Top 11 Curry Leaves – Health Benefits
It is a complete misconception that curry leaves solely fulfill the purpose of providing their characteristic aroma and flavor to the dishes they are added to. Curry leaves benefits the human body in so many unknown ways that the humankind has certainly lost count. This article is a humble attempt at articulating all the major ways curry leaves benefits the human body so that we can acknowledge the fact and start incorporating it in our diet.
Other names of Curry Leaves –
- Murraya Koenigii (Botanical name)
- Kariveppilai (Tamil)
Calories (energy) in Curry Leaves : 108 K.cal / 100 gm
Major Nutrients Present in Curry Leaves:
Following are the Health Benefits of Curry Leaves:
- Curry leaves are excellent for stopping diarrhea. The carbazole in curry leaves is excellent for diarrhea induced by castor oil and indirectly acts as an anti-diabetic.
Dieticians recommend chewing the leaves or ingesting the juices extracted from the leaves to cure diarrhea.
- Curry leaves possess mild laxative properties, which makes it possible for them to cure a number of gastrointestinal conditions including gas and indigestion.
For gastric issues,
- it is recommended to grind a couple of curry leaves, mix it with water, and lime juice. The drink provides instant relief to the patient.
- Adding curry leaves to buttermilk and drinking it on an empty stomach is believed to cure mainly patient with chronic digestion problems.
- Other than Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Vitamin E, curry leaves contain a large number of antioxidants.
These antioxidants curb the oxidative activity of free radicals released in the body during times of stress and provide relief to the body from the scavenging results of these free radicals.
- Curry leaves benefits you by increasing hair growth and strengthening the roots of your hair follicles.
Curry leaves are often dried and powdered to be left in a suspension of coconut oil by South Indian women to stimulate hair growth.
- Curry leaves benefit your eyesight due to the presence of significantly large amounts of Vitamin A.
The carotenoids, including beta-carotene present in curry leaves, can be easily converted to vitamin A by the human body.
- Curry leaves are a natural antibacterial agent and bear antifungal properties.
These properties have translated to its repeated use in tackling minor burns and cuts. Recent times have witnessed certain compounds extracted from curry leaves being used in a number of antibiotics.
- Liver, an organ that is highly prone to corrosion because of the modern lifestyle can be easily protected by ingesting curry leaves on an empty stomach. The damage caused to liver is largely due to the corrosive action of the free radicals released in the body during various detoxifying processes.
- Irritation, redness, inflammation, bruises, insect bites etc can be easily cured by applying a paste of curry leaves.
This ancient trick has been a part of the medieval cultures in the Indian subcontinent.
- When undergoing chemotherapy, the chromosomes of every cell exposed to the light stand at the chance of being genetically altered. This is again triggered by the action of free radicals. Consumption of curry leaves during that time frame helps the body to fight the generation of free radicals and thus prevent the resulting induced mutation.
- Curry leaves can help you lose weight effectively by altering the rate of absorption of fats. In other words, curry leaves also improve digestion and absorption pathways in the human digestive system. Since weight gain is one of the leading causes of diabetes, curry leaves indirectly stop the diseases from developing right at its roots.
- Other than strengthening hair follicles, curry leaves also prevent premature graying, cures dandruff, adds life to thin, limp hair and what not. Seems like curry leaves are the ultimate solution to all the hair care woes any woman has ever experienced.
Curry leaves are a magical condiment. It is high time we put these numerous ways curry leaves benefits us into practical use.
Image Credit: Wikimedia
REFERENCES:
Major Nutrients Present- Nutritive Value of Indian Foods from National Institute of Nutrition.
Last Published on : 2016/02/12