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

The chemical composition of watercress

The benefits of watercress are primarily provided by its rich vitamin and mineral composition which determines and unusual taste of this plant. Externally, watercress is a common green plant that grows into branched stems that can stretch up to 0.6 m in height. The main part of the stems is occupied by small leaves of watercress, which are of value to culinary experts. They are the ones contain rich chemical composition salad:

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

Did you know? Unlike other garden greens, watercress has a higher maturity, as well as good resistance to low temperatures... This allows you to grow this plant throughout the year, both in the beds and in the apartment.

The beneficial effects of watercress on the human body

The beneficial properties of watercress allow you to use this food product how for prevention, so for treatment of complex multidisciplinary diseases human body.

For the respiratory system

Watercress is a unique natural remedy that is recommended for people who want to get rid of their smoking habit. 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 receipt. For the same reason, watercress is very useful for residents of megalopolises who do not have the opportunity to often go outdoors and breathe clean air. This plant is able to cope with the influence of harmful ecology on the human body.

Very usefulcress for asthmatics, because Fresh Juice from this plant is able to organize cleaning for the bronchi and all respiratory tract, thereby significantly facilitating breathing for asthmatics. With regular use of the juice, the risk of asthmatic cough and asthmatic attacks with suffocation is reduced.

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

Important! Regular consumption of watercress can be an excellent prevention for people with poor eyesight, as well as for those who have an increased risk of developing cataracts.

For the gastrointestinal tract

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

Besides that regular use watercress is able to normalize the work of the stomach and intestines, its components and structure contribute very quick cleansing organism from toxins and other accumulations. This, in turn, leads to the normalization of metabolism in the body, which allows a person to dump excess weight.

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

For the nervous system

Watercress - excellent remedy for disease prevention nervous system even if they are chronic. Do not forget about the high content of essential oils in watercress, 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, they contribute to:

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

For the thyroid gland

Eating watercress can improve performance such an important hormonal center of the human body as thyroid. First of all, such a beneficial effect is due to the high content of iodine in it. If you suffer from problems with the thyroid gland, which has ceased to produce the required amount of hormones, the use of these herbs will help you to correct such a difficulty.

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

Did you know? It is believed that the use of watercress can affect the body in order to prevent oncological diseases, in particular in the area of ​​the thyroid gland, and also help to improve the condition of prostatitis. For improvement male power it is recommended to include in the diet not only the greens of this plant, but also its seeds, from which you can also cook alcohol tincture.

For skin

But masks with watercress will be useful for the skin at any age, which is why e this plant has become very common in cosmetology in recent years. But in addition to cosmetic improvement in the condition of the epidermis, such masks can also 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 from crushed leaves and plant stems. Leave them on the skin for just 10 minutes to avoid backfiring.

The effect of watercress on the skin is deep cleansing and removal of infections, which promotes rapid recovery. Thanks to such features this plant is even used in the treatment of wounds and burns.

V cosmetic purposeswatercress is used not only in fresh:

• To improve the condition of problem skin, they prepare special decoctions of watercress leaves, which are boiled in a chopped state for 5 minutes, cooled and left on the skin as a mask for 15 minutes. After such a mask, you should wash yourself with clean cool water.
• For smoothing wrinkles and skin firmness fresh mashed watercress is mixed in equal proportions with yogurt. The result should be no more than 3-4 tbsp. l. a mask that is applied to the face for 10-15 minutes. After washing off the mask, it is also recommended to wipe the face with a piece of ice.

Watercress is annual plant... It has long been added to dishes as a spice and used to treat many ailments. To understand the benefits and harms of watercress, you need to familiarize yourself in detail with its composition. Moreover, the application is found in all parts of the plant - leaves, seeds, roots.

Composition and calorie content

The salad has a calorie content of 32 kcal. Energy value of greens: 2 g of proteins, 1 g of fat, 4 g of carbohydrates.

The benefits of watercress for the human body are invaluable due to the rich set of vitamins and low calorie content.

Health Benefits of Watercress

The healing qualities of the plant have been appreciated since antiquity. The leaves were used to heal wounds, treat skin and gallstone diseases. Already modern medicine recommends watercress to improve vision, prevent eye diseases and oncology.

For men and women

The benefits of watercress are invaluable for both women and male health... The fair sex appreciate greenery for low calorie content, positive influence on the skin and hair. And men appreciate the ability of greens to restore potency, enhance sexual treatment, and treat prostatitis.

During pregnancy and breastfeeding

Women in position should also pay attention to watercress. Greens added to salads or other dishes make it easier to remove excess fluid from the body, improve bowel movements and relieve constipation.

Attention! Nursing mothers need to consult a pediatrician before consuming the plant. Since this greens is a strong allergen.

For kids

In order for the immune system to function normally, it is enough to add a little salad to children's dishes. The benefits of watercress for the health of the child are manifested in its fortifying and anti-inflammatory qualities.

At the slightest symptoms of a cold, it is enough to give the child a warm infusion of leaves twice a day or use the leaves as mustard plasters. Thanks to its mild expectorant effect, the herbal infusion will help treat severe coughs.

For seniors

Reasonable addition of leaves to dishes will help normalize blood pressure and restore restful sleep, and reduce nervous tension. The benefits of greens are also manifested in the reduction of joint pain. The use of this plant will be an excellent prevention of eye diseases and maintenance of vision.

