Can Bitter Leaf Juice Cure Malaria?
A health and treatment page on X claims that drinking juice extracted from bitter leaf is a potent treatment for malaria. The claim was posted by @safonyameherbal with the caption, “For Malaria, blend BITTER LEAVES and drink 60mls three times daily for 4days🍀 This remedy doesn’t fail💚”.
The post has reached over 90,700 people. In the comment section, @Denyefa wrote “I do this very well even planning to do it this morning” while @hearbalistnoah said “Herbs don’t fail.”
VERIFICATION
What is Malaria?
Malaria is a life-threatening disease spread to humans by some types of mosquitoes. It is mostly found in tropical countries. It is preventable and curable. The infection is caused by a parasite and does not spread from person to person. Symptoms can be mild or life-threatening. Mild symptoms are fever, chills and headache. Severe symptoms include fatigue, confusion, seizures, and difficulty breathing. Infants, children under 5 years, pregnant women and girls, travellers and people with HIV or AIDS are at higher risk of severe infection.
Malaria can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites and with medicines. Treatments can stop mild cases from getting worse. Malaria mostly spreads to people through the bites of some infected female anopheles mosquitoes. Blood transfusion and contaminated needles may also transmit malaria. The early symptoms may be mild, similar to many febrile illnesses, and difficulty to recognize as malaria. If left untreated, plasmodium falciparum malaria can progress to severe illness and death within 24 hours.
Is Bitter Leaves Juice A Remedy For Malaria?
Bitter leaf juice, derived from the vernonia amygdalina plant, is a popular traditional remedy in Africa, used for various ailments, including malaria, and is believed to have medicinal properties like digestive, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects.
A clinical trial of the traditional medicine vernonia amygdalina in the treatment of uncomplicated malaria reveals that complete parasite clearance occurred in only 32 percent of those with adequate clinical response, which is not convincing enough to be embraced as a remedy for malaria. The research suggests further studies are needed to determine whether the efficacy can be improved by increasing the dose, changing the preparation, or adding other antimalarial plants.
What Are The Experts Saying?
A botanist with the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, Dr Ifiok Ebong, noted that “there have been laboratory tests to this claim over the years, but more work has to be done.” He added that “around 2020, during the covid period, he embarked on this research with a medical student but the outcome wasn’t convincing enough”.
A medical doctor with Damfars Hospital, Abuja, Dr Oche Joseph, said that “malaria can be treated and cured by using the recommended ACTs antimalarial medications,” stressing that “early diagnosis is key.” Dr Oche added that “the exact treatment depends on the type of parasite and the patient’s health status.”
He concluded by saying that “malaria can be prevented if we avoid mosquito bites, thereby using nets, repellent, wearing long clothes, taking antimalarial drugs when traveling to high-risk areas and also controlling mosquito populations”.
CONCLUSION
The claim that drinking juice extracted from bitter leaves is a potent treatment for malaria is medically UNPROVEN as scientists have acknowledged that more studies are needed to determine whether the efficacy can be improved by increasing the dose, changing the preparation, or adding other antimalarial plants.
