What does a watercress plant look like. Healing power of watercress officinalis

Nowadays, people are very biased towards traditional medicine, its advice, recipes, because we are civilized people, we have invented many medicines, methods of treatment. Nature for us is just a place where you can spend time on the weekend after a hard day, and weeds in the country are terribly annoying, and everyone wants to get rid of them. Few people now think about the fact that herbs can heal without being harmful, and they are available to all of us. Watercress - have you heard of it?

If not, then it's time for you to find out the very necessary information, because the plant has a whole range of possibilities, and yes, someone considers it a malicious weed, but there are countries where grass is grown for purely medicinal purposes. In addition, its possibilities were discovered many centuries ago. We advise you to get acquainted with watercress and you, you already see the photo.

Description of the plant and location

First, it is worth noting that the herb has more than one beautiful name, perhaps you know watercress under the name of brun-cress, spring watercress or medicinal watercress, gulyavnik, lettuce, water horseradish. This family is cabbage, and there are eight more species of other plants in it. The habitats are very diverse, but everywhere the watercress will choose a territory where there is a lot of moisture and water. At the same time, it grows like wild grass, and as domesticated by summer residents. Most often you can find plantations in the mountains of the Caucasus and central Russia, Asia, a number of African countries, in the USA, South America and Europe, as well as on different islands.

To grow a plant like watercress at home, you need to create certain conditions and water is the main one. Most often, they dig a moat half a meter deep, equip it with material so that water can be poured, and it does not leave, after which the watercress is settled here. You can create such a mini-garden even on the windowsill. In some countries, the plant is grown on a large scale, where there are entire plantations for further processing, by the way, watercress is used not only as a medicine for folk healers, but also in cooking recipes, for making spices, in cosmetology and so on.
If you describe the plant, then it looks like this.

• The grass is perennial.
• The stem grows up to half a meter or a little more, it is dense, but hollow.
• There are shoots that hang down, which gives the weed, which many people unfairly believe to be watercress, an ornamental look.
• It blooms with white flowers, collected in an umbrella, from May to the end of summer.
• The leaves have a pleasant green color and heart shape, their structure is dense.
• The herb is useful, while suitable for those who suffer from excess weight.
• Unpretentious plant, grows on different types of soil, in the shade, in the sun, grows quickly in the presence of water. If cress is planted in ordinary soil, the grass changes shape, its beneficial properties are lost.
• The taste of grass is spicy, tart, there is bitterness. For our person, it is easiest to compare watercress with radish or traditional horseradish, which is why the plant often goes as a seasoning for various dishes.

It is interesting! Surprisingly, the watercress was treated with indifference for centuries, although it was very much appreciated in ancient Rome, also in medieval Europe, but it was recognized as a culture only in the 19th century.

Application of watercress in our life

If we talk about the plant as a whole, then it is useful from the roots to the leaves and seeds, all parts are used for one purpose or another. Fresh leaves of grass are put as a spicy additive in meat, fish, soup, they prepare sauces, salad, they are used for preservation and marinade, they make a mixture of spices. You can make juice from the green mass, which will have a number of beneficial effects on the body, about them a little later. Of course, raw materials can be dried to make infusions, decoctions.

If we compare watercress with radish, then it is most like a young growth, which is widely used in cooking. The seeds can form the basis of a good oil that can be used in place of mustard oil and has its own health benefits. The root part of the plant is more of a therapy for ailments, a raw material for traditional medicine.

For information! The roots are collected in the fall, after which they are cleaned, crushed and dried in an oven or dryer. As for the aerial part, the maximum benefit from the plant is when it is fresh, and not processed or dried.

Watercress officinalis and its beneficial properties and contraindications

About the benefits

The grass has a lot of different possibilities, if we talk about ailments.

It is interesting! Watercress is known and appreciated in many countries, in Foggy Albion it is sold in supermarkets, festivals are held, and there is even the capital of watercress in the country - the city of Alresford. The plant was discovered by one gardener in 1808, who grew a plantation, and since then the grass has spread. There is also a watercress capital in America.

