Sorrel Leaves: Benefits, Nutrients & How To Use

Have you ever heard of a green leafy vegetable that is chosen for its taste? Yes, we are talking about sorrel leaves. Preferred by many because of their taste, they are also rich in nutrients. The benefits of sorrel leaves are numerous and are gaining the attention of many health enthusiasts.

Although all green leafy veggies contain many beneficial nutrients, the right balance of taste and nutrition makes sorrel leaves unique. Want to read more about these leaves and learn about their benefits? Continue reading.

Know Your Ingredient: Sorrel Leaf

What Is It?
A leafy vegetable native to Europe and North Asia with a sour taste.

What Are Its Benefits?
It helps improve eyesight, immunity, and digestive health as well as aids in detoxification, weight loss, and wound healing.

Who Can Consume It?
Anyone can consume it except for people with skin diseases and rashes or asthma.

How Often?
It can be consumed daily in moderation.

Caution
Excessive consumption can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, and liver diseases.

Sorrel – A Brief

Scientific Name –Rumex acetosaNative –

Europe and North Asia

Sorrel is a perennial herb, also known as sheep sorrel, spinach dock, sour grabs and grass because of its sharp, tart and sour taste (1). The herb is often confused with spinach and hibiscus. Sheep sorrel has spade-shaped leaves and reddish-green flowers that turn purple after full bloom, which denotes their acidic nature. Its seeds are brown in color.

Remember the special Essiac tea? Sorrel leaf is one of the key ingredients in this beverage.

Nutritional Information

• Sorrel is rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, and B9.
• It has high amounts of vitamin C.
• It contains oxalic acid, which causes its sour taste.
• Rich in potassium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and iron.
• Though it is rich in proteins and carbohydrates, it has a negligible quantity of fats.
• Rich in flavonoids.

Now, let’s take a look at the different health benefits these green leaves have to offer.

Benefits Of Sorrel Leaves

1. Improve Eyesight
2. Help In Weight Loss
3. Detoxify Your Body
4. Prevent Cancer And Tumor
5. Lower Blood Pressure
6. Reduce Cold Sores And Fever Blisters
7. Cure Skin Diseases
8. Helpful In Reducing Milk Flow
9. Prevent Scurvy
10. Treat Insomnia And Hypertension
11. Make Your Hair Healthy
12. Heal Wounds
13. Strengthen Bones
14. Treat Anemia
15. Helpful In Treating Urinary Tract Infection, Gonorrhea, And Hemorrhages
16. Enhance Your Digestive Health
17. Boost Energy
18. Strengthen Immunity
19. Help Maintain Renal Health

Health Benefits Of Sorrel Leaves

1. Improve Eyesight

If you have been experiencing vision problems lately, it’s time you add these leaves to your diet to improve your eye health.

Sorrel leaves contain a good amount of vitamin A, which helps improve eyesight and eliminate night blindness (caused by vitamin A deficiency) (2), (3).

2. Help In Weight Loss

Looking forward to shedding a few pounds to fit into your sexy little black dress for that dinner date? Why don’t you go for sorrel leaves?

Sorrel leaves are rich in many vitamins, minerals, proteins, and carbohydrates. They contain a negligible amount of fat and are low in calories. Therefore, sorrel leaves are a good option for health-conscious people who want to lose weight.

[ Read: Power Yoga Help In Weight Loss ]

3. Detoxify Your Body

Sorrel contains flavonoids and other antioxidants that make it a good diureticⁱ  Any substance or medication that encourages diuresis (excessive urine production) to flush out excess salt and water. and purgativeⁱ  Any ingredient or medication that strongly encourages bowel movements, resulting in increased fluid excretion. .

This helps in flushing out harmful toxins from the body. Sorrel leaves contain protocatechuic acid that aids in body detox. Sorrel tea and sorrel-infused water are often used for detoxification of the body. It also relieves bloating (4).

Trivia

Ancient Romans and Greeks used sorrel leaves as a digestive and appetite stimulant due to its diuretic property.

4. Prevent Cancer And Tumor

Did you know sorrel leaves are also used in herbal cancer treatment?

The oxalic acid present in the fresh sorrel leaves acts as a preventive measure for cancers and tumors. But remember to limit your intake as excessive consumption can be harmful. Sorrel leaves contain chlorophyll and carotenoids along with many vitamins and minerals that help in fighting, preventing, and treating breast cancer (5).

