Watercress, raw
Checked by us One serving: 85 g (about 2½ cups chopped) · 9 kcal
Lots of vitamin K1 and vitamin C.
Not tested for contaminants yet. Mind where it grew: raw watercress can carry liver flukes.
On warfarin? Keep your vitamin K steady.
Good for
How we counted this
What one serving (85 g) gives you.
Your body needs enough of each of these. Past enough, more doesn’t help. Amounts are what the food databases list, not what your body absorbs, unless a row says it was measured.
The words: “A lot” means one serving gives 20% or more of Health Canada’s daily amount, “Some” 10% to 19%, “A little” 2% to 9%, “Almost none” under 2%. Strongest word first; within a word, protein and fibre lead, then the biggest share. ?
A milligram (mg) is a thousandth of a gram, and a microgram (µg) a thousandth of a milligram: 1,000 µg make 1 mg.
- A lot
Vitamin K1
Your blood needs it to clot.
Learn more
213 µg in one serving: 178% of the 120 µg a day men need, 237% of the 90 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin K fact sheet for health professionals
- A lot
Vitamin C
Your body makes collagen with it, which wounds need to heal. It also helps you absorb iron from plants.
Learn more
36.6 mg in one serving: 41% of the 90 mg a day men need, 49% of the 75 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin C fact sheet for health professionals
20 more nutrients below “a lot”
- Some
Vitamin A
Your eyes need it to see in dim light.
Learn more
Getting enough matters; more than enough doesn’t sharpen your sight.
136 µg in one serving: 15% of the 900 µg a day men need, 19% of the 700 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin A fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Calcium
Builds your bones and teeth.
Learn more
102 mg in one serving: 10% of the 1,000 mg a day.
Listed amount only. 1 absorption study of this nutrient is on file for this food, but none is quoted yet. Each one is in The numbers, with the reason. See the studies
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, calcium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin B6
Helps you use protein, and your brain needs it to make its chemical messengers.
Learn more
0.11 mg in one serving: 8% of the 1.3 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B6 fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Potassium
Your nerves, muscles and kidneys need it to work.
Learn more
281 mg in one serving: 8% of the 3,400 mg a day men need, 11% of the 2,600 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, potassium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Riboflavin (B2)
Your cells use it to make energy and handle fats. It also helps turn tryptophan into niacin and activate vitamin B6.
Learn more
0.1 mg in one serving: 8% of the 1.3 mg a day men need, 9% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, riboflavin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Thiamin (B1)
Your cells use it to get energy from food, and so to grow and work.
Learn more
0.08 mg in one serving: 7% of the 1.2 mg a day men need, 7% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, thiamin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin E
Shields the fats in your cells from damage; your immune system uses it too.
Learn more
0.85 mg in one serving: 6% of the 15 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin E fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Magnesium
Your muscles and nerves need it to work.
Learn more
17.9 mg in one serving: 4% of the 400 mg a day men need, 6% of the 310 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents)
More than 400 of your enzymes need it to work.
Learn more
0.6 mg in one serving: 4% of the 16 mg a day men need, 4% of the 14 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, niacin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Protein
Your muscles, and every other tissue, are built and repaired from it.
Learn more
1.95 g in one serving: 3% of the 56 g a day men need, 4% of the 46 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- A little
Folate
Your body needs it to make DNA and to divide new cells.
Learn more
7.65 µg in one serving: 2% of the 400 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, folate fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Choline
Your cells need it for their membranes, and to make acetylcholine, a messenger for memory, mood and muscle control.
Learn more
7.65 mg in one serving: 1% of the 550 mg a day men need, 2% of the 425 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, choline fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Selenium
Your thyroid uses it to make its hormones.
Learn more
0.77 µg in one serving: 1% of the 55 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, selenium fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Omega-3: ALA
The one omega-3 your body can’t make: it must come from food. Your cells build it into their membranes and burn it for energy.
Learn more
19.6 mg in one serving: 1% of the 1,600 mg a day men need, 2% of the 1,100 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Fibre
Keeps your gut moving.
