UTAZI
The Amazing Shrub
Utazi, also known as ''Bush buck'' is a climbing shrub with edible heart shaped leaves, mostly grown by the ''igbos'' in the south eastern part of Nigeria.
It has a bitter and slightly sweet taste when eaten raw(fresh). The stem is soft and hairy and yields a milky (almost white) latex when plucked.
Indigenous to West Africa, its highly valued for its medicinal/herbal properties when eaten fresh or cooked. Often times it's been confused with the uziza leaf but unlike the utazi, the uziza leaf has a spicy scent.
The fresh leaves of utazi can be chewed and the sap extracted with water or palm wine or the whole plant can be infused with boiling water as a tea of decoction.
Apart from its medicinal properties, the plant is used to make traditional soups and the leaves to garnish local delicacies such as:-
• Isi ewu
• Abacha/ugba
• Nkwobi
• Ofe nsala (white soup)
• Sauce for yam/plantain etc.
• Unripe plantain porridge etc.
Utazi is rich in proteins, fatty acids, and amino acids, these properties make it an excellent food supplement, perfect for everyday cooking and food production.
There are also claims that adding utazi to delicacies served in bars can help prevent drunkenness as well as hangover and the harmful effect of alcohol on the liver.
In this post, I will highlight the health benefits of utazi.
NOTE: The stem and seeds are equally medicinal and beneficial.
Utazi has analgesic, laxative, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, anti-ashtmatic, anti-sickling, antimicrobial, anti-tumor, anti-pyrexic, hepatoprotective and digestive tonic properties, to mention but a few.
Health benefits of Utazi
# Utazi can be used as a home remedy for loss of appetite, colic, stomach ache, constipation, dysentery, diarrhea, dyspepsia and intestinal worms.
# Utazi leaves and stem has anti-ulcer, anti-cancer properties and can be used to treat cough, malaria and asthma.
# Utazi has hepatoprotective properties and can be used in the treatment and prevention of viral hepatitis and liver damage associated with alcoholism, it rebuilds the liver.
# Utazi is used to treat abdominal pain and also used to cleanse the womb and treat Diastasis symptoms after childbirth.
# Utazi balances circulation, normalizes blood pressure, lowers high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, prevents blood clot formation, heart attacks and stroke.
# Utazi boosts fertility and low sperm count, it increases the effectiveness of the reproductive hormones.
** Boil utazi leaves with lime juice, add a dash of honey, take a shot of this twice daily to boost fertility and low sperm count, for both genders.
# Utazi is useful in controlling hyperactivity (restlessness) in children, in this case, however, white (refined) sugar and all foods containing artificial flavor or colorant has to be completely eliminated from the child's daily menu.
# Utazi latex/sap is used for dental treatment.
# Breastfeeding/lactating mothers can use utazi to control their body weight as well as maintain a healthy body system.
These are one of the abundant nature's gift to humanity, and here is a little addition that could be beneficial to anyone.
REMEDY FOR FIBROIDS
INGREDIENTS
• Utazi
• Aju mbaise
• Lime
• Ginger
• Turmeric
• Garlic
• Uziza seeds
• Uda (Negro pepper)
• Opete (wild sugarcane or spiral ginger)
• Ushakirisha (Aidan fruit)
PREPARATION
Wash and blend utazi leaves, fill in a container with 1and half liters of water, get 2 big sizes of Aju mbaise, sour sap leaves, 30 lime oranges, cut and squeeze the juice and put in a bottle, put lime and the other ingredients in 4 litres of water and boil for 30 minutes, blend garlic,ginger and turmeric, peel and pound opete (wild sugarcane or spiral ginger) to extract up to 4 litres if its juice, then mix everything together. Take half of a cup twice daily for 21 days.
You can store in a refrigerator at moderate temperature, not ''freezer''.
Eat healthy, stay safe.
Booklet by Obasi kelechi.
