Ora leaf botanically known as Pterocarpus mildraedil is a common vegetable consumed mainly by the Igbos of Eastern Nigeria. It is used in preparing soups and other foods requiring vegetables. Many are fond of this vegetable because of its taste when used in soups, the uses of oha goes beyond taste. My interest is in its numerous health benefits. Oha leaves are known to contain hydrogen cyanide and oxalate but in low levels which are not harmful to humans.
Oha leaves contain minerals like, magnesium, calcium, potassium,copper, iron, zinc and manganese.
It is a source of vitamins A, B, and C source of amino acids like lysine, glutamic acid cysteine while still maintaining its low sodium status.
Here are 16 Health benefits of Oha leaves
1. Diarrhea Management:
Oha leaves is a source of the mineral zinc, which is important for a healthy immune system. Contains ingredients that helps repair and protect the intestinal mucosa.
2. Constipation:
The vegetable is rich in fibre which helps with constipation, unlike the fibre in some vegetables like pumpkin leaves which have strong and difficult-to-digest strands, the fibre in oha leaves are soft and easy to digest. It helps to improve the overall digestive function and heal the gut as well.
3. Helps treat Anaemia:
It contains iron. This mineral is important to our overall wellness. Plays an important role in red blood cell formation to create haemoglobin. This benefit is even supported by the presence of vitamin C which helps in iron absorption.
4. Help with healthy joints and arthritis
Oha leaves is a source of the uncommon mineral Manganese. Manganese play very important role in cartilage formation and lubricating fluid in the joint. The presence of this mineral in the body will help present and alate joint disease like arthritis.
5. Good For Heart health
The Presence of potassium in Oha leaves helps maintain the normal contaction of the heart. It will help the heart contract well and blood effectively pumped to all parts of the body.
6. Reduce Muscle Cramps:
Magnesium in the leaves is a muscle relaxant. This helps reduce muscle cramps
7. Improve Brain Function:
Glutamic acid in oha leaves is a important non essential amino acids which helps maintain the normal function of the brain as a neurotransmitter
8. Helps build muscle mass:
Oha leaves can help build muscle mass with the presence of cysteine amino acids content, Cysteine helps the body build protein which is used for the development of muscle mass.
9. Helps with Blood Pressure
This is a low sodium vegetable which is beneficial for hypertensive persons and individual with high blood press. Additionally, the potassium in Oha leaves can also help control blood pressure through its mechanism in regulating muscle contraction.
10.Improves Eye Health
It is a source of vitamin A which helps maintain better sight and strong immune system
11. Reduces Inflammations
Oha leaves also have positive effect on various inflammatory diseases such as ostheoarthritis, tonsilitis etc, consuming ora leaves either as soup or other forms will bring relief. The leaves contain a bioactive compound polyphenol which is responsible for the inflammation process.
12. Helps Alleviate malaria symptoms:
Eating soups cooked with this vegetable during malaria attacks helps in restore key organs that helps with a strong immune system such as the stomach, the heart, liver, iron supply etc. when all vital organs are working well, malaria cannot have a place.
13. Help Protect the Nervous System:
The presence of vitamin B group helps with the nervous system. Helps protect nerves from damage.
14. Boost the energy especially for athletes
The presence of lysine in the leave helps boost energy especially for athletic performance. The substance is needed by the body for a sustained energy production.
15. Maintain alkaline balance of the entire body
The green colour in the leaves gives the alkaline effect to the entire body which helps in balancing the body PH
16 Helps with Collagen Formation
Collagen is required in maintaining a healthy skin. Oha leaves contains the mineral copper in good amount to help with collagen formation. This gives us a healthy glowing skin.
The soup is prepared using local condiments like locust beans or iru, any thickner of your choice, you can as well use ground oats say one or two tablespoons for a medium sized pot depending on how thick you want it, I always want it light. red palm oil should be used moderation if you are aiming to loose wait or getting more of its alkline effect. Stock fish, crayfish, meat, fish etc are protein buffers you can choose from to make your oha soup. It is better to add it when the soup sauce is ready and tasty so as not to overcook your oha leave. other ingredients include cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic, ginger, ogiri and any other condiments that you love to add to your soup.
Oha leaves contain minerals like, magnesium, calcium, potassium,copper, iron, zinc and manganese.
It is a source of vitamins A, B, and C source of amino acids like lysine, glutamic acid cysteine while still maintaining its low sodium status.
Here are 16 Health benefits of Oha leaves
1. Diarrhea Management:
Oha leaves is a source of the mineral zinc, which is important for a healthy immune system. Contains ingredients that helps repair and protect the intestinal mucosa.
