May promote heart health

Because of their balanced ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids, garden cress seeds may enhance heart health. Garden cress seeds are high in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3, and linolenic acid (LA), an omega-6. Both are necessary fatty acids that the body cannot produce, thus they must be obtained through diet or supplementation. ALA and LA are also used by the body to produce important fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), albeit the body's capacity to convert these fatty acids into EPA and DHA is limited.

The normal Western diet is richer in omega-6s than omega-3s, resulting in chronic inflammation. In fact, omega-6-rich diets may diminish omega-3 anti-inflammatory effects. Although the exact link between these fatty acids is unknown, maintaining a healthy ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s is critical for lowering your risk of heart disease. This is because of the way this ratio affects inflammation. ALA has been demonstrated in animal experiments to prevent cardiac damage and cell death when there is the insufficient blood supply to the heart.