14 Amazing Avocado Leaves Benefits, Uses & Side Effects

If you haven’t lived under a rock for the past few years, you’re probably more than aware of the numerous health benefits of avocado fruit as an incredible source of nutrition. Avocado is loaded with heart-healthy fats, fiber, and potassium and has been found to lower cholesterol and aid in weight loss. Reduce inflammation, improve your skin, and protect your liver, among other things.

One lesser-known fact, though, is that it isn’t just the avocado fruit that you can benefit from; in fact, other parts of the avocado plant are just as important for good health, especially the avocado leaves. If you normally discard your avocado leaves but find a couple attached to your fruit, it’s time to reconsider. Avocado leaves contain many vitamins and healthy acids that can be used at home for natural health purposes.

Here are the 14 Amazing Avocado leaves Benefits and their 4 Different uses.

Table of Contents

1. Promotes Weight Loss

One of the best benefits of avocado leaves is their ability to aid in weight loss. Avocado leaves contain limonene, a substance that acts as an appetite suppressant, filling you up and helping you to control your food intake and prevent unnecessary weight gain.

2. Decreases Anxiety And Insomnia

Avocado leaves are thought to be particularly effective at reducing anxiety and preventing insomnia due to their actions on serotonin receptors in the brain. Serotonin is essential for mood regulation, appetite control, and getting a good night’s sleep. Avocado leaves’ limiting content is also thought to reduce anxiety effectively.

3. Treats Diarrhea

If you’d rather not take an over-the-counter medication, an avocado leaf tea is a good natural method of treating diarrhea. The limonene in avocado leaves can maintain a healthy digestive balance and improve intestinal function. Avocado leaves can even protect against bacteria and viruses that can later cause diarrhea, preventing you from falling ill.

4. Serves As Detoxifier

Avocado leaves contain a compound called flavonoids, which protect the blood from any toxic substances, encouraging the body to remove them naturally when we go to the toilet. When drunk daily, avocado leaf tea is a particularly good detoxing agent and can help your body eliminate toxins faster.

5. Treats Diabetes

Glycoside can replace the sugar that the body needs, helping to give you a fuller satisfied feeling after eating. Try drinking avocado-leaf tea instead of your usual sugary snack, and you’ll most likely find that you’re no longer hungry.

6. Reduces Cholesterol

Again, the limonene compound in avocado makes it particularly useful in lowering cholesterol and maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. Experts say that limonene may lower your heart disease risk by reducing risk factors aside from cholesterol, including blood sugar and triglyceride levels.

7. Relieves Itching And Swelling

Avocado leaves contain quercetin, which scientists think might help reduce inflammation. One study found that quercetin prevented acute and chronic inflammation and showed anti-arthritis properties. It’s thought that quercetin can minimize inflammatory substances, especially when applied topically to the skin.

A tea made from avocado leaves can also help reduce skin itching caused by irritation, insect bites, or allergic reactions; this is due to the anti-allergic substances in avocado leaves.

8. Avocado Leaves Benefits For Skin

Avocado leaves are a fantastic source of antioxidants, which can help to keep the skin clean, supple, and healthy. Antioxidants are some of the most important ingredients for skin health, which is why they’re listed as ingredients in many skin care products.

Avocado leaves can also help reduce acne and blackheads, which is again most likely due to the antioxidants in the leaves as well as their antiseptic properties. Antioxidants are also essential for preventing signs of aging by neutralizing the free radicals that cause skin damage and create wrinkles. All avocado leaves can help maintain skin elasticity, suppleness, and youthfulness.

Click To Learn the Best Benefits of Camellia Oil For Skin

9. It Has The Potential To Prevent Cancer

More research is needed, but some studies have found links between avocado leaves and cancer prevention. It’s thought that avocado leaves may be able to prevent some cancers thanks to their pinene and limonene content, which have proved effective in inhibiting cancer cell growth and acting as a chemotherapeutic agent.

10. Reduces Headache

Pain If you suffer from daily headaches, you might not want to reach for over-the-counter pain medication so frequently. Avocado leaves make a great natural remedy for treating headache pain because of their quercetin and pinene compounds; these compounds inhibit pain transmitters that cause headaches and other assorted pains, giving you instant natural relief.

11. Less Severe Asthma Symptoms

Avocado leaves contain pinene, a pine-smelling compound that’s been found to help you breathe easier, reduce inflammation, kill bacteria, and even improve memory. More specifically, pinene has a bronchodilator effect, helping open the airways, reduce inflammation, and increase airflow to the lungs. It may be particularly effective in helping ease asthma symptoms and other chronic respiratory diseases.

