{"id":6479,"date":"2023-08-12T04:09:17","date_gmt":"2023-08-11T21:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6479"},"modified":"2023-08-12T04:09:17","modified_gmt":"2023-08-11T21:09:17","slug":"benefits-of-watercress-the-worlds-healthiest-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6479","title":{"rendered":"Benefits of Watercress: The World&#8217;s \u2018Healthiest\u2019 Food"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">I<\/span>t\u2019s official: Watercress has been deemed the \u201chealthiest food\u201d in the world. According to a study published by the CDC that examined <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/pcd\/issues\/2014\/13_0390.htm#table2_down\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/pcd\/issues\/2014\/13_0390.htm#table2_down\">17 different nutrient markers<\/a> (i.e., potassium, fiber, protein, and calcium) of 41 \u201cpowerhouse fruits and vegetables,\u201d watercress scored the highest among them in terms of its \u201cnutrient density\u201d score, making it officially the \u201chealthiest food\u201d in the world with a perfect score of 100.<\/div>\n<p>Watercress isn&#8217;t the only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/leafy-green-health-benefits-kale-spinach\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/leafy-green-health-benefits-kale-spinach\/\">leafy green known to offer powerful nutritional benefits<\/a>, however: The top five foods on the list were <em>all<\/em> forms of greens. In order of nutrient density scores, this includes Chinese cabbage (91.99), chard (89.27), beet greens (87.08), and spinach (86.43). Ahead, we delve into the benefits of watercress and why noshing on leafy greens regularly can help boost health and protect against chronic illness.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<hr\/>\n<p>(And, friendly but required reminder: This ranking system is solely meant to measure the nutrient-density, not value, of various foods. If you hate leafy greens, we&#8217;re all for that. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/fda-definition-of-healthy\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/fda-definition-of-healthy\/\">Everyone&#8217;s definition of &#8220;healthy food&#8221; looks different<\/a>, and the more we <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/diversify-dietetics-deanna-belleny-lewis\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/diversify-dietetics-deanna-belleny-lewis\/\">encourage diversity in meals<\/a>, the more everyone wins. Okay, onward!)<\/p>\n<h2><strong>4 benefits of watercress that make it the most nutrient-dense leafy green<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3>1. Promotes bone health<\/h3>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vandanasheth.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.vandanasheth.com\/about\/\">Vandana Sheth, RDN, CDCES<\/a>, author of <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FMy-Indian-Table-Vegetarian-Recipes%2Fdp%2F1733815325%2F%3Ftag%3Dwgtrx11227-20%26asc_refurl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.wellandgood.com%252Fbenefits-of-watercress%252F%26asc_source%3Ddirect%26asc_campaign%3Dno-campaign&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fbenefits-of-watercress%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/My-Indian-Table-Vegetarian-Recipes\/dp\/1733815325\/\"><em>My Indian Table: Quick &amp; Tasty Vegetarian Recipes<\/em><\/a><em>, <\/em>watercress definitely deserves its high reputation from both a nutrition <em>and<\/em> flavor POV. For starters, she points out that the high vitamin K content of watercress, paired with its calcium levels (<a href=\"https:\/\/fdc.nal.usda.gov\/fdc-app.html#\/food-details\/170068\/nutrients\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/fdc.nal.usda.gov\/fdc-app.html#\/food-details\/170068\/nutrients\">120 milligrams per 100-gram serving<\/a>), can help promote bone health. For context, the same-size serving of whole milk contains <a href=\"https:\/\/fdc.nal.usda.gov\/fdc-app.html#\/food-details\/1097512\/nutrients\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/fdc.nal.usda.gov\/fdc-app.html#\/food-details\/1097512\/nutrients\">123 milligrams of calcium<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/benefits-of-watercress\/\" current-title=\"This Leafy Green Has Been Deemed the \u2018Healthiest Food\u2019 in the World by the CDC\" current-image=\"Stocksy_txp5eb4f69fEel300_Small_1006876-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-02-11\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/benefits-of-watercress\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/benefits-of-watercress\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/benefits-of-watercress\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Additionally, watercress contains a considerable amount of vitamin K, another nutrient vital for bone health. Deficiencies in this vitamin can lead to weakening bones\u2014think fractures, poor posture, back and\/or neck pain, and the early signs of osteoporosis. Generally speaking, the recommended <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/vitamin-k-deficiency\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/vitamin-k-deficiency\/\">adequate intake (AI) for vitamin K<\/a> is 120 micrograms for adult men and 90 micrograms for adult women. (One cup of chopped watercress contains 85 micrograms of vitamin K.)<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>(And, friendly but required reminder: This ranking system is solely meant to measure the nutrient-density, not value, of various foods. If you hate leafy greens, we&#8217;re all for that. Everyone&#8217;s definition of &#8220;healthy food&#8221; looks different, and the more we encourage diversity in meals, the more everyone wins. Okay, onward!)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>2. Supports cardiovascular health<\/h3>\n<p>Watercress can also play a role in supporting cardiovascular health. &#8220;[Watercress] provides a wide array of antioxidants that may help <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8123986\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8123986\/\">decrease our risk for heart disease<\/a>,&#8221; Sheth says. &#8220;Because of its mineral content\u2014calcium, potassium, magnesium\u2014and <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/22882425\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/22882425\/\">nitrates<\/a>, watercress may help with blood pressure.