Watercress is a highly nutritious plant packed with essential vitamins and minerals. With higher amounts of nutrients than many vegetables, watercress has now been labelled as a Superfood by Scientists, but why?

This plant has health benefits and current research by scientists has shown that the high levels of antioxidants can increase the ability of cells to resist damage to their DNA, thus helping to protect against the cell changes that can lead to cancer.

The nutrients present in watercress and the health benefits of watercress have been known for decades with the ‘working classes’ in the early 19th century eating bunches of watercress in the mornings known as ‘Poor Mans Bread’ . Hippocrates, the father of medicine built his first hospital close to a stream to ensure a fresh supply of watercress was able to be grown for his patients.

The nutritional value of watercress shows that if eaten as part of a daily healthy diet it will supply high levels of calcium (more than a average glass of milk), vitamin A, E, K, C and iron.