Why watercress is useful for weight loss

Salad dishes are perfect for women who want to lose weight. Low calorie content, combined with a high content of vitamins and microelements, make greens an irreplaceable addition for salads. What is the use of this plant? Fresh juice improves digestion and helps to remove toxins from the body. Therefore, losing weight is natural and easy.

Application in medicine: folk recipes

• to normalize digestion, take a leafy infusion. Chopped foliage (25 g) is poured with a glass of boiling water and insisted for 25-30 minutes. The filtered infusion is drunk before meals, 3 times a day for a dessert spoon;
• cough and bronchitis are also treated with watercress infusion. A glass of boiling water is diluted with 3 tbsp. tablespoons of crushed leaves. The strained infusion is drunk warm, 3 times a day before meals, 2 tbsp. l;
• for mastopathy or breast lumps, compresses from fresh leaves are used. Chopped greens are applied to the affected area for 2-3 hours;

A particular benefit of external use is the acceleration of wound healing. Apply watercress ointment to the affected skin. To prepare it fresh leaves grind well and mix with ghee(in a ratio of 1: 5).

The use of watercress in cosmetology

Nutrient and healing properties plants also show up when used externally. The benefits of greens are undeniable: the skin is smoothed and its tone evened out, inflammation stops and inflammation disappears.

For hair problems

The benefits of watercress for hair are due to the presence of sulfur. This element is essential for the formation of keratin. The plant promotes hair growth, prevents hair loss. The benefits are also manifested in the fight against dandruff - freshly squeezed juice is rubbed into the scalp.

Facial masks

Thanks to the ability to combine a plant with different products, easy to mix for any skin type.

Basic masks:

• for acne, it is recommended to cut the foliage, add a little water and boil it lightly (literally 5 minutes). The leaves are taken out of the water and cooled down are applied to the face. After 5-10 minutes, remove and rinse the skin with cool water;
• benefit to oily skin: chopped leaves (2 tbsp. l) are mixed with honey (1 tsp. l). Egg white is added and applied to the face. The mask is washed off with cool water after 10-15 minutes;
• for normal skin, a mask of mashed lettuce (10-14 leaves), olive oil (1/2 tsp) is suitable. Add 7-10 drops of lemon juice and apply to the skin for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, the mixture is washed off;
• to even out skin tone, use a mixture of crushed leaves and sour milk(2 tbsp. l). The mask is kept for 10 minutes and washed off with cool water.

At spring beriberi peeling becomes a frequent problem of the skin. The benefits of watercress are manifested in the ability to eliminate this problem. A mask of 5-10 crushed leaves and heavy cream will help. The porridge-like mixture is applied to the face and kept for 10-15 minutes. Wash off with warm water.

V preventive purposes you can use cosmetic ice in the summer. To do this, beat the leaves with a small amount of water and lemon juice with a blender until puree. The mixture is laid out in molds and frozen. Wipe your face in the morning. The main benefit is skin color evening.

Watercress in cooking

Due to its original taste, the plant is used as a spicy additive for different dishes... The leaves are used in the preparation of salads, soups, sauces, casseroles, sandwiches, green fresh cocktails.

The benefits of the plant are preserved both in dried and stewed form:

• seasoned with ground dried leaves with omelet or scrambled eggs;
• fruit salads sprinkled with a dried plant acquire an unexpected aftertaste;
• the aroma of grass will subtly emphasize the smell of meat or fish dishes;
• lovers of cottage cheese and cheese can also experiment with the tastes of familiar products.

In order not to be disappointed in the plant, it is advisable to introduce it into the diet gradually. And then it will not be difficult to create your own original recipes for familiar dishes. Since the benefits of dried herbs are less, it is advisable to use them fresh.

Possible harm and contraindications

The benefits of watercress for cooking delicious dishes and face masks are undeniable.

But one must also take into account the harm that the plant can inflict on the human body:

• this plant culture belongs to strong allergens. Therefore, sensitive people are advised to apply carefully. Before using the plant, it is better to do a test - apply a little juice on the skin and assess the body's reaction;
• it is undesirable for hypotensives to get carried away with this greens, since the pressure can drop dangerously;
• with abundant addition of herbs to dishes, headaches and insomnia may occur.

When using any products, it is advisable to observe the measure. And then the harm of the plant will not have to be felt on your own body. The special benefits of the plant are manifested due to the presence of substances that ensure the safety of cellular structures.

Advice! Adding leaves to the daily diet reduces the risk of developing and developing blood cancer.

Quality product selection and storage

Watercress comes in many varieties. Leaves can be of different shades (even bluish or yellowish), shapes. When buying, the quality of greens is first of all checked by touch.

Attention! Fresh leaves are firm and juicy. The sheet plate must be solid, undamaged (no breaks or holes).

It is not recommended to eat dried or sluggish leaves, since the content of nutrients in them will be minimal. Incomprehensible spots or growths can be symptoms of a plant disease and it is better to "bypass" such a product.

If you do not intend to immediately use greens, then it is better to wrap it in parchment or thick paper. If there is only plastic bags, it is recommended to make holes in them - for ventilation. It is not recommended to pre-wash the greens, otherwise wet leaves can quickly rot. The best option is a food container in which the leaves will not wrinkle much. It is advisable to store herbs in the refrigerator. Plucked leaves remain juicy for 5-7 days. Therefore, keeping greens in the refrigerator for longer than a week does not make sense. It is better to freeze watercress for the winter in plastic containers.

