Healthy living is more than just what you are committed to but also focusing on how you manage your healthy diet. There are a lot of people out there who eager to reach healthy living goal without knowing anything about how natures have been giving them solution they have been looking for. Bissap leaves are among other leaves easily found in nature that could bring the health balance and health benefits of bissap leaves still remain unknown by some people.
What is Bissap Leaves?
There are so many names to call specific plant and for those who are not familiar with the word bissap; it is actually another name of plant well known as Roselle or Hibiscus sabdariffa. This plant is originated from Africa and Bissap is the local name for Roselle used by the Nigerians with hibiscus tea well known as drink called Sobolo. The flower of Roselle is the main ingredients to make Hibiscus tea. Surely you have been familiar with the health benefits of zobo drink the other name of hibiscus tea and it becomes one of the herbal teas well known around the world, but less people know about the health benefits of bissap leaves while most people are so focus to its flower.
Nutritional Values of Bissap Leaves
Surely you have been familiar with the benefits of Rosella flower but even the leaves come with amazing health benefits. Commonly, the bissap leaves consumed in the form of fresh leaves mixed to salad or curry soup. However, more people get creative by adding the bissap leaves to the mixture of herbal tea like in hibiscus tea. Furthermore, bissap leaves are not only used internally but also could be used externally. To find out more about the health benefits of bissap leaves, the list below will tell you more about this flowering plant.
- Treating Lung Diseases
Traditionally bissap leaves have been used to treat some lung diseases especially tuberculosis or well known as TB. Consume the bissap leaves as herbal tea regularly could help reducing the symptoms of tuberculosis.
- Solution to Persistent Cough
If bissap leaves could treat the symptoms of tuberculosis so it is also effective to treat persistent cough. Instead of drinking cough suppressant is better for you to go natural by drinking herbal tea made from bissap leaves with much more effective result but with less negative effect.
- Natural Treatment to Sore Throat
There are some factors that could cause sore throat and one of them is swollen tonsils. When the tonsils swell, you will feel difficult to swallow because of the soreness of the throat. Just take a handful of bissap leaves and make them into herbal tea will do the magic to your sore throat. Furthermore, combining the leaves with the delicious hibiscus tea is not only giving you the health benefits of hibiscus tea made from the flowers but also from the leaves.
- Cures Colitis
Colitis is one of the stomach problems when there is inflammation in the intestine caused by bacteria infection or injury. Bissap leaves contain potent anti-inflammation properties that could help curing colitis naturally while at the same time improving the digestion to work optimally. This condition is not an easy condition, though bissap leaves could work as first aid but still professional assessment is required to prevent the worst.
- Treating IBD
IBD or inflammatory bowel movement could be very serious when you don’t treat it properly. Fortunately, bissap leaves contain some active compounds that are not only effective in treating IBD but also able to treat bloody bowel movement, the severe stage of IBD. However, meeting the doctor is still strongly required if this condition occurs.
- Stop the Bleeding
Since ancient time the leaves of bissap plant has been used to stop the bleeding, mostly externally though in some advance cases, the leaves could help stopping the bleeding internally as well. What you need to do is just chopping the leaves and applying them to the open wound and wonderfully the bleeding will stop immediately.
- Natural Solution to Hair Loss
Hair loss is not life-threatening condition but still for both women and men, hair loss is like a nightmare. That’s why a lot of people are willing to spend a lot of money so they could get their healthy hair back. Well, traditionally bissap leaves could be the excellent solution to hair loss. Use it as concoction to get the healthier hair back.
Cautions of Bissap Leaves
The main problems of bissap leaves are the number of scientific studies that are focusing on its health benefits are still so little. Some claims are made based on local experiences which is so probably a bit different with the side effects of hibiscus tea though hibiscus plant is well known as one of the super potent antioxidant herbal tea. Some cautions below is telling you less about the negative effect of bissap leaves but still worth knowing.
- Allergic reaction is still the number one thing you should aware of when it comes to herbal plant. If you are allergic to Rosella flower, you are likely allergic to its leaves as well.
- Bissap leaves contain specific compound that could help lowering the blood pressure. If you are currently taking medication to manage your blood pressure, negative interaction may occur and causes the drop of systolic blood pressure or worsen the symptoms of low blood pressure.
- The same goes when you are taking anti-inflammation drug, consuming bissap leaves could decreases its efficiency.
- Just like the hibiscus tea, there are some health benefits of zobo drink during pregnancy as well as the bissap leaves but it is better for pregnant women to consume it in moderate amount only.
The unique thing about Roselle plant or bissap plant is not only the flowers that have its amazing benefits but the health benefits of bissap leaves are also a lot. Though perhaps, consuming them in the moderate amount as beverages or part of your healthy diet is highly recommended than consuming them for medication reasons.