Is Sorrel As Useful As It Is Believed To Be

Sorrel definitely does not harm the figure and contains vitamins and minerals necessary for our body. Other useful properties are still being studied by scientists.

It is said that the leaves of the plant increase immunity and save from cancer.

What is sorrel known for

Sorrel is a perennial herbaceous plant. Its leaves and roots have medicinal properties and are used in folk medicine as a choleretic agent, as well as to improve appetite, stop bleeding, boost immunity and prevent cancer.

What is sorrel useful for

At least it does not harm the figure and contains substances necessary for our body.

Helps to lose weight

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

Protects cells from destruction

The plant contains various polyphenol compounds, which are natural antioxidants. They prevent aggressive free radicals from damaging body cells.

Restores vitamin deficiency

There are seven vital vitamins in sorrel. Moreover, some are quite a lot. So, if you eat 100 g of leaves, you can provide yourself with half of the daily norm of vitamin C, 28% of vitamin A and 9% of the norm of vitamins B2 and B6.

Saturates with minerals

There are also many useful micro- and macroelements in the leaf. So, 100 g contains 20% of the daily norm of iron, 15% of potassium and 7% of calcium.

What can sorrel be useful for?

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

Lowers blood pressure

The researchers obtained an extract from sorrel leaves and administered it to rats with normal and elevated blood pressure. It turned out that the resulting solution dilates blood vessels and helps in the treatment of hypertension.

Destroys fat

Another test-tube study found that polyphenolic compounds stimulate lipolysis, or the breakdown of fats, in adipocytes and prevent them from dividing. Fats are removed from the body faster, and weight decreases.

Protects against bacteria

Sorrel extract dissolved in methanol was added to the colony of Escherichia coli in a laboratory dish. It turned out that the bacterium cannot reproduce due to the phenolic compounds present in the plant.

Reduces the risk of blood clots

In experiments on 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

The researchers discovered the sorrel substance procyanide in the leaf. In laboratory conditions, it was possible to establish that it does not allow the influenza A virus to attach to the cell and penetrate inside, and therefore prevents infection.

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

Lowers cholesterol

In a study on rats, carbon tetrachloride poisoning was simulated, which is toxic to the liver and increases the synthesis of triglycerides and "bad" cholesterol. Then the animals were given sorrel leaf extract. Thanks to it, the concentration of lipids in the blood of rats normalized.

Tumors are not allowed to develop

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

So should we eat more sorrel?

Yes, you can try. Of course, the properties promised by folk medicine are almost never confirmed, and studies of the beneficial properties have not yet been conducted on humans. But still, sorrel has a lot of vitamins and minerals and few calories.

The main thing is not to overdo it. 50 g of leaves contain 150 mg of oxalic acid, or oxalate. This substance is not harmful if consumed in moderation. But if you eat 25 g of oxalate together, you can get severe kidney damage. True, it is unlikely that anyone will succeed: after all, we are talking about 8 kg of sorrel.

It is better not to eat a lot of sorrel with kidney stones. Intestinal diseases increase the absorption of oxalates, so with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, the risk of kidney damage is also higher.