Life itself cannot be sweet all the time so also, not all plants are sweet. Amid the bitterness, you can discover the sweetness and the same goes with the bitter leaf plant. Also known as Onugbu in Igbo language, Shiwaka in Hausa language, Ewuro in Yoruba language and Etidot in Ibibio language, bitter leaf plant is one of nature’s gift to man. Though famous for its culinary purposes, especially in the South East and SouthSouth part of Nigeria, it is also well known for its healing potency when chewed or juiced raw. Every part of this plant is bitter starting from the leaves to its roots. The bitterness of this plant is actually sweet for the body.
This multi-healing plant has numerous medicinal values including cure for stomach ache, skin infections, diabetes, insomnia, tooth ache, acne, pneumonia, stoke, arthritis, fatigue, cough and bleeding. It has been established that the plant has anti-parasitic, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-helminthic properties. Bitter leaf is also rich in carotene, proteins, ascorbic acid, iron, folic acid.
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. Diabetic patient can use bitter-leaf as part of their medication to prevent high sugar level in the blood. It will not only lower the sugar level in the blood but will also repair impaired pancreas. Bitter Leaf can be used to treat breast cancer when incorporated in the diet. It slows down cancer growth and even kills cancer cells. The aqueous extract of bitter leaf can also help in inducing labour and where there is no medical help, blood oozing from fresh wound can be stopped by squeezing fresh, green bitter leaves and dropping it on the wound. Smokers can use bitter leaf as it is helpful for acting as a shield against the pollutants from cigarettes while it burns. Through the consumption of bitter leaf juice, smokers can help protect themselves against the health dangers associated with the habit. This plant is very useful in toning the vital organs of the body especially the liver. it protects the liver from drug induced damage. People with liver and kidney problems can boil bitterleaf and drink a glass of it every day. According to the West African Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants, the leaves of bitter leaf can also be used to cure fever. It can also be rubbed directly onto the skin to cure an itch, parasitic infections, ringworm, among others because of its antimicrobial effects. Bitter leaf juice is said to increase the milk production of a lactating mothers The leaves can be rubbed onto the breast to wean infants. According to a 2005 edition of the African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, chewing the stem of bitter leaf helps to prevent gingivitis which is a tooth-gum problem due to its proven antimicrobial activity. Bitter leaf juice retains its potency for as long as a month when kept properly. A large quantity can be prepared, stored in cans and some honey added to preserve it. It may lose its bitterness but the efficacy remains the same.
The leaves are relatively cheap and rich in several nutrients especially Bcarotene and vitamin C. It is also rich in minerals like iron, phosphorus, calcium and potassium.
How to extract the juice from bitter leaf
Cooking actually reduces the health potency of bitter leaf, so it is advisable to take the juice if you want to enjoy the health merits. According to nutritionist, Veronica Zaki, people should drink a glass of bitter leaf juice three times a day for healthy living.
Traditionally, the juice is extracted by rubbing the clean leaves in between your palms with the help of a little water and squeezing out the juice from the leaves.
You can also use a juicer or blend the leaves with a little water, in a blender and strain out the extract with a cheese cloth, coffee strainer or a sieve with a tight mesh. The taste can be really bitter and some may find it unbearable. So to reduce the bitterness of the bitter leaf juice, you could blend it with spinach or fluted pumpkin. If you still find it extremely bitter, then add some sweet fruits to it like apples, oranges or pineapple. Dry bitter leaf is also potent, but it has to be properly cleaned before use.
Recipe for bitter leaf soup
Preparation time: 15 minutes Serves: 4-6 people
Ingredients
•3 handfuls of bitter leaf
• 1 cooking spoon of cocoyam (Ede ofe)
• 1 teaspoon of Ogiri
• 600g red beef
• 500g assorted meat
• 1 cup of periwinkles (Optional)
• Stock fish/ dry fish
• 1 diced red scotch bonnet pepper
• 2 cooking spoon of palm oil
• 1 cooking spoon of crayfish
•2 seasoning cubes
•Salt to taste
Cooking instructions
Step 1: Bitter leaf soup is not famously cooked to be bitter except you want to maintain the bitter taste. If you want to maintain the bitterness as some people would prefer, you only wash the leaves to remove dirts. Otherwise, wash the bitter leaf with your palms thoroughly to remove the bitter taste. A simple way to do this is to place it in a pot and boil for 10mins. While doing this, make sure the pot is left uncovered. Once you’re done boiling, strain with a sieve and rinse severally with cold water. Squeeze off excess water and set aside.
Step 2: Wash your beef, assorted meat, periwinkles , stock fish/ dry fish, pepper and put them in a medium sized pot. Add some salt and boil with little water for 15 minutes. Pour some more water just enough to cover the contents of the pot.
Step 3: Check for salt and add more if necessary, add the crushed seasoning and ogiri into the pot and mix. Leave to boil for 5minutes till the liquid in the pot starts to bubble.
Step 4: Gradually add the cocoyam paste, leave to dissolve in the bubbling liquid. Remember, the cocoyam being used is the non-edible type that tends to stick and not the edible type that can be boiled and eaten like yam. As it boils, it will begin to thicken. Now add the palm oil and crayfish and leave to thicken further.
Step 5: By now you should have noticed a considerable reduction in the volume of liquid in the pot. Gently add the washed bitter leaf and mix. Leave to boil further for 10minutes more before turning off the burner. Serve with semovita or eba.