Separately, we would like to tell you about the benefits of watercress juice:

• cleans and normalizes the work of the circulatory system;
• it helps very well with hemorrhoids, up to the removal of nodes, which can protect against pathological processes, oncology;
• shown to everyone who suffers from anemia;
• helps to get out of bed after serious illnesses, that is, during periods of rehabilitation, juice will be a good addition to therapy;
• for the skin, juice is like a balm with a rejuvenating and cleansing effect. It can be drunk inside and used as a tonic for washing - acne disappears, scars become less noticeable, burns heal;
• beneficial effect on the condition of the kidneys and liver, joints. The use of watercress can relieve diseases such as pyelonephritis, jaundice, gout, rheumatism.

For information! Watercress juice can be mixed with the juices of other vegetables, so it will be even more healing and nutritious. For example, a cocktail is often made from the juice of watercress, carrots, potatoes, celery. The components can be used both together and making a recipe for yourself.

It turns out that weeds, which we can consider as malicious grass, can be useful to us. Very often, healers regret that we are so thoughtless in our plots, dachas for plants that we remove from the beds, throwing out dandelions, horsetail, knotweed and other herbs, each of which is unique in its own way and can heal. Also, many traditional healers believe that exactly the grass, fruits, and trees that grow next to a person are what he needs for treatment, in each region these are their own plants.

Advice! Do you want a great seasoning for meat and fish to surprise your guests? Then mix watercress with rosemary and mint to make an unusual spicy spice with your own hands.

About harm

Like many medicinal plants, watercress should be used for medicinal purposes only with the permission of a doctor and after an examination, as there is a risk of exacerbation of diseases, and there may be stomach problems from an overabundance of the plant. It is impossible for all those who have an individual intolerance to certain plants that make up the components in them. It is also impossible with reduced pressure, and excessive consumption can have a negative effect on the kidneys. Do not take therapy watercress while you are carrying or nursing your baby.

Recipes for all occasions

Most often, medicinal herbs are used to prepare infusions, decoctions and tinctures. In the case of our watercress, the recipes would be:

• to make an infusion, you need to steam 1.5-2 tablespoons of fresh leaves in boiling water with a volume of a liter. After that, the infusion stands for 2 hours, it is filtered and taken per day, 500 grams, pouring them in half into two doses. One liter is enough for two days;
• a decoction is made using a water bath, in which a spoonful of leaves and flowers are simmered for 30 minutes, combined with a glass of boiling water. The decoction is taken after meals, two tablespoons in the morning, afternoon, and evening;
• alcohol tincture is prepared on the basis of rhizome 1:5. Insist two weeks in the dark and cool. Then they drip 30-40 drops into water with a volume of 50 grams, drink at a time.

Now you understand that weeds are useful plants for the most part, they perceive watercress differently, but the essence is the same - it helps health, and the appearance will be more attractive.

All materials on the site are presented for informational purposes only. Before using any means, consultation with a doctor is MANDATORY!

Watercress officinalis (common) It is used for general weakness, metabolic disorders, constipation, skin diseases, nervousness, cough, lung disease, rheumatism and gout, diseases of the gallbladder, liver, stomach, intestines, bladder and kidneys.

Latin name: Nasturtium officinale.

English title: watercresses.

Synonyms: common watercress, common nasturtium, medicinal nasturtium, watercress.

Family: Cruciferous - Brassicaeae.

Folk names: watercress herb, water nasturtium.

Pharmacy name: watercress herb - Nasturtii herba (formerly: Herba Nasturtii).

Used parts of the herb: first of all, fresh leaves and fresh grass, very rarely - a whole dried plant.

Photo of a herb of a medicinal plant Apricot (common) or Watercress.

Botanical description: It is a perennial plant with predominantly recumbent shoots, 30-90 cm long, forming dense sods. Shoots can overwinter. Stems are hollow, ribbed-furrowed. The leaves are dark green, fleshy, odd-pinnate, the lower ones are trifoliate, and the upper ones are 5-9-lobed. White flowers with yellow anthers are collected in an umbrella-shaped inflorescence. The bitter core, found in the same places, is very similar to the watercress. But he has purple anthers. (Mixing these two plants is not dangerous, since their action and taste are similar.) Watercress blooms from April to June.