2. Constipation:
The vegetable is rich in fibre which helps with constipation, unlike the fibre in some vegetables like pumpkin leaves which have strong and difficult-to-digest strands, the fibre in oha leaves are soft and easy to digest. It helps to improve the overall digestive function and heal the gut as well.
3. Helps treat Anaemia:
It contains iron. This mineral is important to our overall wellness. Plays an important role in red blood cell formation to create haemoglobin. This benefit is even supported by the presence of vitamin C which helps in iron absorption.
4. Help with healthy joints and arthritis
Oha leaves is a source of the uncommon mineral Manganese. Manganese play very important role in cartilage formation and lubricating fluid in the joint. The presence of this mineral in the body will help present and alate joint disease like arthritis.
5. Good For Heart health
The Presence of potassium in Oha leaves helps maintain the normal contaction of the heart. It will help the heart contract well and blood effectively pumped to all parts of the body.
6. Reduce Muscle Cramps:
Magnesium in the leaves is a muscle relaxant. This helps reduce muscle cramps
7. Improve Brain Function:
Glutamic acid in oha leaves is a important non essential amino acids which helps maintain the normal function of the brain as a neurotransmitter
8. Helps build muscle mass:
Oha leaves can help build muscle mass with the presence of cysteine amino acids content, Cysteine helps the body build protein which is used for the development of muscle mass.
9. Helps with Blood Pressure
This is a low sodium vegetable which is beneficial for hypertensive persons and individual with high blood press. Additionally, the potassium in Oha leaves can also help control blood pressure through its mechanism in regulating muscle contraction.
10.Improves Eye Health
It is a source of vitamin A which helps maintain better sight and strong immune system
11. Reduces Inflammations
Oha leaves also have positive effect on various inflammatory diseases such as ostheoarthritis, tonsilitis etc, consuming ora leaves either as soup or other forms will bring relief. The leaves contain a bioactive compound polyphenol which is responsible for the inflammation process.
12. Helps Alleviate malaria symptoms:
Eating soups cooked with this vegetable during malaria attacks helps in restore key organs that helps with a strong immune system such as the stomach, the heart, liver, iron supply etc. when all vital organs are working well, malaria cannot have a place.
13. Help Protect the Nervous System:
The presence of vitamin B group helps with the nervous system. Helps protect nerves from damage.
14. Boost the energy especially for athletes
The presence of lysine in the leave helps boost energy especially for athletic performance. The substance is needed by the body for a sustained energy production.
15. Maintain alkaline balance of the entire body
The green colour in the leaves gives the alkaline effect to the entire body which helps in balancing the body PH
16 Helps with Collagen Formation
Collagen is required in maintaining a healthy skin. Oha leaves contains the mineral copper in good amount to help with collagen formation. This gives us a healthy glowing skin.
The soup is prepared using local condiments like locust beans or iru, any thickner of your choice, you can as well use ground oats say one or two tablespoons for a medium sized pot depending on how thick you want it, I always want it light. red palm oil should be used moderation if you are aiming to loose wait or getting more of its alkline effect. Stock fish, crayfish, meat, fish etc are protein buffers you can choose from to make your oha soup. It is better to add it when the soup sauce is ready and tasty so as not to overcook your oha leave. other ingredients include cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic, ginger, ogiri and any other condiments that you love to add to your soup.
English name: African Rosewood leaves
Botanical name: Pterocarpus mildraedii
Local Name: Ora (Oha Leaves )
Oha leaves are the leaves from the evergreen tree in Africa. The plant that botanically known as Pterocarpus mildraedii.Ora leaves are commonly known as Oha leaves in most parts of Nigeria .
Oha leaf is called a medicinal tree in Nigeria that retains its green leaves throughout the year. It contains many nutrients such as iron calcium, amino acids, iron, potassium, fiber, vitamin A and C, etc
They bring many health benefits for the body.
It is used to make various delicious soup recipes in the southern part of Nigeria. Oha soup is a popular delicious
BENEFITS OF OHA LEAVES
Help the digestive function.
The first ora leaves benefits for health is for digestive function. Ora leaves are great in dietary fiber. It helps to improve the digestive function and absorb the nutrient well.
Benefit 1: Prevent constipation.
The dietary fiber in Ora leaves has the capability to prevent constipation. This fiber help to digest the food well so the food residue can be pushed out of the body easily.
Benefit 2: Controls the blood glucose levels.
