WATERCRESS
Botanical: Nasturtium officinale Family: Cruciferae (mustard) - Brassicaceae (cabbage) Other common names: Scurvy Grass, Cress, Indian Cress, Brunnendresenkraut, Wasserkresse, Creson de Fontaine, Herbe aux Chantes

Watercress is a rich storehouse of nutrients that has been used as a tonic since ancient times to cleanse the blood and liver of toxins and promote an overall feeling of good health. The herb has been used for a variety of ways that include enhancing stamina, ridding the body of excess fluids, and it is also thought to be a great antioxidant.

History:
Watercress is a juicy, vivid green, aquatic plant that is native to Eurasia and was introduced to North America, where is may be found throughout Canada and the United States. This hardy perennial is found in abundance near springs, in open running watercourses, shallow creeks, ditches, ponds, lakes, brooks and slow-moving rivers - wherever the water is clear and cool and slow-moving. Watercress thrives in shallow (two to six inches), alkaline water in sun or even in pots of rich alluvial soil that stand in dishes of water. It has a creeping habit with smooth, fleshy stems that bear roundish, heart-shaped leaflets and small white flowers on the extremities. It has been used for thousands of years as a nutritious addition to cuisine and an important factor in herbal medicine. Watercress was one of the first plants cultivated by man and was used by Persian and Greek soldiers as a tonic to improve their health and stamina, and has been used through the ages as a spring tonic to tone the liver and cleanse the blood.  Its botanical genus, Nasturtium, is derived from two Latin words, nasus tortus, meaning "convulsed (or) wrinkled nose," undoubtedly referring to the plant's pungency.  The famed seventeenth-century English herbalist, Nicholas Culpepper, recommended this bitter, pungent, stimulant herb to "free the face" from blotches, spots and blemishes. In North America, Native Americans used Watercress for liver and kidney trouble and to dissolve gallstones. Watercress has risen to a starring role in elaborate culinary preparations and is as beneficial for the health as much as the palate. It may be used as a garnish, in salads and sandwiches, added to herb butters, dressings, casseroles, soups and sauces for fish, and is also made into refreshing and nourishing teas. Some of the constituents in Watercress include volatile oil, flavonoids, phosphorus, potash, nitrogen, beta-carotene, iodine, protein, folic acid and sulfur (probably accounting for the herb's pungent fragrance). It is particularly rich in iron, calcium, potassium and vitamin C, and it includes many other valuable mineral elements and vitamins.

Beneficial Uses:
Watercress is believed to be an effective diuretic that promotes urine flow, which helps in clearing toxins from the system. Moreover, it is said to help relieve excess water retention and edema, and some claim that it may help heart disease by relieving retained fluid.

The herb is also thought to support good kidney function and ease urinary and bladder problems. Furthermore, many cultures have used Watercress to break up kidney or bladder stones.

Herbalists have used Watercress as a blood purifier with system cleansing properties that help to clear toxins from the body. Because of its high potassium content, it is strongly alkaline and, therefore, considered useful in treating acidity and purifying the blood. 

By cleansing the blood, Watercress has been useful in treating skin eruptions, eczema, acne, rashes and other skin infections.

Watercress is considered a tonic for the liver. The herb has been used to promote bile production and flow, which not only supports liver function and ease gall bladder complaints, but it is also beneficial for the digestive system. The herb has been thought to alleviate indigestion and inhibit gas formation.

In the past, Watercress was used to treat scurvy, which is not very common nowadays, but because of its high vitamin C content, the herb is good for helping other imbalances relative to vitamin C deficiency.

Watercress is thought to be an effective expectorant that helps to expel excess mucus and is believed to relieve bronchitis, coughs and mucus in the lungs.

The high iron content in Watercress is thought to be useful in cases of anemia. Watercress is loaded with nutrients and has been considered an overall tonic for good health. 

It has been used to ease the debility associated with chronic disease, to increase physical endurance (supporting the ancient soldiers' use of the herb), to enhance the body's immune system and to stimulate the body's rate of metabolism.

Watercress was used in the past to help in cases of tuberculosis, and recent studies have found that it may be effective against cultures of the tubercle bacillus.

Recent research shows promise in studying Watercress's use as an antioxidant that may have potential in treatment for malignant diseases. The flavonoids are said to increase immunity, and some studies have claimed that it possesses anti tumor properties in laboratory mice.

Contraindications:
None as a food

Taking therapeutic doses of  Watercress during pregnancy and for children under 4 has not been established. Do not use watercress if you have peptic or duodenal ulcers or if you have nephritis.

Return to Tincture  Antioxidant

Return to Medicinal Tea   Antioxidant  /  Gallbladder  /  Kidney  /  Prostate    

Return to Bulk Herbs    Watercress



Disclaimer: The information presented herein by Organic Herbs Medicine Cabinet is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary.