Added to salads, soups and main courses, it gives taste and many useful substances to stay healthy. Here are the benefits it has and useful tips to grow it at home
There purslane oleraceaAlso known as porcelain or fat grass, it is an edible plant used in cooking since ancient times because of its beneficial substances for health. Purslane is in fact a concentrate of vitamins, minerals and healthy lipids that promote the proper functioning of the body. Its leaves and twigs can be used both raw to enhance the bitter taste of salads based, for example, on rocket and onions, and cooked to enrich soups, minestrone, velvety or main courses such as omelettes with precious nutrients. Let's see with the help of the nutritionist Valentina Schirò, a specialist in food science, why eat it and how to grow it on the balcony of your home.
It fights cholesterol and diabetes
Purslane helps keep blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels in check. «It is one of the richest plant sources of heart-friendly lipids. It provides polyunsaturated essential fatty acids such as Omega 3, among which alpha-linoleic acid stands out, which helps to keep bad cholesterol (LDL) at bay and protect blood vessels from plaque formation, improving pressure and circulation ", says the nutritionist Schirò. "It also ensures good amounts of vitamin C, essential for the health of the walls of blood vessels, and potassium, a mineral that eliminates the excess sodium responsible for high blood pressure and water retention. Finally, thanks to the good fiber content, it slows down the assimilation of fats and sugars, preventing the onset of high blood sugar and diabetes ".
Counteracts osteoporosis
Purslane is rich in minerals that are good for bone health. «It has a good content of calcium and phosphorus. To increase its protective action against the joints, it is ideal to combine it in salads with fish, which thanks to vitamin D, favors its assimilation and other leafy vegetables such as lettuce and radicchio, rich in vitamin K , useful for the health of the cartilages .
Prevents premature aging
Purslane also provides many antioxidants that counteract the action of free radicals and help tissues and cells defend themselves from oxidative stress, responsible for aging. "In addition to being a good source of vitamin C, cIt contains vitamin A and vitamin E, two anti-aging substances which, as shown by several studies, protect skin cells, nourishing it deeply ". To increase its anti-aging effect, the ideal is to season purslane with extra virgin olive oil or eat it with a walnut dressing. "The healthy fats they are rich in facilitate the absorption of both these vitamins," explains the expert.
How to grow purslane
Growing purslane is simple. You can do it easily even on the balcony or terrace of the house. Get a pot of 30 centimeters in diameter, pour some hydrated soil and transplant the seeds of purslane oleracea (edible). The plant should be exposed to sunlight and sheltered especially in the cold months because frost and particularly low temperatures tend to dry it out. To make it grow well it should then be watered often and with little water.
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