Garden cress

The garden cress is an annual grass which concerns to family of a cruciferae family. This salad is known to people since the most ancient times. And its history is rich not less, than composition of minerals and vitamins.

Useful properties of a garden cress are disclosed in ancient Roman and Ancient Greek chronicles. For example, according to Hippocrates, properties of a garden cress help to return vital forces and to purify blood. Ancient Egyptians treated sexual coldness at women and men oil which was received from lettuce leaves. In Europe the grass appeared only in the Middle Ages, and it gained special distribution in Germany.

There are several types of a garden cress among which there are plants with the curly, cut-up and integral sheets. The period of ripening of salad depends on type of leaves.

Treats early ripening varieties of a garden cress a sowing campaign, it is known most as it has large leaves. Coloring of leaves – from yellowish-green and green to glaucescent happens Razna also.

At a garden cress quite juicy taste which differs in special spice. Salad very quickly grows, and in the spring it appears much earlier other vegetables as to it frosts are not terrible.

Use of a garden cress

All grades of a garden cress have almost identical chemical composition which can be characterized only by insignificant differences. Combinations of vitamins C the mass of other useful substances are very successful that explains usefulness of a garden cress. So, the plant contains vitamins of group B, E, D, PP, A, C, K, and also such minerals as calcium, phosphorus, iodine, iron, magnesium. Rather high content in a garden cress and proteins, essential oils, carbohydrates, sugars, alkaloid of lepidine, a glycoside of a propsolin, fat oils and flavonoids.

Useful properties of a garden cress at the regular use guarantee appetite improvement, reduction in norm of blood pressure, removal of slags and toxins, digestion regulation. Traditional medicine applies salad already long time as anti-inflammatory and fortifying drug.

Also its wound healing, expectorant, diuretic, antisclerotic and calming properties are noted. And here thanks to antioxidant properties the garden cress is capable to struggle with depressions and to improve a dream.

The official medicine began to recommend to include a garden cress in a diet quite recently, explaining such decision with the fact that with its help it is possible to warn a set of eye diseases, and also to lower a possibility of development of cancer.

Traditional medicine recommends to use garden cress leaves at treatment of burns, ulcers, wounds and skin diseases, and also catarrhal diseases, joint pains and cholelithiasis.

The garden cress is applied also as supportive application at treatment of oncological diseases and prostatitis. Folk healers recommended to men to accept immature seeds of a plant or their spirit tincture in food, was considered that thanks to it it is possible to increase sexual activity considerably.

The modern medicine notes existence in a garden cress of substances which provide to structure of blood cells integrity, and it means that at the use of salad the probability of development of cancer cells considerably decreases.

From roots, leaves and seeds of a garden cress prepare various infusions, broths and tinctures. And, using the dried leaves, do oil. For effective treatment of pustules and eels gruel from the crushed salad greens which are imposed is used and fix bandages on affected areas.

Fresh juice of a garden cress helps from dandruff, for this purpose it needs to be rubbed in head skin. At addition of juice in water at acceptance of a bathtub it is possible to get rid of many skin problems.

It is inside recommended to use a garden cress at a peeling and erubescences, a mastopathy, hypostases and prostatitis. The procedure will be the most effective if along with it to do compresses with the crushed greens on problem sites.

Salad finds application and at cold in the form of mustard plasters where instead of mustard it is necessary to use the powder made of garden cress seeds.

For external use it is used or ointment which is prepared from seeds, or the oil prepared with use of seeds. Ointment can be prepared and independently from roots or the dried-up garden cress leaves which need to be pounded in powder and to mix in the ratio 1:3 with vaseline or fat, and here oil will need to be bought. Instead of salad juice broths and infusions which prepare both from dry, and from fresh leaves perfectly will approach. To prepare infusion, it is necessary to take 2 tablespoons of dry and 3 tablespoons of fresh leaves, and then to fill in them with a glass of boiled water. In two hours which this mix will spend in a thermos or the warm place infusion is ready.

For broth leaves of a garden cress need to be brought to boiling on weak fire to boil minutes 5-7, and then to cool. It is necessary to accept such broth cooled on a third of a glass if uneasiness or sleeplessness torments. Hot broth will be useful at a severe cough or bronchitis.

It is noted that at daily consumption of a garden cress it is possible to improve a dream and to reduce destructive action of stresses by an organism. High content of iodine in salad will be able to support normal work of a thyroid gland, and also to prevent development of various endocrine diseases. In a combination of salad with juice the diets promoting weight reduction will be rather effective.

For prevention of various tooth diseases it is recommended to eat young greens or germinated seeds of salad daily.

Useful properties of a garden cress in cosmetology for which both juice of a plant, and its oil is suitable are rather widely used.

Long since salad is used also in cookery, especially it was chosen by cooks of Western Europe.

Harm garden cress

Harm of this plant is practically not known, but it is noted that negative effects can be nevertheless in case of individual rejection of a product, it can be expressed in the most various allergic reactions.