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A recent blood test that showed low folic acid levels sent me on a quest for foods rich in the vitamin. I found that leafy vegetables, okra, beans, yeast, mushrooms, orange juice, tomato juice and animal liver and kidney are naturally rich in folic acid, which is a form of vitamin B9. But the search also introduced me to water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica), a green leafy vegetable belonging to the family Convolvulaceae, identi-fiable by its trumpet-shaped flowers.
Native to tropics and subtropics, this semi-aquatic perennial plant is believed to have been the first domesticated in Southeast Asia. Ac-cording to Taiwan-based research organisation World Vegetable Centre, folic acid is only one of the many nutrients present in the vegetable. The plant also has medium levels of beta carotene, calcium, vitamin E and iron; and medium-to-high levels of ascorbic acid.
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 weed. In India, it grows along the paddy fields, ponds and rivers, and is available around the monsoon season in July and August. 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. Harvesting of water spinach can start two to three months after planting, and continue regularly thereafter.
Pregnant women are prescribed folic acid to ensure that the unborn child is free from neural tube defects such as spina bifida. The vitamin is also used to ameliorate symptoms such as depression, stroke, decline in memory and cognitive skills. In many countries, this vitamin is added to foods such as cereals, flour, breads, pasta, bakery items and cookies.
However, experts have always insisted that increasing biodiversity on the plate is a better way for ensuring adequate consumption of vita-mins such as folic acid. In 2016, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the country’s apex food regulatory body, made efforts to fortify wheat flour and rice with folic acid, but so far it is not mandatory for companies to do so.
Kalmi saag is also good for the heart and liver. In animal models, the leaf extract could protect liver injury induced by doxorubicin, a chem-otherapy drug, says a 2017 study published in Food and Chemical Toxicology. The substantial quantities of phyto-antioxidants in the leaves may mediate its beneficial function against doxorubicin, says the study authored by researchers from Kolkata and Assam. This could be the reason Ayurvedic practitioners prescribe this plant to jaundice patients. Another study, published in Nutrition and Metabolic Insights in 2023, says that consuming the vegetable could combat cardiac toxicity and oxi-dative stress caused by doxorubicin in rat models.
Yet another study, undertaken by researchers in India, Pakistan and the US, finds water spinach effective against lead poisoning. The re-searchers say that the extract may offer the protection by either counteracting with lead-mediated oxidative stress and/or promoting the elimina-tion of lead by chelating (binding with toxic metals) in cell cultures and in mice models. The presence of substantial quantities of flavonoids, phenolics and saponins would be responsible for the overall protective effect, they say in their paper published in 2015 in the journal PLoS One. The vegetable is low in calories too and helpful for those trying to lose weight. For instance, 100 g of kalmi saag carries only 19 calories. Kalmi saag is said to be a famine food, due to the ease with which it grows.
Water spinach has great potential as a purifier of aquatic habitats. However, this could lead to adverse effects if plants grown in polluted water are consumed. The plant can easily accumulate cadmium, lead and mercury if the metals are present in the water.
By cultivating in controlled environments and managing its growth responsibly, water spinach can be enjoyed as a healthy and nutritive green.
Ingredients
Fresh water spinach: 250 g
Potato: 1, medium-sized, diced
Onion: 1, diced
Ginger: 4 cloves
Panch phoron (kalonji, methi,
cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds): 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder: 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil: 2 tsp
Method
Wash the leaves well and chop them, along with the tender stems. In a pan, heat the oil and fry potatoes. Keep aside. To the same oil, add whole spices, ginger and onion, and sauté. Add the powdered spices and mix well. Add in the chopped saag, mix, cover and cook. Add the potatoes, mix and cook again. Add salt and serve with steamed rice.
Ingredients
Kalmi saag: 100 g
Potato: 1, boiled and mashed
Dhaniya powder: 1 tsp
Chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
Mango powder: 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Wheat flour dough
Method
Clean and boil the saag. Mash with the boiled potato and add the spices to prepare the filling. Mix well. Take a ball of the dough and flatten with a rolling pin. Place a small amount of the filling and close the ball. Roll again and flatten to form the paratha. Heat an iron skillet and place the paratha on it. Let it cook while slathering ghee on both sides. Cook till it is crisp. Enjoy the paratha with curd.