![1001502464.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmNRovNTj12tXrgAXqe54ueqJNMTmgkzJv2VUAxtiv8XWL/1001502464.jpg)

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Greetings my steemit family. I believe you all are doing great. May God be praised. I made a post on how I cooked my vegetable soup (post link:https://steemit.com/hive-139765/@juli30/food-challenge-contest-week-170-for-kids-and-parents-cook-vegetable-soup-with-me) but didn’t talk on the benefits of the vegetables used in order not to make the post ambiguous. I’ll be sharing the nutritional constituents, Uses and health benefits of Uziza leaf/seed in this article. Will still write about other vegetables I used in the preparation of the soup in another article. ![1001535899.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmToT35cA6x4cZyzdmMYkJZGxZiLyzBs12Ez7PEddsbrUi/1001535899.jpg)Blended Uziza seed FACTS ABOUT UZIZA LEAF Uziza leaf in my dialect Igbo is also known as West African pepper in English. Its botanical name is Piper guineense. In Yoruba dialect it is called Ata where and also has other names such as Ashanti pepper, Guinea pepper, Kale, Benin pepper False cubeb, Guinea cubebe and sorowisa. NUTRITIONAL CONSTITUENTS  Uziza leaf/seed are abundant in vitamins and minerals. They are particularly rich in vitamins A, C and E.  It is rich in carbohydrate, protein, fats and dietary fiber.  Also it contains phytochemicals like alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, phenolic and piperine. USES OF UZIZA LEAF/SEED It is commonly found in the western region of Africa such as Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon. Both the leaf and the seed is used for culinary and medicinal purposes. CULINARY USES • They are used to enhance the flavour of soups, stews and other local delicacies. • I use the leaf in cooking soups like ofe nsala(white soup), fisherman soup, vegetable soup, egusi soup, oha soup etc. • While I use the seed in preparing dishes like okpa, peppersoup, oha soup etc. ![1001509062.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWGpE8bAr4UBpEM3u34Kr5ensBLe1BCAmbaWBn3aDaDDR/1001509062.jpg)I used the seed in preparing this Okpa ![1001502592.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmU5wWQRXFqdffgfkMtJQL2hG2CcwXskyhNRUFQppEYx9w/1001502592.jpg)I used the leaf in preparing this vegetable soup MEDICINAL USES • In my tribe Igbo, it is use in cooking for a woman that put to bed newly in order to clean her womb. • The seed can be grounded and taken as tea to help in bowel movement. HEALTH BENEFITS: 1. It has Antibacterial and Antifungal properties: The presence of Uziza leaf in your food can help fight bacteria and fungi bacteria related infections. 2. It can prevent the growth of cancer cells because of the presence of high antioxidants. It also contains a compound called myrcene and the monoterpene compounds all proven to inhibit the growth of different cancerous cells. 3. It is a good remedy for cough and bronchitis. 4. It is able to treat intestinal disorders, ease indigestion and improve appetite. 5. It improves fertility such as Ovulation, Penile erections and stimulation of sexual behaviours. 6. It Protects the cardiovascular health. Uziza is great for your heart because according to some researchers, Uziza contains compounds that help the smooth muscle tissue relax. 7. It is a great weight-loss spice 8. It is good for diabetic patients because it helps lower blood sugar. 9. The vitamins in it helps in protecting the body against oxidative stress and booting the immune system. Have you heard of this leaf/seed? Have you made use of it in your cooking? Which other meal can you use it to prepare apart from the ones I mentioned? All pictures in this ate taken by me with my Samsung galaxy A05. Thank you for reading my article. I still remain my humble self @juli30, see you in my next article bye. I norminate @jannatakter24 , @gunthertopp and @drhira to participate in this contest. #steemexclusive #writingexp116 #nigeria