Watercress

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is one of the oldest plants known to man.. A Greek proverb went “eat cress and gain more wit” because it was thought to be a brain stimulant. Watercress has been used not only to sharpen mental acuity, but as an antiscorbutic in ancient days. The Romans introduced it in Europe. It was much cultivated in the middle ages as the basic ingredient in a salve thought to be …

…appeared to prevent lung cancer in experimental animals exposed to cigarette smoke. "Broccoli, for example, might contain 100 different isothiocyanate compounds. But what makes watercress unique among the crucifers is that it contains high concentrations of just one compound--phenethyl isothiocyanate, or PEITC," says Richard McAvoy, a professor of plant science at the University of Connecticut. He and a colleague have studied how soil, temperature, harvest stage and other variables affect PEITC levels in watercress. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**