Plant atlas Short

Water Spinach: Why the Hollow Stems Stay Crisp

Water Spinach / Morning Glory · ผักบุ้ง · Ipomoea aquatica

Water Spinach / Morning Glory — ผักบุ้ง (phak-bung) — Ipomoea aquatica.

Water spinach — ผักบุ้ง, pak-boong. Its hollow stems stay crisp in a hot wok, and the plant regrows after each cut. You eat the tender stems and leaves, which provide vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate. Pad Pak Bung Fai Daeng flashes them through a hot wok with garlic and chilies; Gang Tay Po simmers them with pork belly in a sour-sweet red curry. Cook water spinach with a little oil to help absorb its beta-carotene. If you're prone to kidney stones, eat it in moderation and cook it, since cooking lowers its natural oxalates. Follow Longevity Biome for a new Thai plant every day.

Pad Pak Bung Fai Daeng — ผัดผักบุ้งไฟแดง (pad-pak-bung-fai-daeng)
Gang Tay Po — แกงเทโพ (gaeng-tay-po)

Source: We could not find a traceable outcome study for I. aquatica plus macular degeneration or blood oxygenation. General carotenoid-AMD: AREDS2 (JAMA 2013, DOI:10.1001/jama.2013.4997)

Educational content, not medical advice! Consult your doctor before changing diet or medication.

#LongevityBiome #ThaiHerbs #WaterSpinach

Food and nutrients

Rich in: vitamin A, vitamin C, folate

Research context

Water spinach is a leafy green rich in iron and lutein

Safety note. Prone to kidney stones? It contains oxalates — eat in moderation and cook it, which lowers oxalate content.

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