Conclusion

This plant cannot be attributed to the widely advertised, therefore, what are the benefits and harms of watercress, it is better to check personally. It is believed that a person should eat 500 g of various fruits / vegetables and herbs every day. It is in fresh, unprocessed foods that most of the nutrients are stored.

This plant grows very quickly, so growing it on a windowsill is great option to fully enrich the diet with vitamins in winter and summer.

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O positive properties Watercress became known in ancient times. A plant with a spicy taste and pleasant aroma it was used not only in cooking, but also as a means to care for the skin of the face and hair. Watercress is easy to maintain and easy to grow at home. By taste the leaves of the plant resemble horseradish or radish.

Nutritional value and calorie content

Watercress is high and low in calories. With a value of this indicator of 32 kcal, the amount of proteins in 100 grams is 2.6 g, fats - less than 1 g, and carbohydrates - 4.5 g. Almost 90% of water is contained in fresh water (photo).

The benefits and harms to the body are determined by its composition. Watercress contains vitamins A, C, E, PP and B, as well as choline. There are many macro- and microelements in it. These include calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, etc. The leaves of the plant contain saturated fatty acid and essential oils.

Watercress is widely used in cooking. It is added to fresh vegetable salads, cold soups, served as a side dish with fish and meat.

Useful properties of watercress

The rich chemical composition and high nutritional value are the determining factors for all the health benefits of watercress. The leaves of the plant contain substances that prevent the appearance cancer cells in the human body. For this, fresh watercress is recommended to be eaten daily. In addition, the substances in the composition of the plant:

• normalize the work of the intestines and digestive organs;
• help get rid of slagging and toxins;
• contribute to effective reduction weight;
• increase concentration, improve memory and thinking;
• have a rejuvenating effect on the cells of the body inside and slow down the aging process of the skin;
• are the prevention of thyroid diseases;
• have a positive effect on liver function;
• contribute to the improvement of vision and are the prevention of eye diseases;
• have a diuretic effect;
• normalize blood pressure;
• perform an antibacterial function;
• improve sleep and appetite;
• tone up the body, improve mood and well-being.

Watercress, the harm and benefits of which are always taken into account when eaten, has the qualities of an aphrodisiac. In women, the plant improves reproductive function, and in men it increases potency and testosterone levels in the blood.

Watercress: harm and benefit for losing weight

The watercress contains They play important role in cleansing the body of toxins and toxins. This is the first step towards achieving ideal weight... The digestive organs work stably, the intestines are cleansed, there is no constipation, which means that excess weight will not linger for a long time.

But not only for this, losing weight people love watercress. Its benefits and harms are determined by its low calorie value. With daily use of salad, a slow but steady weight loss will occur. At the same time, the feeling of hunger also appears for a very short time.

For all its usefulness for weight loss, watercress also helps to remove excess fluid from the body and get rid of swelling. In turn, this has a positive effect on the figure and well-being.

The consumption of this green plant is highly recommended for people with lung diseases and Bladder, dysfunction of the thyroid gland, hypertension, anemia, with ARVI and skin problems.

Watercress, the harm and benefits of which are directly related to its composition, should be included in a limited amount in the diet of pregnant and lactating women. It is not recommended to give the leaves of the plant to children under three years old.

Harm and contraindications for use

It has been proven that only fresh watercress has beneficial properties. Dried plant none nutritional value does not have and even begins to smell unpleasant. Its use in dry form is useless.

Among the contraindications to the use of salad, several of the most important can be distinguished.

• It is not recommended to eat watercress for people with a tendency to display allergic reactions. In this case, rashes and irritation may appear on the skin.
• Hypotensive patients need to limit their use, since the substances contained in the plant help lower blood pressure.
• Watercress, the harm and benefits of which are obvious for digestive system should not be included in the diet of people with gastritis, ulcers and other diseases of the stomach and intestines.

Watercress tends to absorb toxins. That is why it should not be collected along the highway and railroad tracks. Compliance with the recommendations presented will avoid negative consequences for health and get only benefits for the body from the salad.

Watercress is an increasingly popular vegetable with a tangy flavor. It owes this to mustard oil, which is part of its chemical composition. Often, those who first try its greens say that it resembles or. However, its valuable and beneficial features have been known since ancient times.

The ancient Greek philosopher and healer Hippocrates used salad-cress as a regenerating agent, purified the blood with it and charged the body vital energy... The ancient Egyptians used it as a medicine for potency and libido. In the Middle Ages, the plant reached Europe, where it was in greatest demand among the inhabitants of Germany.

His spicy taste more and more winning the hearts of consumers. This plant is also in demand because it is very easy to grow it, and not only in garden beds, but also at home on the windowsill. In addition, it appears much earlier than other green vegetables, easily tolerates frost and grows quickly.

Description of the plant, cultivation and care

Watercress comes in many different names and varieties. In Afghanistan it is called tertizak, in Georgia it is called tsitsmati. For Armenians, it is known as kotem, and in Ukraine it is known as watercress or watercress. You can often hear other names as well: horseradish, garden cress or peppercorn.

There are several varieties of plants: curly, whole-leaved and sowing. Each species has its own characteristic differences and varieties.

