What is the use of sorrel. Here's what research shows

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The leaves of the plant are said to boost immunity and ward off cancer.

What is sorrel known for

Sorrel is a perennial herb. Its leaves and roots are endowed with medicinal properties and are used in folk medicine as a choleretic agent, as well as to improve appetite, stop bleeding, raise immunity and prevent cancer.

What exactly is sorrel useful for

At the very least, it does not harm the figure and contains the substances our body needs.

Helps to lose weight

There are only 22 kcal per 100 g of leaves. Therefore, sorrel can be used to prepare salads, soups and sauces, even for those on a diet.

Protects cells from destruction

The plant contains H. Korpelainen, M. Pietiläinen. Sorrel (Rumex acetosa L.): Not Only a Weed but a Promising Vegetable and Medicinal Plant / The Botanical Review various polyphenolic compounds that are natural antioxidants. They prevent aggressive free radicals from damaging the cells of the body.

Replenishes vitamin deficiencies

Sorrel contains seven vital vitamins. And there are quite a few. So, if you eat 100 g of leaves, you can provide yourself with half the daily value of vitamin C Vitamin C / U. S. National Library of Medicine, 28% - Vitamin A Vitamin A / U. S. National Library of Medicine and 9% of the norm of vitamins B2 Riboflavin / U. S. National Library of Medicine and B6 Vitamin B6 / U. S. National Library of Medicine.

Saturates with minerals

The leaves also contain many useful micro and macro elements. So, 100 g contains 20% of the daily value of iron Iron in diet / U. S. National Library of Medicine, 15% - Potassium Potassium in diet / U. S. National Library of Medicine and 7% calcium Calcium is important for bone health. See how much you need and how to get it / Mayo Clinic.

Why sorrel may be useful

Scientists are carefully studying the properties of sorrel and the possibility of its use in medicine. So far, research is being carried out in test tubes and on animals. But such experiments show that the plant can be used to create new drugs.

Reduces blood pressure

The researchers obtained H. Misbah ‑ Ud ‑ Din Qamar, R. Qayyum, U. Salma, Sh. Khan, T. Khan, A. J. Shah. Vascular mechanisms underlying the hypotensive effect of Rumex acetosa / Pharmaceutical Biology was extracted from sorrel leaves and injected into rats with normal and high blood pressure. It turned out that the resulting solution dilates blood vessels and thus helps in the treatment of hypertension.

Destroys fat

Another in vitro study showed that polyphenolic compounds S. Sekhon-Loodu, H. P. Vasantha Rupasinghe. Evaluation of Antioxidant, Antidiabetic and Antiobesity Potential of Selected Traditional Medicinal Plants / Frontiers in Nutrition stimulates lipolysis, or breakdown of fats, in adipocyte cells, and also prevents them from dividing. Fats are eliminated from the body faster and weight is reduced.

Protects against germs

Sorrel extract dissolved in methanol was added to the colony of E. coli in laboratory glassware. It turned out that the bacterium cannot reproduce due to the phenolic compounds that are in the plant.

Reduces the risk of blood clots

In the experiments of D. Jeong, M. Irfan, D.-H. Lee, S.-B. Hong, J.-W. Oh, M. H. Rhee. Rumex acetosa modulates platelet function and inhibits thrombus formation in rats / BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies in rats it was found that sorrel extract reduces the ability of platelets to stick together and form clots. This reduces the risk of dangerous blood clots and the development of heart attack and stroke.

Prevents infection with influenza A and herpes simplex viruses

Researchers have found a substance called procyanide in sorrel leaves. In laboratory conditions, it was possible to establish that it does not allow the influenza A virus to attach to the cell and penetrate into it, which means it prevents infection.

Another study showed that procyanide and flavonoids from sorrel leaves interfere with the entry of herpes simplex virus type I into the cell.

Reduces cholesterol levels

A study on rats simulated poisoning with carbon tetrachloride, which is toxic to the liver and increases the synthesis of triglycerides and "bad" cholesterol. The animals were then given a sorrel leaf extract. Thanks to him, the concentration of lipids in the blood returned to normal in rats.

Prevents the development of tumors

Anthraquinones were found in sorrel leaves. In laboratory dishes, they were added to tumor cells of the ovary, lung, nervous system, and colon. It turned out that under the influence of such a solution, cancer cells not only die, but also stop mutating.

So is it worth eating more sorrel

Yes, you can try. Of course, the properties promised by traditional medicine are almost not confirmed, and research on beneficial properties has not yet been carried out on humans. Still, sorrel contains a lot of vitamins and minerals and few calories.

The main thing is not to overdo it. In 50 g of leaves there is S. Nur Selçuk, B. Gülhan, A. Düzova, Öz. Tekşam. Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis due to a large amount of sorrel (Rumex acetosa) intake / Clinical Toxicology 150 mg of oxalic acid, or oxalate. This substance does not harm S. C. Morrison, G. P. Savage. Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition (Second Edition) when consumed in moderation. But if you eat 25 g of oxalate at once, you can get severe kidney damage S. Nur Selçuk, B. Gülhan, A. Düzova, Öz. Tekşam. Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis due to a large amount of sorrel (Rumex acetosa) intake / Clinical Toxicology. True, hardly anyone will succeed: after all, we are talking about 8 kg of sorrel.

Better not to eat a lot of sorrel for Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Kidney Stones / National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in the kidneys. Intestinal Hyperoxaluria and oxalosis / Mayo Clinic diseases increase the absorption of oxalates, so with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, the risk of kidney damage is also higher.