Discover the Healthiest Vegetable on Earth: Watercress Scores Perfect 100
Move over kale, there’s a new superfood in town. Agriculture and nutrition experts have recently identified the healthiest vegetable on Earth, and it’s none other than watercress.
According to the CDC, which assigns nutrition density scores to produce based on their concentration of essential vitamins and minerals, watercress is the only vegetable to earn a perfect score of 100. While other leafy greens like spinach, chard, and beet greens come close with scores in the 80s, watercress surpasses them all.
So, what exactly is watercress? This leafy green belongs to the Brassicaceae family and grows in bodies of fresh water, such as streams and ponds. It’s closely related to cabbage, kale, radishes, and mustard. Watercress has a distinctive flavor, with a pungent and peppery taste, almost a combination of arugula and horseradish. Its scientific name, Nasturtium officinale, translates from Latin as nose twister, and anyone who has tried its mature leaves can understand why.
Watercress has a long history of consumption, dating back over three millennia. It was a staple ingredient in ancient Greek, Persian, and Roman civilizations and was even part of the menu at the first Thanksgiving. Its rich flavor and abundance in moist, temperate environments have made it a reliable and nutrient-dense food source. In the past, it was even sold as a snack by street vendors in Victorian-era London, earning the name poor man’s bread. Watercress has also been used for medicinal purposes across Europe and Asia for thousands of years.
Besides its unique taste and historical significance, watercress boasts numerous health benefits. Dr. Amy Lee, Head of Nutrition for Nucific, explains, Watercress is high in vitamin A and potassium, surpassing your typical lettuce. Additionally, it contains more vitamin C than an orange, which is why Captain James Cook considered it a cure for scurvy during his circumnavigation of the Earth.
However, there is one downside to watercress; it can be challenging to find. It’s not super common, says Dr. Lee. You can typically find it at specialty markets and places like Whole Foods, not your typical Safeway. Despite its availability, there are plenty of ways to incorporate watercress into your diet.
Younger watercress sprouts have a milder flavor and tender, hollow stems, making them perfect for raw preparations like adding to salads or using as a topping, similar to parsley and cilantro. On the other hand, mature watercress has a more intense and peppery flavor, and its stems become tough and fibrous, requiring cooking to make them more palatable.
Dr. Lee suggests stir-frying and using watercress in savory broths. However, it’s essential not to overcook the vegetable to maintain its nutritional value. The longer you cook vegetables, the more vitamins escape, she advises. The nutrients leech into the cooking liquid, leaving you with the vegetables and nothing else.
While watercress can be enjoyed raw, cooking mature plants helps break down the fibrous stems, making more nutrients bioavailable. Dr. Lee explains that there’s a limited amount of time for the body to break down and metabolize food before it moves through the digestive system, emphasizing the importance of finding a balance.
With its exceptional nutrition profile and unique taste, watercress is undoubtedly a vegetable worth exploring. Despite its relative rarity in mainstream grocery stores, its availability at specialty markets and health food stores offers an opportunity to add this nutrient-dense superfood to your diet. So, why not give watercress a try and experience the health benefits it has to offer?