For example, curly watercress has a small semi-raised rosette and intricately cut leaves. The rosette reaches seventeen centimeters in diameter. A typical representative of this group of salads is the "openwork" variety. It also includes early maturing and mid-maturing plant varieties.

The whole-leaved variety of lettuce is characterized by a fairly large horizontal rosette, up to twenty-one centimeters in diameter. This type usually grows up to five to six centimeters in height. This group includes late-ripening varieties, the most striking of which is "ducat".

The seed watercress is a cross between the two previous varieties. Its rosette, large and semi-raised, has weakly dissected large-sized leaves. This group includes the most early ripening varieties: "Kurled", "Zabava", "Dansky".

Other plant varieties include broadleaf and narrow-leaved watercress, news, curly-leaved, common watercress, local, spring and others.

Watercress is a species of the extensive cruciferous family of the genus Bugwort. The leaves of this vegetable crop are green, slightly bluish in color. Blooms in June with white or pink flowers. Fruits - pods ripen closer to mid-autumn.

Watercress is a picky and unpretentious plant. At proper care fresh green plants will delight all year round.

The cultivation of such a vegetable crop does not require significant labor costs. It can even grow on sand. But if you decide to grow it in the garden, it is advisable to prepare the soil for this in the fall. To do this, you need to remove all the weeds, dig up and add humus. In the spring, the soil must be fluffed and fertilized with compost or mineral complexes.

The seeds of the plant are sown in early spring, and after just a month and a half of intensive growth they become edible. It can also be planted for the winter, it can withstand frost and is cold-resistant.

As a rule, you need to sow it in rows, but it grows well in continuous beds. Watercress seeds are quite large and can be easily spread evenly in a row, deepening by about one centimeter. The distance between the seedlings should be about five centimeters to make the plant rosette large. The first shoots appear within three days after sowing.

However, the landing is not everything. In order for the plant to grow quickly and well, it must be watered in a timely manner. If this is not done, then the bug will throw out the arrow, and its leaves will become rough and tough.

How to properly water the plant:

1. In the heat of summer, be sure to water the watercress every day.
2. In cloudy weather, one watering is enough for three to four days.
3. Waterlogging, like a lack of moisture, negatively affects the plant, therefore it is important to observe the optimal watering regime, and then the grass will be less susceptible to various diseases and pests.

You should also not forget about loosening the soil and getting rid of weeds.

The plant propagates with the help of seeds, and in order to use lettuce greens for quite a long time, they can be sown several times a year.

In order to harvest a good crop of watercress, it is necessary to use plant nutrition. But this should be done as carefully as possible. Fertilizers should be few and not very concentrated, otherwise green lettuce leaves will receive a large number of nitrates. In such cases, it is best to fertilize the soil before planting the plants there.

Watercress is a shade-loving plant, so it will not be difficult to grow it at home. And thus, all year round to have such greens in your kitchen. To do this, you need to take a couple of small boxes that are not bulky and fit comfortably on the kitchen windowsill. Instead of soil, they are allowed to use a substrate and even paper towels.

Sow lettuce seeds every ten days, sequentially in each of the boxes. Thus, while the leaves are being cut off from one plant, the other is just growing up. Growing watercress and caring for it is so simple that even beginners in gardening can do it.

Composition and useful properties of watercress

The mineral composition is represented by other salts.

In addition, the plant is rich in essential mustard oil, which contains propsolin, a glycoside that gives the salad its characteristic flavor and aroma. The seeds contain fatty oil, and the roots of the plant include lepidine, a rather bitter substance widely used in the synthesis of drugs.

The regular use of such a plant in food is of considerable benefit to the body:

• normalizes digestion and improves appetite;
• promotes the removal of dangerous toxins and harmful toxins;
• normalizes blood pressure.

This green culture has found wide application in the field of traditional medicine. It has long been used for anti-inflammatory and tonic purposes. Watercress was highly regarded for its diuretic, sedative, wound healing, expectorant and anti-sclerotic properties.

This herb improves sleep and effectively relieves depression, due to the flavonoids included in its composition, which are.

Even in modern medicine appreciated such a wonderful plant: it is recommended to use it for the prevention of cancer, as well as for eye diseases.

Green watercress leaves treated skin diseases, ulcers and burns, and colds. It helped well with coughs, bronchitis and other inflammatory processes. respiratory system.

They also took tinctures and decoctions from this plant for cholelithiasis and joint pain. This plant was used as an adjuvant in the treatment of prostatitis and cancer. It was believed that the seeds of such a salad improve potency and enhance sexual desire.

As a result of various experiments, already in official medicine, scientists have revealed that the salad contains substances that help maintain the integrity of blood cells. Therefore his daily use significantly reduces the risk of blood cancer.

For the treatment and prevention of diseases, tinctures, decoctions, various infusions and oils are used. Both fresh and dry herbs can be used. The simplest application is to eat watercress leaves every day or drink its juice.

Fresh leaves of the plant, crushed into gruel, perfectly heal wounds. Applying greenery to the affected areas, it is fixed with bandages, which allows you to get rid of many skin problems.

The sap of the plant helps to cope with dandruff, and added to the bath - with skin diseases.

With a strong cough, use the original mustard plasters, which contain ground watercress seeds.

