Although all green leafy veggies contain many beneficial nutrients, the right balance of taste and nutrition makes sorrel leaves unique. Want to read more about these leaves and learn about their benefits? Continue reading.
Sorrel – A Brief
Scientific Name – Rumex acetosaNative – Europe and North Asia Sorrel is a perennial herb, also known as sheep sorrel, spinach dock, sour grabs and grass because of its sharp, tart and sour taste (1). The herb is often confused with spinach and hibiscus. Sorrel has spade-shaped leaves and reddish-green flowers that turn purple after full bloom, which denotes their acidic nature. Its seeds are brown in color. Remember the special Essiac tea? Sorrel leaf is one of the key ingredients in this beverage.
Nutritional Information
Sorrel is rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, and B9. It has high amounts of vitamin C. It contains oxalic acid, which causes its sour taste. Rich in potassium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and iron. Though it is rich in proteins and carbohydrates, it has a negligible quantity of fats. Rich in flavonoids.
Now, let’s take a look at the different health benefits these green leaves have to offer.
Benefits Of Sorrel Leaves
Health Benefits Of Sorrel Leaves
1. Improve Eyesight
If you have been experiencing vision problems lately, it’s time you add these leaves to your diet. Sorrel leaves contain a good amount of vitamin A, which helps improve eyesight and eliminate night blindness (caused by vitamin A deficiency) (2), (3).
2. Help In Weight Loss
Looking forward to shedding a few pounds to fit into your sexy little black dress for that dinner date? Why don’t you go for sorrel leaves? Sorrel leaves are rich in many vitamins, minerals, proteins, and carbohydrates. They contain a negligible amount of fat and are low in calories. Therefore, sorrel leaves are a good option for health-conscious people who want to lose weight. [ Read: Power Yoga Help In Weight Loss ]
3. Detoxify Your Body
Sorrel contains flavonoids and other antioxidants that make it a good diuretic and purgative. This helps in flushing out harmful toxins from the body. Sorrel leaves contain protocatechuic acid that aids in body detox. Sorrel tea and sorrel-infused water are often used for detoxification of the body. It also relieves bloating (4).
4. Prevent Cancer And Tumor
Did you know sorrel leaves are also used in herbal cancer treatment? The oxalic acid present in the fresh sorrel leaves acts as a preventive measure for cancers and tumors. But remember to limit your intake as excessive consumption can be harmful. Sorrel leaves contain chlorophyll and carotenoids along with many vitamins and minerals that help in fighting, preventing, and treating breast cancer (5).
5. Lower Blood Pressure
In today’s day and age, we see a lot of people falling victim to hypertension due to stress. Sorrel leaves can help keep your blood pressure under control. Sorrel leaves are rich in antioxidants that help in lowering the bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the body as well as reducing overall inflammation. This results in lower blood pressure levels (6).
6. Reduce Cold Sores And Fever Blisters
Cold sores and fever blisters usually occur around the lips and the mouth and the skin around them is sore and painful. Sorrel leaves are rich in flavonoids and oligomeric and polymeric proanthocyanidins that have proven to be helpful in treating cold sores and fever blisters.
7. Cure Skin Diseases
Sorrel leaves are like an elixir for our skin, fighting all types of skin diseases like eczema, ringworm, etc. Sorrel is rich in vitamin C. In fact, a bowl of sorrel soup can provide up to 53% of the daily intake of vitamin C, which helps in the treatment of many skin issues and diseases (7). Dried sorrel leaves are used to treat itching and ringworms. Sorrel leaves, when used as a face pack, prevent wrinkles and tighten the skin. They also have antimicrobial and anti-allergic properties.
8. Helpful In Reducing Milk Flow
Sorrel is considered safe for women as it helps prevent breast cancer. But doctors advise against the consumption of sorrel during and post-pregnancy. It can be because sorrel has some side effects and can harm the baby, and also because sorrel reduces the production of breastmilk. However, this effect becomes useful at the time of weaning when the aim is to reduce and lessen the flow of milk.
9. Prevent Scurvy
Scurvy is a disease caused by the deficiency of vitamin C. Sorrel, being rich in vitamin C, prevents and cures this painful condition (8).
10. Treat Insomnia And Hypertension
Hypertension can lead to sleepless nights. And you know how important it is to have a sound sleep. If you are sleep-deprived and are looking for a remedy to solve your problem, here’s help. Drink a glass of sorrel tea or add a few herbs to your salad. Trust me, it works! Sorrel leaves are used to treat insomnia and hypertension (9). You can make sorrel tea with spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger, or heat sorrel leaves with castor oil and consumes it.
11. Make Your Hair Healthy
Sorrel leaves are an excellent tonic for your mane. They can make your hair healthy, strong, and lustrous. Sorrel is rich in vitamins A, B, and C. All these vitamins are amazing for dry and damaged hair. They also prevent and stop hair fall and treat baldness.
