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Magnesium In Purslane

Jul 30, 2011 | By Mary Krane Derr

Purslane, Portulaca oleracea, a native of Iran and India, is a low-growing green plant that has spread throughout the world. Many North Americans regard it as a weed. But many cultures including Greek, Chinese and Mexican prize purslane, both wild and cultivated, for its culinary and health-boosting properties. Purslane is rich with flavor, texture and multiple nutrients, among them the life-sustaining mineral magnesium.

Purslane

Often described as resembling a little jade plant, purslane is an annual with mats of thick, succulent green leaves and reddish stems that radiate from single taproots. It has yellow flowers and small seeds that can survive in the soil as long as 40 years. Purslane flourishes in the poorest of soils and in adverse weather conditions, including drought.

Nutrients

Purslane is among the plants richest in the omega-3 essential fatty acid alpha linoleic acid or ALA, a nutrient often lacking in industrially raised plant and animal foods. Purslane contains six times as much vitamin A as spinach and high levels of beta carotene, vitamin B-6, vitamin C, folate, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin, as well as many minerals, including calcium, copper, iron and magnesium.

Magnesium Content

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has determined that 1 cup of raw purslane affords 29 mg of magnesium. Depending on your age group and gender, this amount is from 7 to 36 percent of the recommended daily intake, according to data from the U.S. Office of Dietary Supplements. Purslane's high magnesium content comes from its high chlorophyll levels. Chlorophyll, the green compound responsible for photosynthesis, resembles hemoglobin, the red, oxygen-bearing substance in the blood, except that the former contains magnesium and the latter iron.

Functions of Magnesium

All of the body's organs require magnesium, and it is essential to more than 300 biochemical reactions that take place in human metabolism. Magnesium promotes and protects good muscle, nerve, heart, immune and bone health. Yet many Americans lack adequate bodily stores of this mineral because they do not get enough from their diets. Ask your doctor or nutritionist how to get enough magnesium from food, including purslane.

Growing Purslane

Look for free volunteer purslane in your lawn or garden. Use weed identification guides like the University of California's to be absolutely sure it is purslane, or ask your local extension service. You can grow wild or cultivated varieties from seed. Purslane can grow in pots, or beneath other ground plants as a living mulch. To limit its spread, harvest whole plants including the taproot, or repeatedly pinch off some of the leaves so the flowers and seeds do not form.

Preparing Purslane

You can eat crunchy, tangy purslane leaves raw in sandwiches and salads; steamed or stir fried; or cooked in dishes like soups and stews. Try substituting purslane for spinach in familiar recipes. Look for new purslane recipes on websites like Epicurious.com and Prairieland Community Supported Agriculture. You might also be able to find recipes in cookbooks for ethnic cuisines such as Mediterranean or Chinese.

References

Article reviewed by David Fisher Last updated on: Jul 30, 2011

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