Learn more
0.43 g in one serving: 1% of the 38 g a day men need, 2% of the 25 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- Almost none
Iron
Carries oxygen in your blood.
Learn more
0.17 mg in one serving: 2% of the 8 mg a day men need, 1% of the 18 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, iron fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Zinc
Your immune system and healing wounds depend on it.
Learn more
0.09 mg in one serving: 1% of the 11 mg a day men need, 1% of the 8 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, zinc fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Omega-3: EPA + DHA
Long-chain omega-3s, built into your cell membranes. DHA is concentrated in your brain and retinas.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 250 mg a day.
Health Canada sets no daily amount for these fats, so the daily figure here is the European Food Safety Authority’s.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin B12
Your body needs it to make red blood cells and keep nerves working.
Learn more
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 2.4 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B12 fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin D
Your body needs it to absorb calcium and keep your bones hard.
Learn more
Your skin also makes it in sunlight, so food is only one of its sources.
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 15 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals
How to handle it
Raw watercress can carry liver flukes. The CDC’s advice: don’t eat it raw, especially from grazing land in places where the infection occurs.
Learn more
Source: CDC, About Fasciola (liver flukes)
How we got this
Handling advice, not a concentration: CDC advice is not to eat raw watercress and other freshwater plants, especially from areas where livestock feed on land covered by grass. Applies to where the plants grew, not to the species as such. The advice on cooking is not on the CDC Fasciola page; WHO's trematode fact sheet lists uncooked freshwater plants as a risk factor.
CDC. About Fasciola (Liver Flukes). Page dated 2024-02-14. · grade A
Watch out
How we counted this
How to handle it, just above: Mind where it grew
For some people
Person-specific, worded as the label puts it: keep vitamin K intake consistent; the label also warns against drastic changes 'such as eating large amounts of green leafy vegetables'. Not 'avoid'.
Learn more
Eat a steady amount, not none. This line goes on every food whose serving gives 10% or more of the daily vitamin K; a few foods below that carry it too, where a source names them. One serving here has about 213 µg of vitamin K1.
Worth knowing
No limit applies, so none is rated.
Sugar
0.2 g of sugar in a 85 g serving, natural and added together.
Learn more
Shown, not rated. The food tables we read give total sugar, and few give added sugar, so the site can’t yet tell sugar added in making a food from the sugar in fruit or milk.
Also checked (nothing to act on) · 4
Noted for context, or not measured in this food yet.
Not measured in this food yet. Not rated: no measured cadmium value for watercress has been found yet. None is borrowed from lettuce, spinach or a food category.
Context only. The study abstract names no compound (the link to phenethyl isothiocyanate does not come from a source read); no agency basis and no drug label naming watercress was found, so no flag. A 2002 study found no important effect on how fast alcohol is cleared.
Not measured in this food yet. Not rated: no measured lead value for watercress has been found yet. None is borrowed from another food.
Shown as context, never scored: 85 g x 136 mg/kg = 11.6 mg, 4.5% of the acceptable daily intake (3.7 mg/kg body weight/day x 70 kg = 259 mg). The mean of 136 is far above the median of 12, so a few high samples drive it (n = 25).
Better options
How we counted this
“Better” here always means better at something the row names: more of one nutrient, more nutrients per serving, or the goal you pick. It never means better in every way.
Every amount below is for the same weight, 85 g, the size of one serving of this food, so a swap compares like with like. A serving of another food can be bigger or smaller.
A food is listed only if it gives clearly more: at least a fifth more than this food, and at least 10% of the daily amount more.
More of what it’s good for
More vitamin K1
Kale, cooked355 µg in 85 g (this food: 213 µg) · but less vitamin C
Turnip greens, cooked312 µg in 85 g (this food: 213 µg) · but less vitamin C
More vitamin C
Red pepper, raw109 mg in 85 g (this food: 36.6 mg) · but less vitamin K1
Green pepper, raw84.6 mg in 85 g (this food: 36.6 mg) · but less vitamin K1
Amounts as listed, not adjusted for how much gets in.
More nutrients per serving, counted together
The other vegetables we’ve checked with more nutrients per serving than this one, counting at most 100 kcal. One score ranks them all, so the same few often lead.
