Colleagues around me have been asking that I write about purslane (Portulaca), supposedly a wonder plant. Common purslane(P. oleracea) grows across the world, and it may be eaten as a vegetable, or used as a medicinal herb.
Purslane has received many honorable mentions in previous leaves, and I focused in Leaf 71 on its interesting adaptability in how it fixes CO₂ by photosynthesis.
(Leaf 71 https://lnkd.in/dc7uQK2g). But I struggle to see where purslane outshines other plants in terms of nutritional or medicinal value.
Here are some scores for purslane:
1. Purslane is rich in minerals vitamins A, C, and E, but if you seek any particular mineral or vitamin, there are plants that have more.
2. Purslane is a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids, good for heart health, though flax seeds and walnuts have more. Fish provide the richest sources.
3. Purslane contains antioxidants, though many plants contain more. The champions are probably coffee and tea.
4. Purslane contains anti-inflammatory substances, though not as much as e.g., turmeric and garlic.
5. Purslane is rich in common health-promoting flavonoids, duh! It does have its own distinctive portulaca ones, but it is not clear if they offer special benefits.
6. Purslane is a good salad ingredient. Cooked it turns to mush (like spinach). Kitchen essential? Maybe not.
7. Purslane aids digestion, though not among the very best plants for this.
8. Purslane promotes healing of skin wounds and burns, though Aloe Vera is more favoured.
9. Purslane is well-tolerated on the skin, though might induce an adverse reaction in a small minority. It is given a good safety rating by the experts.
10. Purslane contains a problematic amounts of oxalic acid, that can cause kidney stones and prove toxic in high amounts. But spinach, chard, parsley and many other plants contain as much or more oxalic acid. As for green rhubarb leaves, stay away.
So what makes purslane great? It is a true all-rounder, a decathlon chapion.
(Commercial notice: Portulaca extract is produced by @Green Mountain Biotech as an ingredient of out Botaniplex™ CLEAR blend and incorporated in several @KamedisLtd. cosmetic products)
Further reading
🌸. The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety, Chair: Bergfeld WF (2022) Safety Assessment of Portulaca oleracea-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics. https://www.cir-safety.org/
