Also known as kadi patta, curry leaves are an essential commodity that you will find in almost every Indian kitchen. The green colored leaves are specially a very important part of a wide variety of south Indian dishes. It is known to provide a wonderful fragrant and a distinct flavor to your food.
You will be pleased to know that this wonderful ingredient is also known to have a number of health benefits. The main ingredients that are present in the curry leaves and that are known to give the health benefits to these leaves include the presence of antioxidants such as beta carotene, carbazole, vitamin C, as well as others. It is these ingredients which go a long way and help to prevent several heart related conditions as well as type 2 diabetes. One study conducted by the experts reveal that curry leaves can reduce the levels of blood glucose levels in the body by up to 45 percent.
The reason why curry leaves help to improve blood glucose levels, and in turn, diabetes, is the presence of antioxidants as mentioned above. Type 2 diabetes and high blood glucose levels are known to produce free radicals in the body. The antioxidants present in the curry leaves, in turn, prevent the same and therefore the health of the individual is protected to a large extent. Another important factor with curry leaves is that these leaves help in slower digestion, which in turn, protects the level of blood glucose from rising too high. Besides, the leaves are also known to reduce the amount of glucose that enters the blood. Finally, the way in which insulin is used in the body can be brought under control by the regular use of curry leaves.
In order to include it in your diet, you can make juice out of it, or just eat it in the morning. Include it in your dishes for best results. However, just be careful to consult your doctor before including these in your regular diet.