- Turnip greens, cooked
- More vitamin K1 (312 µg vs 213 µg)
- More folate (100 µg vs 7.65 µg)
- More vitamin A (324 µg vs 136 µg)
- Less vitamin C (23.3 mg vs 36.6 mg)
- Kale, cooked
- More vitamin K1 (355 µg vs 213 µg)
- More omega-3: ALA (286 mg vs 19.6 mg)
- More folate (55.3 µg vs 7.65 µg)
- Less vitamin C (15.1 mg vs 36.6 mg)
Brussels sprouts, cooked- More vitamin C (52.7 mg vs 36.6 mg)
- More folate (51 µg vs 7.65 µg)
- Less vitamin K1 (119 µg vs 213 µg)
- Less vitamin A (33.2 µg vs 136 µg)
Where the calcium card measured that less calcium gets in than from milk, calcium counts for less; everything else is as listed.
Your goal
Your goal changes only this list, not what the food gives you or what to watch.
Losing weight: fewer calories, and more nutrients, protein and fibre for each calorie.
Spinach, cooked would lead this list, but it’s left out (Cadmium: go easy · lots of oxalate, more than its own calcium can bind).
Building muscle: more protein and more calories, per 100 g. In a typical diet most protein comes from other foods; among vegetables, these help most.
Green peas, cooked5.2 g protein · 78 kcal per 100 g
Broccoli, cooked3.1 g protein · 28 kcal per 100 g- Kale, cooked2.9 g protein · 36 kcal per 100 g
Why some foods aren’t suggested
Left out: Mustard greens, cooked (not tested for contaminants yet).
Left out: Spinach, cooked (Cadmium: go easy · lots of oxalate, more than its own calcium can bind).
Left out: Edamame, cooked (not tested for contaminants yet).
Bring a tracker export or describe your usual week. The same rules check all of it.
The numbers
Open every value
Name in the database: Watercress, raw
How the serving was set: 85 g (Health Canada V.1, vegetables without sauce: fresh or frozen)
Listed nutrients, per 100 g
For each nutrient, the value this page uses is marked “used”. A row marked “second database” is another database’s figure for a matching food, kept so you can see how far databases disagree (they can differ in the samples analysed, lab methods and rounding). Its own cells are worked out from it, but none of the page’s words or scores are.
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omega-3: ALA | 0.023 g | 0.02 g | 0.21 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Calcium | 120 mg | 102 mg | 1,090.91 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 24 mg | 20.4 mg | 218.18 mg | second database · not used · 5× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| 120 mg | 102 mg | 1,090.91 mg | copy of USDA · not used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #2276 | C | |
| Carbohydrate | 1.29 g | 1.1 g | 11.73 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Choline | 9 mg | 7.65 mg | 81.82 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Energy | 11 kcal | 9.35 kcal | – | FDC Energy (kcal) used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) | – |
| Omega-3: EPA + DHA | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Fat | 0.1 g | 0.09 g | 0.91 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 3.8 g | 3.23 g | 34.55 g | second database · not used · 38× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.027 g | 0.02 g | 0.25 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Fibre | 0.5 g | 0.43 g | 4.55 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 5.1 g | 4.33 g | 46.36 g | second database · not used · 10.2× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Folate | 9 µg | 7.65 µg | 81.82 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 20 µg | 17 µg | 181.82 µg | second database · not used · 2.2× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Iron | 0.2 mg | 0.17 mg | 1.82 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 0.49 mg | 0.42 mg | 4.45 mg | second database · not used · 2.4× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Magnesium | 21 mg | 17.85 mg | 190.91 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 27 mg | 22.95 mg | 245.45 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents) | 0.7 mg | 0.6 mg | 6.36 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #2276 | C |
| Phosphorus | 60 mg | 51 mg | 545.45 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 57 mg | 48.45 mg | 518.18 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Potassium | 330 mg | 280.5 mg | 3,000 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 389 mg | 330.65 mg | 3,536.36 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Protein | 2.3 g | 1.95 g | 20.91 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 2.1 g | 1.79 g | 19.09 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.12 mg | 0.1 mg | 1.09 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 0.03 mg | 0.03 mg | 0.27 mg | second database · not used · 4× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Selenium | 0.9 µg | 0.77 µg | 8.18 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Sodium | 41 mg | 34.85 mg | 372.73 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 2 mg | 1.7 mg | 18.18 mg | second database · not used · 20.5× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Sugars | 0.2 g | 0.17 g | 1.82 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 4.6 g | 3.91 g | 41.82 g | second database · not used · 23× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.09 mg | 0.08 mg | 0.82 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 0.03 mg | 0.03 mg | 0.27 mg | second database · not used · 3× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Vitamin A | 160 µg | 136 µg | 1,454.55 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.129 mg | 0.11 mg | 1.17 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 0.09 mg | 0.08 mg | 0.82 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Vitamin C | 43 mg | 36.55 mg | 390.91 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 3 mg | 2.55 mg | 27.27 mg | second database · not used · 14.3× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Vitamin E | 1 mg | 0.85 mg | 9.09 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 0.75 mg | 0.64 mg | 6.82 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Vitamin K1 | 250 µg | 212.5 µg | 2,272.73 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Water | 95.11 g | 80.84 g | 864.64 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 83.9 g | 71.32 g | 762.73 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Zinc | 0.11 mg | 0.09 mg | 1 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 0.2 mg | 0.17 mg | 1.82 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C |