Habitat: Watercress loves clean springs, slowly flowing, with a moderate water temperature, streams, rivers and ditches.

Collection and preparation: fresh grass is best picked in the spring, but can be harvested throughout the year. Since it works only fresh, it is not dried. It is rational only to prepare juice from fresh plants.

Table of nutritional values ​​of 100 grams of watercress

100 grams of fresh watercress officinalis herb contains:

Watercress officinalis - medicinal properties of the herb

If we proceed from the fact that official medicine is interested in refreshing and activating spring courses to improve metabolism and non-specific stimulating therapy, then we can say that watercress is also used for medical purposes. Watercress officinalis (common) is used in the form of fresh juice and as a salad, along with fresh dandelion and nettle leaves (with insufficient renal function - with the addition of young birch leaves), as a gastric remedy, for violations of the liver and gallbladder, metabolic disorders, to which should also be included rheumatic diseases and gout.

Photo of flowers of a medicinal plant.

Watercress treatment

Self-treatment is dangerous! Before treatment at home, consult with your doctor.

1. Prostate adenoma. 1 tbsp chopped fresh herb watercress pour 200 ml of boiled water at room temperature, insist overnight, strain. Drink 400 ml of infusion during the day in 8 doses.
2. Iron deficiency anemia(IDA). 1 tbsp crushed fresh watercress herb (nasturtium) officinalis pour 200 ml of boiled water at room temperature, insist overnight, strain. Drink 100 ml of infusion in 2-3 doses during the day.
3. Bronchial asthma. Squeeze juice from fresh leaves and flowers of watercress. Take 1 tsp. juice with an equal amount of spring honey before meals.
4. acute bronchitis. 2 tbsp herbs of a medicinal plant pour 200 ml of boiled water, close the lid and heat in a boiling water bath for 2 minutes. Insist 15 min. Strain and top up with boiling water to the original volume. Drink during 2 tbsp. in 15 min. before meals.
5. acute hepatitis. 4 tbsp watercress herbs pour 1 liter of boiled water, close the lid and heat in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes. Insist 10 min. Strain and top up to original volume. Drink 70 ml 15 minutes before meals.
6. Glomerulonephritis acute. Recipe 1. Take fresh juice - 1 tsp. 15 minutes before meals.
   Recipe 2. 4 tbsp herbs pour a liter of boiling water in a thermos, leave for 1 hour, strain and add to the original volume. Drink 70 ml in 15 minutes. before meals.
7. Dermatitis. Pour 20-40 grams of fresh watercress grass with 1 liter of boiling water in a thermos, leave for 1 hour. Strain and top up to original volume. Drink 100 ml to normalize metabolism.
8. diabetes mellitus. Take 1 tsp. watercress juice, squeezed from fresh plants cut in June-August, and honey before meals.
9. Diathesis uric acid. Recipe 1. Drink 50 ml of juice from the ground part of the plant during the day with spring honey (before meals).
   Recipe 2. Pour 200 ml of boiled water over a tablespoon of chopped fresh watercress herb, insist overnight, drain and squeeze the herb. Drink 400 ml of infusion in 2-3 doses during the day.
10. Jaundice. Extract the juice from the whole plant. Drink 1 teaspoon 3 times a day. It is claimed that the juice drives sand.
11. constipation. Recipe 1. 4 tbsp herbs plants pour 1 liter of boiling water in a thermos, leave for 1 hour. Strain and top up to original volume. Drink 70 ml as a mild laxative. Store in a thermos no more than 24 hours.
    Recipe 2. Take 1 tsp. fresh plant juice.
12. Goiter diffuse toxic. Drink a teaspoon of fresh watercress herb juice to regulate thyroid function.
13. Lymphadenitis(inflammation of the lymph glands). Take with an equal amount of honey before meals, 1 tsp. watercress juice pressed from fresh leaves and flowers.
14. burns. Use an ointment that is obtained by carefully grinding 50 grams of fresh butter with 2 tbsp. fresh juice from herb plant.
15. Acute pyelonephritis, Liver cancer. Recipe 1. 4 tablespoons of nasturtium officinalis herbs pour 1 liter of boiling water in a thermos, leave for 1 hour. Strain and top up with boiling water to the original volume. Store the infusion in a thermos for no more than 24 hours. Drink 70 ml 15 minutes before meals.
    Recipe 2. Take a teaspoon of freshly squeezed watercress juice before meals.
16. Pleurisy dry. Before meals, take 1 tsp. nasturtium juice squeezed from fresh leaves and flowers with an equal amount of spring honey.
17. Gout. Recipe 1. Take during the day with honey before meals, 2-3 tablespoons of common watercress juice, squeezed from the ground part of the plant.
    Recipe 2. A tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs pour 200 ml of boiled water, heat in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Insist 45 min. Strain and top up to original volume. Drink 400 ml of infusion per day in 2-3 doses (70-100 ml per 1 dose).
18. Cholelithiasis. 4 tbsp herbs pour 1 liter of boiling water, close the lid and heat, stirring frequently, in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes. Insist 10 minutes. Strain and top up to original volume. Drink 70 ml 15 minutes before meals.
19. Emphysema. Take 1 tsp. with an equal amount of honey before meals, juice of nasturtium officinalis, squeezed from fresh leaves and flowers.
20. Enuresis. Bring 2 kg of watercress herb to a boil in 10 liters of boiled water (this herb is most curative in May, before flowering). Strain the broth, cool and 7 evenings in a row before going to bed do sitz baths to the waist with enuresis in children. The grass taken out of the water, mixed with pork fat (lard) and make compresses - on the first day on the stomach, the next - on the lower back (alternate). Keep the compress overnight. Vanga advised this recipe to those who have vertebrae in order. If the vertebrae are very distant from each other, then before proceeding to the baths, a course of sunbathing should be performed in the summer, and before each bath, the child’s lower back should be lubricated with gun oil.

