Sometimes, visiting a restaurant could be an inspiration you need to discover a new recipe. In fact, we discovered waterleaf and bitter leaf soup recipe after eating out one afternoon.
Away from home, one of the places we do not love to visit is an eatery. Most times, we are skeptical of the spices and seasoning they cook with.
So, we prefer to visit local restaurants with a touch of local foods.
After scouting for some time, we found one and we opted to have their bitter leaf soup.
While we ate, we could notice there was another vegetable in the soup, but we were not sure of what it was.
After picking and examining few of them, we concluded that it would be waterleaf.
Although, we cannot categorically say it was waterleaf and bitter leaf soup we ate, we found a recipe for you.
The next day, we decided to try the soup at home to be sure it could combine well.
After preparing the soup, it started ranking at number one in the list of the family’s favourite soup.
This recipe that produces a tingly bitter, yet delicious taste is what we are sharing with you.
You can try it.
Before we share the recipe, we will tell you what you stand to gain, health-wise, when you combine waterleaf and bitter leaf in a soup.
Health Benefits Of Waterleaf And Bitter leaf Soup
Indeed, the interesting thing about this soup is that different compounds come from each of these vegetables.
They make waterleaf and bitter leaf soup rich in vitamins and minerals that are amazing for your health.
1. A Soup Rich In Nutrients
Waterleaf is one leafy green that is rich in vitamins – ascorbic acid (vitamin C), Vitamin A and pyridoxine (vitamin B6) (1).
Also, it is rich in phosphorus, iron, thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2) and niacin (vitamin B3).
A 100-gram serving of waterleaf contains about:
- Calories: 25
- Protein: 2.4 grams
- Fat: 0.4 grams
- Carbohydrates: 4.4 grams
- Fiber: 1.0 grams
Also, waterleaf contains antioxidants in form of carotenoids a group of other compounds that are beneficial.
A study lists some of the antioxidants in bitter leaf to include;
- Phenolics
- Flavonoids
- Saponin
- Flavonoid
- Tannin
- Phytate
- Oxalate
- Cyanogenic glycoside
- Alkaloids
- Anthraquinone
- Steroid
- Phenol
- Polyphenols
These antioxidants are present in different amounts.
On the other hand, bitter leaf is rich in Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Phosphorus , Potassium (K), Sodium (Na), Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), Zinc (Zn), and Copper (Cu).
Also, these leaves are rich in vitamins – vitamin C, B1, B2, B3 and E.
It is really high in magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and Iodine.
These compounds in these vegetables make waterleaf and bitter leaf soup a nutrient-rich meal.
2. Antioxidants And Anti-inflammatory Properties
Antioxidants are essential compounds that plants carry to protect them against pests and diseases. While it does that for them, humans are the reasons they are in plants.
Being the end users of these vegetables and plants as food and medicine (Ezekiel 47:12), humans benefit a lot from these antioxidants.
One of the important things they do is to help reduce oxidative stress that is known to cause most chronic diseases.
More Resources For Good Health
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So, if you eat more of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, which contain these antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties in high amount, you will experience an amazing health.
All you have to ensure is that you do not abuse them.
You will find trickles of these antioxidants again and again in the other benefits of this soup. Keep reading.
3. Boosts Your Immune System
Your immune system largely depends on the food you eat.
Bitter leaf contains vitamin A and C which have immune boosting power (2).
While vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) boosts immune system, it also serves as an antioxidant. As an antioxidant, it scavenges antibodies and ensure they do not cause any damage to your cells.
While waterleaf brings in a high amount of vitamin A, bitter leaf supplies vitamin C in high amount.
Also vitamin B1 helps in the activation of the immune system; communication between the brain and nerve cells. It also plays a role in the communication between cells and tissues (3).
Thus the high content of vitamin B1 in bitter leaf implies that this plant product will promote the overall health and wellbeing of humans.
4. The Soup Could Lower Blood Sugar
Really, from observation, one of the things that bitter vegetables or fruits do is to help regulate blood sugar.
Bitter leaf offers this very function as well.
A study says bitter leaf contains antioxidants – terpenoids – which help in regulating blood sugar (4).
Another study highlights that terpenoids are promising agents in the prevention of diabetic complications (5).
Therefore, a person that is at risk of having diabetes or someone already showing signs of the disease could add this soup to their diet.
With waterleaf in the mix, there appears to be a double load of effect on risk of diabetes.
According to studies, waterleaf contains bioactive compounds – quercetin and kaempferol. These compounds have antidiabetic effect (6) (7).
5. Improves Eight Sight
One of the vitamins that are beneficial to the eyes is vitamin A and these two vegetables contain it in rich amount.
A 2019 study says vitamin A is required for cell differentiation and reproduction in addition to its role
in vision (8).
Also, some other studies say diets high in vitamin A could help reduce risk of cataracts and age-related eye issues (9), (10), (11).
6. Waterleaf And Bitter Leaf Soup Improves Digestive Functions
You see, one of the things you will notice after eating this soup is a calm digestive system .
This is the functions of vitamin C in your diet.
While it functions as an antioxidant, it also aids in digestion by supporting healthy teeth and gums and helping the body absorb iron.
Bitter leaf is rich in this vitamin and also iodine.
Iodine supports the thyroid gland in your neck.
Your thyroid uses iodine to make thyroid hormones. These hormones control the rate of heartbeats, digestion and other functions.
Furthermore, bitter leaf is also rich in vitamin B2 which helps in proper development of the lining of the digestive tract, blood cells, and brain function.
Also, vitamin B1, thiamin, or thiamine, which is present in both vegetables enables the body to use carbohydrates as energy.
