Health Benefits Of Bitter Leaf (vernonia amygdalina)

Bitter leaf, also known as Vernonia Amygdalina which is also known for its bitter taste as the name implies. Well, underneath that bitterness, are several useful and numerous health benefits needed by your body.



This plant is commonly grown in Nigeria in almost every part of the country and known as Ewuro by the Yorubas, Onugbu amongst the Igbos and called shiwaka by the Hausas.

Bitter leaf can be prepared by juicing it with a blender or traditionally by adding little water and rubbing it with your palm to extract the juice from its leaves.

Nigeria is blessed to have bitter leaf growing any and everywhere. It is among the cheapest vegetables or herbs you can buy.

Here are some health benefits of bitter leaf

• It speeds up metabolism and therefore is effective for weight loss.

•  Bitter leaf juice relieves fever and feverish conditions. Take the squeezed juice, 3 times daily until the symptoms disappears.

• It also helps to reduce high sugar level in the blood, and great for diabetic patients.

• Squeeze the fresh leaves on your palm and apply the juice on skin rashes, eczema, ring worms and any superficial skin ailments, you’ll notice a change in few days. Don’t apply to open wounds.

•  Bitter leaf is said to soothe and also cure pile.

• Taking a cup of bitter leaf juice a day, is a great way to detoxify the body of harmful toxins.

•  Bitter leaf juice nourishes the skin, makes you look younger.

•  Bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) also cures mild stomach ailments

•  Bitter leaf juice is said to increase breast milk production in nursing mothers

•  The washed roots and stalks of bitter leaf are boiled and the infusion is taking as a worm expeller. A cup of bitter leaf infusion taking first thing in the morning before meals

• Bitter leaf can be used as a home remedy for treating malaria as it contains anti-parasite and anti-bacteria properties.

• Bitter leaf contain an anti-oxidant thus the plant can be used for treating sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea.

• Bitter leaf extracts when taken can act as an expectorant for clearing up the throat as well as decongesting the chest from cough and catarrh. Just chew some bitter leaves before sleeping at night and first thing early in the morning for relieve from cough and catarrh.

• Drinking bitter leaf water helps to cure insomnia i.e sleeplessness.

• Bitter leaf contain certain active compounds that render them effective to be used as a purgative or as a laxative.

So whether you decide to chow it down fresh or in the form of bitter leaf juice and drinking up, or as a tonic which you store in your fridge and take tablespoons daily, you definitely can’t go wrong with bitter leaf in your diet.