Bitter leaf :Vernonia amygdalina

 

 

You probably think you do not know this plant. It is actually what you call “Ewuro” leaf. It is commonly called Bitter Leaf but then it has some other interesting common names. Some include “Onugbo”, Ujuju”, “Shiwaka” amongst others.

Bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) as the name
implies, is actually a bitter plant whose leaves,
extracts, stems and barks are used for
culinary,medicinal and curative purposes.
Vitamins in Bitter leaf includes;Vitamin A,
Vitamin C ,Vitamin E, Vit.B1 and Vit.B2.
The most
distinctive characteristic of this plant is its
bitterness. Every part of this plant is bitter
starting from the leaves to its roots. The
bitterness of this plant is actually good for the
body. It has a lot of health benefits to people.
The plant can remind people that life is not
always sweet; it takes to taste bitterness before
you can achieve sweetness.

My aunt is a big fan of the bitter leaf
juice and on one occasion she made me drink
the juice to cure fever. I hated the bitter taste,
at that time,and I had to vomit but I realized the decoction was effective.
Below are the few benefits of Bitter leaf :

1)Bitter Leaf for Wounds
Take 5 to 6 Bitter leaves and squeeze out the
juice. Drop it over the bleeding area. It stops the
bleeding and heals Wounds completely..s

2)Bitter Leaf for Malaria
Boil some fresh Bitter leaves in 100 ml of water
for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain it off. Drink this
decoction daily to get rid of Malaria.

3)Bitter Leaf for Cough
Chew the Bitter leaves before going to bed at
night. Repeat this procedure for 3 days to get
cure from cough.

4)Bitter leaf for Skin Diseases
Squeeze out the juice from the bitter leaf and
apply it on the effected area. Apply this juice
twice a day..

Bitter leaf also cures a lot of other diseases ranging from :
Anorexia
Ascaris
Constipation
Diabetes
Diarrhea
Dysentery
Eczema
Fatigue
Fever
Gastrointestinal diseases
Gingivitis
Hepatitis
High Blood Pressure
Indigestion
Inflammatory diseases
Insomnia
Menopause
Nausea
Obesity
Piles
Ringworm
Schistosomiasis
Skin Diseases
Skin Rashes
Stomach pain
Vomiting

Bitter Leaf can be cooked as vegetables. You can also add it to Okro soup or Melon soup.
Have you ever eaten bitter leaf soup before? Oh My, it’s always delicious. You need to try it out.

Dry bitter leaf is also potent, but has to be
properly cleaned before use. Some people dry the leaves before use in order to reduce the bitter taste.
A lot of people like to extract the Bitter leaf juice rather than cooking the leaves.
How do we extract the Bitter leaf Juice
This can be done, the old school way of rubbing
the clean leaves in between your palms with the
help of a little water and squeezing out the juice
from the leaves.
You can also use a juicer or blend the leaves
with a little water, in a blender and strain out the
extract with a cheese cloth, or a
sieve with a tight mesh.

Bitter leaf juice on its own, is quite bitter and
this taste might be a turn off for a lot of people.
So to reduce the bitterness of the bitter leaf
juice, simply blend it with spinach or Ugwu
(fluted pumpkin). If you still find it extremely
bitter, then add some sweet fruit juices to it,
such as pineapple , apples or oranges.

A cup of bitter leaf juice a day energizes you, oh yes, it does!!!
Replace your intake of soft drink per day with a cup of bitter leaf juice, muah…

Note :Do not use when pregnant.

 

 

This data is intended to be information
only. It should not be used for diagnosis or
prescription. Before using any herb for treatment of any disease, please
consult your own healthcare practitioner for direction on usage.

Images :Internet