Health benefits of the leaves and notes when using them

What are the leaves?

Voi leaves are the leaves of the fig tree, this is a plant with the scientific name of Syzygium nervosum, belonging to the family Peach Kim Niang, was first described in scientific texts in 1928. This is also a plant that is widely grown in our country, mainly in the northern provinces, and is loved by local people. Collect leaves to bring back to cook daily refreshments.

In addition, the mandarin tree also grows wild in many countries in Asia such as China, India, Laos, Cambodia, …

Characteristics of the leaves

Here are some characteristics of the tree that you should know:

1. About the trunk

It is a medium-sized tree with an average trunk height of 10-12m. The tree has a dark brown outer bark, with longitudinal cracks in the bark, however, the branches are quite smooth, sprouting around from the trunk.

2. About leaves

The leaves are oval or oval in shape, about 7-10cm long, about 3-4cm wide. The leaves are tapered to the outside, the petiole is quite short, only about 1cm. Leaves are light green on both sides, upper surface less ribbed.

3. About flowers

The flowers of the tree are quite small, growing in clusters of 3-5 flowers. Flowers are white-green, usually bloom in the summer from May to the end of July. When the flowering season ends, the tree will produce fruit, egg-shaped fruit with rough outer shell.

Nutritional composition of the leaves

According to Oriental medicine, the leaves have a slightly bitter taste, cool properties, and have the ability to help clear heat and detoxify the body. According to modern science today, the chemical components present in this leaf have been studied and shown as follows:

– The leaves and buds contain a lot of Tannin, in addition, the leaves also contain some essential minerals, vitamins and about 4% essential oils with a light and pleasant aroma.

– The leaves contain some antibiotic components such as Streptococcus, Staphylococcus that can help kill bacteria like diphtheria, pneumococcal, Salmonella,…

The leaves also contain bactericidal ingredients that can treat skin diseases such as rashes or boils in the skin.

– Polyphenols in leaves and buds have the ability to help inhibit glucose enzyme activity. Thereby reducing the absorption of sugar, helping to control blood sugar in the body.

9 The effect of the leaves on human health

Its leaves or buds have a gentle, pleasant aroma, so they are often harvested to extract essential oils. Besides, this leaf also brings a number of beneficial effects to health as follows:

1. Support diabetes treatment

In the leaves contains many active substances with high antioxidant effect. Therefore, it can help people with diabetes to regulate blood sugar. In addition, leaves also help prevent complications of diabetes that can cause patients, such as cataracts, cell damage, metabolic disorders, …

2. Support treatment of gout

Regular use of leaves will help significantly reduce uric acid levels in the blood, especially in patients with gout. Thanks to that, the swelling and pain in the joints caused by gout will be reduced and can be restored.

3. Reduces the risk of fatty liver

Flavonoids in the leaves have high antioxidant capacity and reduce the amount of fat accumulated in the liver. Thanks to that, you will be able to get rid of fatty liver, which can cause you to have high liver enzymes, hepatitis,…

4. Better Digestion Support

The leaves are rich in fiber and tannin, which have the ability to stabilize the digestive tract and reduce excess acid in the stomach. Thanks to that, you will absorb food easily, eat more deliciously without having stomach pain or digestive disorders.

5. Detoxify, purify the body

The vitamins in the leaves, along with the active ingredient tannin, have a high detoxifying ability, effectively purifying the body. That is the reason many people like to mix tap water every day to drink for refreshment purposes. Toxins will be easily eliminated through the body’s excretory system.

6. Antiseptic, anti-inflammatory

In the leaves contains the active antibiotic beta sitosterol along with flavonoids with high bactericidal and anti-inflammatory capabilities. As a result, it will have an antiseptic effect, prevent wound infection, and effectively support the treatment of sores.

7. Burn treatment

The leaves have the ability to cure burns in mild burns on the skin. You just need to mix water to wash the burned area. However, with more severe burns, you should absolutely not do this, but must immediately go to the hospital for treatment.

8. Support to reduce itching, impetigo in children

Using the leaves to make bath water for children will prevent skin rashes, itchy rashes, or even improve the condition of sores and impetigo in young children.

9. Beneficial for pregnant or postpartum women

Using tapioca leaves properly can stimulate women after giving birth to produce more milk for lactation. Besides, tapioca leaf juice can help pregnant women absorb nutrients better during pregnancy.

Harm of the leaves if used in the wrong way

Although there are many benefits to human health, if you overuse this leaf to use it, it can cause unnecessary harm.

1. Impede the absorption of nutrients into the body

Using too much water will make it difficult for your body to absorb nutrients from the food you eat every day. That in the long run will cause you to lose weight abnormally, body fatigue, weakness, digestive disorders.

2. Poisoning

In the leaves contains a very small amount of toxins, usually they can not cause harm to the body if it is poorly absorbed into the body. However, if you use a large amount of leaves in a short time, it can cause the amount of toxins to increase, causing the body to be poisoned. At this time, you will feel a little dizzy, nauseous, and weak.

3. Affects the excretory system

Dried fig leaves are better to drink than fresh leaves. That’s because fresh leaves will contain high levels of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant active ingredients. They can destroy all beneficial bacteria in the digestive system, affecting the body’s digestion and absorption of nutrients. This will make the excretory system work harder when the body cannot absorb food.

Drinking water with leaves is harmful to the kidneys or not?

Currently, there is a lot of information that the use of leaves to drink regularly can cause the formation and accumulation of stones in the kidneys, thereby causing kidney stones. However, scientists have studied and proven that tap water does not cause kidney stones or affect kidney function. Therefore, you can rest assured when using them to mix drinking water every day.

Note when using cassava leaves to drink every day

To be able to help you use the leaves properly, be healthy and bring no side effects, you need to note a few things as follows:

– Dried fig leaves will be better than fresh leaves when used to make drinking water.

– Absolutely do not use the leaves and buds to drink for people who are thin, weak or have low resistance.

– Every day you should only drink from 200-250ml of tap water / day only, should not drink too much, nor should you drink instead of filtered water. Because it can affect the excretory system of the body.

– You should not drink too much concentrated leaf juice, because that can affect the digestive system, easily stimulate bowel movements, affect the digestive system. Above all, you are susceptible to poisoning causing dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea.