Watercress

Watercress is one of the oldest greens people have eaten, a fast-growing leaf with a clean, peppery bite. Despite weighing almost nothing it is remarkably rich, ounce for ounce, in vitaminA natural substance your body needs in small amounts to stay healthy, like vitamin C or D. More → C, vitamin K, and a range of minerals, which is why it was carried by sailors and prescribed by old physicians as a spring tonic to rebuild a tired, run-down body.

The vitaminA natural substance your body needs in small amounts to stay healthy, like vitamin C or D. More → C makes it a natural friend to the immune systemYour body's built-in defense team that fights off germs and helps you heal. More → and to the building of healthy skin and gums, while its iron and folate support the blood and its calcium and vitamin K support the bones. Like its cabbage-family cousins it also carries protective plant compounds studied for keeping cells healthy.

It is best eaten fresh and raw, or barely wilted, to preserve its delicate vitamins. The only real caution is to choose cultivated or thoroughly washed watercress, since leaves gathered from open streams can carry waterborne parasites.