Healthy Foods
Watercress
Watercress is hot and dry in nature. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “If you knew how much medicine is contained in two bitter things – aloe and watercress!” (Narrated by Abu Dawud).
Watercress is a representative of the genus of bugs, an annual vegetable plant that is widely used in cooking.
Watercress has a thin stem with many green leaves. The flowers of the salad are white or pale purple. Young leaves of watercress are eaten. The stem of the plant should be white.
Powder from crushed watercress seeds was used instead of mustard plasters: As the effect of watercress is close to that of mustard, it may help with inflammation of the sciatic nerve. If one drinks a solution of watercress crushed into powder, it may help with vitiligo.
Hippocrates believed that this vegetable can purify the blood and increase the body’s resistance. A mixture of chopped and fried dried cress with honey helps to relieve joint pain. It should be consumed in the morning on an empty stomach and in the evening before bed. Watercress is also said to help with inflammation of the spleen and cleanses the lungs of mucus; it also is said that it may help to expell worms from the body.
Modern medicine recommends eating watercress to prevent cataracts. The herb is used to treat prostatitis, so watercress leaves are useful for men of any age. Thanks to vitamin B, the salad helps relieve nervous disorders.
The benefits of watercress are in the content of such important mineral salts as potassium, calcium, iron, copper and magnesium, along with vitamins K, E, C, B, D and A. Eating green vegetables stimulates appetite, removes toxins from the body and normalises blood pressure. This vegetable is also used for heart disease. Traditional medicine recommends using the juice of the plant to prevent anemia. Watercress juice is considered an effective antiscorbutic, tonic. The juice of this plant also helps relieve cold symptoms; some recipes recommend gargling a sore throat with it. The salad removes toxins and cleanses the body. Beneficial substances of watercress also are said to act as antioxidants and slow down the aging process. Contraindicated: pregnant women and individual intolerance.
