WATER CRESS Alabama is known as the "Watercress Capital of the World" and Alresford, near Winchester, is often considered the watercress capital of Britain. Cress is one of the first known leafy vegetables to be consumed. The Romans and Ancient Egyptians were known to eat watercress for various health reasons. The Greeks and Romans thought it improved the brain, and later, in medieval Europe, it became an ingredient in a salve for sword wounds. Watercress, sometimes referred to as True Nasturtium, is native to Europe and Asia, and it is now grown in the New World as well. Watercress is so named because it naturally favors wet areas around springs and along riverbanks. Watercress is among the earliest green vegetables cultivated by man - first by the Persians, then soon after by the Greeks and Romans.
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SUPERFOOD Watercress The top dog, the unrivaled champion, the chairman of the cutting board, watercress may also be the closest thing yet to a true anti-aging food. Gram for gram this mild-tasting and flowery-looking green contains four times more beta carotene than an apple, and a whopping 238 percent of your daily recommended dose of vitamin K per 100 grams -- two compounds that keep skin dewy and youthful. The beauty food is also the richest dietary source of PEITC (phenylethyl isothiocyanate), which research suggests can fight cancer. Results from an eight-week trial published in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition suggest daily supplementation of 85 grams of raw watercress (that's about two cups) could reduce DMA damage linked to cancer by 17 percent. Exposure to heat may inactivate PEITC, so it's best to enjoy watercress raw in salads, cold-pressed juices, and sandwiches. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-zinczenko/10-superfoods-healthier-t_b_6213842.html?ir=India