Natural Healers- Watercress

  Watercress is one of the most vitamin and mineral packed vegetables, and although its natural environment is a running stream, it can easily be grown in  the garden. There are two types- bronze-green and the more familiar dark-green. The bronze-green is hardier and has a slightly more pungent flavour.
  It has traditionally been given as a remedy for arthritis and upper respiratory tract infections, and a general spring tonic.

  More recently it has been investigated for properties against other diseases, including some cancers. It contains phenylethyl isothiocyanates and sulphurophanes, which destroy cancer cells and defend the body against carcinogens. Studies have shown that eating cruciferous vegetable (of the cabbage/broccoli family) can reduce the likelihood of colon, rectum and bladder
cancer.
  Watercress is rich in sulphur, an aid to protein absorption, blood purification and cell building, thus increasing skin and hair health. It also contains a digestive enzyme that helps the body utilize nutrients, and is a natural diuretic, being rich in potassium. The oils that give watercress its peppery taste also help fight colds, flu and bronchial ailments, and it is a natural antibiotic.
  Watercress can be grown in a trench or in shallow boxes. If you use a box, cover the bottom and sides with polythene to retain moisture. Fill the box with garden soil or potting compost.

  Alternatively, in the garden, dig a trench 9 inches wide and 2 feet long. Mix a bucketful of well rotted manure or garden compost with the soil in the bottom of the trench, leaving this about 3 inches below the surrounding soil level.
  In April/May (UK- that's spring) take a number of 4 inch shoots from plants bought from a supermarket or a greengrocer and plant them 6inches apart in the trench. Keep the trench well watered to ensure the plants root.  If in a box, cover it with a polythene bag to increase the humidity. (Alternatively, you can sow seed to gain your plants).
  Remove the flower heads as soon as they appear, and if the leaves begin to get small, feed the soil with a fertiliser. A late crop can be made in August if you've the means to protect it from cold and frost. You can start picking as soon as the plants are established. The more the tops are picked, the more cress will

grow.
  Aim to eat cress within five days of picking, as it quickly loses its nutrients.