Nasturtium officinale is the botanical name for watercress.
Watercress is one of the oldest known leafy greens eaten by humans. It is a perennial plant native to Europe and Asia. It is semi aquatic and often grown in hydroponic systems. Others recommend growing it in ponds, with fresh water constantly flowing through. I find it grows well in a pot just under my tap. That way every time I turn the tap on, it is likely to get some water. It is much better home grown as it is difficult for supermarkets and fruit shops to handle logistically.
The truly amazing thing about watercress, is that this week it was listed as the number one food for nutritional value. According to USA’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, watercress is at the top of the list for healthy food. It ranked twice as well as kale, and is highly valued because of its high levels of vitamins A, C, calcium, magnesium and potassium.
Who would of thought this peppery little round leaved leafy green would pack so much of a punch !
Here is the list as compiled by Jennifer Di Noia, PhD. You can read the full report here.
Item _________Nutrient Density Score
Watercress ______100.00
Chinese cabbage__ 91.99
Chard __________89.27
Beet green ______87.08
Spinach ________86.43
Chicory________ 73.36
Leaf lettuce_____ 70.73
Parsley_________ 65.59
Romaine lettuce__ 63.48
Collard green ____62.49
Turnip green ____62.12
Mustard green___ 61.39
Endive ________60.44
Chive _________54.80
Kale __________49.07
Dandelion green__ 46.34
Red pepper_____ 41.26
Arugula________ 37.65
Broccoli ________34.89
Pumpkin ________33.82
Brussels sprout___ 32.23
Scallion _________27.35
Kohlrabi ________25.92
Cauliflower ______25.13
Cabbage ________24.51
Carrot _________22.60
Tomato ________20.37
Lemon _________18.72
Iceberg lettuce ___18.28
Strawberry _____17.59
Radish ________16.91
Winter squash___ 13.89
Orange ________12.91
Lime _________12.23
Grapefruit _____ 11.64
Rutabaga ______11.58
Turnip________ 11.43
Blackberry_____ 11.39
Leek __________10.69
Sweet potato ____10.51
Please note: raspberry, tangerine, cranberry, garlic, onion, and blueberry didn’t satisfy the criteria required for this particular test.