Vitamin C, watercress its importance to health          

What does Vitamin C do?

Our bodies rely on Vitamin C to support our immune system, blood vessels, teeth, hair, skin, bones and nervous system; on top of this, our cells depend on it to convert fat to energy throughout the day. Unlike plants and other animals, humans can no longer produce their own stores of Vitamin C – this is something that has continued to mystify scientists as it appears to be a pivotal change in the genetic makeup of humans around 30 million years ago. As a result, food became the main source of Vitamin C to us hence The Age of Scurvy that plagued sailors in the 15th and 16th Centuries. In the USA, Vitamin C deficiency is the fourth most common nutrient deficiency.

Is watercress high in Vitamin C?

Watercress is a fabulous source of many nutrients, but it’s surprisingly high in Vitamin C - 80g of watercress gives you 50 mg of Vitamin C, more than the recommended daily amount of 45mg; 10mg more than in an orange of the same weight! (an 80g orange contains 40mg Vitamin C). This is great news! You can whizz up a smoothie for two, using 80g of British watercress, and you’ll benefit from even more Vitamin C than using a whole orange, not to mention its other antioxidants, iron, Vitamin A, good protein levels…. the list goes on. Check out the delicious smoothies tried and tested by TWC!

Why do we need Vitamin C?

Its properties are based on its ability to assist in many chemical reactions essential in our metabolism. It activates the enzymes required to make collagen – the basic building block of our skin, bones, teeth and hair. Enzyme activation by Vitamin C is also required to make hormones, particularly those which help us to respond to stress and to make neurotransmitters, the chemicals which send signals between nerve cells.

How does Vitamin C affect the immune system?

Vitamin C is well known for helping us resist infections like the common cold, but how?

Our immune system has a high demand for energy due to constant cell multiplication and their movement to wounds & cuts or to potential infection sites around the body. Vitamin C is pivotal here in providing this energy source through activating the enzyme, Carnitine, required in this process. Research has also demonstrated its essential role in enabling immune cells to kill bacteria and to recover afterwards and also in the chemical signalling pathway which attracts immune system cells to the area in the body that needs them.

Is Vitamin C a powerful antioxidant?

Then there’s its antioxidant role. Our everyday metabolism uses oxygen. By-products of this process are known as free radicals, which can cause damage to cells in a process known as Oxidative Stress. We produce antioxidants all the time in our cells which remove these radicals, keep our cells healthy and slow down the ageing process. Generally, our in-built antioxidants keep Oxidative Stress under control but if we’re exposed to stressors for a longer period of time which can happen for example during illness, with exposure to pollution, or during intense physical exercise, our antioxidant need is higher, therefore additional antioxidants from our food are always beneficial. We require Vitamin C to make many of our own antioxidants (the same goes for Vitamin E) but it also has its own antioxidant role.

Vitamin C is crucial from Sport to Senior years

The detail above explains why Individuals who are more susceptible to infection, or the effects of Oxidative Stress, or have a higher requirement for energy, have a high demand for Vitamin C. This is particularly the case for those doing intense physical exercise - Vitamin C being essential in maintaining optimal immune function during and after endurance sport, those with inflammatory illness such as Type 2 Diabetes and the elderly who are prone to nutrient deficiencies, especially iron.

Does Vitamin C help Iron absorption?

Watercress is a source of iron, actually containing more than spinach and other leafy greens. Unlike iron from meat and fish sources (known as haem iron) which is readily absorbed by the body, iron from plant sources (non-haem iron) has to be transformed by Vitamin C into the haem form before it can be absorbed. This is crucial for those following a vegetarian or vegan diet in order to prevent iron deficiency. Worryingly, our latest UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) shows nearly 50% of teenage girls to have an iron intake lower than the recommended daily amount. This age group has a particularly high demand for iron due to puberty and growth - with the trend towards more plant-based eating, understanding the need for Vitamin C in the diet becomes extremely important. So, watercress, being a rich source of vitamin C along with its iron content, is a fabulous leafy green to ensure iron absorption. Blitzing it in a smoothie is a great way to benefit from this whether young and enjoying more plant-based eating or elderly, susceptible to iron deficiency due to long term medications and in need of easy to swallow, nourishing food. Using delicious watercress smoothies to boost iron stores also avoids the nausea that can often be an undesirable side effect from iron supplements in those who are susceptible to deficiency.

It’s also worth noting that Vitamin C is not a stable vitamin – its levels start to decline with transport time, food preparation and cooking, as it’s water-soluble. Fortunately, The Watercress Company ensure their watercress is in transit for the shortest possible time, being less than two days from picking to supermarket shelf. Even the watercress they farm in Florida to supply our UK market through the winter, when we can’t grow it here, will have been harvested less than 3 days before it appears on our shelves…. Better still, the watercress is shipped using spare space on Virgin Atlantic planes!

For optimum health including gut health, a balanced diet should contain a good variety of many fruits and vegetables. However, adding watercress into your weekly shop, will go a long way to promoting your long-term health!