Watercress and chronic disease: what the evidence shows
What it found
In people, watercress extracts and fresh leaves improved cholesterol, oxidative stress and blood sugar markers in several small trials.
In animals and lab tests, watercress compounds slowed cancer cell growth and helped control diabetes.
What they found
Studies in people
Heart disease markers
In people who were overweight or had physical disabilities, a watercress leaf extract (SENO) taken for 5 weeks lowered LDL cholesterol, CRP and oxidative stress markers. In hemodialysis patients, a watercress leaf extract taken for 4 weeks lowered MDA and BUN and raised SOD activity.
Animal and lab studies
Cancer, in lab tests
Watercress extracts and a compound called PEITC killed melanoma, breast and liver cancer cells in lab dishes while leaving healthy cells mostly unharmed. In mice with colorectal cancer, nanoliposome-encapsulated watercress fractions improved gene regulation and intestinal health.
Studies in people and animals
Blood sugar and diabetes
In 60 diabetic patients, watercress showed antidiabetic effects. In diabetic rats, watercress extract lowered fasting glucose, HbA1c and lipids, and raised insulin levels.
Lung conditions
In asthmatic rats, watercress extract improved antioxidant enzymes and lung inflammation. In a 4-week trial of 60 adults with asthma, watercress extract lowered oxidative stress markers and raised antioxidant capacity.
Safety
In rats, watercress extract caused no signs of toxicity even at high doses. In human trials, 750 mg/kg/day for 5 weeks caused no side effects or signs of kidney or liver damage.
What the authors conclude
“Current evidence highlights watercress as a promising functional food with a lot of benefits in the context of noncommunicable diseases.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say watercress is a promising functional food with benefits for chronic diseases, thanks to its glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, flavonoids and nutrients.
- They call for further large-scale, long-term clinical trials to confirm the efficacy and safety of watercress supplementation in diverse populations and to clarify optimal intake levels.
- They suggest that integrating watercress into dietary strategies may offer an accessible and natural approach to reducing the global burden of non-communicable diseases.
How it was done
Non-communicable diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic lung conditions are the leading causes of death worldwide, and diet is a major factor. The authors wanted to see whether watercress, a nutrient-rich cruciferous vegetable, could help prevent or manage these conditions.
The authors gathered 88 publications from 2019 to March 2025, including 74 original articles, 10 reviews, 2 conference abstracts and 2 web pages. They looked at lab studies on cells, animal studies and human trials that tested watercress or its extracts.
What it can’t tell you
- Many of the human studies were small and short, and some looked at markers in the blood rather than actual disease outcomes.
- Most of the evidence for cancer and diabetes comes from animal or lab studies, which cannot show what happens in people.
- The review cannot prove that watercress prevents or treats any disease, only that it is linked to changes in some health markers.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by Chiang Mai University and University of Minnesota Research Collaborative, led by CMU's Re-search Institute for Health Sciences and UMN's Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility; Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand; Presidential Scholarship granted by Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.
- Authors work at
- Chiang Mai University, Thailand; Malawi College of Health Sciences, Malawi
The paper
- Title
- Watercress ( Nasturtium officinale ) as a Functional Food for Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention and Management: A Narrative Review
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Maluwa C, Zinan'dala B, Chuljerm H, Parklak W, Kulprachakarn K (2025). Watercress ( Nasturtium officinale ) as a Functional Food for Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention and Management: A Narrative Review. Life (Basel, Switzerland). doi:10.3390/life15071104Free full textPubMed 40724606DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error