Medicinal ointments and oils are made from this plant, but the latter cannot be prepared at home. Often they simply use an infusion of watercress seeds in vegetable oil.

An ointment can be prepared by mixing the crushed dried stems and leaves of the plant with petroleum jelly or any fat in proportions of one to three. It is best to keep these foods in a warm place for at least a week before eating.

A high content has a positive effect on the condition of the thyroid gland and has a positive effect on work endocrine system generally.

Watercress is low in calories, its energy value is only 32 kcal per hundred grams of product. Moreover, it has high nutritional properties, saturates the body with vigor and energy. Therefore, it is very effective in diet programs.

If you eat the leaves of the plant every day, you can get rid of periodontal disease and other diseases of the teeth and gums.

Like any product, watercress has both benefits and harms. It is not recommended for people suffering from peptic ulcer and gastritis, as well as other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Overeating of this vegetable is fraught with the appearance of allergic reactions and irritations. And it also provokes the occurrence of digestive problems.

Infusion of watercress leaves

• fresh watercress - three tablespoons;
• dry grass - two tablespoons;
• boiling water - one glass.

Mix dry and fresh leaves and pour boiling water over and insist in a thermos or warm place for two to three hours.

The broth is done in almost the same way, only the leaves must be brought to a boil and cook for about five to seven minutes over low heat.

Application in cooking and cosmetology

It is customary to use fresh lettuce leaves for food, since dried or thermally processed they lose most of their valuable and useful qualities as well as its wonderful aroma and characteristic pungent taste.

In Europe, this plant has won the hearts of the inhabitants for a long time. In France, for example, the lambion watercress is very popular, with a spicier, spicier and richer flavor.

With this plant, you can cook almost any dish: be it a cottage cheese casserole, an omelet or an ordinary sandwich.

This plant is irreplaceable in cosmetology. Its leaves, juice and even oil are used in this area. After applying masks based on it, the skin looks cleaner and fresher, and the hair becomes soft and silky. Watercress has anti-inflammatory properties that have a soothing effect on problem skin and get rid of acne and acne.

At home, you can also prepare masks based on such a plant, which will help get rid of skin peeling, normalize the work of the sebaceous glands, as well as suspend the aging process and smooth out fine wrinkles.

Mask for oily skin

For cooking you will need:

• watercress greens - two tablespoons;
• - one teaspoon;
• egg white - one piece.

Chop fresh lettuce leaves and mix with other ingredients. Apply to face and keep for about ten to twelve minutes, and then rinse with warm water.

Purifying mask for normal skin

For cooking you will need:

• fresh watercress - eight to ten leaves;
• - one teaspoon;
• - five to ten drops.

Grind the greens into a gruel and mix with other ingredients. Apply the mixture to your face and keep it on for ten minutes. At the end of the procedure, wash with warm water, and then with cool water.

Instead of conclusions

Watercress - spicy spice plant widely used in various spheres of human life. For its pungent taste and specific aroma, it is appreciated in cooking. It is used as a spice or seasoning for various dishes. Valuable composition vegetable culture made it indispensable in folk medicine and cosmetology. And its high nutritional value and low nutritional value have come to the liking in dietetics. The only thing is not to get too carried away with eating such a plant, otherwise you can get digestive problems or allergic reactions.

Caloric content: 32 kcal.

Energy value of the product Watercress (Ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates):

Proteins: 2.6 g (~ 10 kcal) Fats: 0.7 g (~ 6 kcal) Carbohydrates: 4.4 g. (~ 18 kcal)

Energy ratio (b | f | y): 33% | 20% | 55%

Watercress: properties

How much does Watercress cost (average price per 1 kg.)?

Moscow and Moscow Region 333 r.

Watercress, being an annual herb, at the time of its maximum growth reaches a height of 50 centimeters, but this rarely happens, since it is eaten in a very young state. Watercress can be called a unique culture because it is of interest not only for gardeners, but also for chefs. Interestingly, this type of salad does not require special care, so it is often grown on a windowsill in a city apartment. It grows wonderfully in ordinary pots, next to houseplants. It is used in food almost always raw, due to the fact that in dried form the beneficial properties of watercress are lost, and its peculiar aroma is not the best way turns into an unpleasant odor.

Gourmets claim that watercress can turn any dish into exquisite delicacy... Green lettuce sprouts are used in cooking various salads and cold soups. It is also good as a seasoning or a side dish for fish and meat dishes, cheese, sausages. Fortified with vitamins, watercress enhances the taste of potatoes, omelettes or scrambled eggs.

The benefits of watercress

It is no secret that this small plant contains a lot of vitality. The benefits of watercress lie in the content of such vital minerals as potassium, calcium, iron, copper and magnesium, along with vitamins K, E, C, B, D and A. Recently, watercress is ranked among the foods that have anti-cancer properties... European scientists claim that eating this salad can prevent damage to blood cells, therefore, protect us from such a terrible disease as blood cancer. I would very much like to believe them.

Considering the fact that watercress has a mild diuretic effect, then the use of this plant is very useful for hypertensive patients. By the way, even in ancient times, men used watercress with pleasure before going on a romantic date, as they believed that it was a good aphrodisiac and a stimulant to maintain potency.

Not bypassed watercress and the field of beauty, that is, cosmetology, where they are very respectful of this plant. The extract of young sprouts is often an important component of many cosmetics that act on the epidermis as an antioxidant. For aging skin, the benefits of watercress are manifested by daily rubbing of the face with ice cubes made from the mixture mineral water and the juice of this wonderful.