There are many medicinal plants whose fresh shoots in spring can be useful. Along with leaves, and watercress, we can also recommend young basal, fresh leaves of stonecrop and spoons, very young shoots of a chistyak, as well as all kitchen greens. Salad, half consisting of leaf or head lettuce, and half of the numerous greens that grow in spring in our meadows, in the forest and garden, thoroughly flavored, with a little oil and is an excellent health remedy against breakdown and spring fatigue. Fresh greens should always be, and not only in salads, but also with scrambled eggs, soups, various snacks, and also mixed with soft cheeses.

Watercress officinalis in folk medicine

Watercress officinalis (watercress) is consumed in the form of a salad or mashed watercress leaves with a small amount of sugar.

Indications for use: general weakness, metabolic disorders, constipation, skin diseases, nervousness, cough, lung diseases, rheumatism and gout, diseases of the gallbladder, liver, stomach, intestines, bladder and kidneys.

Side effects. Excessive passion for watercress officinalis (common) can lead to mild irritation of the gastric mucosa, and sometimes the kidneys.

Contraindications. Individual intolerance.

Syn .: common watercress, key cress, brunkress, rezuha, medicinal watercress, etc.

Perennial (annual in cultivation) plant with pinnately dissected leaves. As a food plant, promising, rapidly developing.

Ask the experts

flower formula

Watercress flower formula: *W4L4T2+4P(2).

In medicine

Watercress is not included in the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation and is not used by official medicine, but is a valuable and dietary product, is actively used for food purposes in many countries, and also has healing properties that are actively used in traditional medicine.

Due to the balanced content of biologically active substances (high content of vitamins and minerals, especially iron and iodine), watercress exhibits very useful, valuable dietary properties, which are intensively used in therapeutic dietology. In this regard, nutritionists recommend including it in food for patients during the rehabilitation period after long-term serious illnesses, complex operations to restore and maintain metabolism in general, as well as to improve appetite. It is useful to include the plant in the diet for obesity and diabetes.

Meanwhile, the biological activity of watercress is of great interest to many researchers, especially foreign countries, and important results have been obtained to date, which will be very promising in the treatment of many diseases. For example, the experiment showed that the watercress extract and polyphenol complex have antioxidant properties, the extract has hepatoprotective properties (Martinez-Sanchez et.al., 2008; Yazdanparast, Bahramikia, Ardestani, 2008), the hydroalcoholic extract has hypocholesterolemic and cardioprotective properties (Bahramikia , Yazdanparast, 2008). Watercress juice enhances the activity of ethoxyresofurin-O-diethylase and NADP-H-quinoreductase (Lhoste et.al., 2004). Watercress extract also exhibits antibacterial activity (Camacho-Corona at.el, 2008).

