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Add potting soil to any container with drainage holes, wet the soil, scatter watercress seeds on top and press down lightly. Cover container with plastic wrap if air is dry. Once the seeds sprout, keep soil moist at all times. Trim the watercress when it’
How watercress revs thyroid
It speeds away toxins
1It’s possible to absorb trace amounts of toxins from just about anything we eat, drink, touch or inhale—and University of Michigan research shows that if these toxins aren’t expelled quickly enough, they reduce production of thyroid hormones by up to 10%. Luckily, sulfur-rich watercress helps our bodies make glutathione, a compound that is “the most critical part of your natural detoxification system,” per Cleveland Clinic’s Mark Hyman, M.D. “All toxins stick onto glutathione and are then carried out of your body.” Watercress’s ability to amp glutathione production is a key reason even a small daily serving of the green has been shown to dramatically increase toxin elimination. Bonus: Glutathione helps protect your thyroid from autoimmune attacks that can lead to the most common types of thyroid disease.
2It soothes sugar damage
Another culprit that slows thyroids: Chronic inflammation throughout our systems caused largely by processed food and the constant blood- sugar spikes it triggers. Recent university fi ndings show that the more inflammation a woman has, the less thyroid hormone she produces. What role does watercress play? It was recently ranked as the number- one nutrient powerhouse among all fruits and vegetables, providing more proven anti-infl ammatories like vitamin C, vitamin K and carotenoid antioxidants than any other produce!
Grow your own watercress!
3It’s packed with iodine
European research has proven that our thyroids can’t do their jobs without iodine—and many of us don’t get enough of the mineral. “Watercress is super high in iodine,” says thyroid expert and Hormone Boost author Natasha Turner, N.D. And unlike bloat-triggering iodized salt, watercress delivers iodine while fi ghting bloat. Dr. Turner adds that watercress is “also rich in vitamins A and C, which are essential for thyroid hormone production.”