Amazing Watercress

This month, researchers at Southampton University discovered that within hours of eating 3oz of watercress a day – about a full cereal bowl – a small group of breast cancer survivors had a higher level of cancer-fighting molecules in their blood.

They found the compound phenethyl isothiocyanate – which gives watercress its peppery taste – blocks the hypoxia-inducible factor protein which helps cancer tumours grow.

They also found watercress helps ‘turn off’ the signals that cancer cells send out asking the body for more blood and oxygen.

Professor Graham Packham, who led the research, said: ‘I was surprised that eating one portion produced significant levels of this compound in the blood. It has the potential to have the same effect with other cancers.’

It is an excellent source of natural phytonutrients, substances in plants that have antioxidant properties such as isothiocyanates, flavonoids and carotenoids.

It also contains folate, which helps maintain normal blood levels of homocysteine (high levels are associated with an increased coronary heart disease risk) as well as decreasing the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida.

Watercress, common in Europe, North America, and lower South America, is an aquatic perennial that grows in regions that have small natural streams and limestone. The plants thrive when submerged in fresh running water, and there is no danger of winter-killing as long as the water does not freeze solid. Watercress grows in moist soil, usually along the banks of streams, and in recent years has been grown in greenhouses. Partial shade, moist soil, high humidity, and lime result in satisfactory growth. It is grown for its small, round, pungent leaves, which are eaten raw as salads or as garnishes, and as an ingredient in soups. Because of its flavor, watercress makes a tangy seasoning agent.

Brazilians have used watercress for treating tuberculosis, and experiments have reportedly shown improvement in a number of patients. Supposedly, the bacteria in watercress destroys the tuber­culosis bacteria. Natives of Brazil have long produced a syrup which is claimed, in some cases, to be a remedy for this disease. This syrup is made by placing alternate layers of moist watercress and sugar in an earthen jar and burying it for fifteen to twenty days. After the liquid settles, the resulting syrup is supposed to be palliative and curative.

Therapeutic uses have included:

coughs
head colds, 
bronchial ailments,
tuberculosis, 
asthma,
emphysema,
stress,
pain,
arthritis, 
stiff back and joints
diabetes, 
anemia,
constipation,
cataracts,
ailing eye sight,
night blindness,
leukemia, 
cancer, 
hemorrhaging,
heart conditions,
eczema,
scabies,
body deodorizer,
edema,
bleeding gums,
weight loss,
indigestion, 
alcoholism, 
intestinal parasites,
circulation, 
sluggish menstruation,
lack of energy,
kidney and gall stones, 
Spina bifida,
as a brain and nerve strengthener,
ailments of the spleen, thyroid, and liver;
to normalize cholesterol and blood pressure; 
for improved memory, 
for mental function decline and to retard ageing;
for failing or scant milk supply of nursing mothers;
to regulate flow of bile,
health of glands and the functions of body metabolism.

It is one of the best sources of the element iodine, other than seaweed, such as kelp. Iodine is important to the function of the thyroid gland. The leaves used as a poultice are applied for relief from enlarged prostate gland.

Combine watercress with garlic, cruciferous vegetables, raw almond milk, raw celery juice, superfoods like spirulina and chlorella, radish sprouts, supplements like zinc, selenium and reishi mushrooms, and rainforest herbs like cat's claw,...and you have one of the most powerful anti-cancer treatment plans known to modern.