Purslane is often found in the middle of your lawn and are often run over by the lawn mower or pulled out by people who think it’s just an annoying weed. Yikes! What most people don’t know is that they have amazing health benefits. Purslane has an interesting slightly sour and salty taste, but definitely something you need to add to your diet.
Purslane is widely eaten in many Latin American countries, in Europe, Asia, Middle East, and Africa. In the U.S. it’s not as popular, mainly because it grows freely and can often be confused as a pesky weed. If you can’t find it in your backyard, you can find in at your local grocery store.
What are the Health Benefits?
- Good for your heart: It has high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids (more than fish oils) and helps reduce the amount of “bad” cholesterol in the body and promote a healthier cholesterol in your bloodstream.
- Prevents cancer: Has a lot vitamin C and vitamin A, which act as antioxidants that prevent certain cancers, specifically lung and oral cancers. Purslane also includes beta-cyanins and beta-xanthins, which have anti-mutagenic effects in the body, preventing free radicals from causing mutations in healthy cells.
- Protects the skin: It has high levels of vitamin A, which helps reduce wrinkles and stimulate the healing of skin cells to remove scars and blemishes.
- Boosts vision: Purslane has vitamin A and beta-carotene, which are great for your eye health and vision. It can also stop cataracts from forming, which often develop as we age.
- Strengthens the immune system: With so many different types of vitamins and antioxidants, it helps keep your immune system strong and naturally fight disease.
- Builds Strong Bones: The plant is high in calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese, which are the vitamins you need to develop bone tissue and speed the healing process of the bones in your body. It can also help prevent osteoporosis.
- Good for circulation: Since it has a lot of iron and copper, this helps stimulate the production of red blood cells. This means more oxygen is being delivered to essential parts of the body.
- Helps with weight-loss: It is very low in calories and lots of fiber, which helps you feel full after a meal.
- Helps with gastrointestinal diseases: It’s used to treat diarrhea, intestinal bleeding, hemorrhoids, and dysentery. It has many organic compounds, such as dopamine, malic acid, citric acid, alanine, and glucose, which help with these problems.
As you can see, purslane isn’t just a pesky weed. You can eat purslane by itself or as a salad with a little bit of olive oil, lemon, and salt for flavor. There are many Latino-inspired recipes where you can use purslane in a dish with meat and a spicy sauce. It’s definitely something that should be on your grocery list!