Sales of protein powders and supplements have soared in recent years, but did you know that consuming watercress is just as good, if not better?
The global protein supplements market size was valued at USD 18.91 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at an annual rate of 8.4% from 2021 to 2028.
The United Kingdom whey protein market alone is forecast to reach USD 2.16 billion by 2025.
But before buying another jar of whey protein or energy gels costing anything up to £100, just pick up an 85g bag of watercress from any supermarket for around £1.50 instead.
Watercress scores as one of the top-ranking vegetables in terms of its nutrient density and guarantees the nutritional benefits claimed by many of the artificial sports supplements for a fraction of the cost. But that's not all.
Research has proved that watercress has impressive effects on reducing DNA damage induced by exercise, and has benefits for sportsmen and women in aiding recovery after exercise but also for average Jo or Joe against the DNA damage caused by daily life.
A 2012 research study by scientists at Edinburgh Napier University and Ulster University led by Professor Mark Fogarty used a sample of 10 'healthy' males, who were required to ingest 85g of watercress daily, for 8 weeks.
The participants were then asked to engage in high intensity exercise on a treadmill.
This was compared to a control group where no watercress was consumed but who undertook the same programme of activity.
A further group consumed watercress acutely, 2 hours before exercise.
The results found that exercise increases DNA damage, as well as increasing lipid peroxidation, whilst watercress consumed chronically or acutely reduced DNA damage, as well as lipid peroxidation.
These results were replicated on the Channel 4 programme Superfoods - the Real Story, where presenter Kate Quilton demonstrated how eating watercress prior to exercise, reduced her DNA damage by 7% compared to when not eaten.
These results provide support for the powerful protective effects of watercress and highlights its contribution to reducing exercise induced DNA damage but also to damage caused by the daily stresses of life – running for a bus or even just pollution in the air.
Amino acids are often referred to as the building blocks of proteins and are compounds that play many critical roles in your body.
The body needs 20 different amino acids to grow and function properly.
Though all 20 of these are important for health, only nine amino acids are classified as essential.
Unlike non-essential amino acids, essential amino acids can't be made by the body and must be obtained through diet.
The best sources of essential amino acids are animal proteins like meat, eggs and poultry.
When protein is eaten, it's broken down into amino acids, which are then used to help the body with various processes such as building muscle and regulating immune function.
Research has revealed that watercress has a full complement of the 9 essential amino acids, which is unusual for a plant.
What's more, although the overall number of calories are low in watercress, half of them are made up of protein.
This proportion is about that same as chicken, cod and beef!
Tests with powdered watercress are under way to capture this highly concentrated protein source and may well be used in the future to create protein supplements.
Until then, simply enjoy the fresh stuff and take advantage of the 50 plus vital vitamins and minerals watercress contains, including (gram for gram) more Vitamin C than an orange, more calcium than milk, more folate than a banana and more Vitamin E than broccoli.
Added to that, watercress is a rich source of fibre and of crucial antioxidants, both vital for gut health which is linked to immunity and mental health.
It's also high in Vitamin A and iron. This is good news for the growing number of people adopting plant-based diets in the UK and who need a reliable source of iron.
For plant iron to be absorbed, vitamins C and A are required to convert it into a more easily absorbable form such as haem iron as found in meat.
Because watercress has high levels of iron AND vitamins C and A, it is a reliable and rich source of iron too.
Convinced yet? Check out our delicious summer recipes using watercress.
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