Water Spinach

About Water Spinach:

• It is native to the tropics and subtropics; this semi-aquatic perennial plant is believed to have been the first domesticated in Southeast Asia.
• In Southeast Asian nations like Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia, the plant is mostly grown commercially, while in the United States and India, it grows in the wild as a weed.
• In India, it grows along the paddy fields, ponds and rivers and is available around the monsoon season in July and August.
• Other names: It is known as kalmi saag in West Bengal, naari ka saag in Uttar Pradesh, nalichi-bhaji in Marathi and sarkaraivalli in Tamil.
• The plant is relatively easy to grow because it requires little care and flourishes naturally in waterways.
• It grows very quickly under optimal conditions, though it has to be ensured that the water used is not saline or stagnant.
• Researchers in India, Pakistan and the US, find water spinach effective against lead poisoning.
• Health benefits:
  • The plant also has medium levels of beta carotene, calcium, vitamin E and iron; and medium-to-high levels of ascorbic acid.
  • The substantial quantities of phyto-antioxidants in the leaves may mediate its beneficial function against Doxorubicin.