Bitter Leaf – A Versatile Plant with Numerous Health Benefits
Bitter Leaf, known scientifically as Vernonia amygdalina and by various names across Africa such as Ndolé in Cameroon and Ewuro in Yoruba, is a plant with a wide range of uses in cooking, traditional medicine, and even beer production. This plant is prevalent in tropical African countries and is cultivated as a vegetable in nations like Benin, Cameroon, Gabon, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Culinary Uses of Bitter Leaf
In West and Central Africa, bitter leaves are highly valued for their unique flavor. In Nigeria, they are cooked into soups, while in Cameroon, they are a key ingredient in the famous dish Ndolé, prepared with peanuts, meat, or shrimps. Beyond its culinary applications, bitter leaf serves as a quickset hedge, in integrated pest management, especially against fungi, and in traditional medicine. It’s also a honey plant that can replace hops in beer production.
Health Benefits
Bitter leaf juice, despite its challenging taste, is popular for its health benefits. Traditional medicine uses leaf decoctions to treat ailments such as intestinal worms, fever, malaria, diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis, cough, and infertility. They also serve as a laxative and a remedy for scabies, wounds, headaches, and stomach aches. Root extracts are applied to treat malaria and gastrointestinal diseases.
Drinking water infused with bitter leaf can help maintain youthfulness, especially in women, due to its ß-carotene content which positively affects female hormones. It’s also useful in treating ringworm, skin infections, boosting appetite, and stopping coughs.
Precautions
It’s crucial to rinse bitter leaves thoroughly before consumption, at least four times, and they can be boiled with rock salt before cooking to ensure safety.
Discover the versatile and healthful bitter leaf at Afritibi, available for home delivery in Canada.
Source
Wikipedia
natureharbalife
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