Watercress: The Leading Powerhouse Plant
Tom Amery Managing Director
Why are we here? Watercress is one of the most sustainable crops in UK using water, sunlight & air Grown on dedicated farms with “beds� that go back to mid 19th Century
Historic popularity born from a health message Diverse uses across the world Easy availability
A market opportunity Historic research and ongoing studies Introduce you to our current projects 2
The gym project
#watercress
Gyms = innovative opportunity to promote watercress, all ages and demographics 80% of population have not heard of watercress or benefits Motivated to change & common goal of health & wellness Support with fitness ambassadors Ability to distribute 0.5m bags to consumers Simple but compelling message in the appropriate environment
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Why watercress?
Dr Lucy Williamson
Sports Nutrition - Demand for Natural, Sustainable & Functional Foods (Willett et al 2019)
ANTIOXIDANTS: combat Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress (Fogarty et a 2012) Generation Z & Millennials: driving naturally functional foods in Sport
(EU Monitor International 2019) Potential to fill nutrient-gaps of plant based eating (NDNS 2018) Watercress highest Antidepressant Food Score, ADS (La Chance et al 2018)
AGE 17
39 YEARS
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Why watercress? POOR APPETITES, DIFFICULTY CHEWING, NUTRIENT-MEDICINE INTERACTIONS
(LaChance et al 2018) Systematic Review: Watercress = highest Antidepressant Food Score , AFS
PLANT- BASED NUTRIENT GAPS
Young GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT:
Iron, Calcium, Vit A,C,K, Folate
Family
Older
PREGNANCY, FATIGUE & STRESS:
MALNUTRITION, VISION, CHRONIC DISEASE:
Iron, Folate, Calcium, Vit A,C, K, Antioxidants
Iron, Vit C, A, K Calcium, Antioxidants
All ages MENTAL HEALTH:
Iron Vit A,C Folate Gut Brain Axis
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Watercress - Nutrient profile1 ‘Naturally high in’ Protein, Vitamins C, A & K ‘Natural source of’ Vitamin E, Iron, Calcium, Folate & Fibre ‘Contains’ Bio-actives
‘Naturally low in’ Sugar & Salt Naturally low calorie 1(EU
EXCITING POTENTIAL! Glucosinolate & Flavanoid ANTIOXIDANTS, NITRATES
Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation)
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Watercress - Plant protein >50% of its energy comes from Protein Half its dry weight is Protein 3g Plant Protein/7g dry product (DP) = 8g Plant Protein/ 4 tsps DP
(Post exercise Protein intake recommendation: 20g) Key nutrients for sports recovery in addition to Plant Protein
Nutrition Claim: Watercress is naturally high in Protein Potential Application: Watercress Sports Recovery Drink
#FoodMattersLive2019 7
Watercress - Antioxidants High intensity Sport & Exercise-Induced oxidative damage Optimum ROS required by skeletal muscle for innate antioxidant adaptation Preference for natural phytochemicals vs supplements (Powers, 2016) High Intensity Exercise + prior regular Watercress intake DNA damage Tocopherol antioxidants (Vit E) Watercress: 2% (Control: 60%) Fogarty et al. 2012
Glucosinolate antioxidant (PEITC) preventing DNA damage Additional Flavonoid Antioxidant function
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3fN0GxDfkw
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Watercress - Vitamin C & A 100g Watercress = 55mg Vitamin C = 1 orange!
C
Cell energy extraction, Immune cell function, Antioxidant function & synthesis, Iron absorption Immune system – high energy requirement but Vit C also used to combat Oxidative Stress/ Cell damage so often compromised in high intensity/ endurance sport (Carr et al 2017) Enhances action of flavonoid antioxidants
A
Vitamin A - 100g watercress gives >50% daily requirement Antioxidant, Barrier immune function (URT/ GI), Iron absorption
Nutrition Claims: Watercress is naturally high in Vitamin C RNI = 45mg (Av. amount required, healthy adult) Watercress is naturally high in Vitamin A RNI = 300-600 units (RE)/day (WC has 420 RE/100g
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Watercress - Iron 54% Gen Z girls (11 -18y) not meeting lowest RNI for Iron (NDNS 2018)
Social media influence; keen on plant-Iron sources Watercress = Bioavailable source of plant iron (reduction action of Vitamin C) Importance for Gen Z/ Millennials: high nutrient demand - growth & development, maternal requirements longer term Nutrient gaps - Vegan/ Vegetarian food choices & food trends
Nutrition Claims: Watercress contains Iron & Bioavailable
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Watercress - Nitrates Nitrates in beetroot shown to be beneficial in sports performance Dietary nitrate has potential to enhance innate nitrous oxide for optimal oxygen usage during sport Optimum doses not yet established; research ongoing
Nutrition Claim: Watercress is high in Nitrates (Dominguez 2017)
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Watercress
Dr Lucy Williamson
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References
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Meet us at our Hub Spot in the Match Lounge!
References Willett, W., Rockström, J., Loken, B., et al. (2019). Food in the Anthropocene: The EAT–Lancet commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. The Lancet, 393(10170), 447-492. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31788-4 NDNS 2018 National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Results from Years 7-8 (combined) of the Rolling Programme (2014/15 to 2015/16) PHE publication gateway reference 2017851 Euromonitor International 2019: Global Trends, Drivers and Prospects in the Sports Nutrition Market LaChance, L.R., Ramsey, D., (2018) Antidepressant Foods: Am evidence-based nutrient profiling system for depression. World J psychiatry: (8) 97-104 Regulation EU No 1047/2012: Nutrient Claims
A BNF report for AHDB: A Brief guide to Nutrition and Health Claims in relation to watercress May 2018 Fogarty M.C., Hughes C.M., Burke G., Brown J.C., Davison G.W., (2013) Br J Nutr Jan 28;109(2):293-301. doi: 10.1017/S0007114512000992. Epub 2012 Apr 5. Acute and chronic watercress supplementation attenuates exercise-induced peripheral mononuclear cell DNA damage and lipid peroxidation. Powers S.K., Radak Z., Ji L.L., (2016) Exercise-induced oxidative stress: past, present and future. J Physiol Sep 15;594(18):5081-92. doi: 10.1113/JP270646. Epub 2016 Feb 19. Carr A.C., Maggini S., (2017) Vitamin C and Immune Function Nutrients (9) 1211; doi:10.3390/nu9111211 Dominguez R., et al (2017) Effects of Beetroot Juice Supplementation on Cardiorespiratory endurance in Athletes. A Systematic Review Nutrients: 9 (1) pii E43 Clifford T., et al ((2016) The effects of beetroot juice supplementation on indicesb of muscle damage following eccentric exercise Eur J Appl Physiol 116 (2) 353-62 Rankin A., O’Donavon C., Madigan S.M., O’Sullivan O., Cotter P.P., (2017) ‘Microbes in Sport’ - The potential role of the gut microbiota in athlete health and performance. Br J Sports Med 51: No 9 Valdes, A.M., Walter, J., Segal, F., Spector, T (2018) Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health British Medical Journal: 361 K2179
Reid.K., (2013) Performance Food: Promoting foods with a functional benefit in sports performance. Nutrition Bulletin 38: 429 - 437
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www.watercress.co.uk Thewatercresscompany.com @lovewatercress
Lucy Williamson BVM&S MRCVS DVM MSc Anutr Registered Nutritionist lwnutrition.co.uk info@lwnutrition.co.uk 07966298899