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta-carotene | 1,914 µg | 1,626.9 µg | 17,400 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 94 µg | 79.9 µg | 854.55 µg | second database · not used · 20.4× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Copper | 0.077 mg | 0.07 mg | 0.7 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 0.09 mg | 0.08 mg | 0.82 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Ash | 1.2 g | 1.02 g | 10.91 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Caffeine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Theobromine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Energy | 46 kj | 39.1 kj | 418.18 kj | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Vitamin A, IU | 3,191 iu | 2,712.35 iu | 29,009.09 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Carotene, alpha | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units | 0 iu | 0 iu | 0 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Folic acid | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Folate, food | 9 µg | 7.65 µg | 81.82 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Folate, DFE | 9 µg | 7.65 µg | 81.82 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Tryptophan | 0.03 g | 0.03 g | 0.27 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Threonine | 0.133 g | 0.11 g | 1.21 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Isoleucine | 0.093 g | 0.08 g | 0.85 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Leucine | 0.166 g | 0.14 g | 1.51 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Lysine | 0.134 g | 0.11 g | 1.22 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Methionine | 0.02 g | 0.02 g | 0.18 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Cystine | 0.007 g | 0.01 g | 0.06 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Phenylalanine | 0.114 g | 0.1 g | 1.04 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Tyrosine | 0.063 g | 0.05 g | 0.57 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Valine | 0.137 g | 0.12 g | 1.25 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Arginine | 0.15 g | 0.13 g | 1.36 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Histidine | 0.04 g | 0.03 g | 0.36 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Alanine | 0.137 g | 0.12 g | 1.25 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Aspartic acid | 0.187 g | 0.16 g | 1.7 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Glutamic acid | 0.19 g | 0.16 g | 1.73 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Glycine | 0.112 g | 0.1 g | 1.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Proline | 0.096 g | 0.08 g | 0.87 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Serine | 0.06 g | 0.05 g | 0.55 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Vitamin E, added | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Fatty acids, total trans | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| SFA 4:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| SFA 6:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| SFA 8:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| SFA 10:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| SFA 12:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| SFA 14:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.024 g | 0.02 g | 0.22 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.003 g | 0 g | 0.03 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| MUFA 18:1 | 0.006 g | 0.01 g | 0.05 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| PUFA 18:2 | 0.012 g | 0.01 g | 0.11 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.023 g | 0.02 g | 0.21 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.002 g | 0 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 0.008 g | 0.01 g | 0.07 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 0.035 g | 0.03 g | 0.32 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 5,767 µg | 4,901.95 µg | 52,427.27 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| Manganese | 0.244 mg | 0.21 mg | 2.22 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 0.43 mg | 0.37 mg | 3.91 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Niacin (B3, preformed) | 0.2 mg | 0.17 mg | 1.82 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 0.3 mg | 0.26 mg | 2.73 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.31 mg | 0.26 mg | 2.82 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 0.11 mg | 0.09 mg | 1 mg | second database · not used · 2.8× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C | |
| Retinol | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170068 | C |
| 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #13-669 | C |
Change the amount to rescale the first column. Nutrients a database doesn't list are missing, not zero.