Harm of watercress

The harm of watercress to consumers is practically unknown and can affect only in the case of individual rejection of this food product, expressed in various allergic reactions.

Product proportions. How many grams?

The nutritional value

Spices and herbs

Watercress: composition, benefits and properties, application

If you ask nerds what is watercress then they will say it is an annual cruciferous herb and that would be the correct answer. However, for people far from science, it is important that this herb is very easy to grow - anywhere and at any time of the year, and add it to various dishes, which from this become much tastier and healthier. Indeed, watercress can be grown even in a city apartment in winter - on the windowsill, and please yourself and your family with delicious fresh herbs.

Meanwhile, watercress has been known to people since ancient times, and its history is no less rich than its vitamin and mineral composition.

Even in the ancient Greek and Roman chronicles, it is told about the beneficial properties of this edible herb; Hippocrates argued that watercress possesses medicinal properties- cleanses the blood and returns vitality to the sick. In ancient Egypt, cress seed oil was used to treat coldness in men and women, with good results. In the Middle Ages, lettuce began to be grown in Europe, and was especially loved in Germany.

There are several types of watercress: there is curly, with heavily cut leaves, ripening very quickly; there is a whole-leafed one - it is larger and ripens late; sowing watercress belongs to early ripening varieties, and is better known - its leaves are large and poorly dissected. The color of lettuce leaves is different: yellowish-green, green or slightly bluish.

Many people like watercress because its taste is piquant, spicy, bitter and slightly pungent: for some it resembles horseradish - and it is called a horseradish, and for someone - mustard, and botanists believe that this plant has a mixed taste.

In spring, watercress grows earlier than many green vegetables, since frost is not afraid of it, it is undemanding to soils, but it grows very quickly.

Watercress composition

The chemical composition of all varieties of this salad is almost the same, and has only minor differences, so you can choose any variety for yourself and grow it for your pleasure.

There are a lot of vitamins and other useful substances in watercress, and their combinations have developed very well. These are carotene, vitamins A, E, C, K, D, PP, B vitamins - almost everything; minerals - phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, iodine; proteins, sugars, carbohydrates, essential oils, propsoline glycoside and lepidine alkaloid, flavonoids and fatty oil.

The benefits and properties of watercress

What properties of watercress are useful for us? If consumed regularly, it does a lot of good in our body: it improves appetite and regulates digestion, removes toxins and toxins, and normalizes blood pressure.

In folk medicine, it has long been used as a tonic and anti-inflammatory agent, as well as a diuretic, expectorant, soothing, wound healing, anti-sclerotic.

Watercress has antioxidant properties, relieves depression and improves sleep.

In folk medicine, lettuce leaves were used to treat wounds and ulcers, burns, and skin diseases; colds - especially bronchitis and persistent cough; gallstone disease; joint pain.

As auxiliary means Watercress has been used in the treatment of prostatitis and cancer. Men were advised to consume unripe seeds of the plant or their alcohol tincture - it was believed that this increased sexual activity.

Modern medicine has discovered substances in watercress that ensure the integrity of the structure of blood cells - thus, the likelihood of developing blood cancer when eating lettuce is sharply reduced.

Decoctions, tinctures and infusions are prepared from the seeds, leaves and roots of watercress, oil is made using fresh or dried plants. There is usually no shortage of fresh leaves, since it is easy to grow a salad - you can eat it within a week after the sprouts appear. The simplest thing is to eat watercress 2-4 times a day, or drink juice - 1-2 tablespoons, but regularly, almost every day - this will already improve health and obtain a healing effect.

For the treatment of acne and pustules, fresh lettuce crushed into gruel is used - it is applied to the affected areas and fixed with bandages. For dandruff, fresh juice is rubbed into the scalp, and for skin problems it is added to the bath water.

With edema, mastopathy, prostatitis, redness and peeling of the skin, lettuce juice is taken orally, and at the same time compresses are made on problem areas with its crushed greens.

For colds, you can put mustard plasters, in which instead of mustard, watercress seed powder is used.

An ointment prepared on the basis of lettuce is applied externally, as well as oil prepared from its seeds. Watercress oil in pure form It will not be possible to cook at home, since this requires special equipment, but you can insist the seeds in vegetable oil. There should be 2 times more oil than seeds.

To prepare the ointment, dried leaves or roots of watercress are ground into powder and mixed with fat or petroleum jelly - 1: 3. Both oil and ointment must be kept in a warm place for at least a week before use.

Instead of juice, you can use infusions and decoctions of watercress. To cook them, you need to take 3 tablespoons. fresh leaves, or 2 tbsp. dry, and brew them with a glass of boiling water. The infusion is ready when the brewed leaves stand for 2-3 hours in a warm place or in a thermos.

To get a broth, you need to bring the leaves to a boil, boil for 5-7 minutes over low heat, and then cool. Take before meals, 1/3 cup; if insomnia or anxiety suffers, then they also drink before bedtime.

You can simply eat salad every day, and then sleep will improve, and the destructive effects of stress will decrease.

