Besides creating natural color, what diseases can purple leaves cure?

Specialist Doctor 2 Huynh Tan Vu, Day Treatment Unit, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Facility 3, currently many synthetic colorants are banned or restricted from use in food because of evidence related to the possibility of causing cancer and adverse effects on health. Therefore, choosing natural colorants is encouraged to use more than anything.

Purple leaves are used as a popular colorant in Vietnam, to replace synthetic colors in traditional foods such as taro cakes, sticky rice, banh tet, and banh bao.

In addition to its beautiful, long-lasting color, many studies have shown the safety and effectiveness in treating certain diseases as well as the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of purple leaf extracts.

4 types of brocade in Vietnam

- Red Rose: Oval leaves, tapered base, dark green leaves with many hairs, upper surface of leaves has no white spots.

- Purple brocade: Large, egg-shaped leaves, round base, thin, light green leaves with a few fine hairs, large white spots along the leaf veins.

- Bright red: Oval leaves, round or tapered base, thick dark green leaves, with some fine hairs, a few white spots along the veins.

- Golden Leaf: Oval leaves, pointed base, pointed tip, both sides of the leaf are scattered with hairs, leaf blades are often wrinkled, especially the leaf edges.

Nowadays, red and purple brocade are cultivated. Yellow brocade still grows wild in nature so it is also called wild brocade.

Besides creating natural color, what diseases can purple leaves cure?

According to traditional medicine, purple leaves have a bitter taste, neutral properties, and the effect of clearing heat, stopping bleeding, reducing swelling, and detoxifying. The leaves are used to treat sprains, tuberculosis, hemoptysis, acute bronchitis, vomiting and coughing up blood, dysentery, and hematomas. In addition, purple leaves are also used as bath water to treat prickly heat or boils in children.

Boil the leaves to drink, grind into powder or cook into bath water or aid in digestive diseases.

In modern medicine, many studies have shown that purple leaf extract is highly valued for its health benefits. Purple leaf extract can be used as a natural preservative for food and medicine in the treatment of diseases related to intestinal disorders caused by harmful microorganisms.

Four food spoilage related organisms such as Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive microorganisms), Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli (Gram negative microorganisms) were also treated with ethanolic extract of leaves and stems of Atractylodes macrophylla. The results showed that all the bacteria were also inhibited at low concentrations of both leaf and stem extracts.

Several studies have shown that purple perilla leaf extract may have high antibacterial activity, activity against Caldida albicans of plant extracts in Methanol.

Some remedies from purple leaf

- Treating bronchitis: Use 40g of purple apricot branches and leaves, 20g each of Platycodon grandiflorum, Ophiopogon japonicus and Tangerine peel. Boil and drink to help reduce phlegm and treat bronchitis.

- Acne treatment: 1 bunch of purple leaves, 1.5 liters of water. Wash the bunch of purple leaves with clean water, pour in 1.5 liters of clean water, boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, then turn off the stove. Wait for the water to warm up, then filter out enough water to wash your face as usual without having to rinse with clean water. The remaining water can be stored in the refrigerator and used gradually within 3 or 4 days.

Purple leaves are not only beneficial to human health thanks to their biological active ingredients but also beneficial in food processing thanks to their coloring properties. However, it is necessary to consult a doctor about the effectiveness of the remedy from purple leaves before using it. Avoid using ineffective remedies that will not improve the disease and continue to progress in a bad direction.

Nguyen Ngoan

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