The German Commission E recognized watercress as a good remedy for respiratory colds, especially runny nose and cough.

In Europe, watercress is included in a number of herbal choleretic preparations. Watercress tablets and capsules are used as biologically active food supplements. It is supposed to use a dry extract (powder) of watercress for the manufacture of tablets and hard gelatin capsules as a dietary supplement with a wide spectrum of action.

Contraindications and side effects

Watercress for medicinal purposes should be used as prescribed by a doctor. In case of an overdose, irritation of the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract is possible. Contraindication is individual intolerance.

In cooking

Watercress is a well-known valuable food plant, it is used only in its raw form (fresh young leaves and tops of shoots). In cooking, watercress is used as an independent dish - a salad with a sharp, spicy mustard flavor as a spicy seasoning for various dishes and salads. Watercress is a good addition to green vegetable soups, improves the taste of fish, some meat dishes, sauces, and toppings. Combined with mint, rosemary, watercress forms a savory mixture that is used in cooking in many dishes. It goes well with mayonnaise and vegetable oil. Due to the mustard taste, it is added to sandwiches (fish, ham, cheese).

Seeds, as well as a spice, can replace mustard, they are used to produce edible oil, close in quality to mustard. Watercress is widely used (especially in Europe and the USA) in mixed salads, in cold green sauces, for sandwiches, while the inflorescences are also used as food.

In areas where watercress grows wild (especially along the banks of water bodies), it is harvested for use as food.

Watercress can be used for indoor cultivation, especially during the winter season when vitamins are deficient. It develops very quickly, reaches a height of 30-90 cm. Leaves, stems and tops of young shoots of cress are excellent, as noted above for salads and as a seasoning for many dishes (meat, fish, etc.).

Classification

Watercress or medicinal watercress (lat. Nasturtium officinale) is a species of the genus watercress (lat. Nasturtium) of the cruciferous or cabbage family (Cruciferae, or Brassicaceae). The genus includes 6 species growing mainly in Eurasia, North and East Africa and North America. In the former USSR - 1 species (in the Caucasus and Central Asia). Watercress is cultivated in Western Europe and the USA.

Botanical description

Watercress is a perennial plant with a maximum height of up to 60 cm or more. Moisture-loving, relatively cold-resistant and shade-tolerant plant. The stem is hollow, furrowed, creeping, usually rooting at the base. The leaves are green, alternate, simple, without stipules, pinnately dissected, with wide petioles and 2-7 pairs of oblong or oval leaflets with a larger and rounded ovate apical leaflet. Bracts and bracts are absent. The flowers are bisexual, small, white, bilaterally symmetrical, arranged in short racemes. Perianth double, 4-membered. Petals with marigolds, sepals in 2 circles. There are 6 stamens, 2 of them are short and 4 are long; nectaries are located at the base of the stamen filaments. Ovary superior of 2 carpels. The watercress flower formula is *CH4L4T2+4P(2). The fruit is a pod, opened with two valves, with a remaining partition. Vegetative organs and inflorescences are characterized by receptacles of myrosin. Blooms in May - August.

Spreading

It is found in the European part of Russia (central and southern regions) and in the Caucasus. It grows along the banks of rivers, near streams and springs, sometimes in slowly flowing water, less often in swamps.

Distribution regions on the map of Russia.

Procurement of raw materials

For medicinal purposes, only the aerial part is used. Grass is harvested during rapid flowering, while it can be cut about forty days after planting. It is recommended to use it only fresh, as in this case it retains all the necessary chemical compounds. Dried grass almost completely loses its medicinal properties.

