Purslane is a plant that many people have spent years pulling out of their garden cracks and flower beds, thinking it is nothing more than a stubborn weed. However, this low-growing plant with thick leaves and small yellow flowers is actually “one of nature’s most nutrient-dense superfoods.” Known scientifically as Portulaca oleracea, it has been a staple ingredient for centuries in places like the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Asia. It is incredibly tough, grows well even without much water, and is more nutritious than many of the expensive greens you find at the grocery store.
Before you decide to clear it away next time, here are eight detailed reasons why you should let purslane grow or even try to grow it on purpose.
1. A High Plant-Based Source of Omega-3s
Most people think they have to eat fish or flaxseeds to get healthy fats, but purslane is “one of the richest plant sources of Omega-3s” available. Specifically, it contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). In a small serving of about 100 grams, you can get between 300 to 400mg of ALA. This is significantly more than what you would find in most other leafy vegetables. These healthy fats are essential because they help support your heart, keep your brain functioning well, and help lower inflammation throughout the body. “It’s one of the only land plants with significant omega-3s,” making it a unique addition to any diet.
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My 9-year-old daughter baked 300 Easter cookies for the homeless — the next morning, a stranger showed up at our door with a briefcase full of cash. My daughter, Ashley, has always had a heart too big for her chest. Since my wife died, we’ve barely been making ends meet. We spent everything we had trying to save her from cancer. But when Easter came this year, Ashley told me she’d been saving up her own money to buy ingredients. “For the homeless,” she said. Her mom used to be one of them. She was thrown out by her parents when they found out she was pregnant with Ashley. When I met her, she had nothing — but she had the brightest smile and the sharpest mind I had ever seen. I fell in love with her. I took her and Ashley in. And from that moment on, Ashley became my daughter in every way that matters. So when Ashley said she wanted to help people like her mom once was… I didn’t stop her. For three nights straight, after school and homework, she baked. Her little hands worked nonstop. She found her mom’s old cookie recipe. She rolled every piece of dough herself. She decorated every cookie. She made three hundred cookies. On Easter, she handed them out one by one. She looked people in the eyes. She wished them a Happy Easter. Some of them smiled. Some of them cried. I stood there thinking it was the proudest moment of my life. I thought that was the end of it. The next morning, I was washing a mountain of dishes when the doorbell rang. I opened the door. An older man stood there in a worn-out suit, holding a scratched aluminum briefcase. His eyes were locked on Ashley. Before I could ask anything, he set the case down and opened it. I froze. Stacks of hundred-dollar bills — more money than I had ever seen in my life. “I saw what your daughter did yesterday,” he said, his voice shaking. “I want to give all of this to her.” My heart skipped. Then he added: “But you have to agree to ONE CONDITION.” My chest tightened. “What condition?” I asked. He stepped closer. He lowered his voice. And what he asked for in return made my blood run cold.
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