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Tall Nasturtium | | Name : | Tall Nasturtium | | Synonyms : | Scurvygrass
Tallnasturtium
| | Parts Used : | Leaves, roots, young shoots | | Habitat : | Native to Europe and naturalized in the United States and some partsof Canada. It thrives in clear, running, cold water and is found inditches, springs, and streams everywhere. Widely cultivated for usein salads. | | Description : | Watercress is a succulent, perennial plant that is cultivated forits leaves, which are principally used as salad greens or garnishes.Forms large colonies in cool running water; a creeping, weak, stemwith root at the nodes and turns up to form leafy shoots, 1-2 feetin length, generally extends with its leaves above the water. Thesmooth, somewhat fleshy, compound, dark green leaves are odd-pinnatewith 1-4 pairs of small, oblong or roundish leaflets. The small, whiteor pale purple, four-petaled flowers bloom in elongating terminalracemes from May to September. The fruit is a long, curved, linear-cylindric,partitioned pod borne more or less upright. | | Constituents : | Calcium, chlorine, cobalt, copper, tannin, fluorine, iodine, iron,manganese, phosphorus, sulfur, vanadium, vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D,and zinc.
Diuretic, expectorant, purgative, stimulant, stomachic, tonic | | Uses : | Good for urinary bladderproblems. Promotes kidney function. Helps heart disease by relievingfluid retention. Relieves indigestionand stops gas formation. Stimulates rate of metabolism and is takenas a spring tonic.
Watercress is recommended for gout,scurvy, mild digestive disturbances, anemia,and catarrh of the upper respiratorytract. Very effective as an expectorant, it is also beneficialfor tuberculosis, scurvy, anemia,and eczema. Its high vitaminC content makes it a good illness preventative. Very good as a post-partum(after childbirth) remedy to prevent infections. Having a modest iodinecontent, cress is a dietary remedy for thyroidproblems. The iodine in watercress is present in the right amountand combination with other substances. If you have thyroid problems,such as palpitations, oversensitivity to every little influence, orenlargement of the gland itself, you should definitely eat watercresson a regular basis. You will find it a marvelous remedy if you lackvitality and are always listless and tired, symptoms that are usuallycaused by the poor function of the endocrine glands. In addition,the richness of its mineral, iron and iodine content stimulates glandularactivity. Limited loss of hair caused by a fungus can be remediedby an application of watercress juice.
Leaf extracts are used clinically in India to correct vitamin deficiency.
Watercress stimulates theappetite. Fresh leaves may be used in salads or as a garnish,raw or deep-fried. Also in chopped form, added to appetizers, eggs,cheese, and fish. | | Dosage : | Watercress must be used fresh.
Infusion: use 1 tsp. young shoots in 1/2 cup water. Take 1/2cup, freshly made, 3 times a day. To maintain the greatest possiblevitamin content, do not steep a long time or allow to boil.
Juice: take 1 tsp. in milk or water, 3 times a day. Freshwatercress juice is easily obtained with an electric vegetable juicer. | | Safety : | Do not harvest leaves from polluted waters. Poisonings have resultedfrom eating leaves from plants growing in polluted waters, from whichthe plant has absorbed heavy metals and toxins.
Excessive or prolonged use can lead to stomach upset and kidney problems.It should not be taken daily and no longer than 4 weeks even withinterruptions. The juice should not be taken undiluted, because itcan produce inflammations in the throat and stomach. Some doctorscaution against use during pregnancy. | | Myths : | Watercress is high in favor with nutritional advisors to the armedforces for soups and salads for the energy it produces. Good for dieters,has low carbohydrate content and more iron than spinach. Fed to childrenwith weak bones and soft teeth because it contains lime high in sulphurcontent. Given in tablet form for eczema.
The Greeks referred to watercress as a 'wit-producing food.' | | Nutrient : | Iodine, niacin, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, sodium, iron, calcium,vitamins A, B1, B2, C and E and zinc. | | Sold : | Fresh plant in grocery |
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