Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a plant that loves the sun and is readily found growing through the cracks in pavements and on hard, stony ground. It forms a dense cover and can be recognised by its succulent leaves, red stems and small yellow flowers.

While little appreciated in Australia today, purslane was once eaten by the settlers to prevent scurvy when nothing else was available. The seeds were also gathered by the Aboriginals who ground them into a coarse paste or flour. In fact, purslane has been a highly valued addition to the diet everywhere it grows including India, the Mediterranean and tropical Asian countries. It can be eaten raw, added to stir-fries and soups, or used as a substitute for vegetables such as okra, spinach and asparagus.

Purslane contains many valuable nutrients, in particular essential fatty acids, vitamins A, C and E, antioxidant flavonoids, magnesium, selenium and iron. Because of this rich profile, it is actually considered a valuable tonic and even a ‘power food.’¹

The high omega-3 content alone means that this plant is anti-inflammatory and therefore helps to prevent the development of cardiovascular disease, especially when eaten along with other valuable medicinal plants such as garlic, turmeric, hawthorn and pomegranate. This is partly because omega-3 oils are able to lower blood pressure as well as balance blood fats, in particular cholesterol, by raising HDL and lowering LDL. The vitamin A and vitamin C content of purslane will also have a protective effect on the blood vessels by improving integrity.

In addition, purslane is useful for correcting blood sugar problems as it displays anti-diabetic activity. In this respect it can reduce insulin levels, increase insulin sensitivity, improve glucose tolerance and even attenuate body weight when eaten regularly.³

The benefit of eating plants such as purslane is apparent in the traditional lifestyle of islands such as Crete. The Mediterranean diet has long been studied for its ability to reduce the risk of heart disease, with the focus usually being on olive oil as the key protective nutrient, which contains mostly omega-9 oleic acid. A close examination of the diet, however, also reveals the consumption of a large amount of omega-3 fatty acids in the form of nuts, oily fish and purslane, and this is despite the overall diet being high in fat at around 40%.⁴

A diet rich in omega-3 is thought to be closer to that of our Palaeolithic ancestor’s and therefore best suited to our genes. By comparison, modern urban diets have a greater ratio of omega-6 vegetable oils to omega-3 of up to 25:1, and omega-6 oils are inflammatory in nature. Unfortunately, this imbalance is also thought responsible for the high rate of obesity through the increase of both inflammatory metabolites and the hyperactivity of the cannabinoid system.⁵ It follows that a diet containing a lot of green leafy vegetables that are rich in omega-3, such as  purslane, collard and sweet potato greens, can correct this imbalance.⁶

Worse still, natural fats are often displaced by factory fats in the modern urban diet in a mistaken effort to eat more healthily or to lose weight. These hydrogenated factory fats, called transfats, of the kind we find in margarine, actually have the worst profile for heart disease risk of any type of fat.⁷

Purslane can also be used as a versatile medicine. It has a high mucilage content and combined with honey will relieve a sore throat or a dry cough. In addition, the juice can be used to treat ulcers and inflammations of the mouth, also sore gums and loose teeth. Furthermore, the seeds can be boiled and used to treat worms in children,² while the antibacterial activity of purslane makes it useful for treating digestive system infections, in combination with other herbs such as garlic, liquorice and slippery elm.

1. Uddin MK, Juraimi AS, Hossain MS, Nahar MAU, Ali ME, Rahman MM. Purslane weed (Portulaca oleracea): a prospective plant source of nutrition, omega-3 fatty acid, and antioxidant attributes. ScientificWorldJournal 2014;2014:951019.
2. Grieve M. A Modern Herbal. London: Tiger Books International; 1994.
3. Zhou Y-X, Xin H-L, Rahman K, Wang S-J, Peng C, Zhang H. Portulaca oleracea L.: a review of phytochemistry and pharmacological effects. BioMed Res Int 2015;2015:925631.
4. Simopoulos AP. The Mediterranean diets: What is so special about the diet of Greece? The scientific evidence. J Nutr 2001;131:3065S-73S.
5. Simopoulos AP. An Increase in the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio Increases the Risk for Obesity. Nutrients 2016;8:128.
6. Johnson M, Pace RD, McElhenney WH. Green leafy vegetables in diets with a 25:1 omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio modify the erythrocyte fatty acid profile of spontaneously hypertensive rats. Lipids Health Dis 2018;17:140.
7. Micha R, Mozaffarian D. Trans fatty acids: effects on cardiometabolic health and implications for policy. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2008;79:147–52.