With bronchitis and severe cough, the broth or infusion is drunk hot, several times a day. Due to the high iodine content, watercress maintains normal thyroid activity, preventing the development of endocrine diseases. If you combine the use of watercress with juices while following diets for weight loss, then the weight is reduced much more easily, and at the same time no harm is done to the body - the salad compensates for the lack of other foods and saturates, eliminating the feeling of hunger.

To prevent periodontal disease and other dental diseases, you need to eat young greens of watercress every day; you can eat sprouted seeds instead of greens.

Watercress in cosmetology

In cosmetology, both watercress itself and its juice and oil are used: all these derivatives are good for skin and hair care - the hair becomes healthy and beautiful, and the skin is cleansed and refreshed. The use of masks with watercress is especially effective when acne and pimples. In beauty salons, it is used in combination with other herbal ingredients in anti-inflammatory serums.

Homemade watercress masks

At home, it is also easy to make masks with watercress and other products, if you show a little patience. Of course, all components of the masks must be fresh.

For dirty and oily skin covered with acne, a mask of fresh boiled lettuce leaves is useful.

Pour the washed and chopped leaves with water so that they are barely covered, and boil for about 5 minutes over low heat, then cool and put on the face for 5 minutes. Wash off the mask with water at room temperature.

For oily skin, a mask of fresh crushed watercress leaves with egg white and honey is suitable.

Mix 2 tbsp. chopped greens with honey (1 tsp) and one protein, and apply on face for 10-12 minutes. Wash with water at room temperature.

With normal skin, fresh lettuce leaves (8-10 pieces) are ground in mashed potatoes, olive oil (1 tsp) and lemon juice (5-10 drops) are added. Apply on face and hold for about 10 minutes. Wash off first with warm and then cool water.

Smoothes fine wrinkles and improves complexion with gruel mask lettuce leaves(2 tablespoons) and the same amount of yogurt. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and apply on face for 10 minutes. Rinse off as in the previous mask. You can rub your skin with an ice cube.

Soothes the skin and relieves flaking cream salad mask. Chopped lettuce leaves (3-4 pcs.) Are mixed with heavy cream and grinded until a gruel is obtained. Apply on face for 10-12 minutes. Wash off as described above.

Watercress in cooking

In cooking, watercress has been used for a long time and very widely, but in Russia it is not yet as popular as, for example, in Western Europe: there it is combined with meat and fish dishes, they prepare soups, salads, soufflés, gravies and sauces from it, seasoning for main courses and cold snacks. They like to eat salad raw, and vegetarians also blanch it, cook it with wine and sugar, with oil dressings.

You can cook stews with watercress, curd casseroles and omelets, and sandwiches with it are not just tasty and low-calorie - they are very beautiful and look great on the table. Dishes with watercress are very suitable for those who want to lose a few pounds of excess weight.

Many people think that watercress dishes are boring and monotonous, but they can decorate any festive table and it is also easy to become part of the daily menu.

Normal cabbage salad will become bright and appetizing if you add fresh watercress to it. With thinly chopped cabbage, rings onions, cucumbers and watercress are mixed with finely chopped parsley and basil, poured with olive oil or seasoned with sour cream - delicious and healthy salad ready. Instead of salt, it is better to use the juice of sour fruits or berries.

A more satisfying and nutritious, but no less healthy dish will be a salad with the addition of pumpkin seeds. First, prepare the dressing: beat the juice of half a lemon with 1 tablespoon in a salad bowl. olive oil; then add 3 finely grated carrots, a bunch of watercress and mix. Sprinkle on top with boiled eggs (2 pcs.), Grated on coarse grater... A few drops are poured into the pan vegetable oil, poured pumpkin seeds(1 tbsp), fry for 2 minutes, then add honey (1 tsp), remove and sprinkle the salad.

Fresh salad can be eaten throughout the winter if the seeds are sown every 12-15 days. Watercress leaves grow back quickly, so they can be continually cut and added to various dishes turning them into healthy and tasty delicacies.

Gataulina Galina

Watercress. Beneficial features. Growing on a windowsill

Irina 03/17/2014 Cress salad. Beneficial features. Growing on a windowsill

My dear readers, I have news for you. Hope you enjoyable. In the near future, we will discuss on my blog how you can grow greens on your windowsill. How do you like this idea? I really like her. We all perfectly understand that spring is the time when you need to reinforce yourself, your loved ones with vitamins and microelements. And not everyone has the opportunity to do this in their summer cottages, and it is still far from growing greens on them. I propose to all of us to turn our windowsill into such a small garden right now. And strengthen the immune system, and please the eye. After all, to see how greenery appears before your eyes at home is always wonderful. It's great if you involve your children in this activity. It will also be useful for them to learn and see everything.

After reading all the information, you will be able to grow everything yourself, ask questions, if something does not work out for you, get answers, and also take part in the competition "Garden on the windowsill", which I plan to hold on my blog. I will publish the terms of the competition in the very near future, but for now, take a camera and start photographing all your steps. From planting greenery to harvesting. I'm smiling too. But I think the idea is clear. The competition will be very simple, accessible to everyone. All prizes are cash.

How is everything going to happen with us now? We will grow watercress, green onions, parsley, dill and spinach. If you don't like something, it doesn't matter. Choose for yourself only what will be useful and interesting to you.

And Alena Fedorenchik will acquaint and teach all of us the intricacies of growing greenery. She will help all of us with advice if something is not clear. Alena maintains her website At the family table This project is dedicated to the topic family meals and how with their help you can strengthen intra-family relations, first of all - the attachment of children to their parents.

