Curry leaves, known as kadi patta in hindi. Curry leaves are natural flavoring agents with a number of important health benefits, which make your food both healthy and tasty along with the pleasant aroma. Curry leaves are the leaves of the curry tree, scientifically known as Murraya koenigii Spreng and it belongs to the Rutaceae family. The plant is native to India .
Curry leaves are carbohydrates, energy, fiber, calcium, phosphorous, iron, magnesium, copper, and minerals. It also contains various vitamins like nicotinic acid and vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin E, antioxidants, plant sterols, amino acids, glycosides, and flavonoids.
Most people think that curry leaves just add flavor to the food and they throw the leaves away while eating their soup or curry. However, they are far more important than many people realize, and they offer a number of health benefits without any side effects.
Health Benefits Of Curry Leaves
Lower Cholesterol Levels: Curry leaves are also known to reduce bad LDL cholesterol level. Studies conducted at the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Kerala, India have shown that they have the potential to reduce LDL cholesterol levels.
Good for Eyesight: Curry leaves contain high amounts of vitamin A and therefore is good for eyesight. Vitamin A contains carotenoids which protect the cornea, which is the eye surface. Deficiency of vitamin A may cause night blindness, cloud formations in front of the eye and even the loss of vision in some cases.
Helps keep anaemia at bay: Curry leaves are a rich source of iron and folic acid. Interestingly, anaemia is not only about the lack of iron in your body but also about the body’s inability to absorb iron and use it. This is where folic acid comes into play. Folic acid is mainly responsible for iron absorption
Protects your liver from damage: If you are a heavy drinker, eat a lot of fish or indulge in other activities that could be damaging your liver, then you must eat curry leaves. This is because, according to a study published in AsianJournal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research, curry leaves were protect your liver from oxidative stress and harmful toxins that build-up in your body due to the presence of kaempferol, a potent antioxidant. The highly effective anti-oxidative property when combined with vitamin A and C not only protects the liver but also stimulates the organ to work more efficiently. (Heat one spoon of homemade ghee, add the juice of a cup of kadip atta, some sugar and freshly powdered black pepper (kali mirch). Make sure you heat this mixture slightly (and not overheat it) as Kaempferol boils at a very low temperature.)
Accelerates hair growth: Kadi patta has always been known to prevent greying of the hair due to the presence of various nutrients in the body. But it also very effective in treating damaged hair, adding bounce to limp hair, strengthening the shaft of thin hair, hair fall and treats dandruff. The best part about this benefit is that you can either choose to eat the curry leaves to help with your hair woes or apply it to your scalp as a remedy. ( To help strengthen your hair and fight dandruff, add the juice of kadi patta, to 100ml of coconut oil. Heat this oil till it turns blackish and apply it to your scalp regularly.)
Treats and prevents skin infections: Sounds unbelievable, doesn’t it? But it is true. Kadi patta contains very strong antioxidant properties in addition to powerful anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and antiprotozoal properties. This makes it a great home remedy to deal with common skin infections like acne and fungal infections of the nail that are often difficult to treat.
So, the next time you see curry leaves in your plate, don’t throw away but eat them to reap their amazing health benefits.
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