Why watercress is useful

Watercress is an annual plant. It has long been added to dishes as a spice and used to treat many ailments. To understand the benefits and harms of watercress, you need to familiarize yourself with its composition in detail. Moreover, the application is found in all parts of the plant - leaves, seeds, roots.

Composition and calorie content

The salad has a calorie content of 32 kcal. Energy value of greens: 2 g of proteins, 1 g of fat, 4 g of carbohydrates.

The benefits of watercress for the human body are invaluable, thanks to the rich set of vitamins and low calorie content.

Health Benefits of Watercress

The healing qualities of the plant have been appreciated since antiquity. The leaves were used to heal wounds, treat skin and gallstone diseases. Already modern medicine recommends watercress to improve vision, prevent eye diseases and oncology.

For men and women

The benefits of watercress are invaluable for both women's and men's health. The fair sex appreciate greens for their low calorie content, a positive effect on skin and hair. And men appreciate the ability of greens to restore potency, enhance sexual treatment, and treat prostatitis.

During pregnancy and breastfeeding

Women in position should also pay attention to watercress. Greens added to salads or other dishes make it easier to remove excess fluid from the body, improve bowel movements and relieve constipation.

For children

In order for the immune system to function normally, it is enough to add a little salad to children's dishes. The benefits of watercress for the health of the child are manifested in its fortifying and anti-inflammatory qualities.

At the slightest symptoms of a cold, it is enough to give the child a warm infusion of leaves twice a day or use the leaves as mustard plasters. Thanks to its mild expectorant effect, the herbal infusion will help treat severe coughs.

For seniors

Reasonable addition of leaves to dishes will help normalize blood pressure and restore restful sleep, reduce nervous tension. The benefits of greens are also manifested in the reduction of joint pain. The use of this plant will be an excellent prevention of eye diseases and maintenance of vision.

Why watercress is good for weight loss

Dishes with salad are perfect for women who want to lose weight. Low calorie content, combined with a high content of vitamins and microelements, make greens an irreplaceable additive for salads. What is the use of this plant? Fresh juice improves digestion and helps to remove toxins from the body. Therefore, losing weight is natural and easy.

Application in medicine: folk recipes

The use of salad for food and externally helps to get rid of many ailments.The benefits of greens are manifested in the treatment of indigestion, acne, cough, and diseases of the oral cavity. The leaves help to eliminate parasites. There are several popular healing recipes:

• to normalize digestion, take a leafy infusion. Crushed foliage (25 g) is poured with a glass of boiling water and infused for 25-30 minutes. The filtered infusion is drunk before meals, 3 times a day for a dessert spoon;
• cough and bronchitis are also treated with watercress infusion. A glass of boiling water is diluted with 3 tbsp. tablespoons of crushed leaves. The filtered infusion is drunk warm, 3 times a day before meals, 2 tbsp. l;
• with mastopathy or breast lumps, compresses from fresh leaves are used. Shredded greens are applied to the affected area for 2-3 hours;

A special benefit of external use is the acceleration of wound healing. An ointment with watercress is applied to the affected skin. To prepare it, fresh leaves are well ground and mixed with ghee (in a ratio of 1: 5).

The use of watercress in cosmetology

The nutritional and healing properties of the plant are also manifested when used externally. The benefits of greens are undeniable: the skin is smoothed and its tone is leveled, inflammatory processes stop and inflammation disappears.

For hair problems

The benefits of watercress for hair are due to the presence of sulfur. This element is essential for the formation of keratin. The plant promotes hair growth, prevents hair loss. The benefits are also manifested in the fight against dandruff - freshly squeezed juice is rubbed into the scalp.

Facial masks

Thanks to the ability to combine the plant with different products, it is easy to mix for all skin types.