Absorption studies
Studies of how much of a nutrient gets in; those done in animals are marked. This page quotes a figure only from a study that passes our screen: adults, graded A, of this food in this preparation, with a test dose on record and a source that has passed our evidence check. The exception is calcium on our calcium card: its figure comes from the card’s own study, checked with the card, and is marked “used” even where that study misses a step of this screen. The others are listed so nothing is hidden, each with the first check it fails.
No study of this food passes the screen yet, so no absorption figure is quoted.
| Study | Nutrient | Absorbed | Test dose | People | Grade | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairweather-Tait 1989: watercress soup not stated (no cultivar, origin or season for the soup; the rat label-validation used fresh watercress from Fobdown Farm, Hants, and the paper does not say the soup used the same source) · watercress soup, 250 g portion: watercress 66 g, parsnips 20 g, carrots 20 g, onions 20 g, potatoes 66 g, vegetable stock 58 g (Table 1). Overnight fast, then the soup; the subjects refrained from eating for a further 4 h. Not stated whether the watercress was cooked, how the soup was made or served, or its temperature full text read | Calcium | 27.4 % | 131 mg | 10 | A | Not used: it tested a different variety or form of the food. |
Hazard rows as the dataset rates them
- Cadmium · Not rated yet · Not rated: no measured cadmium value for watercress has been found yet. None is borrowed from lettuce, spinach or a food category. · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements
- Watercress PEITC and CYP2E1 · Context · Context only. The study abstract names no compound (the link to phenethyl isothiocyanate does not come from a source read); no agency basis and no drug label naming watercress was found, so no flag. A 2002 study found no important effect on how fast alcohol is cleared. · PubMed 9728894 · B
- Liver fluke (Fasciola) · Worth knowing · Handling advice, not a concentration: CDC advice is not to eat raw watercress and other freshwater plants, especially from areas where livestock feed on land covered by grass. Applies to where the plants grew, not to the species as such. The advice on cooking is not on the CDC Fasciola page; WHO's trematode fact sheet lists uncooked freshwater plants as a risk factor. · CDC 2024 · A
- Lead · Not rated yet · Not rated: no measured lead value for watercress has been found yet. None is borrowed from another food. · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements
- Nitrate · Context · Shown as context, never scored: 85 g x 136 mg/kg = 11.6 mg, 4.5% of the acceptable daily intake (3.7 mg/kg body weight/day x 70 kg = 259 mg). The mean of 136 is far above the median of 12, so a few high samples drive it (n = 25). · EFSA 2008 · A
- Vitamin K and warfarin · Worth knowing · Person-specific, worded as the label puts it: keep vitamin K intake consistent; the label also warns against drastic changes 'such as eating large amounts of green leafy vegetables'. Not 'avoid'. · US food database (USDA SR Legacy) · C
Oxalate, phytate and gut-tolerance measurements
- fodmap excess fructose: 0.04 g/100 g · fresh weight (mg/100 g fw in the paper) · fresh-cut aerial parts (stems and leaves), analysed the day of harvest (non-stored control) · grade B · Pinela 2016
- oxalate soluble: 8 (standard error 0.43) mg oxalic acid/100 g · fresh weight · as above · grade A · Abdelmoemin 2014
- oxalate soluble: 6 (standard error 0.54) mg oxalic acid/100 g · fresh weight · as above · grade A · Abdelmoemin 2014
- oxalate soluble: ND (not detected), n = 1 mg/100 g · fresh weight · not stated · grade B · Foods 2023
- oxalate total: 14 (standard error 0.76) mg oxalic acid/100 g · fresh weight · fresh edible parts, washed and cut, vacuum-dried at 28 C for analysis, expressed on fresh weight; no cooking described · grade A · Abdelmoemin 2014
- oxalate total: 15 (standard error 0.74) mg oxalic acid/100 g · fresh weight · as above · grade A · Abdelmoemin 2014
- oxalate total: ND (not detected), n = 1 mg/100 g · fresh weight · not stated · grade B · Foods 2023
Sources
- Abdel-Moemin AR 2014 (oxalate in green beans, watercress)
abdelmoemin2014· abstract only · Publisher copyright (journal article) - CDC. About Fasciola (Liver Flukes). Page dated 2024-02-14.
