Garden cress
Cress salad, being an annual herbaceous plant, at the time of its maximum growth reaches a height of 50 centimeters, but this rarely happens, since they eat it very young. Cress can be called a unique culture, because it is of interest not only for gardeners, but also for culinary workers. Interestingly, this type of salad does not require much care, so it is often grown on a windowsill in a city apartment. It grows remarkably in ordinary pots, adjacent to domestic plants. It is used for food almost always in raw form, due to the fact that in dried form the beneficial properties of watercress are lost, and its peculiar aroma is not best transformed into an unpleasant smell.
Foodies claim that watercress can turn any dish into an exquisite delicacy. Green lettuce sprouts are used in the preparation of various salads and cold soups. It is also good as a seasoning or side dish for fish and meat dishes, cheese, sausages. By enriching vitamins in food, watercress improves the taste of potatoes, omelettes or scrambled eggs.
The benefits of watercress
It is no secret that this small plant hides a great life force in itself. The benefits of watercress are the content of such vital mineral salts as potassium, calcium, iron, copper and magnesium, along with vitamins K, E, C, B, D and A. Recently, watercress has been classified as products 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.
If we take into account the fact that watercress has a slight diuretic effect, then the use of this plant is very useful for hypertensive patients. By the way, back in ancient times, men enjoyed eating watercress before going on a romantic date, as they believed that this was a good aphrodisiac and a stimulating agent to maintain potency.
I did not bypass the watercress and the area of beauty, that is, cosmetology, where they are very respectful of this plant. Young sprout extract 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 the daily rubbing of the face with ice cubes made from a mixture of 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 case of individual rejection of this food product, expressed in various allergic reactions.
cress 32 kCal
Energy value of watercress (Ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates - ju):
Proteins: 2.6 g (~ 10 kCal)
Fats: 0.7 g (~ 6 kCal)
Carbohydrates: 4.4 g (~ 18 kCal)
Energy ratio (bj | y): 33% | 20% | 55%