Is Kale Being Kicked to the Curb?
Maynard S. Clark
Is Kale Being Kicked to the Curb?
Posted in: Food, Health, News by Jennifer Bliss on 07 Mar, 2015
Sign up for the TRFW News newsletter
Get daily inspiration right to your inbox!
(TRFW News) Some may argue that kale was the trendy ‘green’ of the last year. But now, there’s a huge talk that watercress may be kicking kale to the curb! There was an article on preventing chronic disease that the Centers for Disease Control released, which was accompanied by a chart of the most nutrient-dense powerhouse fruits and vegetables. Guess what was on that list? Watercress! (1)
More and more information is reaching the masses about the ‘power of greens’
Watercress is hitting plates in restaurants all over Australia and other parts of the world! This new greens is being grown hydroponically in Australia and the warmer weather can make growing it “a little challenging,” according to an Australian grower Alberto Mollica. The word among herb growers is that watercress may become the latest ‘green’ trend similarly to kale in recent years. (2)
In just one year, Mollica has quadrupled his number from an original niche crop. Perhaps it’s because of health benefits or maybe people are just looking for the next big thing in greens. Whatever it is, watercress is being described as ‘the next kale’ and ‘better for you than kale’ by health experts and websites. (2)
While the majority of the watercress from Mollica was going to farmers’ markets, he’s sure the bulk of his crop is going to restaurants for use by chefs. This could mean that home cooking trend can’t be too far behind! (2)
But just how good for you is watercress?
According to the Wholefoods ANDI (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index), which ranks foods from 1 to 1,000 on their nutritional content gram for gram. Watercress tops the chart with a whopping 1,000 scoring index. To give you an idea how amazing it is, blueberries only has a score 160, so obviously watercress beats blueberries by a wide margin! (3)
Watercress tends to have a ‘peppery’ taste, which is due to a chemical reaction occurring when chewing. The plant’s cells are being broken down when chewing takes place: glucosinolates (glucose and amino acid) combined with the myrosinase enzyme that creates Isothiocyanates (ITCs). ITCs have been shown to have cancer preventative properties, help repair damage caused by exercise, provide relief of stress in everyday living, and actually boost our immune systems. (3)
During the Victorian times, the plant was used as a cure for toothaches, hiccups, and even freckles. The Romans used it to cure baldness, used it as an aphrodisiac, and to cure hangovers. (3)
Now that watercress is being recognized as a superfood in more mainstream outlets – how else can it benefit you?
Watercress may lower the risk of prostate, colon, and breast cancers, and may counteract certain processes by which cancers proliferate and spread. They contain excellent source of antioxidants, vitamins A, C, and K, and an essential micronutrient for bone health. They contain good source of folate, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese as well. (4)
It’s a rich natural source of lutein and zeaxanthin, which help protect your vision and support cardiovascular health. The high dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin is known to lower your risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration. In just one cup of raw watercress, there are over 1,900 mcg of lutein and zeaxanthin, suggesting that watercress consumption may help prevent vision-robbing macular degeneration. (4)
With all of these findings and more coming out in what seems like truckloads – isn’t it time you gave watercress a try if you haven’t already? It may just be what you need to boost your health to the next level!
Sources for this article include:
(1) www.sfchronicle.com
(2) www.freshplaza.com
(3) www.dorsetecho.co.uk
(4) www.lef.org
Image source: flic.kr
RAC/GCRA, CIPP, RTP, NIH rDNA, REACH Intermediate certificates (+others) | GoogleChat: Maynard.Clark | Skype: MaynardClark
LinkedIn | ResearchGate | Academia.edu | Google+ | Xing | Blog Links | Twitter | Facebook | Google Profile | VegWeb | Wikipedia