PURSLANE – IT’S NOT A WEED! IT’S AN UNRECOGNIZED, HEALTH-BOOSTING WONDER PLANT!

Today`s market is full with healthy food and super foods which will only make our lives easier and healthier. However, not many people are yet hooked on this healthy lifestyle. We are still trapped in this fast food tornado which makes it so much more difficult to choose broccoli over a hamburger.

The fast food marketing is so aggressive and many healthy sources are still kept in the shadow. People have improved so much during the decades, trying to eat more healthily, taking care of their wellbeing and choosing their food as responsibly as possible.

However we are still fighting with the humongous industry and wait for them to announce that some ingredient is healthy for us and beneficial and we forget to turn over the one, undying source Mother Nature.

Most of the food we grow in our garden is incredibly beneficial and we don`t need the USDA approval to eat it. Food can be curative or disastrous, we are the only ones responsible for our wellbeing and we should always have that in mind.

Our food sources should go beyond the market`s shelves and think outside the box, when it comes to food, you can always bring your touch into it. We should exploit nature as much as possible, in that way we will preserve the Planet and improve our health.

Introducing Purslane

Many are not even familiar with this weed, but in fact it`s not just a weed. We grow it in our gardens and yet we don`t know we even have it. Purslane orPortulaca oleracea was firstly cultivated in India and Persia, but nowadays it`s all over the place.

It has appealing leaves and sometimes yellow flowers, you have probably seen it grow somewhere on its own, but surely you have not known its health benefits and nutritional value.

You can also search it under fatweed, verdolagas, pussley, duckweed, wild portulaca and parsley and it`s not yet famous in North America, but it can grow everywhere and has a two-month growing season.

Even though many are mainly focusing on removing it from their yards, why not implementing it in your food. Once you try it, you won`t give up on it. It has a lemony taste and it`s crunchy, its leaves are good for sandwiches and you can even use it as a substitute for spinach.

It contains pectin, used for thickening stews and soups and this ingredient is also famous for lowering cholesterol, it creates a low-fat pesto without adding too much oil.This weed is slowly but safely taking its place in the kitchen, the writer of the New York Times, Marlena Spieler elaborated about the ways in which people use purslane:

In Mexico and California, verdolaga is eaten with pork and tomatillos; at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco, Steve Sando, owner of Rancho Gordo New World Specialty Food in Napa, tucks a few whole stems into his big fat carnitas and tomatillo tamal. Farmers in Provence sell pourpier in wild mesclun.

In Greece, little old ladies forage from field to field hunting glistrida, and in Turkey semizotu is mixed with garlicky yogurt and chopped into fetching salads with ripe tomatoes. In Galilee I was told that”regelah” was delicious in salads — regelah being Hebrew for foot, since purslane is a plant typically found right at your feet.

However, because of its look, people normally used it in a salad, fresh, stewed or maybe fried a little bit. Its taste is beautiful and you can easily fall in love with this weed, especially when you finish reading this article, find out about its health benefits and nutritional value. This weed definitely goes in the group of vegetables, small in size, but big in nutritional value and health benefits.

Health benefits of Purslane

1. Powerful antioxidant– rich in vitamin C, B-complex such as pyridoxine, carotenoids, riboflavin, niacin and minerals such as calcium, iron and magnesium. It is also full with two different types of betalain- a yellow beta-xanthins and alkaloid pigments (a red beta-cyanis), which are an enormous antioxidants and anti-mutagens. It is also rich in vitamin A, the vitamin crucial for vision which protects you from lung and oral cavity cancer.

2. Purslane contains omega-3 fatty acids, more than any other vegetable and the presence of these acids can reduce the risk of developing autism, ADHD and other anomalies in children. About 100 grams of these leaves contain 350 mg of alpha-linolenic acid.

3. Improves your metabolism – it has also been proven that purslane is low in calories, it has a delicious taste, boosts your metabolism and all in all provides your whole organism with the sufficient nutrients.

We often throw a lot of money on supplements, but it seems that purslane can be the best fit for you. It`s a health-booster and you can easily implement it in your everyday diet.

See the table below for in depth analysis of nutrients: Purslane (Portulaca oleracea), raw, fresh. Nutritive value per 100 g.  Source: USDA National Nutrient data base
Principle	Nutrient Value	Percentage of RDA
Energy	16 Kcal	1.5%
Carbohydrates	3.4 g	3%
Protein	1.30 g	2%
Total Fat	0.1 g	0.5%
Cholesterol	0 mg	0%
Vitamins
Folates	12 µg	3%
Niacin	0.480 mg	3%
Pantothenic acid	0.036 mg	1%
Pyridoxine	0.073 mg	5.5%
Riboflavin	0.112 mg	8.5%
Thiamin	0.047 mg	4%
Vitamin A	1320 IU	44%
Vitamin C	21 mg	35%
Electrolytes
Sodium	45 mg	3%
Potassium	494 mg	10.5%
Minerals
Calcium	65 mg	6.5%
Copper	0.113 mg	12.5%
Iron	1.99 mg	25%
Magnesium	68 mg	17%
Manganese	0.303 mg	13%
Phosphorus	44 mg	6%
Selenium	0.9 µg	2%
Zinc	0.17 mg	1.5%