The Healing Power of Purslane
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a phenomenal food as medicine enjoyed in cuisines the world over from China to India to the Mediterranean, Levant, North America, Mexico, Australia, and beyond. It’s a common weed on every continent except Antarctica and everywhere humans have encountered this plant, they’ve woven it into their culinary traditions. I've never been on a farm in August that didn't have this plant growing among the rows of vegetables as a weed. Might Purslane be trying to tell us something?! Particularly when it's more nutrient-dense than most of veggies grown today and there it is growing right alongside them, emerging from the seed bed every time the soil is tilled. There's evidence of it being here in North America since at least 89 AD and not a single farmer I know has ever planted it. It just shows-up when you cultivate the soil and is considered a nutritional powerhouse, providing vast amounts of essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and even omega-3 fatty acids. That's a symbiotic relationship if I've ever seen one and its abundance and relationship with humans is something we should all be paying attention to.
Next time you see Purslane, lean down and try some. If you're not sure where to find it, check the “you-pick” section if you belong to a CSA or ask friends with gardens- they almost certainly have it growing as a weed. Crunchy, sour and mucilaginous when eaten raw, it softens and cooks down somewhat like spinach and adds its moistening and slightly sour flavor to dishes when cooked. Its cold and moist energetics are the perfect remedy for the heat of the summer, making it the epitome of a plant that's in season when we need it the most.
Read on for a dive into this abundant, under-utilized, nutritive and delicious herb + a few favorite recipes!
Purslane (Portulaca oleraceae) Materia Medica
Family Portulacacae
Other Names: Verdolaga, Pigweed, Little Hogweed, Red Roots, Pursely, and Moss Rose. Known in India as sanhti, punarva, paruppu keerai, or kulfa.). In Greece known as andrakla (αντράκλα) or glystrida (γλυστρίδα), Bakleh (Lebanon), burdullak (Albania), portulaca (Italy), qulfa (Pakistan), baldroegas (Portugal), Ma Chi Xian (China, pin yin name), Verdolaga (Mexico), baqleh (Arabic), semizotu (Turkey)
Part Used: Aerial portions- leaves, stems, flowers; seeds
Collection: At its prime before it flowers in mid-late summer but may also be harvested when the flowers are budding and while in flower or even in seed, as long as the plant still looks vibrant. Generally in season mid-summer through early fall.
A note about harvest time: Purslane has evolved to live in hot, dry climates and uses a mechanism called “crassulacean acid metabolism” also known as the CAM pathway. What this means is that if it’s stressed by drought, at night its leaves trap carbon dioxide, which is then converted into malic acid (what makes apples sour), and throughout the day that acid is converted to glucose. So, if you harvest it in the morning it has been shown to have ten times the malic acid it does in the later afternoon, making it much more tangy and sour tasting in the morning
Habitat & Range: Purslane is a “cosmopolitan plant,” meaning it grows throughout the entire planet, showing-up wherever humans cultivate and disturb the soil. It is not clear where the plant was originally botanically native to, but it’s speculated to be potentially Central Asia, the SWANA region, and/or southern Europe. We have evidence that it was in North America pre-colonization, as early as 89 AD. Look for it in gardens, farms growing between the rows and among the vegetables, waste areas, and anthropogenic landscapes in general, anywhere the soil has been disturbed. It is very drought-tolerant and grows well in compacted soils as well.
Cultivation: Easy to cultivate. There are over 40 varieties in cultivation and is cultivated as a vegetable in many parts of the world. It is likely to spring-up in your garden and if it does simply let it go to seed and next year you’ll have even more. I like to let it grow as a ground cover in my garden and harvest it alongside the plants I’m intentionally growing!
Description: Succulent annual with a creeping growth habit. It has smooth, reddish stems, and oval leaves that grow opposite on the stems. When broken open the stems and leaves exude a moist, clear mucilage. It has small yellow flowers with 5 petals, which becomes a seed pod containing numerous tiny, black seeds. A single plant can produce up to 200,000 seeds! Sometimes confused with the Hairy-stemmed Spurge (Euphorbia vermiculata), which is poisonous. Unlike Purselane, Hairy-stemmed Spurge has hairy stems and milky sap when the stems of leaves are broken.
