To weed or to eat?

Scientifically known as Portulaca oleracea, Purslane is a type of weed widely found in many Asian and European countries.

It is a common weed that explicitly grow and easily spreads in your garden. In some countries, this weed are removed and simply thrown away like other grasses and weeds.

Purslane seeds are so dominant in propagating and can stay in land for up to forty (40) years. It simply grows in well-tended gardens and places with arid climates.

“Its leaves appear thick, contain mucilaginous substance, and have a slightly sour and salty taste. Leaves and tender stems have a slightly sour, and salty taste. In addition to succulent stems and leaves, its yellow flower buds are also edible”.

Unknown to many, Purslane may look just as a regular weed but can absolutely bring a lot of essential nutrients that our body needs.

In this modern society of ours, many people now opt to go on organic diet. Knowing more about this green leafy vegetable can be beneficial to anyone who wanted to have a healthy eating lifestyle.

These are the nutrition facts according to study that Purslane contains:

• Purslane has more beneficial Omega 3 fatty acids than many fish oils! The weed also has one of the highest levels of vitamin A among all leafy green vegetables (1320 IU/100 g, provides 44% of RDA). High Vitamin A foods can help protect us from many types of cancers and helps to boost eye health”.
• This wonderful green leafy vegetable is very low in calories (just 16 kcal/100g) and fats; nonetheless, it is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
• Purslane is also a rich source of vitamin C, and some B-complex vitamins like riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine and carotenoids, as well as dietary minerals, such as iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and manganese.
• Furthermore, present in purslane are two types of betalain alkaloid pigments, the reddish beta-cyanins and the yellow beta-xanthins. Both pigment types are potent anti-oxidants and have been found to have anti-mutagenic properties in laboratory studies.

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