5. Lower Blood Pressure

In today’s day and age, we see a lot of people falling victim to hypertensionⁱ  High blood pressure; a reading of 140/90 or higher suggesting that the blood is pushing too hard against the arterial walls. due to stress. Sorrel leaves can help keep your blood pressure under control.

Sorrel leaves are rich in antioxidants that help in lowering the bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the body as well as reducing overall inflammation. This results in lower blood pressure levels and improved heart health (6).

6. Reduce Cold Sores And Fever Blisters

Cold sores

and fever blisters usually occur around the lips and the mouth and the skin around them is sore and painful.

Sorrel leaves are rich in flavonoids and oligomeric and polymeric proanthocyanidins that have proven to be helpful in treating cold sores and fever blisters.

Trivia

Ancient Chinese herbalists would prepare a medicinal drink made with water and sorrel leaves to reduce fevers.

7. Cure Skin Diseases

Sorrel leaves are like an elixir for our skin, fighting all types of skin diseases like eczemaⁱ  A chronic condition with periodic flare-ups, leaving you with dry, itchy skin and weakened skin barrier function. , ringworm, etc.

Sorrel is rich in vitamin C. In fact, a bowl of sorrel soup can provide up to 53% of the daily intake of vitamin C, which helps in the treatment of many skin issues and diseases (7). Dried sorrel leaves are used to treat itching and ringworms. Sorrel leaves, when used as a face pack, prevent wrinkles and tighten the skin. They also have antimicrobial and anti-allergic properties.

8. Helpful In Reducing Milk Flow

Sorrel is considered safe for women as it helps prevent breast cancer. But doctors advise against the consumption of sorrel during and post-pregnancy. It can be because sorrel has some side effects and can harm the baby, and also because sorrel reduces the production of breastmilk. However, this effect becomes useful at the time of weaning when the aim is to reduce and lessen the flow of milk.

9. Prevent Scurvy

Scurvy is a disease caused by the deficiency of vitamin C. Sorrel, being rich in vitamin C, prevents and cures this painful condition (8).

10. Treat Insomnia And Hypertension

Hypertension can lead to sleepless nights. And you know how important it is to have a sound sleep. If you are sleep-deprived and are looking for a remedy to solve your problem, here’s help. Drink a glass of sorrel tea or add a few herbs to your salad. Trust me, it works!

Sorrel leaves are used to treat insomnia and hypertension (9). You can make sorrel tea with spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger, or heat sorrel leaves with castor oil and consumes it.

11. Make Your Hair Healthy

Sorrel leaves are an excellent tonic for your mane. They can make your hair healthy, strong, and lustrous.

Sorrel is rich in vitamins A, B, and C. All these vitamins are amazing for dry and damaged hair. They also prevent and stop hair fall and treat baldness.

12. Heal Wounds

The anti-inflammatory properties of sorrel leaves come in handy when you want to treat any wounds.

Sorrel leaves treat ulcers, boils, swelling, and scorbutic diseases effectively. They can be used as an antidote for scorpion poison too.

13. Strengthen Bones

You know that these leaves are rich in calcium, so why not strengthen your bones by including them in your diet? They are

especially beneficial for women as their bones become weak once they reach their 30s.

14. Treat Anemia

Most women become anemic due to lack of nutrition, and heavy bleeding during periods or post-pregnancy.

Sorrel is a good source of iron, sodium, and phosphorus and also contains chlorophyll. It helps in increasing the hemoglobin level in the body and is hence beneficial for people with anemia.

15. Helpful In Treating Urinary Tract Infection, Gonorrhea, And Hemorrhages

Sorrel leaves can help treat various conditions like Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), gonorrhea, and hemorrhage.

The diureticⁱ  Any substance or medication that encourages diuresis (excessive urine production) to flush out excess salt and water. properties of sorrel help in the treatment of UTIs (10).

16. Enhance Your Digestive Health

Adding this wonder leaf to your drinks, soups, and salads can improve your digestion by preventing various conditions like constipation, bloating, diarrhea, and many other gastrointestinal disorders.

Sorrel or dock leaves are full of dietary fiber. 100 grams of sorrel has 2.9 grams of dietary fiber (11). It adds bulk to the stools, which makes bowel movements easy.

17. Boost Energy

Feeling tired after a long day at work? Consuming sorrel can help revive your lost energy levels. Here’s how.

Sorrel is a decent source of iron (11). Regular consumption of sorrel may lower the risk of anemia. However, more research is warranted in this regard.

