Eating bitter leaf prevents diabetes and its complications

By Sade Oguntola - updated: Thursday 26-06-2008

Herbs can be used to cure
different diseasesSome communities hold the notion that bitter things are better than sweet things for good health. This may be true in the case of bitter leaf, a vegetable highly cherished among Nigerians. Some enjoy eating this leaf because of the sweet feeling it leaves on the tongue after a meal prepared with it and some because of its many medicinal benefits.

Like many people may know, bitter leaf curative and therapeutic properties has given it edge over several other vegetables or culinary leaves people make use of in Nigeria. Its goodness for a healthy body, devoid of several diseases like diabetes and high blood cholesterol problem, has also been substantiated by several research studies both within Nigeria and other African counties where the plant can be found. Commonly called bitter Leaf, Vernonia amygdalina belongs to the plant family Compositae. In Nigeria, the Edo call it “oriwo”; Hausa, “chusar doki” (a horse tonic food containing the leaves), “fatefate/mayemaye” (a food prepared from the leaves); Ibibio “atidot”; Igbo, “onugbu”; Tiv, “ityuna”; and Yoruba, “ewuro”.

In a description of the plant in the book, The useful plants of West tropical Africa, Vol. 1 by Burkill, H.M, bitter leaf is a shrub or tree which grows to about five metres high especially around forest-margins and is widely distributed throughout tropical Africa. The leaves are very bitter. Its bitterness is abated by boiling or in the young leaves by soaking in several changes of water. They are held to be anti-scorbutic and are added to soups or eaten as spinach by the Tiv, Igbo and Edo people. Though many tribes are fast becoming westernised, and so at a higher risk of developing several non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension, but those that still regular consume bitter leaf stand a better chance of being protected from developing problems these despite these diseases running in their family.

Recent studies indicate that extract of bitter leaf helps to regulate blood sugar and choleresterol levels, thus ensuring healthy blood and heart. According to a recent study titled “Effects of Vernonia amygdalina and Chlorpropamide on blood glucose”, administration of the aqueous extract of bitter leaf at a concentration of 500 mg/kg of body weight significantly decreased the level of blood glucose. Its efficacy to lower blood glucose level was comparable with that of chlorpropamide, a standard drug used in the management of diabetes. The study was published in the Medical Journal of Islamic World Academy of Sciences and written by Dr. Abraham A. Osinubi from the Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria.

The study with the objective of further investigating the potential of bitter leaf for treatment of diabetes mellitus, as a potentially emerging alternative therapy for type 2 diabetes, was done using 60 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing between 180 and 220gm. Half of the animals were randomly rendered diabetic by administering alloxan (150 mg/kg). Equal numbers (20) of the rats were variously administered aqueous leaf extract of bitter leaf (500 mg/kg), chlorpropamide (250 mg/kg) and distilled water (2 ml/kg). The aqueous leaf extract of bitter leaf produced significant reductions in the blood glucose concentrations of normal (normoglycemic) and diabetic (hyperglycaemic) rats one to 12 hours after acute treatment compared with distilled water-treated control animals.

According to the researcher, “the plant extract could, at least in part, stimulate insulin production and glucose utilisation, like chlorpropamide, in the mammalian experimental model used.” Although the findings could not suggest the precise mechanism by which the bitter leaf extract brings the blood sugar level down, but it was clear on the fact that plant extract, like chlorpropamide, is more effective in reducing the blood glucose concentrations of diabetic rats than in reducing the blood glucose concentrations of normoglycemic rats. Meanwhile, one of the problems that can worsen the condition of a person with diabetes or even make such develop heart problems later on, include a high blood cholesterol level. This can also benefit from bitter leaf extract too.

