Garden Cress Seeds With Power
Garden Cress Seeds With Power
This peppery, tangy-flavoured ingredient is heaped with nutrients that will enrich your food. The garden cress seed is a culinary wonder.
Garden cress is a wonderful plant that is a winter perennial, related to the family of watercress and mustard. All parts of the plant are edible and extensively used, owing to its aroma and the flavour it adds to food. The leaves are used as a garnish in pastas and several other European dishes. The plant has pinkish-white flowers, which not many know about. So it may come across as a surprise that these, too, are edible. Young shoots are also widely eaten in UK, sliced and added to sandwiches with boiled eggs, dressing and seasoning. The plant has seed pods, which have culinary uses in both fresh and dried forms.
You may know garden cress seeds by the name of halim seeds in India, or aliv locally in Maharashtra. These tiny seeds are loaded with nutrients including iron, folate, Vitamin C, A, E, fibre and protein. They are highly valuable in the ancient medicine system, Ayurveda, and you can find them used commonly as self-care remedies for cough, vitamin C deficiency, constipation, poor immune system and water retention-related bloating and swelling.
While they have medicinal uses that are widely adapted in Ayurvedic remedies, there is value, apart from the unique flavour, in adding these to your diet more regularly. They are especially beneficial for women's health and well-being owing to the effect they have on iron levels, hormone levels, menstrual cycles and lactation.
Being iron-rich, garden cress seeds help improve haemoglobin and in treating anaemia, a condition that commonly affects more women due to nutritional deficiency and regular blood loss.
Garden cress seeds are a natural solution for irregular menstrual cycles. They contain phytochemicals, which are similar to oestrogen, the hormone responsible for a healthy menstrual cycle and in turn, reproductive health.
Enriched with iron and protein, the seeds are very effective galactagogues. This makes them ideal for lactating women as it helps with the milk supply from mammary glands. New mothers trying to enhance their supply may find it beneficial to consume these regularly.
There are several other common ailments that can be remedied effectively by a small addition of the seeds in regular diet. They have an active compound that aids in improving lung function, thus making it a healthy choice for those with asthma. Chewing garden cress seeds serves as a good expectorant, relieving one of cough and mucous and treating a sore throat.
The abundance of fibre acts as a good laxative for those suffering from chronic constipation and digestive disorders. Eating it regularly can cure indigestion and promote healthy bowels. It is also suitable for children suffering from colic. They can consume it safely, mixed in some water.
Garden cress seeds are popularly eaten for improving hair and skin. Not only by consuming them in food, but through external application, too, the seeds have several benefits that the skin can extract. A paste of garden cress seeds mixed with honey proves beneficial against sunburns, skin rashes, dry skin and several other concerns. The iron and magnesium content in these seeds aid in prevention of hair loss.
The anti-glycemic nature of garden cress helps normalise blood sugar levels. Eating the seeds activates the production of insulin, proving to be ideal for diabetics. It also reduces the breakdown of starch into glucose which in turn leads to low blood glucose levels.
Garden cress seeds are being widely consumed as a weight loss remedy as they reduce hunger pangs, prevent overeating and aid healthy metabolism, helping one shed excess pounds faster.
Consuming a tsp of garden cress seeds three to four times a week can let you experience great health benefits, without overconsuming it. You can eat them in the simplest form, buy soaking overnight and having it the next morning, or adding it to your yogurts, smoothies, breakfast bowls, and more for breakfast. They can even be made into laddoos that stay well-preserved for at least a couple of weeks.
Above is a simple recipe that shows you how to incorporate garden cress seeds in your diet and load yourself up with a whole lot of tasty nutrients.
