After analyzing 41 fruits and vegetables to find out which one provided the most nutrients, North American scientists found the product with the most health benefits.
There are countless foods that provide the nutrients and properties that our body needs on a daily basis, but We often don’t know which ones are healthiest . This is why the William Paterson University in New Jersey he made a study of fruits and vegetables, giving surprising results, since it was found that the healthiest product for humans is the one that is consumed the least.
All the foods have different contributions, Thank you to your vitamins, minerals and proteins, among others, even if there are some who they benefit our body more due to the quantities of these elements or the calories they contain, which makes them perfect to include in our diet. Experts have found that green leafy vegetables give the best results to the human body. they therefore recommend consuming them more regularly.
Researchers calculated the “nutrient density” of 41 fruits and vegetables this according to daily needs, depending on a diet of 2000 calories per day. The food received a score of 100 points, so it was ranked first on this list. watercress, considered the healthiest product .
According to the results published by the Centers for Disaster Control and Prevention (CDC), watercress is a source of iron, calcium and vitamin C , as well as minerals and antioxidants. In addition, it strengthens the immune system because it contains vitamin C and A also helps the bones with the amount of calcium, potassium and magnesium that he possesses, and finally the vitamin K prevents cell damage in the brain. As if that were not enough, it is also given preventive properties against cancer thanks to its oxidants.
Meanwhile, research has also established that consuming 100 calories of watercress covers the 100% of daily nutritional requirements . Another advantage of its consumption is that it is very economical and can be found in most fairs and supermarkets. Likewise, it is possible to plant it at home, so specialists recommend integrating it into the diet as quickly as possible.

This study managed to dethrone kale as the healthiest food in the world, handing the crown to a new superfood: watercress, which, due to its many health benefits, this dark green plant tops the scientific journal’s ranking Prevent chronic diseases.
Watercress is an aquatic plant that grows wild in rivers, ditches and clean water sources. It is closely related to cabbage, kale, radishes and mustard. Its scientific name Nasturtium officinale and translates to “clumsy-nosed” in Latin because of its flavor.
It is a fleshy plant, barely two palms high, which usually also appears lying on the surface of the water. Watercress leaves are more similar to basil in size or smaller, but It has an intense, bitter and even slightly spicy flavor, which gives a very particular taste to foods.

Watercress attracted all the attention, obtaining a score of 100 out of 100 due to its concentration of vitamins and minerals essential to health. Common superfoods included spinach, chard and beet greens, which scored between 80 points. But the only one that managed to get a perfect score was watercress.
This superfood is characterized by being extremely rich in nutrients and although its flavor is not its greatest strength, it is beneficial to include it in the menu because it provides vitamins A, C, E, folate, thiamine, calcium, iron, potassium and phosphorus. To put things into perspective, watercress contains more vitamin A and potassium than regular lettuce and contains more vitamin C than an orange.
“There are many health benefits of watercress,” Dr. Amy Lee, director of nutrition at Nucific, told the portal. Prevention . Watercress helps case of anemia to nourish pregnant women thanks to its high content of iron and folic acid, improves kidney health takes care of the skin, prevents hair loss, fights constipation, strengthens the immune system and prevents diseases such as lung cancer and the esophagus.
Additionally, watercress is good for the heart because it contains antioxidants, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin and lutein. It should be noted that low levels of these carotenoids in humans are associated with heart disease and high blood pressure, making their consumption essential.

