Purslane: the wild super food you should be eating

Posted on Sat, 30 Aug 14

No doubt you have literally walked over it without noticing, but next time keep an eye out as this common green leafy vegetable is an unusually rich source of minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, melatonin and phytonutrients, and it’s also delicious.

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a common edible weed and is used as a green leafy vegetable in many traditional cultures, especially around the Mediterranean sea, Asia, the Middle East and Mexico. Indigenous Australians also used purslane seeds to make seedcakes. The tender, succulent green leaves, stems, flowers and seeds of purslane are not only delicious in salads and cooking but a remarkable treasure trove of nutrition.

Studies have shown that purslane (1-7):

• Contains the highest level of the omega 3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid) of any green leafy vegetable.
• Has seven times higher levels of vitamin E than spinach.
• Has more beta-carotene and vitamin C than many cultivated vegetables.
• Is very rich in minerals, especially potassium (494mg per 100g) magnesium (68mg), calcium (65mg), phosphorus (44mg), and iron (1.99mg).
• Has a very high level of anti-oxidant phytonutrients.
• Is a rich source of naturally occurring melatonin.

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

While it is not commonly cultivated, it is sometimes possible to buy purslane at your local farmers market or organic grocery store, and it is very easy to grow or simply pick growing as a weed in the wild (especially arid, sun-baked areas). There is probably some in your back yard already. Just look down.

References:

1. Uddin MK, Juraimi AS, Hossain MS, et al. Purslane weed (Portulaca oleracea): a prospective plant source of nutrition, omega-3 fatty acid, and antioxidant attributes. ScientificWorldJournal. 2014 Feb 10;2014:951019.
2. Liu L, Howe P, Zhou YF, Xu ZQ, Hocart C, Zhan R. Fatty acids and beta-carotene in australian purslane (Portulaca oleracea) varieties. J Chromatogr A. 2000 Sep 29;893(1):207-13.
3. Simopoulos AP, Norman HA, Gillaspy JE, Duke JA. Common purslane: a source of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. J Am Coll Nutr. 1992 Aug;11(4):374-82.
4. Uddin MK, Juraimi AS, Ali ME, Ismail MR. Evaluation of Antioxidant Properties  and Mineral Composition of Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) at Different Growth Stages. Int J Mol Sci. 2012;13(8):10257-67.
5. Alam MA, Juraimi AS, Rafii MY, Abdul Hamid A, Aslani F, Hasan MM, Mohd Zainudin MA, Uddin MK. Evaluation of antioxidant compounds, antioxidant activities, and mineral composition of 13 collected purslane (Portulaca oleracea  L.) accessions. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:296063.
6. Silva R, Carvalho IS. In vitro antioxidant activity, phenolic compounds and protective effect against DNA damage provided by leaves, stems and flowers of Portulaca oleracea (Purslane). Nat Prod Commun. 2014 Jan;9(1):45-50. PubMed PMID: 24660460.
7. Simopoulos AP, Tan DX, Manchester LC, Reiter RJ. Purslane: a plant source of omega-3 fatty acids and melatonin. J Pineal Res. 2005 Oct;39(3):331-2.