family favouriteswhiz up a speedy supper in under 30 minutes from the classic to the orientalfrom the traditional to the exoticrecipes to impress the gueststo add interest to a range of dishes

If you're looking for low calorie recipes, let our calorie calculator guide you:

unspecified image









 
2008/09 research | 2007 research

University of Southampton logoThe results of a clinical study with the University of Southampton, which is investigating watercress's potential ability to suppress breast cancer cell development, are expected to be announced on 15th September 2010.

Although a number of studies have shown that watercress is a rich source of chemical compounds that can exert anti-cancer activity in experimental settings, it remains unclear whether normal dietary intake of watercress can impact on the development of cancers. The study, led by Graham Packham, Professor of Molecular Oncology at the University of Southampton, involves a dozen women eating 80g of watercress before providing a series of blood samples. Scientists determine the levels of watercress derived chemical compounds in the blood samples. The study then involves exposing breast cancer cells grown in the laboratory to these levels to determine whether they are sufficient to effect their growth and survival. Clinical aspects are being overseen by Mr Dick Rainsbury, Director of the Winchester and Andover Breast Unit at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, working closely with Senior Research Dietician, Babara Parry.

The £100,000 project has been funded by The Watercress Alliance, made up of Vitacress Salads, Bakkavor and The Watercress Company. It follows research, carried out by the University of Ulster, Coleraine, and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in February 2007 which found that watercress increased the ability of cells to resist DNA damage caused by free radicals and that daily intake of watercress significantly reduced levels of DNA damage found in blood cells. DNA damage is considered to be an important trigger in the early stages of cancer.

Dr. Steve Rothwell, of The Watercress Alliance, commented: "We are hoping to build on the body of research which supports the idea that watercress may have an important role to play in limiting cancer cell development. It is quite fitting that the study is being carried out in an area which is at the centre of watercress production."

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the Western world and currently affects approximately 1 in 9 women during their lifetime.

Watercress contains 15 essential vitamins and minerals. With more vitamin C than oranges, more calcium than milk and more iron than spinach, watercress is low in fat and very versatile. It also contains beta-carotene, Vitamin A equivalents and antioxidants.