cdc-fasciola-2024· page · US government work (public domain) - Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File 2026 (14th edition)
cnf-2026· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - Public Health England, Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID) 2021
cofid-2021· dataset · Open Government Licence v3.0 - EFSA CONTAM Panel (2008) Nitrate in vegetables. EFSA Journal 689 · doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2008.689
efsa-2008-nitrate· full text read · EFSA Journal: CC BY-ND 4.0 - USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, 2018-04
fdc-sr-legacy-2018-04· dataset · CC0 1.0 (public domain) - Oxalate in Foods: Extraction Conditions, Analytical Methods, Occurrence, and Health Implications. Foods 2023;12(17):3201 (Table 5, ref [1] = Honow R, Hesse A. Food Chem 2002; 78:511-521). · doi:10.3390/foods12173201 · PMID 37685134
foods2023-oxalate-review· full text read · CC BY (MDPI open access) - Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites)
hc-tds-trace-elements· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - Pinela J, Barreira JCM, Barros L, Cabo Verde S, Antonio AL, Carvalho AM, Oliveira MBPP, Ferreira ICFR. Suitability of gamma irradiation for preserving fresh-cut watercress quality during cold storage. Food Chem 2016 (volume and pages not captured). · doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.03.050
pinela-2016-foodchem· full text read · accepted manuscript, repository copy - Fairweather-Tait SJ, Johnson A, Eagles J, Ganatra S, Kennedy H, Gurr MI. Studies on calcium absorption from milk using a double-label stable isotope technique. Br J Nutr 1989;62(2):379-88. · doi:10.1079/bjn19890038 · PMID 2819021
pmid:2819021· full text read · Publisher copyright (Cambridge University Press) - Leclercq I, Desager JP, Horsmans Y. Inhibition of chlorzoxazone metabolism, a clinical probe for CYP2E1, by a single ingestion of watercress. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1998;64(2):144-9. · doi:10.1016/S0009-9236(98)90147-3 · PMID 9728894
pmid:9728894· abstract only · Publisher copyright
Body map 2026-10-25.1: each nutrient’s job comes from an agency fact sheet, linked beside it under Good for.
The plain words: “a lot” means one serving (100 g when the food has no serving size) gives at least 20% of the daily amount (the reference intake), “some” at least 10%, “a little” at least 2% (the cut-offs are ours, one set for every page: 20% and 10% are borrowed from the US labelling terms “high” and “good source” and applied to Health Canada’s daily amount, whereas Health Canada’s own shopper rule says 15%; provisional: they may change in a later method version). The daily amount is Health Canada’s Dietary Reference Intake for adults 19–30; where men and women need different amounts we use the higher one (protein: 56 g for men, 46 g for women). The percentage printed under each nutrient is the printed amount as a share of that daily amount, rounded to the nearest whole number, and the word is read from that percentage, so the amount, the percentage and the word always agree. Calcium with a measured absorption is scaled by how well it gets in compared with milk.
The scale: “Nothing to watch” means a serving a day stays under the limit at ordinary amounts; “Go easy” means a serving a day can push past the limit for adults who already take in the most, or fewer than 2 servings reach it; “Limit it” means once a week or less. The dataset’s own rating is under “How we got this”. Provisional: the scale may change in a later method version.
Measured absorption under Good for: grade-A studies in adults that tested this preparation of this food, as a share of the listed amount (the share digested, for protein), quoted once each source has passed our evidence check; animal studies and other variants stay in the table above. Provisional: this screen may change in a later method version.