By Edith Igbokwe
Most people use bitter leaves strictly for cooking because they are unaware of its other fantastic health benefits.
The not-so-good part is that almost all the nutrients are washed off whenever it’s used for cooking. The few nutrients that managed to get through are also heated up.
It will further lose nutrients, leaving just a tiny portion for human consumption.
Therefore, if we want to enjoy all the health benefits of bitter leaves, it should be taken fresh. Though the leaf is bitter, as the name implies, and most people might not be able to withstand its bitterness.
It is one of the most versatile and advantageous plants in the world. It is used for medicinal and curative purposes.
Some principal chemical constituents found in bitter leaf herb are a class of compounds called steroid glycosides- type vernonioside B1 – these chemical substances possess a potent anti-parasitic, anti-tumour, and bactericidal effect.
Also, have it at the back of your mind that the best medicines come with a bitter taste, and bitter leaf is among those medicines (even ranked high). From treating diabetes, diarrhoea, malaria, kidney disease, typhoid, gallstones, and tuberculosis to lowering hypertension and preventing cancer, the health benefits of the bitter leaf are endless.
Bitter leaf has been said to enhance infertility among women with difficulty conceiving. Bitter leaves help because the detoxification power of the leaf helps to stop the pollution of the antibodies that initiate tissue repair and regeneration and fight diseases.
When this is done, it significantly boosts the ovaries’ fertility. It will also get rid of premature ovarian failure and ovarian cysts.
It relieves Menopause symptoms: Take some fresh Bitter Leaves to extract out the juice. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of Honey for taste. Drink this juice every morning and night to relieve Menopause symptoms.
Prostate cancer is prominent among men in their forties. One of its first symptoms is difficulty in urination or painful urination. Using bitter leaves to treat this ailment is as effective as ever. It will work by increasing the flow of urine and reducing the pain.
To use, squeeze the fresh leaves in clean water and take a glass-full four times daily with a concomitant medical checkup. You will notice that you’ll start urinating frequently. However, do not fret because the body is in cleansing mode, and that’s why it is happening.
Pneumonia is a lung inflammation disease affected by viral or bacterial infection, in which the air sacs are filled with pus and may turn solid. Both lungs may be affected, which is said to be “double pneumonia” when that happens. However, if one lung is involved, “single pneumonia” occurs.
But the powerful effect of bitter leaves is sufficient to combat this condition. To tackle it, squeeze the fresh leaf and take a glass full of it three times daily. Before you take it, heat the solution slightly. Do not boil it, just warm it. Continue taking it for a month and see how fast it works.
To cure Malaria, boil some fresh Bitter leaves in 100 ml of water for 5to 10 minutes. Strain it off. Drink this decoction daily to get rid of Malaria.
You must have heard bitter leaves solves stomach problems, this is true. To soothe your stomach ache, you should chew the tender stem of the plant (as if you’re munching a chewing stick) and swallow the bitterness. The ache will subside in a few minutes.
Another option is to pound the fresh leaf in a mortar to get the juice. After that, add a pinch of salt to the undiluted juice and drink. Expect relief in no time.
Diabetes
Squeeze the fresh Bitter leaf to extract out the juice. Drink it twice a day to lower the raised blood sugar levels.