12. Protects The Body From Degenerative Disease

Many people with inflammatory diseases may benefit from including avocado leaves in their daily diet. This is because the flavonol compound in avocado leaves can protect the body from degenerative diseases such as arthritis. Some studies show that avocado leaves even have the power to prevent the early physical signs of aging.

13. Promotes Heart Health

Experts say drinking avocado tea positively affects cardiovascular health, including blood pressure and blood circulation. The natural composition of tea made from avocado leaves can help manage blood pressure and heart rate.

14. Promotes Thicker, Stronger Hair

Avocado leaves are excellent for treating hair, so it’s no surprise they’re used in many hair care products rich in b-vitamins. Avocado leaves are excellent for strengthening your hair, leaving it healthy and glossy; studies have linked B vitamin deficiency with hair loss in humans, so if you’re not getting enough in your diet, drinking avocado leaf tea should help you out.

So how can we use avocado leaves?

1. How To Make Avocado Leaves Tea

One of the most effective ways to reap the benefits of avocado leaves is to use them to create a herbal leaf tea. You can buy avocado tea from some health stores, but it’s cheaper and more effective to use natural leaves straight from an avocado plant to make the tea yourself.

Method

Steep 2 or 3 leaves in boiling water for 10 minutes to allow the nutrients from the leaves to pass through into the water, then let the water cool to drinking temperature and enjoy on its own or with a sweetener like honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon spice. You’ll get the most out of avocado leaf tea if you drink it once or twice a day. A good habit is to drink a mug of avocado tea in the morning, which can help you hydrate and feel energized for the day ahead.

2. Avocado Leaf Soup or Stew

Like avocado leaf tea, you can add avocado leaves to boiling water to flavor your soups and stews. It’s up to you whether you want to take the leaves out of the super stew before eating. Avocado leaves are edible, but they’re not to everyone’s taste. Follow your standard super stew recipe, then add three or four avocado leaves to the boiling water. Let the leaves steep in the water for at least 10 minutes before removing them, or leave them in and add them to the dish.

3. Avocado Leaf Facemasks

When it comes to skincare, you can get a lot out of avocado leaves by applying them directly to your face and other affected areas. An avocado leaf face mask is a popular herbal remedy for acne and similar skin conditions. To make the face mask, mash four or five young avocado leaves and mix them with a small amount of lemon juice to make a paste. Apply the mask directly to your face and other areas of your skin. Leave for at least 10 minutes to allow the nutrients to take effect. Wash off and pat your skin dry with a towel.

4. Avocado Leaf Hair Mask

There’s no reason to hunt for hair products containing avocado leaves when you can make your own avocado leaf hair masks. They are simple to make and can help encourage growth and strengthen your hair from the inside out. To make the mask, crush a bunch of avocado leaves until they form a paste, then combine them with one whisked egg yolk.

Apply the mass to your hair and let it sit for half an hour, allowing the nutrients time to get to work. Once the time is up, rinse the hair thoroughly under warm water, then let it dry naturally. You should notice your hair is shinier and smoother to the touch. Repeat the mask whenever you feel your hair needs a bit of a boost. If you’re trying to grow your hair more quickly, applying an avocado leaf mask once a week is a great natural way to encourage hair growth.

Side Effects of Avocado Leaves

Nausea: Consuming large quantities of avocado leaves might induce nausea and upset stomach.
Allergic reactions: Some individuals may have adverse responses to avocado leaves, such as skin rashes, hives, or trouble breathing.
Blood clotting: Avocado leaves contain chemicals that may interfere with blood clotting. Therefore persons on blood-thinning drugs should exercise caution.
Pregnancy complications: Avocado leaves are thought to have abortifacient effects and might cause miscarriages. Thus pregnant women should avoid eating them.
Kidney harm: Over time, consuming high quantities of avocado leaves might cause kidney damage.
Blood pressure interference: Avocado leaves may drop blood pressure. Thus persons with low blood pressure should be careful.

Conclusion

There’s so much more to the avocado tree than you might have realized, even if you still believe that avocado fruits reign supreme. Hopefully, after reading these posts, you won’t be so quick to discard your avocado leaves when you use the fruit in your breakfast or lunch dishes. Try using avocado leaves to make tea or topical applications for benefits inside and outside the body and see what a difference they can make to your health. Finally, if you want more information on medicinal herbs, spices, and plants for common ailments,