Application and beneficial properties of watercress

Among garden and indoor plants, more and more popularity is gaining Watercress is a very unusual plant that has a rich vitamin composition and unusual taste. Therefore, below we tell about the healing properties of watercress and its other features.

The chemical composition of watercress

The use of watercress is primarily provided by its rich vitamin and mineral composition, which causes the unusual taste of this plant. Externally, watercress is a common green plant, which, when grown, produces branched stems capable of being pulled up to a height of 0.6 m. The main part of the stems is occupied by small leaves of watercress, which are valuable for culinary. It is they contain rich chemical composition of lettuce:

1. Essential oils.
2. Fatty oils (watercress oil can be used for dressing dishes).
3. Flavonoids.
4. Important minerals are calcium, phosphorus, iodine and magnesium.
5. Vitamins (as the most common - C, A, PP, B, and very rare, such as vitamin D and K).

The beneficial effects of watercress on the human body

Useful properties of watercress allow using this food product as for prevention, so for treatment of complex diseases of the human body.

For respiratory system

Watercress is a unique natural remedy that is recommended for people who want to quit smoking. Due to the content of flavonoids in this plant, nicotine particles are not only quickly eliminated from the body, but the smoker loses the craving for their new preparation. For the same reason, watercress is very useful for residents of megalopolises who do not often have the opportunity to go out into the countryside and breathe clean air.This plant is able to cope with the influence of harmful ecology on the human body.

A very useful salad for asthmatics, since fresh juice from this plant is able to organize cleaning for the bronchi and all respiratory tracts, thereby greatly facilitating asthmatic respiration. With regular use of juice reduces the risk of asthmatic cough, as well as asthmatic attacks with suffocation.

To provide such a beneficial effect on the body, A person suffering from asthma can drink juice three times a day, 2-3 tbsp. l In difficult cases, the resulting dose of this drug may be increased or replaced with infusion. For this purpose, 2 tsp. fresh or dried plants should be placed in a thermos, pour a glass of boiling water and infuse for at least 2-3 hours. Take as prescribed by the doctor.

For the gastrointestinal tract

Cress vitamin has a beneficial effect on the digestive process. It is recommended to eat it to those people who suffer from poor and unstable appetite, as well as have poor digestion.

In addition, the regular use of watercress can normalize the work of the stomach and intestines, its components and structure contribute to a very rapid cleansing of the body from toxins and other accumulations. This in turn leads to the normalization of metabolism in the body, allowing a person to lose weight.

However, this does not mean that you should make salads only from watercress every day. This plant is much more useful to mix with other useful and light vegetables, getting vitamin salads without dressing and using spices. Such a recipe is indispensable for maintaining the work of the stomach during the diet and speeding up the desired result regarding body shaping.

For the nervous system

Watercress is an excellent tool for the prevention of diseases of the nervous system, even if they are chronic. Do not forget about the high content of essential oils in cress, which together with vitamins and minerals act as building components for the nervous system, and With the regular inclusion of this plant in the diet contribute to:

• elimination of sleep disorders;
• stabilization of the functioning of nerve cells;
• normalization of pressure;
• out of protracted depression;
• the formation of an optimistic attitude to the world.

Of course, watercress alone is not able to have such a miraculous effect on the body, therefore In addition to this plant, it is worthwhile to enrich your diet with other useful products.

For the thyroid gland

The use of watercress in food allows you to improve the activity such an important hormonal center of the human body, as thyroid. First of all, this beneficial effect is due to the high content of iodine in it. If you suffer from problems with the thyroid gland, which has stopped producing the necessary amount of hormones,using this green will help you correct this difficulty.

Also, watercress allows you to prevent such problems as hyperthyroidism and its high content of iodine and other minerals contributes improve brain function and thought processes.

For skin

But the masses with watercress will be useful for the skin at any age, due to whichThat plant in recent years has become very common in cosmetology. But besides cosmetic improvement of the epidermis, such masks can have a beneficial therapeutic effect in the presence of purulent formations, acne and inflammatory rashes. In this case, you will need not just masks, but saturated compresses of crushed leaves and stems of the plant. Leave them on the skin for only 10 minutes, so as not to cause the opposite result.

The impact of cress on the skin is a deep cleansing, as well as the removal of infections, which contributes to the rapid recovery. Thanks to these features This plant is used even in the treatment of wounds and burns.

For cosmetic purposes Watercress is used not only fresh:

• To improve the condition of the skin are preparing special decoctions of cress leaves, which are boiled in a crushed state for 5 minutes, cooled and left on the skin as a mask for 15 minutes. After such a mask should wash with clean cool water.
• For smoothing wrinkles and skin elasticity freshly grated watercress is mixed in equal proportions with yogurt. As a result, there should be no more than 3-4 articles. l mask that is applied to the face for 10-15 minutes. After washing off the face mask, it is also recommended to wipe it with a piece of ice.

Contraindications to the use of watercress

But the features of watercress do not make it a universal remedy for treating and improving the health of the body, since This plant also has its contraindications. In particular, it is not recommended to use watercress to those people who suffer from acute ulcers and gastritis. It will not be useful for colitis, and also in those cases if a person has an individual intolerance to the components that are part of this plant.

But if you have no contraindications to the use of watercress, you can grow it on the windowsill throughout the year and always have on hand fresh and healthy herbs. After all from the moment of sowing the seeds to the moment when the watercress becomes suitable for consumption, it takes only 1-1.5 weeks.