Herbal Ecology: This is another plant that has been in relationship with humans forever! It has an especially well-established archeological record of use in Southern Europe and Mediterranean regions, dating back to at least 7th century B.C. but has been used heavily as a foodstuff and food as medicine all over the world for a very long time. Records show that in the 4th century B.C Theophrastus (c. 371 – c. 287 BC), who was a successor to, and student of, Aristotle, named Purslane as one of the several summer potherbs that must be sown in April. It is also a beneficial companion plant to have in the garden. As a groundcover it helps create a humid and moist micro-climate- especially helpful in dry climates or during droughts. Its deep roots help bring-up moisture and nutrients for other plants and it has been observed that corn roots will follow purslane roots down through compact soil that they can’t penetrate on their own.
Taste: Sweet, Sour, Salty
Energetics: Cold, Moist
Constituents: Oxalic acid, malic acid, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid in particular), vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), some B-complex vitamins like riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine and carotenoids, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and iron.
Herbal Actions: Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, demulcent, diuretic, emollient, nutritive, food as medicine, hemostat, refrigerant, vulnerary, vermifuge (seeds)
Uses:
Aerial Portions (stems, leaves, flower buds + flowers)….
Purslane’s medicinal properties are mostly attributed to its cold and moist energetics. Loaded with mucilage, it’s a wonderful vulnerary and demulcent. Works wonderfully for Summer Heat (a pattern in TCM), excess Pitta, hot inflamed tissues (used both externally and internally), dry coughs, sore throat, and the Heat and Dry/Atrophy tissue states. Signs of excess Heat worsen in the summer and can include irritation, insomnia, headaches, getting easily overheated, and anxiety vacillating with depression. Used topically for burns, abrasions, insect bites, gout, and bruises, best as a poultice or fresh juice. Excellent for heat in the digestive and urinary systems, and skin (use topically for the skin). From Gerard’s Herbal- “It cools the blood and causes appetite.'
Supreme “food as medicine”! Purslane is delicious raw in salads, fermented, pickled, made into a relish or cooked in soups, stews, stir-fries, and so on. It is most often cooked like spinach in many traditional diets. Purslane is a nutritive herb and contains more omega-3 fatty acids (in the form of alpha-linoleic acid) than any other plant known. These essential fatty acids are beneficial for a myriad of body systems, especially the cardiovascular system, and are also anti-inflammatory. 100 g of fresh purslane leaves has been shown to contain 300 to 400 mg of alpha-linolenic acid. Particularly high in calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C. one cup (250 ml) of cooked leaves contains 90 mg of calcium, 561 mg of potassium, and more than 2,000 IUs of vitamin A. Purslane provides six times more vitamin E than spinach and seven times more beta carotene than carrots.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Purslane is known as Ma Chi Xian. The leaves are used for insect or snake bites (also get to a hospital- fast!), boils, sores, insect bites, dysentery and diarrhea, and bleeding from hemorrhoids, intestinal bleeding and postpartum bleeding (also- get to hospital if it’s severe!).
As a mucilage rich, demulcent herb, Purselane can be best understood as a cooling and soothing remedy for systemic dryness, digestive inflammation, and excess heat. It’s at its prime stage of harvest in mid-late summer, often when summer heat is at its peak. I consider it a food as medicine tonic we can all benefit from in the summer and anytime of year if you live in a dry, hot climate!
Seeds…
Vermifuge. From A Modern Herbal: “The seeds, bruised and boiled in wine, were given to children as a vermifuge.”
Preparations & Dosage: As food- raw, cooked, pickled or fermented; topically as a tea/compress/poultice; herbal vinegar (and/or pickled!); tea (let steep until it’s cooled to best extract the mucilage); fresh juice
Contraindications: In TCM it is contraindicated during pregnancy and for those with cold and weak digestion. The oxalates can irritate the kidneys in high amounts, so this should be avoided by folks with a history of kidney stones or folks with weak or compromised kidneys or kidney disease.
More:
Known to medicine since at least the time of Hippocrates (c. 460 BC), who wrote about its use for heat in the urinary system. Dioscorides wrote of its use for heat in the digestive system and Galen for heat in the mouth. Cultivated in ancient Egypt and was a common vegetable in the Roman empire. Pliny the Elder (AD 23 – August 25, AD 79) discussed Purslane as an amulet to be worn to expel all evil.
