The botanical name is Vernonia amygdalina but commonly known as Bitterleave or BITTERLEAF..
What makes THIS herb special?
This gift from God is special because it is useful for preparing different kinds of soup such as melon soup, draw soup, pepper soup etc and then it is a great healer of various ailments. It is a pain killer like menstrual pains, stomach disorder like ulcer, it helps to balance sugar level, it can take care of internal body heat and other health challenges.
Did it heal or support your healing form a specific condition?
Or is it a flavor you particularly enjoy or feel nourished by?
As a healer, this leave helped me when I was seriously sick with internal body heat. This happened few years back. I started having frequent sweaty body that gradually deteriorated to internal heat. Initially it affected my neck area but other body parts got the heat especially my underfoot.
Going out in the sun as an African became a punishment. Moving near a fire too was a-no-go area as my whole body hurts. My neck developed wats spotted here and there.
How were you introduced to it?
One of my close relative, a medical doctor who also believe in the power of herbs prescribed it to me. He told me to wash a good quantity thoroughly of germs, blend it and filter into a bottle water. Allow it to ferment for 2 days then drink a tea cup twice daily (morning and evening).
I religiously followed up with it for several days, refilling more bottles until the heat gradually subsided.
Do you grow it in your garden?
I am a tenant where I live but my neighbors have it planted beside their compound. Another neighbor have a garden of Bitterleaf, it is a big economic garden. It is sold in every market in the country but majority of people who cook soup with it do not know the medicinal value of it.
Bitterleave in my neighborhood
Is this herb commonly known?
Bitterleaf is a common leave in all parts of Africa. Its usage varies from country to country and tribe to tribe. It has same taste, same medicinal value every where you go!
Does it have other names in other countries, besides its botanical name?
Very well. Bitterleaf have various names given by each country and tribe. Here are few examples listed in the table below:
| Country | Name |
|---|---|
| Congo | Bolo |
| Nigeria | Olugbu |
| ------------ | ------------ |
| ... | etidot |
| ... | ewuro |
| ------------ | ------------ |
| Cameroon | ndoleh |
| Kenya | Rodi |
| ------------ | ------------ |
| Ghana | Tatsho |
Are there myths or folklore around this herb in your culture?
Yes! In my tribe the Igbos, it is said that when making soup with bitterleave (Olugbu), do not try to turn it immediately you add it to your soup otherwise it will become more bitter taste and you can not enjoy the soup no matter how much ingredients you add to the soup.
But this is not true because I have tried it several times and still enjoy my soup.
What can you tell us about how you use it, and how it changed you?
As written in preceding paragraphs, I washed and blend and store in a bottle water. Then allow to ferment for 2 days and drank it for many days and got well.
Filtering the half-blended Bitterleave Juice
A ready to drink cup of Bitterleave Juice
I also use it to prepare soup with melon and it is so yummy especially when added with stockfish and smoke fish. Please don't swallow your saliva ooo.
Thanks for letting me write about this dear leaf.
I remain
