I was shocked to hear on the news that certain concerned segments of the population were stockpiling antibiotics because of supply chain breakdowns. I am leery of professional overprescribing of antibiotics and shocked at layperson unfettered access to them because of the harm they can cause. If people are worried about having access to antibiotic medications, the solution is to stockpile garlic. Garlic for decades has been successfully employed to eradicate poly-antibiotic resistant bacterium. Because we have evolved with garlic for centuries, our relationship with garlic is synergistic. Garlic is a safe and effective antibiotic and destroys dangerous bacteria yet is not harmful to our friendly flora, which is also bacteria. As a matter of fact, garlic acts as a prebiotic and actually nourishes our friendly flora. 

The famous ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates, declared that we should make medicine our food and food our medicine. Garlic is a perfect example of that philosophy, and Hippocrates successfully employed garlic as medicine in his practice 2400 years ago. 

Garlic isn’t the only food that can be used as medicine. Cayenne pepper, fondly known as the emergency herb, is successfully used to stop heart attack, prevent and recover from stroke, stop bleeding, prevent and alleviate migraines, and even cure GERD.

I will now focus on a very important, but little-known food that can sustain life in an emergency and is also a great medicine. This plant has been a food crop in the past, but today is a nuisance to gardeners. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) was Ghandhi’s favorite food, and with good reason. It is a rich source of vitamins A, C, E, B complex, and folates. It has 6 times more beta-carotene than carrots and is the highest green plant source of omega-3 fatty acids, making it the best preventative for cardiovascular disease. It is a great source of minerals including calcium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, magnesium, manganese, copper, and selenium. Purslane is rich in flavonoids like quercetin and luteolin and even contains the cell protectant glutathione, linoleic acid, and medicinal terpenoids like lupeol. Herbs are well known for the strong action of alkaloids which purslane has, but in very safe proportions. These well-known alkaloids include noradrenalin and dopamine, critical for Parkinson’s disease and useful for the rest of us. The betalain alkaloid pigment (betacyanins) found in the reddish stems is a powerful antioxidant, and betaxanthin (yellow pigment alkaloid) is anti-mutagenic. 

When you chew the leaves and stems you will notice that they are very mucilaginous which soothes all tissues in the body including skin, intestines, and eyes. Purslane is also very anti-inflammatory, which is helpful in arthritis, gout, and fibromyalgia.

Purslane contains melatonin which helps with sleep. It is antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal. With all these qualities we should be eating it daily instead of pulling it out of our gardens and discarding it. 

Purslane is a great ground cover and with its shallow roots does not rob deeper root vegetables in the garden of nutrients. Instead it keeps the ground moist and brings nutrients closer to the surface to assure a more productive garden.

Purslane is an annual that produces thousands of seeds insuring perpetual benefits year in and year out. This is one essential plant that doesn’t rely on a supply chain, it will be there for you. As an added bonus – it tastes good!

Let us honor Hippocrates and, instead of stockpiling dangerous medications, learn about, stock up, and use the medicinal foods all around us. 

For more information on purslane, see the following article:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6461301/

David Christopher  is a Master Herbalist, director of The School of Natural Healing, and son of our beloved Dr. John R. Christopher. He is continually helping others improve their health and that of their family members. The School loves having him as the director.