health benefit of bitter leaves

Bitter leaf belongs to the Asteraceae family in the large genus Vernonia. The plant is a shrub with moderate canopies occurring in open, regrowth forest locations; it is often raised around habitations.

The leaves are broad, ovate and spirally-arranged on branches. As a pot-herb and source of medicinals, bitter leaf is in a special class in terms of the cultural methods of preparation. The leaves are squeezed in water with salt added to wash off toxic materials which ooze out as foamy, brown exudates until they are clean. This is one form in which the vegetable is sold in the market.

In the early 80s when the crusade for the use of herbal medicine began, bitter leaf was one of the abused local herbs. Some people drank the exudates that were traditionally washed out of the leaves before use as vegetables. I know two close friends who came down with massive skin eruptions which required medical attention! This is probably due to the presence of raphides which are bundles of needle-like crystals of calcium oxalate in the bitter leaf.

Bitterleaf is used as vegetable, sole or mixed with other vegetables. Do you know that bitter leaf has been made into capsule in the USA? I saw the picture of the bottle last month and what came to my mind was “will someone from Africa still buy this?”

Bitter leaf has been used as food and medicine for centuries in Africa. The plant has a wide spectrum of uses in African traditional medicine and has been used in the management and treatment of a number of health conditions.

For instance, African traditional healers across the African continent use the plant for treating and managing a number of conditions like fever, malaria, stomach ache, skin infections (like ringworm, acne), diabetes, cancer, insomnia, hepatitis, toothache, jaundice, diarrhoea, bilharzia, pneumonia, tuberculosis, stroke, arthritis, wounds, fatigue and cough. It is also used as an anti-parasitic, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-helminthes; as a laxative, an appetiser, an aphrodisiac and for body weight loss.

Recent studies indicate that extracts of bitter leaf exerts antibiotic action against drug-resistant micro-organisms and can prevent or delay the onset of breast cancer and diabetes. According to a study carried out by researchers at the University of Jos, bitter leaf has an anti-diabetic effect in diabetes mellitus (Type 2 diabetes).

A nutritionist, Dr Grace Johnson, reported that bitter leaf can improve fertility because of its ability to boost the function of the reproductive system, balance hormones and help the ovary to release healthy eggs. However, according to a study, administration of bitter leaf extract at higher dosage for a long duration provoked varying degrees of testicular degeneration ranging from a significant reduction in sperm concentration and motility to abnormal morphology of sperm cells in male rats.

Bitter leaf contains vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2 and minerals such as zinc, manganese, iron, potassium, and calcium.

Some of its specific benefits are:

Stimulates uterine contractions: A long time before advanced medical practice and medications were readily available, bitter leaf was one herb used to assist women with childbearing, especially if difficulty was being encountered. It possesses uterine stimulatory properties which help to propel the child along the uterine and subsequently vaginal tract. It also helps with removing the placenta (after birth).

Natural fever reducer:

Bitter leaf has also been used traditionally for management of fever, especially in poor countries with lack of access to essential medications such as the anti-pyretics. Fever can be lethal in babies where it can lead to irreversible brain damage or more. This makes bitter leaf indispensable as a life-saver. Its anti-pyretic actions are due to the presence of several flavonoid compounds that help to modulate central temperature regulation.

Natural anti-parasitic actions:

Digestive parasites may hibernate inconspicuously for years while they slowly leach nutrients from their host, gradually leading to a state of chronic malnutrition. This is why it is important to regularly schedule anti-parasitic treatment or if unavailable, to take advantage of natural alternatives such as bitter leaf. Its anti-parasitic actions target both adult and larval stages of parasites making it a great comprehensive treatment option for people who cannot afford conventional medicine or where clinics may not be available.