A startling 30-40% of cancers are directly linked to improper diet and related factors, according to a report published this year by the World Cancer Research Fund UK.1 Accordingly, there is no better time than now to diligently incorporate nature’s most powerful cancer-fighting foods into your daily diet.

The cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage have long been held in regard for their anticancer effects. Their little-known cousin, watercress, also shows extraordinary potential in the realm of cancer prevention and management, as well as offering the culinary versatility of a delicious leafy green. The anticancer benefits of watercress may arise from its ability to increase the level of antioxidants in the blood and to protect DNA against damage.2 In fact, growing evidence suggests that watercress may lower the risk of prostate, colon, and breast cancers, and may counteract certain processes by which cancers proliferate and spread.3-7

Watercress is an excellent source of the antioxidants vitamins A and C, as well as vitamin K, an essential micronutrient for bone health. It is also a rich natural source of lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoid nutrients that are gaining attention for their ability to protect vision and support cardiovascular health.8

Given this wealth of health benefits, it is not surprising that Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, built his first hospital in close proximity to a stream where watercress grew so that his patients would have ready access to this life-sustaining green.9
Cancer Protection

Cruciferous vegetables, such as watercress and broccoli, are well known for containing glucosinolates, phytochemicals that are hydrolyzed to produce isothiocyanates, which have been studied for their anticancer effects. Dietary intake of these compounds has been shown to counter breast, lung, colorectal, head and neck, and prostate cancers.3-7 Watercress is also an exceptionally rich dietary source of nasturtiin, the precursor of phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC).10 This compound inhibits the liver’s phase I enzymes, which are responsible for activating many carcinogens in animals, and induces the liver’s phase II enzymes, which are associated with enhanced excretion of carcinogens.

When human prostate cancer cells were exposed to PEITC, both proliferation (multiplication of cells) and tumorigenesis (production of tumors) were inhibited. This compound also triggered apoptosis, or the death of cancerous cells.11
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Similarly, crude watercress extract was “significantly protective” against three stages of the carcinogenic process in human colon cancer cells. The stages investigated were initiation, proliferation, and metastasis (spread of cancer).12 Isothiocyanate compounds from watercress and broccoli were found to hinder the activity of matrix metalloproteinase-9, an enzyme that plays a role in progression of certain cancers by breaking down natural barriers in the body that impede the expansion of existing tumors. These watercress and broccoli-derived compounds were also shown to suppress a highly invasive breast cancer cell line.13