Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) حب الرشاد/الثفا : Cure of Every Disease

Watercress Dried Leaves

Watercress is an aquatic plant species with the botanical name Nasturtium officinale. This should not be confused with the quite different group of plants with the common name of nasturtium, botanical name Tropaeolum.

Watercress is a rapidly growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plant native to Europe and Asia, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by humans. It is currently a member of the family Brassicaceae, botanically related to garden cress, mustard, radish and wasabi—all noteworthy for their piquant flavor.

The hollow stems of watercress are floating, and the leaves are pinnately compound. Small, white and green flowers are produced in clusters and are frequently visited by insects, especially hoverflies such as Eristalis flies.

Watercress, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy    46 kJ (11 kcal)
Carbohydrates          1.29 g
Sugars                        0.2 g
Dietary fiber               0.5 g
Fat                               0.1 g
Protein                        2.3 g


Vitamins

Vitamin A equiv.
beta-carotene
lutein zeaxanthin
(20%) 160 μg
(18%) 1914 μg
5767 μg
Thiamine (B1)    (8%) 0.09 mg
Riboflavin (B2)    (10%) 0.12 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
(6%) 0.31 mg
Vitamin B6    (10%) 0.129 mg
Folate (B9)    (2%) 9 μg
Vitamin C    (52%) 43 mg
Vitamin E    (7%) 1 mg
Vitamin K    (238%) 250 μg

Minerals

Calcium    (12%) 120 mg
Iron    (2%) 0.2 mg
Magnesium    (6%) 21 mg
Manganese    (12%) 0.244 mg
Phosphorus    (9%) 60 mg
Potassium    (7%) 330 mg
Sodium    (3%) 41 mg

Units

μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams
IU = International units

Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.


Source: USDA Nutrient Database

A 100-gram serving of watercress provides 11 calories and is particularly rich in vitamin K. It also contains significant amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, vitamin B6, calcium, manganese, and folate . Watercress has low contents of carbohydrates, protein, fat and dietary fiber.

Watercress crops grown in the presence of manure can be a haven for parasites such as the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica. Watercress is a known inhibitor of the cytochrome P450 CYP2E1, which may result in altered drug metabolism for individuals on certain medications such as chlorzoxazone.


Cress is hot and dry in the third degree, and it heats and relaxes the stomach, removes different types of worms, decomposes the spleen tumors, excites the sexual drive and heals the ulcers of mange and herpes.

Watercress Seeds

When the cress (seed) is used as a bandage along with honey, it will decompose spleen tumors. When it is cooked with Henna, it will extract harmful accumulations in the chest; while taking it as a drink helps against venomous bites and stings.

When it is burnt, its smoke repulses venomous beasts and prevents the hair from falling. In addition, when it is mixed with barley Saweeq (Flour) and vinegar and used as a bandage, it helps the patients of Sciatica and decomposes hot tumors.

Further, when it is used as a bandage with water, it brings the pustules to maturity and helps against flabbiness in various organs, strengthens the sexual drive and works as an appetite stimulant. It also helps against Asthma, hard breathing, relieves the thickness in the spleen, purifies the chest and increases the menstrual flow. It also helps against sciatic nerve and the cavity of the hip, due to the extraction power of the cress when one drinks it or is injected with it. Cress seeds purify the chest and lungs from phlegm.

CRESS AS A LAXATIVE AND CONSTIPATIVE

When Cress seeds are crushed and taken in a drink with warm water, they will work as a laxative, decompose flatulence and help against the pain caused by constipation. When it is fried and drunk (with water), it constipates, especially when it is not crushed, as its consistency will be softened when it is fried.

CRESS IN LEPROSY

Cress also helps against leprosy when it is crushed and used in a drink.When the cress is blended with vinegar and used as an ointment on leprous skin and on white pigmentation disorder, it helps relieve these conditions.

HEADACHES TREATMENT

It also relieves headaches that are caused by colds and by phlegm accumulation.

Galinus said that the strength of the cress is similar to the effectiveness of mustard grains. Hence it could be used to heat the pain in the hip (which is known as Iriq-al-Nasa or Sciatica) and headaches, as each of these symptoms requires heat, similar to mustard seed. Sometimes, cress is mixed with other remedies and used to treat Asthma, as it is known that it dissolves thick mixtures, again just as mustard seed does.