Studies have also shown that they reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, and their consumption improves blood vessel health by reducing inflammation and decreasing stiffness and thickness.
Despite all these benefits, the only downside is that it can be difficult to find. So if you manage to get your hands on watercress, you better stock up so you can include it in your diet. Anyway, later We explain how to grow them at home, but first, how to cook them?
The healthiest food according to science: How to cook it?
Dr Lee told Prevention that young watercress shoots have a milder flavor and hollow, tender stems, so The ideal is to use them for raw preparations such as adding them to salads or in the same way you would use coriander or parsley.
However, ripe watercress becomes more difficult to handle, acquiring a much more intense and spicy flavor, with tough and fibrous stems, so they must be cooked so that they pass through the palate.
Dr. Lee says it’s important not to overcook them: “The longer you cook vegetables, the more vitamins leach out,” she says. “It seeps into the cooking liquid and all that’s left are the vegetables and nothing else.” This should be a reasonable amount of time for, during cooking, some of the fibrous stems to break down and help produce more bioavailable nutrients.
At Qué Pasa we leave you with some ideas for cooking the healthiest foods in the world:
- Sauteed watercress: Heat a little oil in a pan, add the watercress and fry quickly until slightly wilted. You can add garlic, peppers or even strips of ham for more flavor.
- Watercress pasta: Cook your favorite pasta and, in a separate pan, brown the watercress with the garlic and olive oil. Mix the cooked pasta with the sautéed watercress and add the grated parmesan and chopped walnuts.
- Watercress soup: You can prepare a delicious watercress soup. Brown the onion and garlic in a saucepan, add the vegetable stock, potatoes and watercress. Cook until the potatoes are tender, then stir the mixture into a smooth soup. Add cream if you want a creamier touch.

- Green smoothies: Add watercress to your green smoothies to increase their nutritional value. Mix watercress with fruits like apples, pears, bananas and a little water or milk to create a healthy and refreshing drink.
- Tortillas and omelettes: Add watercress to your tortillas or omelettes for a boost of flavor and added nutrition. Mix the watercress with the eggs before cooking.
- Fillings: Use watercress in filling empanadas, savory tarts or wraps. Combine them with other ingredients like cheese, chicken, mushrooms and more.
- Dressings and sauces: Puree watercress with olive oil, lemon, garlic and walnuts for a watercress vinaigrette that can add flavor to your dishes. You can also create watercress sauces by mixing them with yogurt or sour cream.
- Broths and stews: Add watercress to stocks, stews or slow cooker dishes to add unique flavor and nutrients to your preparations.
The healthiest food according to science: How to grow it?
Growing watercress at home is relatively simple, as they are plants that grow quickly and do not require a lot of space. At Qué Pasa, we explain how to do it:
Materials needed:
- watercress seeds
- Pots or containers
- Soil or growing medium
- Water
- Sunlight or artificial light

Steps to grow watercress at home:
- Choice of seeds: Purchase watercress seeds from a local nursery or online. You can opt for varieties of watercress with large or small leaves depending on your preferences.
- Choice of container: Watercress can be grown in pots, growing trays or even shallow trays. Make sure containers have drainage holes at the bottom to allow water to drain out.
- Preparation of the support: Fill the containers with potting soil or vegetable growing medium. The substrate must be light and well drained.
- Sowing seeds : Space the watercress seeds evenly across the surface of the substrate. Then press them lightly so that they come into contact with the substrate, but do not bury them too deeply, as watercress is small seeds.
- Irrigation: Water the seeds thoroughly after sowing, making sure the soil is moist but not soggy. Keep the substrate moist throughout the germination and growth process.
- Light: Watercress needs light to grow properly. Place the containers in an area that gets indirect sunlight or use grow lights if you don’t have access to direct sunlight.
- Care and maintenance : As the watercress grows, continue to keep the substrate moist and make sure it gets enough light. You can fertilize occasionally with a balanced fertilizer according to the product instructions.
- Harvest: Watercress grows quickly and is usually ready to harvest within a few weeks. You can harvest the outer leaves as they grow, leaving the inner leaves to continue growing.
- Replant: If the watercress becomes too dense in the container, you can replant some of the plants in another container to give them more room to grow.
- Continuous harvest: As you harvest the outer leaves, the watercress will continue to produce new leaves. This will allow you to benefit from a constant supply of fresh watercress.
Watercress prefers cool temperatures and does not tolerate intense heat. If it’s very hot, you may need to provide shade during the hottest parts of the day.
Source: Latercera

I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.