Purslane Herb
马齿苋 · Mǎ Chǐ Xiàn
Settles an upset stomach and soothes irritated skin
What it does
Purslane is traditionally used for urgent digestive trouble, bloody diarrhea, and inflamed skin. In TCM, these are signs of excess heat and toxins building up in your gut or skin. Purslane cools that heat and helps clear the infection. It's also one of the most nutritious wild plants on Earth, packed with omega-3s, which makes it easy to add to your diet as both food and medicine.
How to take it
Steep 10–15g of dried purslane in hot water for 15 minutes, or use fresh purslane in salads and stir-fries. For skin, apply cooled tea as a wash.
Try adding fresh purslane to a salad. It has a pleasant lemony crunch
Safety
- Very cooling. Avoid if you have chronic cold-type diarrhea (no heat signs)
- Safe as a food in moderate amounts but concentrated doses need practitioner guidance
- Skip during pregnancy. It may stimulate uterine contractions
- Talk to your doctor before starting, especially if you take medication
Where it comes from
Purslane is one of the most widely distributed wild plants on Earth. It grows on every continent except Antarctica. In TCM, it's been used for dysentery and skin infections since the Míng Dynasty materia medica texts. In the West, it's increasingly recognized as a nutritional powerhouse: purslane contains more omega-3 fatty acids than almost any other leafy green, plus significant vitamins A, C, and E. A weed that most people step over is actually both food and medicine.