Watercress is recommended for breast cancer
Like kale, broccoli, and horseradish, watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is a brassica vegetable. Watercress is a good dietary source of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, calcium, and various other minerals. Watercress has been shown to have antioxidant, antigenotoxic, and anti-inflammatory properties, and to improve cholesterol profile. Watercress contains beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, kaempferol, nasturtiin (the precursor of phenethyl isothiocyanate), sulforaphane, phenylethyl isothiocyanate and various other isothiocyanates, all of which have been reported to have anti-cancer properties. Brassica vegetables have been shown to inhibit the growth of human pancreatic cancer cells and to reduce the risk of occurrence of lung, gallbladder, bladder, prostate, ovarian and colorectal cancer.
Breast cancer-related effects of eating watercress
Various isothiocyanates derived from watercress have been found to have chemopreventive activity against a variety of breast cancer cell lines in the laboratory and in epidemiologic studies. A Chinese study which measured urinary isothiocyanate levels as a marker of brassica vegetable intake found that higher levels were protective against breast cancer in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Sulforaphane has been shown to act as a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor. HDAC inhibitors have been found to increase the effectiveness of the anti-estrogen drug tamoxifen by causing a synergistic increase in apoptosis and cell death.
Additional comments
Watercress can take the place of lettuce in salads or sandwiches. It should be eaten raw rather than cooked to obtain the most powerful anti-cancer effects.
Consuming watercress could interfere with Warfarin (coumadin) and other blood-thinning therapy. Watercress can also reduce the bioavailability of iodine in the diet.