You may have had a delicious stew of cassava tuber, but did you know its leaves are just as beneficial? In terms of taste, the leaves are quite bland, but their benefits far overcome this slight shortcoming. From immunity to muscle and bone health, cassava leaves have a number of health benefits.

Would you like to know what they are? Then continue reading!

1. Treat Diarrhea:

In Africa, where cassava is a commonly grown tree, the leaves are often used as a medicine for diarrhea. To make use of cassava leaves if you have diarrhea, you have to do the following:

1. Take about a liter of water in a pan and boil it.
2. Once it comes to a boil, take it off the heat.
3. Take 10 freshly picked cassava leaves and gently make a paste of them in a pestle and mortar.
4. Drop the leaves in the hot water and cover. Let the leaves steep overnight.
5. In the morning, strain off the leaves and drink a glass of the decoction.
6. Store the rest in a glass jar in the fridge. It can stay for three days.

2. Cure Fever:

Cassava leaves are also effective in treating fever. To get the best results, use the stem as well as the leaves of cassava to make a decoction. In order to make this, you have to boil the root and the leaves instead of steeping them in warm water. Simply take 400 grams of cassava leaves and 80 grams of the stem and boil them uncovered in a liter of water. When the volume of water is reduced by half, take it off the heat and cool.

3. Help Treat Rheumatic Diseases:

Rheumatic diseases refer to diseases pertaining to the muscles and joints. Osteoporosis, arthritis, spondylitis and lupus are some examples. Cassava leaves are rich in magnesium. In fact, a diet high in magnesium leads to lowered blood pressure levels that reduces the chances of rheumatic diseases throughout life (1).

Cassava supplies more than a third of your daily magnesium requirement per serving. To make an all natural rheumatic medication, take 150 grams of cassava leaves, some lemongrass and salt along with 15 grams of ginger root. Boil these ingredients in a liter of water until the volume has reduced to about 400ccs. Drink this potion every morning to keep rheumatic diseases at bay.

4. Heal Wounds:

Cassava leaves are great for healing injuries and wounds. It has plenty of nutrients that can help in quickly healing such injuries. Crush cassava leaves in a little amount of Aloe Vera gel and make a smooth paste. Smear this paste on the wound. You can also use the stem of cassava in healing wounds. From the smooth paste made from the leaves and the gel, grate some of the cassava root. If the wound is from a burn, squeeze the pulp out of cassava rhizomes and apply it daily to the wound.

5. Helps Treat Blurred Eyesight:

Cassava leaves can help clear up blurred eyesight. This may seem in direct contradiction with the fact that cassava tubers can cause problems with eyesight. However, the eyesight issues are because of the roots that have been planted in soil rich in cyanogens, which leach into the tuber. However, by its own, cassava does not have the potential of such damage. To clear up blurred eyesight, make a concoction of cassava leaves and drink it daily.

6. Clear Up Worms:

This benefit is sourced from some solid research done on cassava leaves. It has been found that cassava leaves reduce nematode infection in the GI tract. Experiment was done on young goats that were fed a steady diet of fermentative additives of rice and cassava leaves. It was found that the supplementation drastically reduced the symptoms of nematodic infestation.

To take cassava to eliminate worms, you can buy cassava supplements found in pharmacies. You can also make a paste of cassava leaves and eat that as a whole.

7. Develops Appetite:

Cassava is full of benefits, among which appetite restoration is one. If you are feeling averse towards food, cassava leaves will restore your appetite. To do this, make a concoction of cassava leaves with ginger and drink it every morning right after waking up.

8. Beneficial For Pregnant Women:

Pregnant women need lots of vitamin C and folate(2). In fact, these two supplements are prescribed right from the beginning of the gestation period. Now, these two are also found aplenty in cassava leaves. A cup of cassava contains 15 percent of your daily folate requirement and 47 percent of the daily calcium requirement. Cassava leaves have a bland taste, so chop the leaves and cook them with meat and vegetables in a stew. This way, you will make a great meal out of the healthy leaf.

9. Help Fight Kwashiorkor:

Cassava leaves are full of lysine protein (3). This makes the leaves perfect for fighting against protein deficiency conditions like Kwashiorkor. However, depending on cassava as the sole source of protein can be harmful if the leaves are not cooked properly. There is evidence suggesting cassava containing cyanogenic glucosides. This can lead to loss of eyesight and cyanide poisoning. So the tuber and leaves must be washed properly, and cooked well before eating.

10. Strengthens Immunity:

Folate and vitamin C, both found in plenty in cassava leaves, are very good for the body’s immune system.

Vitamin C helps the immune system by attacking the nucleus of virus and bacteria, rendering them dead. It also maintains bone health. It is also a good antioxidant that eliminates free radicals in the body. Free radicals are known to have links with cancer.

Folate helps in the production of cells in our body, thereby helping in making the genetic material for life and preventing DNA mutations.

These are some of the benefits of consuming the less popular part of a stem you love eating. So, the next time you buy cassava tuber from the market, make sure to ask for the leaves as well.

Also, do tell us how this post has helped you. You can comment in the box below.

The post 10 Amazing Health Benefits Of Cassava Leaves appeared first on STYLECRAZE.

by Daiwik Suresh Gejji via STYLECRAZE