Chemical composition

The chemical composition of watercress has been studied quite well. Flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin, kaempferol, myricetin, hesperetin, narigenin, quercetin), anthocyanins (pelargonidin, cyanidin, delphinidin) were found in the aerial part and fruits of watercress. In the aerial part and roots - glucosinolates (gluconasturcin, glucobrassinocin, neoglucobrassicin, etc.). Watercress also contains other nitrogen-containing compounds (phenylpropionitrile, phenylacetonitrile, etc.). The seeds contained higher fatty acids (oleic, linoleic, erucic, palmintic, steric, linolenic) and fatty oils - up to 24%.

Pharmacological properties

Watercress has some medicinal properties, in particular, blood-purifying, expectorant, antiscorbutic, diuretic, tonic, etc. Watercress improves appetite and metabolism, lowers blood pressure and blood sugar levels in diabetes, calms the nervous system, acts as a mild laxative. In addition, the herb (extract) of watercress has a disinfectant effect on burns, skin diseases (dermatosis, lipomas, chronic skin rashes, itchy skin eczema, trophic ulcers, etc.), as well as inflammation of the oral mucosa and periodontal disease. It has an anti-inflammatory effect in colds, especially with a runny nose and cough.

German medicine recognizes cress as a good remedy for the treatment of respiratory diseases, especially the common cold and cough. In China, this plant is used to treat gingivitis. It is also traditionally used for lethargy, problems with joints, blood vessels, bronchitis, scurvy and goiter. In Europe, watercress is found in a number of herbal choleretic preparations.

Application in traditional medicine

Watercress, or common watercress, due to its medicinal properties, is much more widely used in folk medicine. The beneficial properties of watercress are used by folk healers as a blood purifier, expectorant, antiscorbutic, diuretic, tonic for the treatment of many diseases.

In folk medicine, watercress is used for improper metabolism, for cleansing and improving the condition of the blood, as well as for various inflammatory diseases.

Watercress herb infusions are used as a diuretic in kidney diseases (nephritis); anti-febrile and sedative - for nervous diseases and fever; decoction - for diseases of the thyroid gland, liver, cholelithiasis and urolithiasis, anemia, rheumatism, gout, diabetes, gastritis, colitis, duodenitis, cystitis and gynecological diseases. Freshly squeezed watercress grass juice is effective in some pathological processes in the liver and gallbladder, as well as in metabolic disorders, in general, as a general tonic. Watercress is known in folk medicine and as a tonic. Watercress juice in folk medicine is used externally as a disinfectant for burns, various skin diseases, in particular dermatosis, lipomas, warts, polyps, chronic skin rashes, itchy skin eczema, trophic ulcers, as well as inflammation of the oral mucosa and periodontal disease. , diabetic foot syndrome.

History reference

Watercress has been introduced into culture since the Middle Ages. In many countries, in particular France, Germany, Canada and the USA, this is a widespread vegetable garden. In the 17th century, special artificial reservoirs were even built for watercress. In England, watercress was introduced into culture in the 19th century, and then in many other countries.

Even ancient healers used the herb watercress for fever and scurvy. In ancient Rome, it was believed that watercress (with vinegar) calms and heals people with a confused mind. In China, it was used to lower blood pressure and as a laxative. According to legend, many preachers (Irish) ate watercress and dry bread all their lives and kept healthy.

Literature

1. Biological encyclopedic dictionary / Ch. ed. M. S. Gilyarov) 2nd ed., corrected. M.: Sov. Encyclopedia. 1989.

2. Girenko M.M., Zvereva O.A. Green vegetables: A guide for amateur gardeners. Moscow: Niola-Press; Union-Public, 2007. 176 p.

3. Dudchenko L. G., Kozyakov A. S., Krivenko V. V. Spicy-aromatic and spicy-tasting plants: a Handbook / Ed. ed. K. M. Sytnik. K.: Naukova Dumka, 1989. 304 p.

4. Kutachek M., Oplishtilova K. 1964. Distribution of glucobrassicin, a precursor of indolylacetoitrile, ascorbigen, and thiocyanate ions in plants, Plant Physiology. T. 11. Issue. 5. S. 867-870.

5. Plant resources of Russia / Wild flowering plants, their composition and biological activity / Ed. editor A.L. Budantsev. T.2. St. Petersburg; M.: Association of scientific publications KMK, 2009. 513 p.

