Watercress: The most nutrient-dense plant food money can buy
Watercress is the most nutrient-dense plant food on the planet and yet this humble vegetable costs only pennies!
Wow! The most nutrient-dense fruit or vegetable isn't avocado, kale or blueberries: it's watercress!
That's right, watercress. The stuff we grew as schoolkids by adding water to watercress seeds sprinkled on balls of cotton wool in an egg box.
Back in 2014, America's Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) set about ranking so-called "powerhouse" fruits and vegetables. These are fruits and vegetables most strongly associated with reduced chronic disease risk.
The CDC examined 47 powerhouse fruits and vegetables and gave them a score out of 100 based on 17 nutrients identified of being of public health importance by the United Nations, namely potassium, fibre, protein, calcium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K.
Only one fruit or vegetable had a Nutrient Density Score of 100 and that was watercress.
In fact, watercress actually scored 122.68, but the CDC capped Nutrient Density Scores at 100.
Why did it score so highly? Because it is packed full of goodness. Gram for gram, watercress contains more Vitamin C than an orange and more calcium than milk.
Then there's Vitamin K, an essential vitamin that is lacking in many a Western diet. You'll struggle to find a better provider of Vitamin K than watercress. An ounce worth (30g) will provide you with all the Vitamin K you need in a day.
Other vitamins found in watercress include Vitamin E and a whole host of B vitamins. On your mineral checklist, tick copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium.
Watercress also contains an orchestra's worth of micronutrients that will be music to your body's health. It's a great source of antioxidants including lutein and zeaxanthin which promote eye health. It's also rich in glucosinolates which when chewed or cut produce compounds known to protect against cancer.
Best eaten raw, buy it next time you're at the supermarket or greengrocer, or why not clear the window sill and start growing your own?
INTEL: During Victorian times, watercress was known as "poor man's bread" and was a common snack among the working classes.
REFERENCES
Article last updated: 17th January 2023
RELATED ARTICLES