Benefits of Bidara Leaves for Health
Bidara leaves, a plant that still sounds foreign, has a number of good benefits for the body, one of which is that it can prevent cancer. Bidara or known by its Latin name Ziziphus mauritiana L. This is a plant that is often found in Asia, including Indonesia. Apart from bidara fruit, bidara leaves can also be consumed and have many benefits, this is because of several important ingredients contained in bidara leaves such as flavonoids, polyphenols, cyclopeptide alkaloids, glycosides, essential oils, dammarane saponins, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and sourpolyunsaturated fat.
Specifications and Contents of the Bidara Plant
Bidara Plant Specifications
Bidara is a small tree with thorny branches, growing 5-10 meters high. The stem of the bidara leaf has hairs and on the edge of the leaf there are very fine teeth.
Bidara leaves are elliptical or oval in shape, have a shiny surface, and are about 2-7 cm long. Bidara, or Sidr in Arabic, is a plant native to Arabia and is a type of small, evergreen fruit tree that grows in tropical areas and West Asia, and can grow in valleys up to an altitude of 500 m above sea level.
Ingredients of Bidara Plants
This plant is rich in nutrients, including its leaves. Bidara leaves are known to contain a number of compounds that are good for the body, such as alkaloids, triterpenoids, saponins, flavonoids and tannins. The saponins, tannins and flavonoids in bidara leaves act as antioxidants which can inhibit cell damage caused by free radicals. Not only that, several compounds in bidara leaves are also antimicrobial and antibacterial. The following is a list of nutrients contained in bidara leaves:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Flavonoids.
- Tannin.
- Saponin.
- Carbohydrate.
- Jujuboside B.
- Jujubogenin glycoside.
- Jujubasaponin IV.
- Flavonol glycosides.
- Routine.
- Diglucosylphloretin.
Benefits of Bidara Leaves for Health
The following are the health benefits of bidara leaves that are rarely known by many people:
Prevent Depression
One way to prevent and treat depression is to use genuine Bidara leaves. The properties of this herbal plant provide a calming and cooling effect on the body so that it can help relieve symptoms of depression. You can drink tea made from processed bidara leaves to get good results and benefits for your body.
Overcoming Insomnia
Bidara leaves are often used to treat sleep disorders. This benefit is due to the antioxidant properties of Bidara leaves which can reduce excessive anxiety and disrupt sleep. Apart from that, the saponin content in Bidara leaves can also influence the serotonin hormone which plays an important role in the sleep-wake cycle. In this way, insomnia can be overcome.
Helps Heal Wounds
This plant also helps in healing scars due to its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Thanks to these two properties of the leaves, burn scars on the skin heal more quickly. The benefits of genuine bidara leaves can be used to treat wounds, scratches, abrasions and other diseases. Apart from that, this plant also contains other components such as glycosides which help treat burns and remove scars.
Treating Thrush
Thrush can be caused by a lack of vitamin C. The antioxidants in this herbal plant can overcome this annoying health problem. Antioxidants also help protect against oral bacteria. Apart from treating canker sores, bidara leaves are also useful for treating various mouth problems such as chapped lips.
Overcoming Digestive Problems
Another benefit of bidara leaves is to overcome digestive problems caused by bacterial infections such as cholera. This is proven by research which shows that the flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids and tannins contained in bidara leaf extract have antibacterial properties. Because of its antibacterial properties, the components contained in Bidara leaves are known to inhibit the growth of Vibrio cholerae which causes cholera.
Prevents Cholesterol
One of the benefits of bidara leaves for health is lowering cholesterol levels in the body. This soluble plant fiber helps reduce bad LDL cholesterol levels. Simply boiling bidara leaves in water can reduce cholesterol levels, bind cholesterol in the digestive system, and prevent cholesterol levels in the body from reaching 200 mg/dl.
Prevent Diabetes
Frequent exposure to free radicals can increase the risk of diabetes. Especially if you have an unhealthy lifestyle, such as smoking frequently or not consuming enough foods containing antioxidants, it can cause oxidative stress in the body, damage to blood vessels, and increased blood sugar levels. To prevent this, you can start consuming bidara leaf extract. A study found that the saponins and flavonoids in Bidara leaves have antioxidant properties that fight free radicals and prevent diabetes.