Ora leaves dietary fiber can absorb and distribute the calorie to be used well in all organs of the body. It will prevent the accumulation of calorie in the blood that can increase the blood glucose level. This is the best diet for the diabetic patients to control their blood glucose at a normal level.
Benefit 3: Helps to treat diarrhea effectively.
Ora leaves contain zinc mineral which has the mechanism in repairing and protecting the intestinal mucosa. This mechanism will help the intestine can recover quickly so the diarrhea symptom can be stopped faster.
Benefit 4: Helps to treat anemia.
Ora leaves are rich in an iron mineral that helps to treat anemia. This mineral plays the important role in red blood cell formation to create hemoglobin. This health benefit is supported also by its vitamin C which helps to absorb the iron well.
Benefit 5: Boost your immune system.
Ora leaves are rich in vitamin C. This is the best vitamin to boost your immune system. It will keep the antibody stay alert to fight the microbial.
Benefit 6: Help to fight the free radicals.
Ora leaves can fight the free radicals in the body because they contain antioxidant. This substance will prevent your body from any diseases.
Benefit 7: Prevent the cancer cell mutation.
The antioxidant within Ora leaves can prevent the cancer cell mutation. It can inhibit the tumor growth and spread.
Benefit 8: Makes joint healthyand prevent arthritis.
Another important health benefits of ora leaves is Ora leaves contain manganese mineral which plays the important role in the cartilage formation and lubricating fluid in the joint. This mineral will prevent the joint diseases such as arthritis.
Benefit 9: Helps your heart contract normally.
Potassium mineral in Ora leaves is important to maintain the normal contraction of the heart. It will make your heart can contract well and the blood can be pumped to all part of the body effectively.
Benefit 10: Helps the bone formation.
Ora leaves contain calcium which is important in bone formation. This mineral involves also in the strengthen process of the bone.
Benefit 11: Reduce the muscle cramp.
Ora leaves have magnesium mineral which acts as a muscle relaxant. This effect will bring the Ora leaves have the capability to reduce the muscle cramp.
Benefit 12: Helps the formation of collagen.
Collagen is the important substance to maintain the healthy skin. Ora leaves contain the copper mineral that helps in the formation of collagen. It is used to create the healthy and young skin.
Benefit 13: Improves the brain function.
Ora leaves contain glutamic acid, a non-essential amino acid substance. This substance is an essential neurotransmitter that maintains the normal function of the brain. It helps to treat some brain disorders such as muscular dystrophy, Parkinson disease, or schizophrenia.
Benefit 14: Boost the energy especially for athletes.
One of the amino acid in Ora leaves which are called lysine has the capability to boost the energy, especially for athletes. This substance is needed by the body to maintain the proper growth and produce the extra energy.
Benefit 15: Builds the body muscle mass.
Ora leaves can help to build the muscle mass through its cysteine amino acid content. Cysteine helps the body to build protein which is used for the development of muscle mass.
Benefit 16: Controls the normal blood pressure.
Ora leaves have only a low sodium content. This is a good diet for persons who have hypertension problem. In addition, the potassium contained in ora leaves can also control the normal blood pressure through its mechanism in regulating the muscle contraction
Benefit 17: Keeps the eyes healthy
Ora leaves are also rich in vitamin A which can keep your eyes stay healthy.
Benefit 18: Protects the nervous system.
The vitamin B inside Ora leaves is involving to protect the nervous system. It covers the end of the nerves from any damages and reduces the symptom of numbness or tingling sensation.
Benefit 19: Reduces inflammation.
If you have the inflammation problem such as osteoarthritis or tonsillitis, you can consume Ora leaves to relieve them. Ora leaves contain a bioactive compound called polyphenol which is responsible for the inflammation process. It will help you to reduce the inflammation that happens.
Benefit 20: Maintains the pH balance in the body.
The green of Ora leaves have the alkaline characteristic which helps to maintain the pH balance in the body. It will help your body from the excessive acid that can cause several disorders.
Benefit 21: Helps to treat malaria.
Ora leaves contain anti-microbial properties that help to treat malaria. This anti-microbial agent can kill the parasite that can cause malaria.
You can consume this plant as a herb in the hot water or you can cook them as the vegetable for your various dishes such as salad or soup. The taste is delicious enough to be consumed in various ways.
GHANA LOCAL NAMES OF HERBS AND TREES REFERENCE: https://sites.google.com/site/ghanaplacenames/tools/trees
HEALTH BENEFITS OF OHA SOUP TO THE BODY-NIGERIA
OHA SOUP RECIPE
HOW TO MAKE OHA SOUP -ORIGINAL RECIPE
MAKE OHA SOUP
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