12. Heal Wounds
The anti-inflammatory properties of sorrel leaves come in handy when you want to treat any wounds. Sorrel leaves treat ulcers, boils, swelling, and scorbutic diseases effectively. They can be used as an antidote for scorpion poison too.
13. Strengthen Bones
You know that these leaves are rich in calcium, so why not strengthen your bones by including them in your diet? They are especially beneficial for women as their bones become weak once they reach their 30s.
14. Treat Anemia
Most women become anemic due to lack of nutrition, and heavy bleeding during periods or post-pregnancy. Sorrel is a good source of iron, sodium, and phosphorus and also contains chlorophyll. It helps in increasing the hemoglobin level in the body and is hence beneficial for people with anemia.
15. Helpful In Treating Urinary Tract Infection, Gonorrhea And Hemorrhages
Sorrel leaves can help treat various conditions like Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), gonorrhea, and hemorrhage. The diuretic properties of sorrel help in the treatment of UTIs (10).
16. Enhance Your Digestive Health
You can improve your digestive health by adding this wonder leaf to your drinks, soups, and salads to prevent various conditions like constipation, bloating, diarrhea, and many other gastrointestinal disorders. Sorrel or dock leaves are full of dietary fiber. 100 grams of sorrel has 2.9 grams of dietary fiber (11). It adds bulk to the stools, which makes bowel movements easy.
17. Boost Energy
Feeling tired after a long day at work? Consuming sorrel can help revive your lost energy levels. Here’s how. Sorrel is a decent source of iron (11). Regular consumption of sorrel may lower the risk of anemia. However, more research is warranted in this regard.
18. Strengthen Immunity
Regular consumption of sorrel leaves can protect your body from toxins and harmful elements. The vitamin C content in sorrel helps to optimize and strengthen your immunity. The ascorbic acid also increases the WBC count and antibodies, thus protecting your body from foreign invasion (12).
19. Help Maintain Renal Health
Sorrel leaves are perfect for your kidneys. The diuretic properties of sorrel help in maintaining kidney health. It stimulates the flow of urine, thereby ensuring detoxification of the kidneys.
How To Use Sorrel Leaves
Sorrel is most commonly used to prepare sauces and soups. Sorrel soup is a famous dish made with eggs, chicken stock, and cream. Its pureed sauce is served with fish. Young, fresh sorrel leaves are also mixed in salads because of their lemon-like taste. In Jamaica, sorrel leaves and flowers are used to make tea, which is served both hot and chilled. It is also mixed with buttermilk or used to prepare smoothies and juices. Let’s take a look at a few recipes now.
1. Sorrel Leaves Tea
Let’s begin with the humble tea.
A handful of sorrel leaves Cinnamon stick 2-3 cloves 1 cup hot water Sweetener of your choice (sugar syrup or honey)
Note: You can make iced sorrel tea too. For that, you will have to keep the spices and sorrel overnight in the fridge.
2. Sorrel Leaf Drink – Caribbean Style
Why not give your boring drink a Caribbean twist?
2 cups dried sorrel leaves 1 tbsp white rice (uncooked) 1 tbsp orange juice A pinch of ground cinnamon 8 allspice berries 6 cloves 1 tsp grated ginger 1 cup sugar
3. Sorrel Soup
Sorrel is an excellent ingredient for soups. Here’s how you can make lip-smacking soup.
3 cups sorrel leaves, washed and dried 2 tbsp butter 1/2 chopped sweet onion 5 to 6 small potatoes (cut into chunks) 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (your choice) 1 lightly beaten egg Salt and pepper to taste
Garnishing with an ingredient of your choice (coriander, yogurt or cucumber slices) In addition to these recipes, you can use dried or full sorrel leaves in a variety of dishes. Here are a few interesting ones:
Sorrel sauce works well with fishes. Add them to your omelet mix. Use them as a stuffing for meat. Can be used in mashed potatoes. Use with hummus and pasta. Make sorrel pesto and use it on pizzas.
A Word Of Caution
Like all other herbs, sorrel leaves too can have some adverse effects.
Sorrel contains a good amount of oxalic acid. It decreases the body’s ability to absorb calcium, leading to the formation of kidney stones. Sorrel leaves that have passed their tender age have a higher amount of oxalic acid. So, it is better to use the tender ones.
Due to the presence of oxalic acid, sorrel must not be cooked in aluminum or iron cookware as the acid reaction with the metal makes it toxic and inedible.
Consuming high amounts of sorrel can cause diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and liver diseases.
People suffering from skin diseases or asthma should avoid sorrel.
Is sorrel good for diabetes? Yes. Sorrel has anti-diabetic and antioxidant properties that help treat diabetes (13). Can you drink sorrel every day? Sorrel is considered safe to drink every day if it is consumed in moderation. However, consuming large amounts of sorrel is unsafe and may cause kidney stones. Is sorrel the same as spinach? No. Sorrel closely resembles spinach. However, sorrel leaves are richer in fiber, vitamins, and minerals than spinach.
