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Subject: Nutrition: Weed Has Uncommon Health Benefits<By Boyce Rensberger>
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 92 09:54:16 EST
Message-ID: <5.1992Nov23.095416@AmeriCast.com>

Nutrition: Weed Has Uncommon Health Benefits<By Boyce Rensberger>

Can a common garden weed prevent heart disease? Scientists at the
Agriculture Department's Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
have discovered that wild purslane - a sprawling, fleshy-leaved
weed that plagues gardeners across the country - is a rich source
of omega-3 fatty acids. These are the nutrients thought to keep
the heart disease rate of Eskimos low despite their high-fat,
high-cholesterol diet. The Eskimos get their omega-3s from the
oil in the fish they eat.

According to Helen A. Norman of Beltsville's Weed Science Lab,
who described the finding in the ARS's Quarterly Report of
Selected Research Projects, purslane contains  10 times as much
of the nutrient - specifically the form called alpha-linolenic
acid, which is essential in the human diet - than does spinach,
another good source.

What's more, purslane has high levels of vitamin E, an antioxi-
dant purported to fight the aging process - six times the amount
in spinach.

And purslane even tastes good. Norman said it has a mild, nutty
flavor. The French, famous for having low heart disease rates,
have long eaten purslane in salads.

The weed, Portulaca oleracea, pops up in gardens everywhere and
thrives, especially in dry weather. Its succulent stems branch
frequently as it creeps over the ground, sending out thick leaves
half an inch in diameter. Because of its drought tolerance, Nor-
man said, wild purslane could easily be grown as a crop in the
arid southwest.<08:48 11-23C9999-----

Copyright 1992, The Washington Post.  This story is from the
Washington Post's Capitol Edition On-Line and is not to be ar-
chived or redistributed.

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