Purslane, a leaf worth eating (1)

Olufunke Faluyi

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An old mate of mine at the university, a woman who sings like a nightingale, and is lucky to be married to a man who bears her surname and a lover of my articles, Mrs Oluwakemi Afolayan, honoured me by visiting Walmart, Sugarland Texas (she resides in Texas) immediately she read the concluding part of olive oil last week. She took pictures of different olive oil brands and sent to me. I identified all the certification seals. Why don’t we start ‘show your olive oil’s certification seals challenge’? I will be waiting for the pictures of the certification seals on your olive oil bottles.

The medicine in the unlikely plant parts series has opened our eyes to the fact that there is no waste in nature. On this note, I have decided to talk about a particular plant called Purslane. The urge to talk about it is borne out of the fact that it is almost everywhere now and I feel it is important to talk about this wonderful plant that people unjustly call a nuisance.

There are different varieties of purslane but the one I will be discussing is commonly called purslane. It is scientifically known as Portulaca oleracea, in the purslane family Portulacaceae. The Yoruba call it ‘esan omode’. Though it is known as a weed in many cultures, it is a highly nutritious, leafy green vegetable. Its medicinal uses date back to ancient Roman times and traditional Chinese medicine, where it was referred to as the ‘vegetable for long life’. Due to its frequent medicinal use worldwide in different traditional medicines, it was named ‘Global Panacea’ by the World Health Organisation.

All parts of the purslane plant are edible, including the leaves, stems, flowers and seeds. It is a common plant of open, sunny areas such as gardens, yards and roadsides. It is not picky about its habitat – you can find it growing in gravel, sidewalk cracks, disturbed soil and other ‘waste places’. Common purslane grows low to the ground, with trailing strings of distinctive thick and reddish stems. It has small yellow flower blooms that are only open in the morning. The plant is safe to eat regardless of where it is in the flowering stage. One major identifying factor of purslane weed are its leaves. They are succulent, fleshy and paddle-shaped with smooth surfaces and edges.

It has been used for a variety of ailments, including burns, headaches and gastrointestinal disorders. It is used to treat rheumatism and gynaecological diseases. It is used as a diuretic, tonic and choleretic, sedative, analgesic and cardiotonic. It is used to treat fever, disorders of the urinary tract, intestinal worm infestation, dysentery and as an external treatment for ulcers, eczema and dermatitis. It is also a source of livestock fodder.

Aqueous extracts of purslane showed muscle-relaxing effects in chicken, rats and goats. Ethanolic extracts showed significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. In tests with mice, a crude extract of purslane accelerated wound healing when applied topically. An ethanolic extract showed antifungal activity against Trichophyton dermatophytes. Extracts of the plant have shown antityrosinase activity and are being tested for their skin-whitening activity.

In 1854, Henry David Thoreau, a poet and philosopher, reported from Walden Pond that “I have made a satisfactory dinner of a dish of purslane.” Also, Dr Artemis Simopoulos, a native of Greece who is the president of the Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health, a nonprofit research group in Washington, “Purslane is the richest source of omega-3 fatty acids in the plant kingdom.”

Just like its leafy companions like spinach and lettuce, purslane benefits us in many ways. Let us see them:

Omega-3 fatty acids are important fats that the body cannot produce. Therefore, we must get them from the diet. While purslane is low in total fat, a large portion of the fat it contains is in the form of omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, it contains two types of omega-3 fatty acids; alpha-linolenic acid, found in many plants, and eicosapentaenoic acid, which is typically found in animal products like fatty fish and algae. This makes purslane a great vegan omega-3 option.

Purslane is rich in various antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds like:

Vitamin C: Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C is an antioxidant that is essential for the maintenance of skin, muscles and bone.

Vitamin E: It contains high levels of a form of vitamin E called alpha-tocopherol. It may protect cell membranes from damage.

Vitamin A: It contains beta-carotene, an antioxidant that the body turns into vitamin A. Vitamin A is best known for its role in eye health.

Glutathione: This important antioxidant may protect cells from damage.

Melatonin: It also contains melatonin, a hormone that can help you fall asleep.

Betalain: It synthesises betalains, antioxidants that have been shown to protect low-density lipoprotein particles from damage.

It is also high in several important minerals. It is a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure. High potassium intake has been linked to a lower risk of stroke and may also reduce the risk of heart disease.

It is also a great source of magnesium, an incredibly important nutrient involved in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. Magnesium may protect against heart disease and type 2 diabetes. In addition, it contains some calcium. Phosphorus and iron are also found, in lower amounts. Older, more mature plants may contain higher amounts of minerals than younger plants.

In animal studies, purslane polysaccharides, which have antiviral and analgesic activities, inhibited tumour growth and increased immune response. It contains many compounds with antimicrobial effects: its extract may have viability as an antimicrobial agent, it lowers your risk of developing heart diseases, aids better sleep, helps you shed extra kilogram, reduces blood pressure, and promotes the anti-aging enzyme telomerase which protects the cells’ DNA repair function, acting like a regenerative fountain of youth for your skin.

In a small clinical trial, subjects consuming purslane seeds showed a decrease in weight, body mass index and other metrics. Researchers concluded that people with type 2 diabetes might improve their anthropometric measures, serum triglyceride levels and blood pressure by consuming the seeds. Out of all of the leafy greens you can eat, purslane is the one that contains the most vitamin A, so it supports eye health. One double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found that consuming purslane seeds at specific times during the menstrual cycle reduced both the volume of blood loss and the number of bleeding days.

A study titled ‘Purslane weed (Portulaca oleracea): A prospective plant source of nutrition, Omega-3 fatty acid, and antioxidant attributes’ by Uddin et al concludes that as a significant source of omega-3 oils, P. oleracea could yield considerable health benefits to vegetarians and other diets where the consumption of fish oils is excluded.

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