&#8221; One cup (34 grams) of chopped watercress contains 112 milligrams of potassium (which is nearly one-third of the amount of <a href=\"https:\/\/fdc.nal.usda.gov\/fdc-app.html#\/food-details\/1105314\/nutrients\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/fdc.nal.usda.gov\/fdc-app.html#\/food-details\/1105314\/nutrients\">potassium in a banana<\/a>), seven milligrams of magnesium, and about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4110783\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4110783\/\">37 milligrams of nitrates<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Of note: Due to the high concentration of vitamin K found in watercress, anyone taking blood thinners should consult their doctors before adding a lot watercress to their diet. &#8220;Vitamin K plays an important role in blood clotting, and any drastic changes in vitamin K intake through diet can affect the medication\u2019s effect,&#8221; Sheth says.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Decreases the risk of developing cancer<\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6226005\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6226005\/\">Watercress contains isothiocyanates<\/a>, which may help prevent cancer by aiding the body in getting rid of potential carcinogens,&#8221; says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/franceslrothrd\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/franceslrothrd\/\">Frances Largeman-Roth<\/a>, a registered dietitian, nutrition expert, and author of upcoming book <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FEveryday-Snack-Tray-Recipes-Nourish%2Fdp%2F0800744993%2F%3Ftag%3Dwgtrx11227-20%26asc_refurl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.wellandgood.com%252Fbenefits-of-watercress%252F%26asc_source%3Ddirect%26asc_campaign%3Dno-campaign&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fbenefits-of-watercress%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Everyday-Snack-Tray-Recipes-Nourish\/dp\/0800744993\/\"><em>Everyday Snack Tray<\/em><\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4002831\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4002831\/\">Isothiocyanates<\/a>, she adds, are small molecules that reduce the activation of and increase the detoxification of carcinogens.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Promotes eye health<\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;Watercress can also help with eye health because of its carotenoids and vitamin C content,&#8221; Sheth says. One cup of chopped watercress contains 15 milligrams of vitamin C (<a href=\"https:\/\/fdc.nal.usda.gov\/fdc-app.html#\/food-details\/746771\/nutrients\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/fdc.nal.usda.gov\/fdc-app.html#\/food-details\/746771\/nutrients\">about one-fifth of the vitamin C in an orange<\/a>). While there is no specific recommended daily allowance for consuming carotenoids\u2014like beta-carotene or alpha-carotene\u2014a cup of chopped watercress contains 649 milligrams of beta-carotene, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/benefits-of-cantaloupe\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/benefits-of-cantaloupe\/\">converts to vitamin A in the body<\/a>, thus helping boost eye health.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Some benefits of the additional leafy greens on the list<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Although watercress ranked number one, the other four top nutrient-dense foods on the list also contain considerable health benefits. Remember: Chinese cabbage, chard, beet greens, and spinach all were within just a few points of watercress.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/9-foods-for-amazing-skin\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/9-foods-for-amazing-skin\/\">Cabbage<\/a> is packed with minerals, including magnesium and calcium; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/chard-recipes\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/chard-recipes\/\">chard<\/a> contains high amounts of vitamins K, A, C, and E, magnesium, iron, and potassium. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/leafy-green-health-benefits-kale-spinach\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/leafy-green-health-benefits-kale-spinach\/\">Beet greens<\/a>, meanwhile, are a super source of iron, and spinach is high in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/folate-foods\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/folate-foods\/\">folate<\/a>, a B vitamin that research shows can help prevent the development of Alzheimer&#8217;s Disease, and potassium, an essential nutrient for muscle activity. But potentially the best part about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/kale-vs-spinach\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/kale-vs-spinach\/\">spinach<\/a> is that it can easily be added to a wide array of foods\u2014think smoothies, soups, pasta, and sauces\u2014for added nutrients and easily go undetected by the pickiest eaters.<\/p>\n<p><em>So, how should we really feel about green juices? An RD spills the tea:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Green Juice Benefits Explained by a Nutritionist | You Versus Food\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8csZ9D1IKn0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimers__after_content mb-[18px] mt-[16px] pt-[16px]\">\n<div class=\"outline-earmark relative mt-[8px] pt-[10px] pl-[20px]\">\n<p>\n            Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission.          <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s official: Watercress has been deemed the \u201chealthiest food\u201d in the world. According to a study published by the CDC that examined 17 different nutrient markers (i.e., potassium, fiber, protein, and calcium) of 41 \u201cpowerhouse fruits and vegetables,\u201d watercress scored the highest among them in terms of its \u201cnutrient density\u201d score, making it officially the &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6480,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6479"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6479\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}