watercress
A peppery, near-zero-calorie cruciferous green that delivers an outsized hit of vitamin K, vitamin C and the carcinogen-detoxifying isothiocyanate PEITC.
Nutrition per serving 1 cup chopped, raw (34 g)
- Sugars 0.1 g0%
- Fibre 0.2 g1%
- Other carbs 0.1 g0%
- Protein 0.8 g2%
- Other 32.8 g96%
| Nutrient | Per serving | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 15 mg | 16% |
| Fiber | 0.2 g | 1% |
| Potassium | 112 mg | 2% |
| Folate | 3 µg | 1% |
| Vitamin A | 54 µg | 6% |
| Vitamin K | 85 µg | 71% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.04 mg | 3% |
| Manganese | 0.08 mg | 4% |
| Copper | 0.03 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin E | 0.34 mg | 2% |
| Magnesium | 7 mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 41 mg | 3% |
Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗
What is watercress?
watercress is a vegetable used for enhances detoxification of environmental and tobacco carcinogens (peitc). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. Watercress is a nutrient-dense cruciferous leaf whose signature bioactive, phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC, from gluconasturtiin), has been tested in human trials. A randomized crossover study showed 85 g/day of raw watercress for 8 weeks cut lymphocyte DNA damage and roughly doubled plasma lutein, and randomized phase-2 trials of PEITC or a freeze-dried watercress beverage significantly boosted urinary detoxification of tobacco-related and environmental carcinogens (acrolein, benzene, crotonaldehyde) and modestly inhibited activation of the lung carcinogen NNK in smokers. Large prospective cohorts and meta-analyses of cruciferous vegetables as a class link higher intake to lower cardiovascular and colorectal-cancer risk, though watercress-specific hard-outcome data remain limited.