西洋菜（Watercress），别名豆瓣菜、水蔊菜、水芥、水田芥等。
英國科學家說，西洋菜是新的超級食物，能夠防止某些類型的癌症。根據一項研究發表在英國營養學雜誌 “The British Journal of
Nutrition” : 本周一位以前治療乳腺癌的病人在吃三盎司西洋菜六至八個小時後，減少了關鍵腫瘤生長的因數。這項研究是由英國南安普敦總醫院的癌症研究中心醫學院進行的，結論是西洋菜可作為傳統藥物治療，代替常用的化療藥物三苯氧胺 (tamoxifen) 和赫賽汀 (herceptin)的治療。
研究還表示通過經常食用，西洋菜 "有一般賦予寶貴的保護，防治癌症的潛力"。有名氣的化科學家博士奎 Perricone指出 : "西洋菜能使細胞發送 <停止生長>的信號給血液去令到HIF1停止生長” 。
當 HIF1 變得不正確地規管時，會有機會令無害的細胞群集變成有侵略性的腫瘤，慢慢再病變而為癌症。Perricone 說："科學家一直在找尋一種抗血管生成劑，因為如果我們可以關閉血液的供應，我們可以殺死癌細胞。西洋菜似乎就是能做到這一點。”
2007 年 2 月在美國臨床營養雜誌 (The American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition in February of 2007) 刊登的另一項研究表明，西洋菜除了能減少 DNA的損傷，如果每日西洋菜劑量增加，可以進一步提高抗拒可能由自由基引起的 DNA 損傷細胞的能力。
在研究中，60 的男子和婦女，其中一半是吸煙者，每日如常飲食，每天再加上進食85克西洋菜，如是八個星期。在再做血液樣本分析時，得到結果 : 血漿抗氧化狀態和淋巴細胞的一種白血液細胞 DNA 的損傷都相對減低。證明西洋菜能大大減少淋巴細胞DNA 的損傷。
在古時羅馬、希臘和波斯都以西洋菜作為一種天然藥物，能治療偏頭痛、 貧血、 濕疹、 腎臟和肝臟疾病和肺結核病。
Watercress: The Miracle Food
Watercress is called Sai Yeong Choy or Xiyangcai in Cantonese,
meaning vegetable from the west.
UK Scientists say watercress is
the new super food, able to prevent certain types of cancer. According to a
study published this week in The British Journal of Nutrition, the consumption
of a three ounce portion of watercress reduced the presence of a key tumor
growth factor six to eight hours after eating the watercress in healthy
patients who had previously been treated for breast cancer. The study was
conducted by the Cancer Research Center at the School of Medicine, Southampton
General Hospital in the United Kingdom and concluded watercress is as
therapeutic as traditional drug treatments with tamoxifen & herceptin,
commonly used chemotherapy drugs.
The study also said that through
regular consumption, watercress "has the potential to confer valuable
protection against cancer in general." "Watercress has the ability to
turn off HIF1, a signal sent out by cells calling for blood supply…." said
noted aging scientist Dr. Nicholas Perricone.
When HIF1 becomes incorrectly
regulated, otherwise harmless precancerous clusters of cells have the
opportunity to grow to form invasive tumors. "Scientists have been looking
for anti-angiogenesis agents for years because if we can turn off the blood
supply, we can kill the cancer," said Perricone. "And it looks like
watercress can do that."
Another study published in The
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in February of 2007 showed that, in
addition to reducing DNA damage, a daily dose of watercress increased the
ability of cells to further resist DNA damage that may be caused by free
radicals.
In the study, 60 men and women,
half of whom were smokers, consumed their usual diet plus 85 grams of raw
watercress daily for eight weeks. Blood samples were analyzed for plasma
antioxidant status and DNA damage in lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell.
Watercress consumption significantly reduced lymphocyte DNA damage.
In the time of the Romans, Greeks
and Persians watercress was used as a natural medicine, prescribed for
migraines, anemia, eczema, kidney and liver disorder and tuberculosis.
