The Different Medical Uses of Watercress

We've been making use of plants and herbs as medicine to cure many ailments since the beginning of human history. The same thing goes for watercress. This aquatic plant has been used as a supporting medicine not just to remedy ailments but also to take out toxic compounds from the body.

Watercress is incredibly healthful and can be consumed or applied topically. In this article I will reveal to you the different medicinal applications of watercress.

When eaten, either uncooked in salads or cooked in dishes, watercress stimulates appetite. But you do not have to fear of putting on weight because this plant is rather low on calories. It in fact assists in weight reduction and is normally included in the diet regime of folks that want to shred off some weight.

Watercress is also diuretic therefore it helps to decrease our body's water retention ability. It fights rheumatism, gall bladder and digestive system problems and clears the lungs of phlegm and impurities.

But that doesn't mean though, that one should consume watercress by itself and refrain from other fruit and vegetables - or that one should stop taking medication and replace it with watercress. It can be used alongside mainstream medication to relieve certain health conditions and to accelerate healing or recovery.

Apart from consuming it internally, watercress may also be applied to the skin similar to lotion. The juice of its leaves can be applied on the skin to eliminate spots, pimples, reduce oil, eczema and freckles and clear acne and dermatitis.

The juice which is taken from the leaves of watercress plants has several medicinal applications. It can be used to improve growth of hair preventing hair loss. You can consume watercress even if you are with or without these ailments. Having said that, take note to not over ingest watercress as doing this might trigger stomach upsets.

It is also not a good idea to get watercress from the wild as the water where it comes from can be dirty and full of pathogenic organisms.