The eating of a popular leafy vegetable and garnish may be linked to surprising, debilitating health effects. These include mood swings, blotchy skin and headaches. A diet of larger amounts leads to tooth decay, kidney pain and desiccated testicles, according to a new study led by a Danish researcher.
The study, published Tuesday in The Journal of Nutritional Biotics, examined data of nearly 850 test subjects who consumed varying amounts of watercress over a six-month period.
The joint research team led by Dr. Mani Urynalfahrter, a professor at the University of Vollenhove in the department of gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition, and famous endocrinologist Dr. Tomace Emballs compared dietary intake levels of watercress in an attempt to correlate positive nutritional benefits. Instead, it quantified surprising ill effects that may shake health-conscious eaters to their core.
Data collected from 848 people, across 6 different groups of people in the United States and Ghana revealed a surprising result. Control subjects and those in the low consumption group, eating 225 grams (or approximately 8 oz.) of watercress weekly, experienced no discernible difference in health. However, when intake of watercress increased to just 400 grams (or 14 oz.) weekly, which is equivalent to about two bunches, a large variety of negative health effects were observed. Many test subjects reported skin issues and headaches, gastrointestinal distress and neurological disorders. Several persons in the higher dosage group of 4,000 grams (or 141 oz.) experienced dental abscess, back pain and shrunken scrotums in males.
One man enrolled in the research study at the Arizona site reported a serious adverse effect to the diet, experiencing anal leakage and bipolar disorder, before being hospitalized.
The authors of the study commented that more research was necessary to evaluate other risk factors, but said that, “those obsessed with a diet rich in watercress, should consider at least substituting some other leafy vegetable such as parsley”.
“Watercress Consumption and Negative Nutritional Biochemistry” Mani Urynalfahrter, Tomace Emballs, Gene Handi, Anthony Kipp, ‘Nutritional Biotics’, online May 29, 2017