6. Bahramikia S., Yazdanparast R. 2008. Effect of hydroalcholic extracts of Nasturtium officinale leaves on lipid profile in high-fat diet rats // Ethnopharmacol. Vol. 115b N 1. P. 88.

7. Camacho-Corona at.el, 2008. Activity against drug resistant-tuberculosis strains of plants used in Mexican traditional medicine to treat tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases // Phytother. Res. Vol. 22, N1. P. 82-85.

8. Lhoste et.al., 2004. The activities of several detoxication tnzymes are diferentially unduced by juices of garden cress, water cress and mustard in human HepG2 cells //Chem Biol. Interact. Vol. 150, No. 3. P. 211-219.

9. Martinez-Sanchez et.al., 2008. A comparative study of flavonoid glycosides, vitamin C, and antioxidant properties of baby leaf Brassicaceae species //J. Agric. food chem. Vol. 56. No. 7. P. 2330-2340.

10. Yazdanparast R., Bahramikia S., Ardestani A. 2008. Nasturtium officinale reduces oxidative stress and enhances antioxidant capacity in hypercholesterolaemic rats // Chem. Biol. Interact. Vol. 172, No. 3. P. 176-184.

Watercress officinalis is a perennial herb. It has a hollow stem, reclining at the base, and long roots, up to 50-80 cm. The leaves are straight, dissected, located opposite each other, slightly oval. The flowers are white, collected in a brush. The fruits are long pod-shaped cylinders with seeds. Blooms all summer long. Distributed throughout Europe, in the Crimea, Central Asia, the Caucasus. The plant is water-loving, distributed along the banks of rivers, in swamps, in the foothills along the course of water flows. Blooms all summer long.

For medicinal purposes, the herb of watercress is used. Whole watercress is harvested and used only fresh, since dry grass completely loses its medicinal qualities.

Chemical composition

The herb of watercress contains vitamins of group B (B1, B2), vitamin C, carotenoids, vitamins K, E, provitamins A and D, salts of phosphorus, iron, potassium, iodine, essential oil. Also found are oleic, palmitic, linoleic, erucic acids, fatty oil, trace elements - sodium, magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium, zinc, manganese, copper, mustard essential oil.

Application

The herb of watercress officinalis is used as antiseptic, antiscorbutic, anti-inflammatory agent.

Fresh juice from the herb of watercress officinalis is drunk for diseases of the gallbladder, for washing the urinary tract.

Preparations from the herb of watercress officinalis are used for acute and chronic inflammation of the kidneys, for all types of catarrhs ​​of the stomach, and are also used for mild relaxation.

A decoction of fresh watercress officinalis is used to restore metabolism in the treatment of skin diseases.

Due to the high vitamin content FROM and carotene, watercress is used in the form of salads from fresh leaves, or as a boiled seasoning is recommended for anemia.

Syrup from the juice of watercress officinalis is used for the prevention of scurvy.

Outwardly, an ointment made from fresh watercress juice is used to treat burns.

Fresh watercress leaves are used in cooking, vitamin salads are prepared, seasonings for second meat and fish dishes, as a green dressing are added to first courses.

Application methods

Decoction: 30 grams of chopped herbs per liter of boiling water, boil for 30 minutes, leave for 2 hours.

Ointment: 30-40 grams of watercress juice per 50 grams of butter.

Watercress officinalis refers to a perennial plant, it has a reclining stem, and the plant is also distinguished by a long root and a powerful root system. The leaves are located one opposite the other, they are distinguished by a straight and dissected shape. White flowers are small in size, can be collected in brushes. Watercress has its own pod fruit with many seeds. The plant blooms beautifully in summer. It grows in Central Asia, Crimea, Europe and the Caucasus. Watercress feeds on moisture, so it can often be found on the banks of the river, swamps, ponds and near stagnant water.

Description of watercress officinalis

Watercress grows near water bodies, which have a temperature of 10 to 12 degrees. To plant a watercress, you must first dig a 50 cm ditch, be sure to pour humus or compost into it. Cuttings are planted at the end of summer, the position must be oblique. Then you need to fill the ditch with water so that the tops are visible above the water. Be sure to add water to the ditch. In autumn, you need to roll up the medicinal plant, this is done with the help of a skating rink. In winter, it is best to keep the plant in water.

