Cress-salad: harm and benefit, nutritional value, calorie content

On the positive properties of watercress has become known even in ancient times. The plant with a piquant taste and pleasant aroma was used not only for preparing dishes, but also as a means of skin care for the face and hair. Cress salad unpretentious in the care, and it's easy to grow at home. According to the taste, the leaves of the plant resemble horseradish or radish.

Nutritional and calorie content

Cress-salad has a high nutritional value and low calorie content. With this value of 32 kcal, the amount of proteins in 100 grams is 2.6 g, fats - less than 1 g, and carbohydrates - 4.5 grams. Almost 90% of water is contained in a fresh plant watercress (photo).

Benefits and harm to the body are determined by its composition. In the watercress contain vitamins A, C, E, PP and group B, as well as choline. A lot of it contains macro and microelements. These include calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, etc. There are saturated fatty acids and essential oils in the leaves of the plant.

Cress salad is widely used in cooking. It is added to fresh vegetable salads, cold soups, served as a garnish for fish and meat.

Useful properties of watercress

Rich chemical composition and high nutritional value are the determining factors that determine the whole benefit of watercress for health. The leaves of the plant contain substances that prevent the appearance of cancer cells in the human body. For this, fresh watercress is recommended for daily use. In addition, the substances in the plant:

• Normalize the work of the intestines and digestive organs;
• Help get rid of slagging and toxins;
• Contribute to effective weight loss;
• Increase concentration of attention, improve memory and thinking;
• Have a rejuvenating effect on the cells of the body inside and slow the aging process of the skin;
• Are the prevention of diseases of the thyroid gland;
• Have a positive effect on liver function;
• Promote vision improvement and prevent eye diseases;
• Have a diuretic effect;
• Normalize blood pressure;
• Perform antibacterial function;
• Improve sleep and appetite;
• Tone up the body, improve mood and well-being.

Cress-salad, the harm and benefit of which is always taken into account when consumed, has the qualities of an aphrodisiac. In women, the plant improves reproductive function, while in men it increases the potency and testosterone level in the blood.

Cress salad: harm and benefit in losing weight

In the watercress composition, there are food fibers. They play an important role in cleansing the body of toxins and toxins. This is the first step on the path to achieve the ideal weight. The digestive organs work stably, the intestines are cleaned, there are no constipation, and therefore, too much weight will not last long.

But not only for this slimming people like watercress. The benefits and harms of it are determined by the low calorie value. With daily consumption of salad, a slow but sure weight loss will occur. At the same time, the feeling of hunger also appears very briefly.

For all its usefulness for losing weight watercress also helps to remove excess fluid from the body and get rid of swelling. In turn, this positively affects the figure and well-being.

Who is recommended cress salad: health benefits and harm?

The use of this green plant is highly recommended for people with diseases of the lungs and bladder, thyroid dysfunction, hypertension, anemia, ARVI and skin problems.

Cress salad, the harm and benefit of which is directly related to its composition, should be included in a limited number in the diet of pregnant and lactating women. It is not recommended to give plant leaves to children under three years of age.

Harm and contraindications to use

It is proved that only fresh water salad has useful properties. The dried plant has no nutritional value and even starts to smell unpleasant. Its use in dry form is useless.

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

• It is not recommended to eat a watercress for people with a tendency to manifest allergic reactions. In this case, the skin may develop a rash and irritation.
• Limit the use of lettuce leaves need hypotonic, because the substances contained in the plant, contribute to lowering the pressure.
• Cress salad, the harm and benefit of which is obvious to the digestive system, should not be included in the diet of people with gastritis, ulcers and other diseases of the stomach and intestines.

The watercress has the property of absorbing toxins into itself. That's why you should not collect it along the road and railroad tracks. Compliance with the recommendations given will help to avoid negative health effects and to receive from salad only benefit to the body.