The PANAFRICAN Review
High Blood Pressure Lowering Effects of African Bitterleaf ( Vernonia Amygdalina )
Chika Ezeanya-Esiobu
Several scientific studies have established the potency of African bitterleaf ( Vernonia amydalina ) in reducing blood pressure with little or no side effects . The bitterleaf plant is indigenous to Africa and has been commonly used as traditional medicine for centuries . The herb is popularly known as bitterleaf due to its bitter taste . Water extracts of the leaves of Vernonia amygdalina have been used to treat a variety of ailments across Africa , including fever , malaria , diarrhoea , dysentery , hepatitis , symptoms of flu , body pain , head- ache , skin infections , stomach upset , constipation , and to induce fertility . Extracts from its roots are also used as medicine for the treatment of malaria , stomach problems , sexually transmitted diseases , diarrhoea , among others . In parts of Nigeria , crushed leaves are placed over wounds to prevent infection and facilitate healing .
We shall here present a review of some scientific research papers published by researchers who conducted studies on bitterleaf in different parts of the world . All the research papers tend to make one general conclusion : that bitterleaf contains compounds that can effectively work to reduce blood pressure in patients with high blood pressure .
High Blood Pressure among Africans
According to the World Health Organization , Africa has the highest number of sufferers of high blood pressure as about 46 % of the adult population is clinically diagnosed to be hypertensive . This is outside of the many sufferers without access to clinical diagno-
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