Know2eat

Purslane

Portulaca oleracea

What purslane has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 2 with at least some human evidence behind them. Strongest first.

  • 2 Limited
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About purslane

A low, succulent annual with paddle-shaped leaves and a lemony, slightly saline taste, treated as a weed in much of the world and as a salad crop around the Mediterranean and in Mexico. It is unusual among leafy vegetables for the amount of alpha-linolenic acid in its leaves.

Also known as Verdolaga, Pigweed, Little hogweed, Ma chi xian

Blood Sugar & Metabolic HealthHeart Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood glucose response

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health
Limited evidence

Some small trials in people with type 2 diabetes report modest reductions in fasting glucose after several weeks of purslane seed or leaf preparations. The studies are few, small, mostly from one region and use doses well above a culinary serving.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Limited evidence

Evidence is limited for an effect on blood lipids. A handful of small randomised trials report reductions in triglycerides or LDL cholesterol with purslane supplementation, with inconsistent results and considerable variation in what was actually given.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Purslane

Ask about Purslane

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories20 kcal1%
Protein2.03 g4%
Total fat0.36 g0%
Carbohydrate3.39 g1%
Water92.9 g—
Fats
Cholesterol0 mg0%
Vitamins
Vitamin C21 mg23%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.047 mg4%
Riboflavin (B2)0.112 mg9%
Niacin (B3)0.48 mg3%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.036 mg1%
Vitamin B60.073 mg4%
Folate12 µg3%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline12.8 mg2%
Minerals
Calcium65 mg5%
Iron1.99 mg11%
Magnesium68 mg16%
Phosphorus44 mg4%
Potassium494 mg11%
Sodium45 mg2%
Zinc0.17 mg2%
Copper0.113 mg13%
Manganese0.303 mg13%
Selenium0.9 µg2%
Other measured compounds
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash1.36 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Purslane, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 169274).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • boiledReduces soluble oxalate

    Boiling and discarding the water removes a large share of soluble oxalate, considerably more than steaming. This is the most effective kitchen step for anyone managing stone risk.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    High oxalate and calcium oxalate stones

    Purslane is among the highest-oxalate foods in ordinary use. Anyone who forms calcium oxalate kidney stones is usually advised to limit it, and eating it with a calcium source in the same meal binds some of the oxalate in the gut.

  • Avoid

    Confusion with spurge when foraging

    Prostrate spurge grows in the same disturbed ground and looks similar at a glance. Spurge has thinner leaves and leaks a milky white latex when broken, which purslane never does. The latex is an irritant and the plant should not be eaten.

  • Worth knowing

    Nitrate accumulation

    Purslane accumulates nitrate from soil like other fast-growing leafy plants. That matters mainly for purée fed to very young infants, which should be freshly made rather than reheated.