Avocado leaf tea is a herbal tea that is made from the dried leaves of avocado plant (Persea americana). If you are conversant the great healing properties of avocado seeds, you would appreciate the plant tree. Indeed, this tree is a blessing to humanity. Aside using the fruits as butter for eating breads, or eating the fruit pulp alone, or with roasted corn, the seed has been used for the treatment of various cardiovascular diseases. In fact, avocado seeds are known for treating hypertension. The seed oil is very good for cosmetic and beauty products. The oil increases hair growth and prevents hair fall. It is fortified with essential fatty acids.
Although both the leaves and seeds of avocado possess strong medicinal values, i am sure that you may just be hearing about those wonderful benefits. But it is not too late yet. In this article, you would learn great secrets about avocado tree.
Avocado tree
Avocado is a subtropical and tropical plant. The tree can grow to a great height; it can reach 20 to 30 feet tall. The leaves are broad and ever green when the plant is still immature, but tend to become smaller as it matures and starts to bear fruits. Avocado is actually native to southern Mexico but can be grown in any tropical region. For instance, the plant has received wide reception and growth in Africa.
Avocado may take between four to six years to become mature and start bearing fruits. In extreme case, however, the tree may stay for as long as thirteen years to bear its first fruits, which in most cases usually fall off the stalk before reaching maturity.
Avocado leaves and guava leaves
You may want to make your avocado leaf tea be a bit unique and more fortified with antioxidants. And this may even be for a special treatment of a particular ailment. In this case, you may consider making your herbal tea using both dried avocado and guava leaves. A combination of avocado and guava leaves in herbal remedy is superb! This combination makes a great detox and body flusher. They are strong antiviral and antimicrobial tincture. In traditional medicine, this combination is not a new thing. it is common among the local people.
Should avocado leaves tea be taken every day?
If you are treating a specific ailment at the time, you may drink two cups of avocado leaf tea every day. It should be a cup in the morning, and a cup at night. But if you are not treating any disease; if by chance you are taking avocado leaf tea for weight loss, then it should be a cup for a day for the first week. After that, you may skip your herbal tea for a day or too. The reason is because avocado leaf tea exhibits hypotensive properties. It can reduce your blood pressure drastically, thereby endangering your life.
How to make avocado leaf tea (Recipe)
You can either make your avocado leaf tea with the fresh or dry leaves. I do prefer using the dried leaf powder for so many reasons. One of the reasons is that fresh leaves hav high water contents and low bioactive compounds compared to the toatl tea volume. But for the dry leaf powder, the case is different. Dried leaf tea has the lowest water content, highest compound concentrations, and are more effective.
How to make avocado leaf tea with fresh leaves
This method is easy and straightforward. Pluck as many leaves as you wish to, wash these leaves clean and put them in a clean pot. Add two or three cups of clean water and heat till it boils for five minutes.
After that, turn off the light and allow to steep for two more minutes.
Filter the water and drink raw or add natural honey for taste. Serve your leaf tea hot or warm.
Dried avocado leaves tea recipe
This is a more healthier and more concentrated herbal tea.
Ingredients
- Dried avocado leaf powder
- Dried guava leaf powder (optional)
- Dried ginger powder
- Two cups of clean water
- Honey
Instruction
- Boil two cups of clean water in a pot
- Add two spoonful each of avocado leaf, guava, and ginger powder in a small tea bag.
- Put the tea bag in a clean cup and pour the boiled water into it till it is half volunme of the cup.
- Allow to steep for ten minutes.
- Remove the tea bag from the tea cup
- Add two spoons of natural honey to taste
- Serve your tea hot or warm.
Health benefits of avocado leaves
If you consider the presence of quercetin in the leaf tea, you would agree to the fact that avocado is truly a blessing to humans and animals as well.
Quercetin is an active natural compound with varied complexes and activities in living cells. It exhibits antimicrobial and anticancer activities. It is also a strong antioxidant. Quercetin is also involved in maintaining your brain functions.
Avocado leaf tea protects your heart health
Like the seed tea, avocado leaf tea also offers great benefits to your heart health. The leaf tea contains vasorelaxants. These are natural compounds that cause your arterial muscles to relax, thereby enhancing a free flow of blood streams. This also leads to hypotensive effects. Hence, avocado leaf tea, like Arnica tea, is beneficial for treating hypertension.
