This new study (haven't read the full paper yet) suggests that watercress has a powerful ability to reduce DNA damage even when amounts eaten are very small (85 g per day, or about 9 kcal).

[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

This is a good thing, considering the high cost (about 30 cents per kcal).

Compare to the cost of a banana (about 1 cent per kcal) or cooked white rice (about 0.1 cent per kcal) or a junior bacon cheeseburger from wendy's (about 0.3 cents per kcal). A watercress kcal costs almost 100 times as much as a wendy's kcal.

I rarely purchase watercress because of the very high costs and instead rely mainly on the cheap crucifers (relatives: cabbages, kale, broccoli, collards, turnip greens, and the arugula and rapini I grow, which are probably similar, but not as good for you, I suspect the crucifers that taste best and are digested most easily when raw are the ones that we should concentrate on). But if you can grow it, or get it cheaply, do it!

I read things like this and it amazes me that so many people either neglect greens or eat them only rarely.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/2007 02:05AM by arugula.

Oh wow... that is truly amazing. Thank you for sharing this! I grow watercress in my garden but I never really knew if it was all that nutritious.



My website: The Coconut Chronicles

arugula Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This new study (haven't read the full paper yet)
> suggests that watercress has a powerful ability to
> reduce DNA damage even when amounts eaten are very
> small (85 g per day, or about 9 kcal).
>

> I read things like this and it amazes me that so
> many people either neglect greens or eat them only
> rarely.
To me green is the food. Maybe one reason people are neglecting raw greens is that it takes effort and time to prepare them compared to fruit.

I discovered watercress this past summer - I bought it at the Sat. morning farmers market - I loved it!

My husband recently bought me a bunch at a local store.

I would love to grow it or at least talk all the "green thumbs" in my family to grow some for me (I'm known as the black thumb of the family!). I keep trying, though!

I thought watercress was something that only grew along creeks and streams? Does it have to have lots more water than other greens?

I'm all for variety and love to keep trying new plants.

I plan to take a "nature foraging walk" with some knowledgable person this spring so that I can identify more "wild food".

I once took a kayaking trip with a guide in the Florida Keys and he kept stopping to pull plants off the sea floor and then passed them around for us to try (most of them tasted like celery with a little salt added). I fell in love with the idea of foraging. I can't wait to get out there and take a long walk in the woods and come back with a salad! Hope I find watercress!!!!

Life Is Good!

alive!

alive! Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I thought watercress was something that only grew
> along creeks and streams? Does it have to have
> lots more water than other greens?

It actually grows in the water. It would be interesting to know how they grow it commercially.

Rob

--
Rob Hull - Funky Raw
My blog: [www.rawrob.com]

Interesting. It doesn't surprise me as watercress has a very strong taste and that often goes hand in hand with medicinal properties. Yum!

It tends to naturalize alongside lakes/creeks, in/near the water but we grow it in pots at the community garden and I've planted and grown it in a wet spot in the garden. It's pretty delicate, which is part of the reason why it is expensive. It's much cheaper in Europe than in the US, because it's more familiar (and therefore more in demand) over there.

In the US, try Asian markets. I've gotten good watercress way cheaper in Chinatown than anywhere else.

love
Ela



seeing is freeing
hearing is clearing
feeling is healing

I grow mine in a small tin "bath" that looks kinda like this: [www.mooseyscountrygarden.com] I have found it grows best in pots and containers that do not drain. It definitely needs more water than the average plant.



My website: The Coconut Chronicles

A few websites Ilooked at claimed that if they are grown in water, the water should not be still. i.e. it should be changed daily or the watercress should be planted by a stream. Is this true? What could happen if the water is not changed daily?

A book that I have tells you how to grow them on the ground so I will try that though I am curious about the "still water" issue.