Basic masks:

• for acne, it is recommended to cut the foliage, add a little water and boil it slightly (literally 5 minutes). The leaves are taken out of the water and cooled down are applied to the face. After 5-10 minutes, remove and rinse the skin with cool water;
• benefits for oily skin: chopped leaves (2 tbsp. l) are mixed with honey (1 tsp. l). Egg white is added and applied to the face. The mask is washed off with cool water after 10-15 minutes;
• for normal skin a mask of mashed lettuce (10-14 leaves), olive oil (1/2 tsp) is suitable. Add 7-10 drops of lemon juice and apply to the skin for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, the mixture is washed off;
• to even out skin tone, use a mixture of crushed leaves and sour milk (2 tbsp. l). The mask is kept for 10 minutes and washed off with cool water.

With spring avitaminosis, peeling becomes a frequent skin problem. The benefits of watercress are manifested in the ability to eliminate this problem. A mask of 5-10 crushed leaves and heavy cream will help. The gruel mixture is applied to the face and kept for 10-15 minutes. Wash off with warm water.

For preventive purposes, you can use cosmetic ice in the summer. To do this, beat the leaves with a small amount of water and lemon juice with a blender until puree. The mixture is laid out in molds and frozen. In the morning they rub their face. The main benefit is skin color evening.

Watercress in cooking

Due to its original flavor, the plant is used as a savory additive for various dishes. The leaves are used in the preparation of salads, soups, sauces, casseroles, sandwiches, green fresh cocktails.

The benefits of the plant are preserved both in dried and stewed form:

• seasoned with ground dried leaves with omelet or scrambled eggs;
• fruit salads sprinkled with a dried plant acquire an unexpected flavor;
• the aroma of grass will subtly emphasize the smell of meat or fish dishes;
• lovers of cottage cheese and cheese can also experiment with the tastes of familiar products.

In order not to be disappointed in the plant, it is advisable to introduce it into the diet gradually. And then it will not be difficult to create your own original recipes for familiar dishes. Since the benefits of dried herbs are less, it is advisable to use them fresh.

Possible harm and contraindications

The benefits of watercress for making delicious meals and face masks are undeniable.

But one must also take into account the harm that the plant can inflict on the human body:

• this plant culture belongs to strong allergens. Therefore, sensitive people are advised to apply carefully. Before using the plant, it is better to do a test - apply a little juice on the skin and assess the body's reaction;
• it is undesirable for hypotonic people to get carried away with this greens, since the pressure can dangerously decrease;
• with the abundant addition of herbs to dishes, headaches, insomnia may occur.

When using any products, it is advisable to observe the measure. And then the harm of the plant will not have to be felt on your own body. The special benefits of the plant are manifested due to the presence of substances that ensure the safety of cellular structures.

Quality product selection and storage

Watercress comes in many varieties. Leaves can be of different shades (even bluish or yellowish), shapes. When buying, the quality of greenery is first of all checked by touch.

It is not recommended to eat dried or sluggish leaves, since the content of nutrients in them will be minimal. Incomprehensible spots or growths can be symptoms of a plant disease and it is better to "avoid" such a product.

If you do not intend to immediately use greens, then it is better to wrap it in parchment or thick paper. If there are only plastic bags, it is recommended to make holes in them - for ventilation. It is not recommended to pre-wash the greens, otherwise wet leaves can quickly rot. The best option is a food container in which the leaves will not wrinkle much. It is advisable to store herbs in the refrigerator. Plucked leaves remain juicy for 5-7 days. Therefore, keeping herbs in the refrigerator for longer than a week does not make sense. Freezing watercress for the winter is better in plastic containers.

Conclusion

This plant cannot be attributed to the widely advertised, therefore, what are the benefits and harms of watercress it is better to check personally. It is believed that a person should eat 500 g of various fruits / vegetables and herbs every day. It is in fresh, unprocessed foods that most of the nutrients are stored.

This plant grows very quickly, so growing it on a windowsill is an excellent option to fully enrich your diet with vitamins in winter and summer.