In addition, avocado leaves like luffa sponge, also contain flavonoids including quercetin, which prevents oxidation of fat deposits on the arterial walls. This oxidation fats on the walls of blood vessels leads to arterosclerosis and subsequently death due to heart attack or stroke.
So you see, you can even combine the leaf and seed powder in your tea for maximum benefits, especially if you’re treating heart related diseases.
Avocado leaves prevent ulcer and gastritis
Another useful benefits of the leaf tea is in the treatment of gastric ulcers using the leaves of avocado. This claim is also verifiable, scientifically. According to studies, The extract produced significant and dose-dependent antiulcer activity against indomethacin- and ethanol-induced ulcers in rat.
Promotes wound healing
Avocado leaves promote wound healing. This is due to the numerous bioactive compounds that prevent the growth of bacteria or fungi on the surface of the wounded area.
Avocado oil also promotes quick healing process. According to a study, avocado oil can promote increased collagen synthesis and decreased numbers of inflammatory cells during the wound-healing process and may thus be considered a new option for treating skin wounds.
So by drinking avocado leaf tea and applying the oil topically on the wound surface, you’d have a quick healing experience. When you combine Ewe laali leaves with avocado oil, together with avocado leaves powder you would have made for yourself a strong wound healing regimen.
Avocado leaves prevent convulsions
In traditional medicine in some part of West African countries, the leaves of avocado have been used in the treatment of childhood convulsions and epilepsy. The efficacy of this herbal regimen has also been proven scientifically.
A study has shown that the anticonvulsant activity of the plant leaves may be due to its ability to enhancing GABAergic neurotransmission and/or action in the brain.
Prevent viral infection
Due to the huge deposits of quercetin in the leaves of avocado, the leaf tea is very essential in preventing viral infections and common flu such as norovirus.
One study showed that the leaves methanol extract could inhibit the growth of HIV-1 activity at concentrations which were not toxic for the H9 indicator cells. Furthermore, another study showed that the leaves extract of different geographical locations is potent against Aujeszkey’s disease virus through a cytotoxic mechanism without affecting the host cells.
Avocado leaf tea for body weight
If you’re looking for a herbal tea that will help you lose weight faster, then what you just need is avocado leaf tea. The tea is the fastest way to burn down excess fats and significantly suppress your blood sugar level.
Protects you from kidney damages
Your liver is a very important organ of the body. It is the seat of food and drug processing. Because of this, most toxic substances first affect the liver before other cells of the body. Because of this, you should take appropriate steps to protect your kidneys from damages.
The antioxidants present in the left tea of avocado leaves are antidotes for harmful effects of free radicals and toxicants. Always drink the leaf tea to ensure this protections.
Regulates cholesterol level
Avocado leaves promotes speedy burning of accumulated fats. This is very good for your health, as excess fats, especially low density lipoprotein cholesterol can cause serious health challenges to you. When there is too much of fats in your body, these LDL-cholesterols would be deposited on the walls of your blood vessel. Over time, these fats are accumulated and subsequently oxidized to form plaques. This plaque will eventually block your blood vessels and cause a serious heart attack. Thus by drinking avocado leaf tea, you might save yourself from excess fat accumulation and from the ugly consequences. You may even prepare your tea with hibiscus flower if your aim is to reduce your cholesterol level.
Is a pain relief
There are so many anti-inflammatory compounds present in the leaves of the plant. These validates the use of the avocado, in tradition medicines, for treating such diseases like joint pain, including arthritis.
Conclusion
It is noteworthy to state here that this article is for your academic assignment. Before drinking the leaf tea, always consult your doctor.
References
Ojewole JA, Kamadyaapa DR, Gondwe MM, Moodley K, Musabayane CT. Cardiovascular effects of Persea americana Mill (Lauraceae) (avocado) aqueous leaf extract in experimental animals. Cardiovasc J Afr. 2007 Mar-Apr;18(2):69-76. PMID: 17497042.
Yasir M, Das S, Kharya MD. The phytochemical and pharmacological profile of Persea americana Mill. Pharmacogn Rev. 2010 Jan;4(7):77-84. doi: 10.4103/0973-7847.65332. PMID: 22228945; PMCID: PMC3249906.
Brai BI, Adisa RA, Odetola AA. Hepatoprotective properties of aqueous leaf extract of Persea Americana, Mill (Lauraceae) ‘avocado’ against CCL4-induced damage in rats. Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. 2014 Jan 28;11(2):237-44. doi: 10.4314/ajtcam.v11i2.2. PMID: 25435602; PMCID: PMC4202626.