7. Lowers Blood Pressure
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in men in the US. It says 1 in every 4 male deaths is caused by heart disease (12).
Also, the World Health Organisation emphasises that the world’s biggest killer is ischaemic heart disease (13).
This disease is responsible for 16% of the world’s total deaths.
A sad situation, yet people are still walking that road.
But, fortunately, adding waterleaf and bitter leaf soup to your diet will help improve your heart health.
Studies say these vegetables contain antioxidants that are effective in lowering blood pressure (14) (15).
One of these studies highlights that sodium in bitter leaf helps remove water from your blood.
This activity decreases the amount of fluid flowing through your veins and arteries, reducing blood pressure.
However, while you eat this vegetables, you have to ensure that you are active.
Basically, the only way you service the heart is by exercising. A sedentary lifestyle is one of the major risk factors.
8. Waterleaf And Bitter Leaf Soup Boosts Fertility
There is an increase in the number of impaired fertility cases in both male and female. This has been linked to diet and lifestyle factors (16).
However, a good diet can help boost fertility in both male and female folks.
One of the diets that can boost fertility is this soup.
This is as a result of the nutrients in the soup that boost immunity, proper absorption of nutrients in food and high amount of fertility promoting minerals.
For instance, a suppressed immunity may impact fertility via the glands in your brain and kidney. But this soup could boost your immune system.
According to a study, bitter leaf has been shown to improve sperm parameters (17).
9. Has Antimalaria Properties
Another health benefit of this soup is that it could help lower incidents of malaria.
For instance, a study found that extracts of leaves and root bark showed antimalarial activity (18).
You can squeeze the leaf and drink the water or eat the leaf, the study suggests.
10. Could Fight Bacterial And Fungal Infections
Bitter leaf and waterleaf are also amazing against some bacterial infections.
In a study, quercetin which is in waterleaf damages the cell walls and membranes of E. coli and S. aureus (19).
Also, another study says extracts of the bitter leaf could inhibit bacteria and fungi associated with the spoilage and pathogenicity of foods.
Furthermore, it also showed very positive result against fungal infections (20).
Basically, saponins, flavonoids, and alkaloids are responsible for the antimicrobial properties of bitter leaf.
11. Waterleaf And Bitter Leaf Soup Boosts Cognitive Function
One area that waterleaf and bitter leaf soup is helpful is in boosting cognitive function.
Waterleaf, for instance, contains kaempferol (flavonoid). This compound has the therapeutic potential for brain-related diseases, such as ischemic stroke (21).
On the other hand, bitter leaf is rich in vitamin B2 and B6.
Vitamin B2 is required for brain function.
Also, vitamin B6, is a water-soluble vitamin that your body needs for several functions.
It helps your body absorb protein, fat and carbohydrate and the creation of red blood cells and neurotransmitters (22).
The fact is, your body cannot produce vitamin B6, so you must obtain it from foods or supplements.
This soup is a good source of this vitamin.
12. Waterleaf and Bitter Leaf Soup Improves Kidney Health
When you take bitter leaf, a group of antioxidants – saponins – help boost the health of your kidney.
They have detoxification properties and they help your kidneys release more sodium into your urine (23).
13. Helpful for Ulcer And Intestinal Issues – Ulcers
Also, this soup could help reduce the symptoms of ulcer and aid healing. It is rich in iodine which is known to aid healing.
Iodine supports the thyroid gland in your neck. Your thyroid uses iodine to make thyroid hormones, which control the rate of heartbeats, digestion and other functions.
Again, vitamin B2 is required for the proper development of the lining of the digestive tract.
This helps restore the mucus in the intestine and aid healing from ulcer.
You see, ulcer could occur as a result of oxidative stress. But a study says intake of vitamin C could aid healing and restoration of the gastric mucosa (24).
14. Contains Anti-cancer Properties.
Another study highlights the benefits of consuming foods that are rich in kaempferol (25).
It says kaempferol reduces the risk of chronic diseases, especially cancer. Waterleaf is rich in this compound.
In another study, researchers found that iodine could also lower risk of endometrium, ovary, breast and prostate cancers (26).
Antinutrients And Concerns
There are concerns that oxalate, phytate and some other antinutrients in these plants lower the absorption of nutrients in your gut.
Studies found that the process of squeezing and washing (abrasion) of bitter leaf reduce the amount of antinutrients in the leaf, proportionate to other nutrients (27).
Also, cooking the vegetables further lowers the level of antinutrients, making it healthy for you.
How To Prepare Waterleaf and Bitter Leaf Soup
Start the process the way you prepare your soup normally. Add your meat, fish and stock fish. Ensure the water is not much since waterleaf is part of the ingredients.
The spices for the soup are ginger, garlic (optional) turmeric and onion.
Divide the spices into two and use a part to steam your meat, fish and stock fish.
The other part of the spices is to be added towards the end of the process.
While the meat, fish and stock fish boil, add one or two tablespoons of red palm oil. Ensure that the meat and stock fish are soft enough before you add the oil.
Allow for 2 minutes and then add the bitter leaf. The size of the vegetables you are to use depends on the volume of soup you intend to make, considering the ingredients.
The waterleaf is often in more quantity than the bitter leaf to ensure it is not too bitter.
After adding the bitter leaf, lower the heat and allow to simmer for 3 minutes; then add the waterleaf.
Further allow to simmer for 2 minutes and then add the spices.
Again, let it simmer for another two minutes then check if it is watery. This is necessary because the waterleaf will release a good amount of water into the soup.
If it is watery, add offor (thickener) powder and allow for one more minute before you turn off the heat.
Your soup is ready.
Ensure that you eat with a healthy swallow.