Daily intake of watercress can reduce cancer risk

During the study patients who ate 85g of watercress a day showed a great improvement in damage to DNA. Watercress was shown to halt the growth of cancer cells or even kill them off. The researchers discovered that DNA damage to white blood cells was reduced by 22.9%. Furthermore when exposed to dangerous chemicals, such as hydrogen peroxide, the damage was much lower than expected. Importantly, antioxidant levels in the subjects also improved during the trial which help to combat free radicals that damage tissues. In contrast, harmful compounds in the blood decreased by 10%. Additionally the most beneficial effects were seen in smokers who participated in the study. "Questions still remain about how the compounds in vegetables work in the body to reduce the risk of cancer but the results of this study add to the body of evidence that eating fruit and vegetables is important in the prevention of this series disease," said Claire MacEvilly, a nutritionist at MRC Human Nutrition Research. The study was supported financially by The Watercress Alliance, made up of British watercress producers, Vitacress Salads, Alresford Salads and The Watercress Company.