Health Benefits of Curry Leaves
What is Curry Leaf
Curry leaves are natives to India and Sri Lanka. Curry leaves are obtained from the curry tree plant. Scientific name - Murraya koenigii. It grows in tropical and subtropical climates. The tree grows up to 6 mt in height and 15 to 20 cm in diameter. The leaves are dark, shiny green in color, slightly bitter in taste, and has a pleasant odor. The leaves grow in clusters. They are used in South Indian curries as an essential ingredient to make them aromatic and tasty. They are also called as sweet neem leaves.
Curry Leaves in Other Languages
Hindi (limdi ke pathe), Tamil (karve path), Malayalam (kariveppila), Karipaaku (Telugu)
Health Benefits of Curry Leaves
Curry leaves are considered as medical herbs in Ayurveda, and are used for several home remedies.
- Morning sickness - Fresh juice of curry leaves mixed with lime juice and sugar is consumed to reduce the problem, which is usually seen in the first trimester of .pregnancy.
- Stomach upset -Curry leaves are ground to a fine paste and mixed with buttermilk is taken for stomach upset.
- Diarrhoea - Fresh juice of 15-20 curry leaves mixed with honey is an excellent home remedy for diarrhoea.
- Kidney pain - The juice taken from the root of the curry leaf plant is useful in reducing kidney pain.
- Cholesterol - Eating few curry leaves on an empty stomach for few days brings down the bad cholerol level.
- Reducing weight - Along with the diet control and exercises, eating few curry leaves on a regular basis is very helpful in reducing weight.
- Cataract - Using fresh juice of curry leaves helps to prevent development of cataract.
- Diabetes - Curry leaves can control the amount of glucose entering the blood stream. Taking a paste of fully grown curry leaves, on an empty stomach in the morning, is helpful in preventing hereditary diabetes.
- Premature grey hair - Curry leaves juice mixed with butter milk or curry leaves used as chutney taken regularly helps in preventing premature grey.
- Hair growth - The oil obtained by Curry leaves boiled in coconut oil till they are reduced to black in color, is an excellent hair tonic for the growth of thick and black hair.
- Bruises and Burns - Applying Curry leave poultices over the affected area helps.
- To remove acne scars - Applying Juice of curry leaves mixed with turmeric powder on the acne scars for about 15-20 minutes, helps in removing the scars.
- Herbal mouth wash - Chewing 2-4 fresh curry leaves and swishing with 10 to 15 ml of water in the mouth, is a great mouth wash.
Disclaimer
The information provided in this hub is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your physician, or health care provider before taking any home remedies.
Nutritional value of curry leaves
Curry leaf is used in South Indian cuisine as a natural flavouring agent for centuries. For almost all types of curries are not complete without the addition of curry leaves, such as sambar, rasam, aviyal, poriyal, etc.
Curry leaves are abundance in vitamins, nicotinic acid, iron, calcium and phosphorus. They are also good source of lutein and B-carotene.
Where to buy curry leaves online
Sources
http://www.nzhealth.net.nz/herbs/curryleaf.shtml
http://www.krishnaherbals.com/
http://www.naturalhomeremedies.org
Precautions: Before taking any type of home remedies it is always better and safer to consult your physician.
Properties of Curry Leaves
Curry leaves contain properties such as anti-inflammamtory, antimicrobial, antihyperhcolesterolemic, anti-oxidative and hypoglycemic, and works as a relaxant, stimulant and also as mild laxative. 100g. of curry leaves contain -
Moisture - 66.3%.
Protein - 6.1%
Carbohydrate - 16.0 percent
Fiber - 6.4%
Minerals - 4.2%
Video about making curry leaf hair oil
Video - how to make curry leaf powder recipe
Karivepaaku pachadi - in Telugu
Comments
lex123 (author) on March 15, 2013:
Thanks Kulsum for visiting my hub and leaving your comment.
Dr Kulsum Mehmood from Nagpur, India on March 15, 2013:
very informative write-up. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.