Purslane is an annual, a sprawling succulent with thick, brittle, hairless, red stems arising from a central rosette. The leaves are ovate and the small yellow flowers only open if it is sunny. It produces copious numbers of tiny but visible black seeds. It likes to grow on cleared areas, often rough but will thrive in a cultivated garden. It is a relative of the inedible garden varieties of Portulaca.More...

All parts can be used including roots, stems, leaves, flowers, seeds (as an addition to flour).

Its extraordinary range of Vitamins (A, C and E) and minerals (calcium and potassium salts, phosphorus, manganese and iron), glutathione and Omega 3 fatty acids make this plant a nutritional treasure chest. A great source of anti-oxidants.

It can be used as;
a salad vegetable, chopped or left whole
lightly cooked vegetable like spinach
vinegar
topical poultice
decoction in water
a paste for skin treatments
wound healer

When to use;
As a general nutritive for everyone but especially for menopausal women, people with absorption difficulties, people recovering from illness and fatigue states and older people
For any hot inflamed skin conditions eg boils, cuts, dermatitis psoriasis
For people with digestive conditions such as irritable bowel, ulcerative colitis, other ulceration or inflammations and diarrhea.
For people with cystitis.
As a diuretic
For people with pre-menstrual bloating
For a general anti-oxidant both as a preventative of age-related illnesses and part of the approach to treating people with chronic health problems.

How To Prepare
Vinegar
Just place several stems either whole or chopped in a glass jar. Cover with organic apple cider vinegar. Leave 6 weeks. The vinegar is quite mucilaginous, will have extracted some minerals but the stalks can be eaten as well.
Succus (juice)
Process the plant in a blender then strain.
Burned ash
Dry and burn the whole plant.
Topical poultice
Mash the plant in a mortar and pestle and apply directly
Paste for skin treatments
The mashed plant or juice can be mixed with Slippery Elm powder and used for topical applications.

How Much To Use?
For salads
12 a cup per person

For a lightly cooked vegetable
1/2 cup per person

As a vinegar
1-3 tbsp daily

For a succus (juice)
1 tbsp daily

As burned ash - for the minerals and used like salt.
1/2 to 1 tsp daily

For a topical poultice
As much as is needed for the area

For a decoction in water
1 cup 1-3 times daily

For a paste for skin treatments
3 parts of the plant to 1 part of Slippery Elm

Safety
There is some conflicting information in the literature. Purslane is described as both a muscle relaxant and a uterine muscle contractor. In either case it should not be used during pregnancy in large amounts.

Listed are the following Clinical applications
Chronic cough
Ulcerative colitis
Urinary tract infections
Mastitis Diarrhoea,
Skin ailments

Other research

Nutritive value

1. Leaves from both indoor and outdoor samples of purslane contained higher amounts of alpha-linolenic acid (18:3w3) than did leaves of spinach. Chamber-grown purslane contained the highest amount of 18:3w3. Samples from the two kinds of purslane contained higher levels of alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic acid and glutathione than did spinach. Chamber-grown purslane was richer in all three and the amount of alpha-tocopherol was seven times higher than that found in spinach, whereas spinach was slightly higher in beta-carotene. One hundred grams of fresh purslane leaves (one serving) contain about 300-400 mg of 18:3w3; 12.2 mg of alpha-tocopherol; 26.6 mg of ascorbic acid; 1.9 mg of beta-carotene; and 14.8 mg of glutathione. We confirm that purslane is a nutritious food rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.1.

2. Leaves had the highest amount of protein in the third growth stage (44.25 g/100 g dry matter). Roots showed a decline in protein level as the plant aged. Soluble carbohydrate was significantly higher in growth states 1 and 3. Significant variation among growth stages was found with regard to total phosphorous, calcium, potassium, iron, manganese, and copper. Total phosphorus (P) content in leaves was significantly higher than P found in stems and roots. Iron (Fe) content varied significantly among growth stages, and roots and leaves had the highest Fe content (121.47 and 33.21 mg, respectively). Significant accumulation of manganese (Mn) was found in different growth stages. Leaves and roots had significantly higher Mn content than stems.4

3. The fatty acid profile and beta-carotene content of a number of Australian varieties of purslane (Portulaca oleracea) were determined by GC and HPLC. The total fatty acid content ranged from 1.5 to 2.5 mg/g of fresh mass in leaves, 0.6 to 0.9 mg/g in stems and 80 to 170 mg/g in seeds. alpha-Linolenic acid (C18:3omega3) accounted for around 60% and 40% of the total fatty acid content in leaves and seeds, respectively. Longer-chain omega-3 fatty acids were not detected. The beta-carotene content ranged from 22 to 30 mg/g fresh mass in leaves. These results indicate that Australian purslane varieties are a rich source of alpha-linolenic acid and beta-carotene.

4. The results of the study showed that as the plant matured from stage I (15 days) to stage II (30 days) calcium and magnesium content increased. In contrast, phosphorus content decreased as the plant matured. Varietal differences were also observed at different stages of maturity. The results also indicated that the consumption of green leafy vegetables at stage I (15 days) and stage II (30 days) potentially provide the greatest amount of minerals.9

Wound Healing
The results obtained indicated that Portulaca oleracea accelerates the wound healing process by decreasing the surface area of the wound and increasing the tensile strength. The greatest contraction was obtained at a single dose of 50mg and the second greatest by two doses of 25mg. 2
As a Bio-monitor Poleracea can be considered a suitable 'biomonitoring tool' of fresh water environment besides its usage in the Al toxicity testing.3
As a muscle relaxant
The juice and aqueous extracts from the plant Portulaca oleracea have been used in West Africa for a variety of medical purposes, and extracts were previously shown to have muscle relaxant properties on isolated nerve-muscle preparations.. We conclude that the neuromuscular activity of extracts of Portulaca oleracea is caused by high concentrations of potassium ions.6
As a anti-microbial
A crude sample obtained by EtOAc extract showed a specific and marked activity against dermatophytes of the genera Trichophyton5

Purslane is listed among the worlds most invasive weeds! Considering that it is an incredibly valuable plant whose only problem is that it grows too easily and prolifically. Some of our most pesky weeds and wild plants can be such a valuable source of vitamins and nutrients offering us optimum nutrition and health.

Green Blessings!

Dandelion