Herb Of The Week - Purslane - High In Omega-3

[Guest guest]

I wasn't kidding yesterday when I said - eat your weeds

 

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

 

Green Tea Seed Oil

So Good, Inside & Out

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

 

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http://2bnthewild.com/plants/H186.htm

 

This common, introduced, 'weed' comes to us from India or the Middle

East but is a close relative of several less common native plants.

Rooting easily from cut stems and with the ability to mature the seeds

even after the plant has been pulled it is a difficult plant to remove

from gardens.

Lore: Purslane is a good edible and is eaten throughout much of Europe

and Asia. It can be eaten fresh or cooked and has no bitter taste at

all. Since it has a mucilaginous quality it is great for soups and

stews.

Medical Uses: Purslane contains more Omega-3 fatty acids than any other

leafy vegetable plant we know of. The most common dietary source of

Omega-3s are cold water fish like Salmon. Omega-3s aid the body in the

production of compounds that effect blood pressure, clotting, the immune

system, prevent inflammation, lower cholesterol (LDL), prevent certain

cancers and control coronary spasms. In addition recent studies suggest

that Omega- 3s may have positive effects on the brain and may aid in

such conditions as depression, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer's disease,

autism, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity and

migraines. Though very beneficial, there are few good dietary sources

other than seafood for Omaga-3s. (Some oils, nuts, grains and other

leafy vegetables do contain Omega-3s)

 

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http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=132505

 

Question

 

Botany, biochemistry

Which cultivated (cultivatable) species of purslane has the highest

contents of the omega-3, long chain, essential fatty acids EPA and

DHA?

 

Answer

 

Re: Botany, biochemistry

Answered By: digsalot-ga on 22 Dec 2002 21:11 PST

 

Hi there

 

While all varieties of purslane contain the Omega 3s, commonly known

as " fish oil, " there are a couple that average considerably above the

others. They are the golden-leafed and green-leafed varieties. These

cultivated types are upright in habit and about 35.2% richer in their

alpha-linolenic acid concentration than the weed type. However, you

will not find EPA or DHA in purslane. Once ingested, the body

converts Alpha-linolenic acid which is found in purslane into EPA and

DHA, the two types of omega-3 fatty acids more readily used.

 

However, the varieties may not be as important as the way they are

grown. Studies have shown that alpha-linolenic acid concentration was

increased in purslane when the plants were grown under low light, day

lengths were 14 to 16 hours, and 60% of the total nitrogen was

supplied in the form of ammonium. In fact, the nitrogen source made a

difference in the amount of Omega3s produced. However, conditions

that produce the highest chemical concentration in the plants does not

necessarily produce the

highest dry mass yield. It is also an excellent source of Vitamin E,

providing 6 times as much as spinach.

 

As for the two varieties, green-leafed purslane is an unnamed cultivar

and the golden-leafed variety is called " Goldberg. "

 

As a test, both were were grown hydroponically in a complete nutrient

solution. Both cultivars had similar LNA concentrations [per g dry

weight (DW)].

 

Websites used to compile the above:

http://libnts.avrdc.org.tw/scripts/minisa.dll/144/VAVLIB/VAVLIB_WEB_REPO

RT/SISN+37623?COMMANDSEARCH

- the homepage of the website is not in English and as I don't have

the fonts for it, I have not the slightest idea as to its name.

 

Since the above is a " command search " link, it may break after I leave

the site. If it does, here is the cache of the same page.

http://216.239.51.100/search?q=cache:Qu5VRSkDzWMC:libnts.avrdc.org.tw/sc

ripts/minisa.dll/144/VAVLIB/VAVLIB_WEB_REPORT/SISN%2B37623%3FCOMMANDSEAR

CH+golden+leafed+purslane & hl=en & lr=lang_en & ie=UTF-8 & client=googlet

 

University of Connecticut Integrated Pest Management

http://www.hort.uconn.edu/ipm/weeds/htms/purslane.htm

 

Nutritional Glossary Page 3

http://www.angelfire.com/nj/sports22/nutrition3.html - From

Nutritional Glossary

 

Alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA

http://www.healthandage.com/html/res/com/ConsSupplements/AlphaLinolenicA

cidALAcs.html

By A.D.A.M., Inc

 

In case you are also looking for a source for seed of the mentioned

varieties:

Johnny's Selected Seeds

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/hgindex.html

 

Search Google

Terms - purslane omega3 fatty acids, Alpha-linolenic acid, purslane

cultivars

 

If I may clarify anything before you rte the answer, please ask.

 

Cheers and good eating

Digsalot

 

 

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http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/abstract/11/4/374

 

Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol 11, Issue 4 374-382,

Copyright C 1992 by American College of Nutrition

 

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JOURNAL ARTICLE

 

 

Common purslane: a source of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants

A. P. Simopoulos, H. A. Norman, J. E. Gillaspy and J. A. Duke

Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health, Washington, DC 20009.

 

omega-3 fatty acids, alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene and

glutathione determined in leaves of purslane (Portulaca oleracea), grown

in both a controlled growth chamber and in the wild, were compared in

composition to spinach. Leaves from both 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 leaves 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.