Wonderful food as medicine enjoyed in cuisines the world over from China to India to the Mediterranean, Levant, North America and Mexico. Wherever humans encountered this plant they wove it into their culinary traditions. Crunchy, sour and mucilaginous when eaten raw, it softens and cooks down somewhat like spinach when cooked and adds its mucilage and slightly sour flavors to dishes when cooked. The entire aerial portions (leaves + stems) can be eaten raw or cooked and the flowers can be consumed as well. Once it goes to seed it can still be eaten but it begins to decline, since it’s an annual, so be sure it looks vibrant and juicy when collecting.
Very much still a part of food traditions all throughout the Mediterranean, SWANA regions, India, Mexico, Latin America, and beyond. A common Greek recipe (it’s thought to contribute to the Cretan high-life-expectancy) is to toss the chopped stems and leaves with feta cheese, tomato, onion, garlic, oregano, and olive oil and is also boiled and used as a potherb in horta. Traditional in Italian cuisine, both raw and cooked. In the Levant it’s eaten raw in a famous salad called Fattoush as well as in numerous other dishes.
Greek-style Chopped Purslane Salad with Herbs
An homage to my Greek ancestors, this is my take on a traditional Greek Purslane Salad. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
4-6 cups fresh Purslane, chopped leaves and stems
1 medium Cucumber, chopped into 1-inch squares
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, quartered or halved
1/4-1/2 c Feta cheese, crumbled
1/2-1 cup (to taste) Cilantro, Basil, Dill, or Parsley, chopped finely. Fresh Oregano is the herb classicially used in this salad in Greece and is also lovely but I usually use around 1/4 c fresh for this recipe because it’s a strong herb
Optional: Capers, Olives, and Red Onion may also be added, to taste
Dressing:
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar or herb-infused vinegar OR 1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 tsp sea salt + black pepper to taste
Directions:
If you have a salad spinner, give the Purslane a quick spin (or be sure to rinse well), as it can often be dusty due its creeping growth form. Then combine all the ingredients. Enjoy as it's own, or it's also great on a bed of quinoa or grain. To bulk it up into a very filling and extremely omega-3 rich meal, add a can of sardines (they're yummier than you might think)! Additionally, the large amount of culinary herbs give this recipe another layer of medicinal action- they’re potent digestive aids, which support nutrient absorption and assimilation, are loaded with antioxidants, and are extremely mineral and vitamin rich.
Enjoy!
Pickled Purslane
Ingredients:
Apple cider vinegar (preferably raw) or vinegar or choice
Fresh purslane leaves + stems
Fresh dill flowers + leaves and/or herbs of choice
Directions:
Coarsely chop the Purslane and put in a clean glass jar, layering with fresh Dill flowers and/or leaves (and/or herb of choice). Cover the Purslane and herbs completely with the vinegar. Put a layer of wax or parchment paper between the jar and lid, cap, and shake well. Let the Purslane steep in the vinegar for at least 2 weeks. After 2 weeks store in the fridge and use as desired as a condiment, in sandwiches, on salads, and more! Don’t waste the vinegar- use in your dressings! This will last at least 1 year refrigerated.
Be creative with this recipe! Tasty and medicinal herbs to add include black pepper, cayenne, garlic, coriander, cumin, mint, oregano, thyme, rosemary and sage.
REFERENCES & RESOURCES
Gerard’s Herbal (c 1633)
Purslane Weed (Portulaca oleracea): A Prospective Plant Source of Nutrition, Omega-3 Fatty Acid, and Antioxidant Attributes
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3934766/
A Pharmacological Review on Portulaca oleracea L.: Focusing on Anti-Inflammatory, Anti- Oxidant, Immuno-Modulatory and Antitumor Activities
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6461301/
Foraging: Identifying and Eating Purslane
http://foragedfoodie.blogspot.com/2015/11/purslane.html
Ethnobotany of Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) in Italy and morphobiometric analyses of seeds from archaeological sites in the Emilia Romagna Region (Northern Italy)
https://www.academia.edu/4878017/
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/
