Are you interested in the numerous purslane benefits to health? The Purslane omega-3 content is high and makes for a delicious and easy to grow herb.
Are you interested in the numerous purslane health benefits? The purslane omega-3 content is very high, making it a delicious easy-to-grow plant.
In our backyards, though not widely known within the North American kitchen, Purslane is a delicious vegetable that is also extremely nutritious. The common Purslane ( Portulaca oleracea) Also known as fatweed, duckweed and pussley verdolagas, and wild portulaca is the most often mentioned “weed” species in the world. It is able to grow wherever it has at least two months of growing season.
Up until recently, the majority of studies on Purslane have been focused on its elimination. One of the most overlooked methods for control this weed is eating it! Purslane is so delicious, North Carolina market gardener Patryk Battle claims, “I have rarely had anybody not buy purslane after they’ve tried it.”
Purslane is a bit hard and has a mild lemony flavor. Many people compare it to watercress or spinach. it can be substituted for spinach in a number of recipes. The leaves are young and raw. stems are tender and excellent in sandwiches and salads. They can also be cooked lightly or stir-fried. Purslane’s high levels of pectin (known as a lower cholesterol) makes stews and soups more thick.
Battle also makes use of Purslane in pesto. He adds purslane and basil (upper stems and the entire plant) into a food processor or blender and adds a tiny amount of garlic, olive oil as well as pine nuts, along with enough hot water to create an even consistency. Because it’s juicy, Purslane helps create a low-fat pesto that doesn’t require too much oil.
Wild Purslane is a horizontal plant that creates flat, circular mats that measure up to 16 inches in diameter. Its thick, round stems extend from the plant’s central point and often appear reddish at the base.
A Nutrient-Rich Weed
Omega-3s are a group of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. The body is unable to produce the essential fat acids needed, therefore they must be obtained through food sources. Unfortunately, the standard American diet is lacking in omega-3s. A deficiency that can cause a variety of ailments, such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
ALA is found most often in grass-fed meat, plants and eggs. Artemis Simopoulos, co-author of The Omega Diet, says Purslane is among the most abundant plant sources of ALA it is 15 times more ALA than the amount of ALA found in the iceberg lettuce.
Alongside ALA Omega-3s that are not ALA comprise Eicosapentaenoic (EPA) as well as docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids that are found in aquatic animals and plants particularly oily fish. Researchers believe that all kinds of omega-3s must be present in our diets. plants like Purslane could be the missing link to a better diet. Ethnobiologists — researchers who study the connection between human primitive societies and the plants that are part of their natural environment They believe that the plants that humans consumed long ago were richer in nutrients than the ones that we eat in our modern day. They believe, for example that people who lived between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago ate around 390 milligrams each daily of Vitamin C derived from wild fruits and plants. However, the average American today consumes only about 88 milligrams of vitamin A every day. A cup of Purslane cooked is the equivalent of 25 milligrams (20 percentage of daily amount recommended) of vitamin C.
Purslane can be found in moist soil and prefers recently reshaped soils. The leaves are smooth and dense and paddle-shaped. Based on the variety, leaves can grow anywhere between 12 and two inches long. Wild Purslane is a horizontal plant that produces round, flat mats of that can be up to 16 inches in diameter. Its thick, round stems extend from the center of the plant and often turn with a reddish-brown color at the base. Around mid-July Purslane produces tiny, yellow flowers that measure about one quarter inch wide that bloom only when it is in full sun.
After about a week after a week or so, the flowers turn yellow and give way to tiny, dark, pointed capsules of seeds which, once mature, pop open and release a wealth of tiny black seeds, each around the size of the size of a grain of sand. In ideal conditions, one purslane plant could produce as many as 200 000 seeds!