1. watercress,
2. green onions,
3. parsley, dill and spinach.

And at the end of the cycle of such articles, many useful things from Alena will also await you. I will not talk about everyone now. Follow the articles under the heading "Garden on the windowsill". I give the floor to Alena.

And I want to start, perhaps, with the simplest plant in growing - watercress. I'll tell you a little about its useful properties.

Watercress. Beneficial features.

Despite the rather nondescript appearance - a long stem with a small bunch of leaves at the top - this plant is rich in many useful substances... Watercress contains salts of calcium, iron, phosphorus, iodine, potassium and others, mustard essential oil(it is this that gives the plant its characteristic taste and smell), B vitamins and a large percentage of vitamin C. Thanks to the latter, watercress is even used as an anti-scurvy agent. Watercress also helps to improve sleep, appetite and digestion, cope with coughs and even increased blood pressure... Plus, it has an antimicrobial effect, due to which it is used in folk medicine (as part of ointments) for wound healing.

Well, I hope I've already inspired you to try to grow this wonderful plant at home. And now I'll tell you how we can grow watercress at home.

Watercress. Growing on a windowsill. Photo

The great thing about watercress is that you don't even need to use soil to grow it. In fact, you can use any dish (plate, bowl, plastic container) with a substrate on the bottom - cotton wool, a sponge, or even a paper towel can be used as such. I myself germinated my first cress seeds on a paper towel.

So what needs to be done:

• we take the substrate that we have at home from the ones listed above,
• we lay it on the bottom of the selected dishes with a layer of at least 1.5-2 cm,
• we saturate it with water (it is best to take an already settled tap water) - not much, because we will add more water during sowing.

Our sowing base is ready. Then we take ourselves watercress seeds, pour them into a container and fill with a small amount of water. You will see: the water, as it were, will enclose each grain in a shell - this is done in order to evenly distribute the seeds, because they are sown thickly. And then we just gently pour the water along with the seeds onto our prepared surface, trying to ensure that the seeds lay on it in one row and more or less evenly.

You don't need to do anything else with the seeds themselves. We cover our container on top cling film or an ordinary plastic bag to create a greenhouse effect, and put it on the windowsill away from the battery and in a semi-shaded place (the watercress does not need a lot of light and it does not like heat either).

Watercress seeds hatch rather quickly - usually within a day, and after another day, sprouts appear. Then we remove the film and then just take care of the seedlings: we water them regularly (the watercress loves moisture), spray them with water from a spray bottle to increase the humidity, and turn them around the axis by 180o daily so that the stems do not stretch in one direction.

Usually watercress is ready to eat about 2 weeks after sowing, when the stems are 6-8 cm in height.

As you can see, everything is pretty simple.

How to grow watercress in soil?

If you want to do everything according to the rules and grow watercress in the soil, then here's what you need:

1. Flower pot - plastic or ceramic, the main thing is that there are holes in the bottom for draining excess water... For watercress, you can choose low pots, because it does not need a high layer of soil.

2. Drainage - it is placed on the bottom of the pot with a height of 2-3 cm.

3. It is advisable to take the soil itself, which contains vermicompost. I personally took just a universal one.

The soil is poured onto the drainage with a layer of 2-4 cm, and cress seeds are poured onto it, in the same way as described above.

Then the seeds are sprinkled with a thin layer of soil - 0.5-1 cm, which is moistened a little more, and also covered with a film. We do everything else in the same way as in the first option described above. The only thing is that the sprouts may appear a day later, tk. they still need to grow through the soil layer. And when we remove the film, the care of our watercress will also be no different from the one described above in the first version.

Actually, this is all you need to know to successfully grow watercress. I just want to add that the watercress does not grow back after cutting, so, to obtain a continuous harvest, it is usually sown every 10-14 days (it can be in the same soil, it can be in a new pot).

Good luck in growing!

I want to thank Alena for such a master class. It's just a miracle! Everything is done in stages, in detail, everything is very clear. Just don't be lazy.

Audio - supplement to the "Aromas of Happiness" magazine.

Dear readers, do you know what else is news for all of us? An audio supplement to our spring issue "Aromas of Happiness" has been released. Hope you are familiar with our magazine. If not already, be sure to subscribe to it. And you will immediately receive our last number by mail. You can look through it, download it to your computer, and now listen to it for those who do not have time. You can subscribe to our magazine here: http://irinazaytseva.ru/aromatu_s4astia We have also put beauty and soulfulness into the subscription page. I have been looking for something that will please me personally. I hope you too. It's nice that subscribers write to me: “Irina, I look at your page as if spellbound. This music has been playing for an hour, and I can't get enough of it. Thank you". How dear these words are to me.

Our magazine was voiced by Yulia Gabdulina and Ekaterina Gerasimova. One article was voiced by the author, Lyudmila Potsepun.

All subscribers of the magazine will receive a link to download the audio application. If you have not subscribed to the magazine yet, you can do this on the subscription page http://irinazaytseva.ru/aromatu_s4astia I wish you a pleasant viewing and listening to all articles of our magazine.

My soulful gift for today George Davidson Marriage D "Amour Great music and beautiful video sequences.

I wish you all health, joy, new pleasant spring troubles.