Watercress officinalis is grown not only from cuttings, but also from seedlings. In summer, you need to sow seeds in a greenhouse. When they start to sprout, you need to constantly water them.

How to prepare and store watercress officinalis?

The plant must be used fresh, it must be harvested when it blooms. Because dried grass loses all its beneficial properties. Watercress is grown specially at pharmaceutical factories, this happens within 1.5-2 months, when the plant grows to 50 cm, it must be cut, tied in bunches and put in a special basket so that it can be transported.

In the pharmacy, watercress is available as a tincture and as a juice. The medicinal plant can be used for culinary purposes, it is added to the salad as a seasoning. Green grass can be cooked with mayonnaise, butter, such a salad can be eaten with meat and fish.

The composition of watercress does not include sugar, but at the same time it is distinguished by useful essential oils and acids - linolenic, linoleic, oleic. The plant can be used in your balanced diet, it is easily digestible and has a positive effect on the human body.

Useful properties of watercress officinalis

The plant contains many useful substances - iodine, phosphorus, essential oil, iron, calcium. Watercress officinalis has a diuretic, antiseptic, antiscorbutic effect, with the help of it you can purify the blood, get rid of toxins.

Due to the fact that the composition of the plant includes many substances, it can be used for a variety of skin diseases. With the help of watercress officinalis, you can get rid of a severe form of bronchitis, in which sputum with pus is released.

The medicinal plant can be used for acute and chronic nephritis, scurvy,. For the treatment of wen, burns, you can prepare a special ointment, you need to take the juice from the watercress and butter, mix everything thoroughly. To strengthen the gums, you can use the juice from the watercress, with the help of which you need to clean the surface of the teeth, daily - 3 times.

Preparations based on watercress officinalis will help get rid of general weakness, constipation.

The use of watercress officinalis

The plant can be used in different forms depending on the purpose. With watercress officinalis, you can prepare a decoction, infusion, ointment, fresh juice.

1. With burns, ointment helps well. To do this, take 4 tbsp. watercress juice, 100 grams of butter, mix everything thoroughly. The ointment should be homogeneous, it is good to lubricate the burns.

2. For anemia, oncological diseases, diabetes mellitus, thyroid diseases, you can take a decoction of watercress, this will require 20 grams of watercress herb, pour 0.5 ml of boiled water, boil for 5 minutes, then you need to strain and cool the decoction. The decoction should be taken before meals, one glass 3 times a day.

3. In case of skin problems, you can prepare an infusion with watercress. To do this, take up to 30 grams of dry leaves, a liter of boiling water. Infuse it and strain. You need to drink it twice a day, one glass.

4. With jaundice, urolithiasis, and you need to take fresh juice from the watercress officinalis. This drug is a laxative. You can take juice only once a day, one teaspoon.

5. With gastritis, duodenitis, periodontal disease, colitis, the juice from the medicinal watercress helps well, it must be diluted with water in equal proportions. In this case, you need to take it 3 times a day.

6. For nephritis and gynecological diseases, fresh watercress leaves are used, they are placed in cold water, infused, filtered and drunk for a day.

Contraindications of watercress officinalis

Remember, when using juice, it is very important to follow the dosage. If you drink more juice from watercress officinalis, the mucous membrane of the stomach and kidneys may be irritated. Watercress-based preparations are very difficult to find in a pharmacy, because they are produced in small batches. But remember that you can not self-medicate, this can lead to disastrous results, it is best to first consult with a specialist. The drug is contraindicated for people who suffer from allergic reactions and individually do not tolerate this plant.

So, watercress officinalis is a useful plant. Flowers, fresh leaves, very rarely root and dried leaves are used for medicinal purposes. It is the fresh plant that is rich in vitamin C, carotene, therefore it is an excellent vitamin remedy that tones and regulates metabolism. Watercress officinalis is an effective diuretic, anti-inflammatory and wound healing agent. Fresh watercress herb is also used for culinary purposes, it is an excellent addition to salads, sauces and vitamin drinks. In pharmacology, you can find canned watercress juice.