Did You Know? The Healing Powers of Mango Leaves

People around the world like this tropical fruit! Besides its delicious taste, the health benefits of mango for the human body are myriad. However, people are only aware of the fruit but not the leaves. But mango leaves serve more health benefits.

The leaves can be consumed in two ways, either in powdered form or as a concoction made by boiling the leaves in water.

Nutritional and Health Benefits

• Tannins and anthocyanins are some of the compounds provided by mango leaves to treat diabetes. Drinking mango leaf tea is an excellent way for treating angiopathy and retinopathy diabetes. It also treats hyperglycemia. Mango leaf tea is able to slow down the progress of diabetes, and also heals blood vessels in and around the pancreas that are already damaged by diabetes.
• Mango leaves are useful in treating unhealthy gums and teeth as well because of the tannins present in it.
• It cleans the lungs naturally and thus is useful for treating respiratory related problems.
• Mango leaves also contain a small amount of vitamin C, which is a natural antioxidant and provides protection against free radicals and toxins that can cause in the body.
• It also prevents various stomach disorders.
• Mango leaves are used to treat a cough and cold. The flu that is characterized by a cough and cold is the most common illness in humans.
• One powerful way to lower high blood pressure is to consume the leaves as tea. Some of the compounds in it are proven to lower high blood pressure and prevent hypertension.
• Luckily, one of the health benefits of mango leaves is in treating kidney disease. By consuming the juice from the leaves, it is likely to prevent the occurrence of infections in the kidney.
• Gout disease is a condition that can cause unbearable pain, swelling, and hot feeling in the joints. Mango leaves help in the cure and prevention of gout in men who are most likely victims.

 Skin Benefits

• Mango leaves can be a cure to eliminate black spot. Its components when dried and mixed with yoghurt clears black spots.
• They also serve as a first aid for skin burns.

How to use Mango Leaves

The benefits of Mango leaves are very much and the application for medicine comes with several ways ranging from boiling, drying, brewing, and powdering.

• To use mango leaves for medicinal purposes; you can make tea with the tender leaves using warm water.
• Also, you can soak some fresh and tender mango leaves in a bowl of clean water and let it soak overnight. In the morning, strain the water and drink it throughout the day. For best results, take it on an empty stomach in the morning.
• You can make mango leaf decoction. To do so, boil few mango leaves in water, let it cool, and then strain. Add little honey and your drink is ready. (Optionally, you can also add lime or lemon juice).
• Drying mango leaves is another way to use them as medicine. The leaves are dried in a shade then ground into fine powder. 2 tablespoons of the powder are added to a cup of hot water and allowed to steep for 5 minutes. Strain it and then your drink is ready (You can add honey, lemon and/or lime juice for taste, and to make it more effective).

Also:

1. Mango leaves have compounds that give a calming effect on the nervous system and reduces anxiety and restlessness when added in bathing water.
2. They can also be used for treating varicose veins.
3. They can serve as a treatment for aphonia (the loss of voice) when taken as a decoction.
4. They are a rich source of Vitamin C which promotes collagen production for healthy hair and prevents dandruff when used in washing the hair.
5. A teaspoon of juice extracted from mango leaves works as an effective ear drop and painkiller. Heat the juice slightly before using it.

Sources: PM News Nigeria, Food NDTV, Wealth Result

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chinwe

An Environment Resource Management graduate of Abia State University with her Masters in-view, Chinwe is also a Columnist, an OAP, a sought-after motivational speaker and writer with special interest in food and the balance of diet.

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