great source of vitamins that the body needs, including vitamin C and microelements. For centuries, watercress has helped soothe skin ulcers or eliminate intestinal parasites in folk medicine. It was also used to disinfect the digestive tract and oral cavity. We are checking how you can use cress today.
Cress – general characteristics
Sowing cress (Latin Lepidium sativum) belongs to the cabbage family. It has already been appreciated in antiquity. It was an ideal addition to dishes due to its spicy, pungent taste and aroma. Cress was an aphrodisiac. It was also credited with healing properties. For these purposes, garden cress, also known as garden cress, was used. There is also a species of watercress (Cardamine, which includes the following varieties: watercress (grown in an aquarium) and meadow cress There are as many as nine varieties of watercress in Poland, but it is the garden cress that has valuable health and cosmetic properties.
- Also check out: 10 of the healthiest Polish vegetables
Cress can successfully replace other vegetables, because many of them are nutritious anyway. The great advantage is the ability to grow it at home without the need to use chemical fertilizers. It is especially worth growing it in spring, when the vegetable season is not yet there and you cannot find fresh vegetables from native crops that would enrich the diet with the necessary vitamins and minerals.
Cress seeds can be planted in three ways. The first and the most popular way is to use lignin. First, however, you need to put the seeds in a glass, and then pour plenty of water. After a few minutes, they should start to stick like flaxseed.
Then the seeds can be spread on lignin or cotton wool placed on a plate with a slight recess, which should be sprinkled daily. For the first two days, the pot can be covered with foil so that the seeds sprout faster. However, it is not required. The material cannot float in water, but it should be very saturated. For this purpose, it is best to use a sprinkler. After a week, a few centimeters (5-7 cm) of cress sprouts should grow, which can be cut and sprinkled on food (e.g. sandwiches). Another way is to use a pot with soil in which we bury the cress seeds. They should be sprinkled at least twice a day.
The last way is that an inverted cup is put on the saucer, the inverted mound of which needs to be wrapped with lignin. As in the case of the first method, the seeds should be dipped in water and then spread on the lignin.
In all three ways, the watercress dish should be placed in a warm and sunny place. Some people do not pick the sprouts to make them an element of interior decoration. Cress is mainly associated with the Easter period. It can be a great decoration for a festive table.
- Find out more: Eat in moderation on Easter
Cress – a wealth of vitamins
Cress is a source of vitamins and mineral salts. Vitamin C, which is one of the most powerful antioxidants, can be found in it the most. In addition, sprouts include:
- Vitamin A,
- vitamin B,
- vitamin K,
- vitamin PP,
- iron,
- magnesium,
- calcium,
- iodine,
- manganese,
- chrome.
The most important ingredient in watercress is vitamin C, which is one of the most powerful antioxidants. For this reason, it can protect the body against cancer, especially lung cancer, because watercress contains isothiocyanins – thanks to them it has a pungent taste. It prevents premature skin aging and seals blood vessels.
Cress is the recommended dietary supplement for smokers who typically suffer from vitamin C deficiencies and have up to 40 percent less vitamin C than non-smokers.
Cress – detoxifying and disinfecting properties
The garden variety also protects the eyes from UV rays. It contains lutein and zeaxintin. Cress has detoxifying and disinfecting properties, which is why it helps in the fight against acne. In addition, according to folk medicine, asthmatics can eat the seeds, because cress increases their respiratory efficiency. Thanks to the content of iron and magnesium, watercress is recommended for people suffering from chronic fatigue or seasonal weakness.
Cress balances the intestines and normalizes blood glucose spikes, while preventing hunger pangs. For this reason, it can be one of the elements of a reduction diet, being part of cocktails and mousses.
Cress and the laxative effect
It turns out that watercress works as an ideal remedy for constipation. Its composition includes cellulose and uronic acid containing polysaccharides that swell in the digestive tract. This is because of the water. Thanks to this, the fecal mass is able to move faster towards the anus.
Regular consumption of cress improves health in people suffering from bronchitis, anemia, coronary heart disease, circulatory disorders or rheumatism. It also works well as a dietary supplement in osteoporosis.
In addition, the calcium contained in watercress is tolerated even by people struggling with intolerance to milk and dairy products. Also in the case of hypothyroidism, it is recommended to eat watercress. In some cases, it is worth consulting a doctor or nutritionist who will determine how many sprouts you can eat during the day.
There is folic acid in gout, which should be taken by pregnant women due to the formation of the fetal neural tube. In addition, the bioactive substances of watercress immunize against colds. They also balance iodine levels in the body.
Cress is also recommended for nursing mothers and in the pre-contraceptive period.
Children’s cress – when can it be served?
Cress is especially recommended for fussy eaters because it increases the appetite. In addition, as a valuable source of vitamins and minerals, it supports the development of children.
Cress – contraindications
Cress, due to its pungent taste, should not be given to people who have ulcers or intestinal inflammation. In addition, patients with kidney problems should also avoid cress, which has strong diuretic properties.
Cress – use in cosmetics
Cress also has cosmetic properties, but relatively few people use it. The most common use of cress juice mixed with honey is to lighten freckles. Cress also has good reputation as a hair tonic because it contains sulfur to prevent hair loss and lecithin to help promote hair growth. It is enough to rub half a glass of cress juice into wet hair and wash it off after 30 minutes to see the effect of healthy-looking and shiny hair.
- Find out more: Hair loss – causes
The sulfur contained in the cress will also have a positive effect on skin problems such as acne, seborrhea and other inflammations, as it will dry them out and extract bacteria and secretions from them. However, it can also dry out the skin or make it sensitizing, so you should use watercress juice with caution.
Allergy sufferers (before applying the cress paste on their face) should make an allergy test on a small fragment of the skin.
Cress can be a great addition to many dishes. It is used in soups, salads or mixed with cottage cheese. However, be careful not to eat too much of it.
A teaspoon-sized amount is enough to improve the condition of the body and avoid side effects such as cystitis. In addition, watercress works great as an ingredient in cocktails. It can also replace chives on sandwiches.
- See also: Nine Reasons Why You Should Have Breakfast
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