Results from a recent study titled ”Lipid-lowering effects of methanolic extract of Vernonia amygdalina leaves in rats fed on high cholesterol diet”, suggested the cholesterol-lowering effects of bitter leaf, describing it as a new potential natural product for the treatment of hyperlipidemia(high blood cholesterol level). The study was carried out by Oluwatosin A Adaramoye; Olajumoke Akintayo; Jonah Achem and Michael A Fafunso, all of the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. It was published in the 2008 on line edition of the journal, Vascular Health and Risk Management. Forty-two male albino rats (Wistar strain) weighing between 120 and 130 g used as experimental animals were randomly distributed into seven groups of six animals each. Extract of bitter leaf was administered at doses 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight and cholesterol were administered five times in a week for a period of nine weeks.

While the study is support the folkloric use of this plant in the treatment of hypertension or related vascular diseases in Nigerian herbal homes, it said that bitter leaf may probably play an important role in the prevention of fat deposits on the blood vessel walls, including that of the heart. Several studies have indicated that diet or drug therapy that regulates cholesterol can reduce subsequent the chances of a person developing several cardiovascular associated problems. Bitter leaf is used for many health problems in the community.

According to the West African Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants, “the leaves of bitter leaf are widely used for fevers. A leaf-decoction is taken as a laxative after macerating the leaves through a cloth and adding peppers and spices. The leaves are rubbed directly onto the skin for itch, parasitic affections, and ringworm, among others. Leaves are rubbed onto the breast for weaning infants. The wood provides one of the common chew sticks in Nigeria. It is valued as a tooth-cleaner and it has an alleged beneficial effect on dental caries, as a worm expeller as well as for intestinal parasitic infections.

Stop nose bleeding with Efinrin (basil) leaves

By Seye Adeniyi

Most invading germs enter the body through the nose and throat. Also, injuries to the nose are very common in children as well as in adults. But children are more predisposed to nasal injuries because of the dangerous games they often engage in. When injury occur to the nose, the delicate nasal bones are often affected and many times they could suffer serious damage. Because the nose is very important, it should not be allowed to suffer any injury as this can change the whole expression of the face.

Injury to the nose may also interfere with the normal passage of air through this important organ. Also, injury to the nose is very common in children because they often insert various objects like nuts, broom sticks, beans, small toys and many other sharp objects into their noses, especially when playing with their colleagues. However, nose-bleed is very common at all ages of life meaning that adults can also experience it. Nose-bleed can sometimes arise from some serious condition, such as high blood pressure, typhoid fever, scurvy, leukaemia or other generalised condition.

Children suffering from rheumatic fever and from a type of fever called scarlet often experience this condition. It has also been said that some girls do experience nosebleed during their menstruation. Some health conditions like liver disease and jaundice may also trigger nasal haemorrhage. But it should be noted that most cases of nosebleeding usually result from direct injury, fracture, or entrance of foreign body into the nose. People that are in the habit of picking their nose or those who usually dip their fingers into their nose can also experience nosebleed.

But some people usually experience nose bleeding without knowing the actual cause, it has even become part of life for some people. Theyhowever need to know the underlying cause. Moreover, for those experiencing this condition, the first thing to do is to stop the bleeding whenever it occurs. To do this, keep the affected individual upright with the head bent forward. Then apply pressure on the side of the nose which is bleeding. The person should hold this pressure steady for at least 15 minutes. Ice block can further be applied to the neck and bridge of the nose in order to stop the bleeding. According to medical explanation, many cases of nose bleeding are due to some small vessel spurting blood on one side or other side of the nasal septum.

Furthermore, natural medicine practitioners also have a simple solution to nose bleeding. Basil leaves commonly referred to as Efinrin can offer effective and long lasting solution. To use basil (Efinrin) leaves, pluck some and clean them in clean water before squeezing the juice out of the leaves. The juice can be applied to the bleeding nose with the head bent backward. Also, the leaves from which the juice has been squeezed out can be pressed together to form a small lump and used tthe affected nose. This simple first aid natural therapy for stopping bleeding nose has been tried/used by many people and they testified to its efficacy.