Your parents may have told you bitter leaf is an amazing medicinal herb. But not many of them are able to give vivid explanation of how much benefits the leaf offers.
They just add it to soup as spice.
Bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) is a shrub that grows up to 3 meters high.
It is popular in the African tropics and mostly found in Nigeria, Cameroon and Zimbabawe.
In Nigeria, almost all tribes have a way of adding the leaf to their meal.
For instance, in the eastern part of Nigeria, people enjoy it in a delicious soup – bitter leaf soup (Onugbu soup).
Above being delicious, this soup is highly medicinal.
People of western Nigeria refer to it as Ewuro. Also, they have a way of adding it to their soup to as spice.
Bitter leaf has several health benefits we are sure you don’t know.
The reason is that people, as they grow, just become aware their parents eat this leaf. So, they begin to eat it, without giving so much attention to knowing the benefits.
Interestingly, researches abound on different compounds that are in the leaf that are beneficial to your health.
Compounds In Bitter Leaf That Make It Medicinal
Basically, some biologically-active compounds that are in this leaf are saponins, alkaloids, terpenes, steroids, coumarins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans, xanthones and anthraquinone, edotides and sesquiterpenes.
It also contains vernonioside A, B, A1, A2, A3, B2, B3 and A4.
Amazing! That is how we describe the above medicinal value of this plant.
Health Benefits Of Bitter Leaf
With these compounds, the leaf is not just a push over. In fact, it is able to address different health issues that you are not aware of.
We will list them and also tell you what compounds are responsible for these benefits.
1. Liver Diseases
Your liver is an important organ. It regulates most chemical levels in the blood and excretes a product called bile. This product help flush out waste from the body. However, oxidative stress and other issues could affect it.
However, adding this leaf to your meal would help lower risk of liver diseases. It can also treat inflammation of the liver.
A study says pre-administration of bitter leaf extract resulted in a dose-dependent reversal of acetaminophen-induced alterations of all the liver function parameters.
Also, it suppresses liver issues that are as a result of oxidative stress.
Furthermore, the animal study suggests that the antioxidants in bitter leaf protects against hepatic damage in mice (1).
This positive result occurs because of the presence of flavonoids in the plant.
Another study emphasises that flavonoids offer protection against liver diseases (2)
2. Gastrointestinal Disorders
One of the very common diseases today is intestinal disorder.
People come down with ulcer and different other intestinal issues as a result of oxidative stress and others.
However, bitter leaf contains anthraquinones that are great for treatment of intestinal disorder (3).
With the presence of this compound, the leaf contains antibacterial, antiparasitic, insecticidal, fungicidal and antiviral properties.
In traditional medicine, people macerate the leaf with either cold or warm water and drink the extract.
This helps treat gastrointestinal disorders.
3. Nausea
Also, when a person feels like vomiting, or is even vomiting, bitter leaf juice is a good remedy to offer.
One of the reasons that people have nausea feeling is worm and bitter leaf contains coumarins, alkaloids and flavonoids that have positive results against different worms.
4. Malaria
When it comes to malaria, Africa is tops, but this may be one of the reasons some countries have bitter leaf is in abundance.
The leaf has a compound, xanthones, which makes it effective in treatment of malaria.
Studies say xanthones possess significant biological properties, including anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral activities.
5. Diabetes
Interestingly, majority of the herbs that are bitter have a way of lowering your blood sugar when you eat them.
Bitter leaf is not any different.
Now, the leaf has flavonoid which could help in the management of diabetes.
According to studies, the antidiabetic activity of flavonoids supports the regulation of carbohydrate digestion, insulin signaling, insulin secretion, glucose uptake, and adipose deposition (4) (5).
Furthermore, this dietary antioxidant, flavonoids, could improve glucose metabolism, lipid profile, regulating the hormones and enzymes in your body.
When this happens, it protects you from diseases like obesity, diabetes and their complications.
6. Could Stop Worm From Troubling You
As stared earlier, bitter leaf is a good worm expeller.
It is able to help control worm in your system.
Some worms that it could be effective for are flat worms, e.g., flukes (trematodes) and tapeworms (cestodes) as well as round worms (nematodes).
Again, all it takes is macerating the leaf in water and drinking the extract.
7. Kidney Problems
Also, the leaf is effective in the treatment of kidney-related diseases.
This is also another function of flavonoids that is in the leaf.
According to a study, flavonoids from different sources, alone or in combination with stem cells, have significantly improved kidney function in several models of chronic renal failure (6).
Another thing is that oxidative stress also affects kidney function. However, antioxidants help arrest the antibodies that cause this condition.
8. Bitter Leaf Improves Fertility
Being in the business of helping couples who have impaired fertility, we know that the cases of infertility are increasing.
This increase could be as a result of different factors, some of which are lifestyle-related.
However, a couple could boost their chances of conceiving if they add bitter leaf to their diet.
For instance, drinking bitter leaf juice can help a woman get pregnant. One of the chemical compounds present in bitter leaf extracts – edotides – promotes hormonal balance and boosts your immune system.
Basically, hormonal imbalance is one of the causes of infertility in women.
But with a balanced hormone and great immune system a woman’s body is more prepared for conception.
Find More Resources How To Use Bitter Leaf
- Waterleaf And Bitter Leaf Soup: How To Prepare | 14 Health Benefits
- How To Use Bitter Leaf For Infertility
A woman finding it hard to conceive can consider taking a glass of this juice at least once a weak.
9. Bacteria Infection
In traditional medicine, bitter leaf is used in the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (7).
This is because it contains anti-bacterial properties.
According to a study, the leaf has antimicrobial and antiparasitic properties that ward-off bacteria (8).
10. Contains Anti-cancer Properties
Sesquiterpenoids are in the leaf and they are also popular for their anticancer properties.
Another compound in the leaf is anthraquinones.
According to a study, anthraquinones are active components of many plant blends which are used as medicines and exhibit laxative, diuretic, estrogenic, and immunomodulatory effects (9).
Another compound in the leaf that is also effective in cancer treatment is xanthones.
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Several studies have shown that xanthones possess significant biological properties that are anti-tumor (10).
You see, bitter leaf has loads of compounds that target cancer cells and inhibit them.
Again, the organic fraction extracts of the plant was shown to possess cytotoxic effects towards human carcinoma cells of the nasopharynx.
11. Bitter Leaf Lowers Risk Of Heart Disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death globally, but you can lower your risk of having it.
All it takes is to be more physically active and watch what you eat.
Furthermore, one thing to add to your diet is bitter leaf. A glass of bitter leaf juice once in a while will help lower oxidation that cause chronic diseases, thereby, keeping your heart healthy.
The leaf contains luteolin which is an antioxidant that improves cardiovascular health.
Luteolin is a form of flavonoid which is in abundant volume in the leaf.
A study says flavonoids like luteolin, luteolin 7-O-glucosides and luteolin 7-O-glucuronide, steroid glycosides, and vernonioside A, B, A1, A2, A3, B2, B3 and A4 are in the leaf (11).
As a result, taking the extract from this leaf would help lower your risk of heart-related disease.
Kindly share this with your friends and loved ones to help them know why they should once in a while take this amazing leaf’s juice.