36. CURRY LEAVES

                                               CURRY LEAVES

Nutrition in 100 gm
Carbohydrates	16 gm
Water	66.3 gm
Proteins	6.1 gm
Minerals	4.2 gm
Fibre	6.4 gm

Curry leaves or ‘bevin soppu’ or ‘karipaku’ or ‘sweet neem leaves’ is always available in the kitchen. It is used in a variety of dishes like curry, salad, pickle, sambar powder, etc. for its good flavour. People tend to throw away the leaves during lunch. This is wrong since the leaves are very nutritious. It has proteins, vitamins and minerals like calcium, phosphorus and iron. It has plenty of vitamin C. Curry leaves have an important place in Ayurveda.

Benefits:   

1. Digestion: Grind curry leaves with jeera powder and drink.

2. Curry leaves are good for heart burn.

3. Energy drink: grind curry leaves with honey and lemon juice. Add water to get energy drink.

4.  Diabetes: Curry leaves are good for sugar patients to reduce sugar in blood. It is good to reduce fat in the body.

5. Eating fresh curry leaves early in the morning is good for health. Eat daily for three months and see the improvement in your health.

6. Hair: Boil curry leaves in coconut oil till they become black. Cool the oil and put in a bottle. Apply to hair two to three times a week. Your hair will become black and healthy.

7. Mouth freshener: Curry leaves have a good smell and hence they can be used as mouth freshener.

8. Kidney related problems: Grind the roots and remove the liquid.

9. Insect bite: Dip the curry leaves in lemon juice and rub on the area of insect bite.

10. On the whole the leaves are antidiabetic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anti-hypercholesterolemic etc

11. Vomiting: Make juice of curry leaves in water and add lime juice. Drink this to cure vomiting.

Danger: The small fruits are edible but the seeds are poisonous.