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Up to the renaissance, this spunky member of
the mustard family was esteemed as a breath freshener and palate cleanser,
as well as for medical purposes.
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According to the book 'James Cook and the Conquest
of Scurvy', Captain James Cook was able to circumnavigate the globe three
times, due in part, to his use of watercress in his sailors diets.
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Watercress is believed by many to be an aphrodisiac.
In Crete, islanders swear by its powers and ancient recipes are handed
down from one generation to the next. In the 1970s, an Arab prince was
reputed to have had special consignments flown out from the UK, presumably
to help him satisfy his harem! And in Hampshire England, its special powers
are part of folklore.
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Lewis and Clark regularly found watercress on
their trek across the Louisiana Purchase. |
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Eating
a bag of watercress is said to be a good cure for a hang-over.
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The U.S. Army planted watercress in the gardens
of forts along the western trails, as food for their soldiers. |
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Watercress is mentioned so often as an ingredient
in detox vegetable juice recipes and as a cure for a variety of ills, that
it could virtually be viewed as a staple part of the regime for those wishing
to juice their way to health.
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According to British vegetarian writer Colin
Spencer, the Romans treated insanity with vinegar and watercress. |
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Watercress made front page news in the summer of 2001 when
Liz Hurley revealed that she relies on watercress to maintain a nutritious
diet while trying to keep her figure in trim.
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"The
American Indian used watercress for liver and kidney trouble and to dissolve
kidney stones. It is rich in iron and other valuable
mineral elements and its blood purifying and system cleansing properties
cause it to be used extensively as a blood purifier."
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According to Cretan legend watercress grew in the springs
of the Dikton Cave on Crete where the god Zeus is said to have eaten the
plant to fortify himself against his murderous father Cronos.
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"J.E.
Meyers, Botanical Gardens of Hammond, Indiana informs us that watercress
is one of the best sources of vitamin E. This
is the fertility vitamin, helping the body to use oxygen, which increases
physical endurance and stamina and improves heart response."
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Anglo-Saxons swore by watercress potage to 'spring clean'
the blood.
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Roman emperors ate it to help them make 'bold decisions.'
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"Brazilian research found watercress extract to possess
anti-tumor properties while other research found watercress leaf juice to
be active against cultures of tubercle bacillus." Native Essence Herb
Comapny's Herbal Formulas.com.
Advertisment.
2001 .
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Irish monks were said to survive for long periods eating
only bread and watercress and referred to watercress as 'pure food for
sages.'
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The Persian
King Xerxes ordered his soldiers to eat watercress to keep them healthy
during their long marches. It was also used by soldiers to both prevent
and cure scurvy.
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The juice pressed from watercress was used for gravies to
accompany roast meats in medieval France.
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Watercress (Rorripa nasturtium acquaticum ) is a member
of the mustard family and is believed to have originated in Ancient Greece
and remains an integral part of Mediterranean diets.
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One of Britain's best known dishes, watercress soup, became
very popular in the 17th century when it was claimed to cleanse the blood.
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The Greeks had
a saying that “Eating cress makes one witty.”
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The herbalist John Gerard extolled watercress as an anti-scorbutic
(remedy for scurvy) as early as 1636. No doubt in those days it was far
easier to come by than oranges - a foreign extravagance.
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When Hippocrates
founded the first hospital on the Island of Kos around 400 BC, he grew wild
watercress in the natural springs and used it to treat blood disorders.
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As a medicinal
plant, watercress has been traditionally considered a diuretic, expectorant,
purgative, stimulant, stomachic and tonic. It has also been used as a remedy
against anemia, eczema, kidney and liver disorders, tuberculosis, boils,
warts and tumors.
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Watercress was once popular as a tea, freshly made with
lemon and sugar. It was drunk as a tonic to ease aches and pains.
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Watercress is
not indigenous to the United States. It was brought to this country by European
immigrants in the mid-1800s.
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Watercress has
a long-standing reputation as a hair tonic, helping to promote the growth
of thick hair when rubbed on the head.
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In the 18th
century, watercress was mixed with vinegar and used to treat people who
were feeling dull or lethargic.
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During the shortages
of World War II, the traditional Sunday-night tea in Britain was watercress
and vinegar, with a bit of bread and butter.
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Watercress
tea has also been used to alleviate the pain of migraine headaches.
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Lord Byron was
quoted as saying that watercress “doth restore the bloom to the cheeks
of a young maiden.” He also called it the “Herb that while young
is friendly to life.”
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In the 1800s,
a Parisian chemist used Watercress as an antidote to smoking. He dried it
for a few days in the sun, then used it in his pipe, claiming that it had
the flavor of his best tobacco.
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Victorians thought the plant was a cure for toothache, hiccups
and even freckles!
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In the 21st
century, scientists are discovering that watercress may indeed have properties
to counteract the effects of smoking. Its cruciferous nature may even
help prevent lung diseases, such as emphysema and cancer. In addition
to vitamins A, C and E, watercress contains gluconasturtin (only released
when the leaves are chopped or chewed), which helps neutralize a carcinogen
in tobacco.
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This delicious
and natural "super food" has been grown commercially in the
pure spring waters of southern England since the early 1800s. Commercial
production in the United States began in about 1850.
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In England, watercress used to be a staple
part of the working class diet, most often eaten for breakfast in a sandwich.
If the family
was too poor to buy bread they ate it by itself and so watercress became
known as the "poor man's bread."
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Folic Acid has
been shown to help prevent birth defects when consumed by pregnant women.
Watercress has 150% more folic acid than broccoli and tops the list of recommended
greens.
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In England, street sellers would then buy it from the market
and add their own value to the watercress by forming it into bunches. In
those days, bunches were handheld and eaten ice-cream cone style.
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Watercress has
more iron than spinach, more calcium than milk and three times as much Vitamin
E as lettuce. It’s packed with vitamins A and C, and is low in calories.
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Some call watercress
the most underrated, underused green in the garden, and suggest that its
regular consumption could effectively reduce, if not eliminate, many of
the world’s problems with disease and hunger.
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