18. Strengthen Immunity

Regular consumption of sorrel leaves can protect your body from toxins and harmful elements.

The vitamin C content in sorrel helps to optimize and strengthen your immunity. The ascorbic acid also increases the WBC count and antibodies, thus protecting your body from foreign invasion (12).

19. Help Maintain Renal Health

Sorrel leaves are perfect for your kidneys.

The diureticⁱ  Any substance or medication that encourages diuresis (excessive urine production) to flush out excess salt and water. properties of sorrel help in maintaining kidney health. It stimulates the flow of urine, thereby ensuring detoxification of the kidneys.

How To Use Sorrel Leaves

Sheep sorrel is most commonly used to prepare sauces and soups. Sorrel soup is a famous dish made with eggs, chicken stock, and cream. Its pureed sauce is served with fish. Young, fresh sorrel leaves are also mixed in salads because of their lemon-like taste. In Jamaica, sorrel leaves and flowers are used to make tea, which is served both hot and chilled. It is also mixed with buttermilk or used to prepare smoothies and juices.

Let’s take a look at a few recipes now.

1. Sorrel Leaves Tea

Let’s begin with the humble tea.

What You Need

• A handful of sorrel leaves
• Cinnamon stick
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 cup hot water
• Sweetener of your choice (sugar syrup or honey)

How To Make

1. Boil water and transfer it to a pitcher. Add dried sorrel leaves and spices to the pitcher.
2. Strain the mixed water after five minutes into a cup and add sweetener. Your hot tea is ready to be served.

Note:

You can make iced sorrel tea too. For that, you will have to keep the spices and sorrel overnight in the fridge.

2. Sorrel Leaf Drink – Caribbean Style

Why not give your boring drink a Caribbean twist?

What You Need

• 2 cups dried sorrel leaves
• 1 tbsp white rice (uncooked)
• 1 tbsp orange juice
• A pinch of ground cinnamon
• 8 allspice berries
• 6 cloves
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 cup sugar

How To Make

1. Add sugar, spices, juice, rice, ginger, and four cups of water in a saucepan and let it boil.
2. Remove from the heat and add the dried sorrel leaves. Cover the mix and let it set for a day.
3. Strain the mix and refrigerate. Serve chilled.

3. Sorrel Soup

Sorrel is an excellent ingredient for soups. Here’s how you can make lip-smacking soup.

What You Need

• 3 cups sorrel leaves, washed and dried
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 chopped sweet onion
• 5 to 6 small potatoes (cut into chunks)
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (your choice)
• 1 lightly beaten egg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Garnishing with an ingredient of your choice (coriander, yogurt or cucumber slices)

How To Make

1. Cut the sorrel leaves in ribbons and place them aside.
2. Heat the butter on medium flame in a large saucepan.
3. Add onions and cook until they turn brown.
4. Add sorrel and potatoes to the pan. Add enough broth to cover the potatoes.
5. Bring the mix to a boil. Lower the heat and cook till the potatoes are soft and well cooked. This will take you another 15 minutes.
6. Now, blend half the content into a smooth puree. Repeat until all the content gets pureed.
7. Transfer it back into the pan and whisk the eggs with a portion of the soup.
8. Add the egg to the pan and cook till the mix thickens.
9. Your soup is ready! Add salt and pepper, and garnish with ingredients of your choice.

In addition to these recipes, you can use dried or full sorrel leaves in a variety of dishes. Here are a few interesting ones:

• Sorrel sauce works well with fishes.
• Add them to your omelet mix.
• Use them as a stuffing for meat.
• Can be used in mashed potatoes.
• Use with hummus and pasta.
• Make sorrel pesto and use it on pizzas.

It is essential to know where to buy the highest quality sorrel leaves to reap their benefits. Learn more in the next section.

Where To Buy Sorrel Leaves?

You can find sorrel leaves in local grocery stores and supermarkets in well-stocked produce sections, especially in regions where this herb is commonly used for cooking. You also can explore farmers’ markets to procure freshly harvested sorrel leaves. You also may check online grocery stores and specialized herb retailers for dried sorrel leaves, especially if fresh sorrel is not readily available in your area.

Ensure the sorrel you are purchasing is vibrant in color and not wilted or discolored.

A Word Of Caution

Like all other herbs, sorrel leaves too can have some adverse effects.

• Sorrel contains a good amount of oxalic acid. It decreases the body’s ability to absorb calcium, leading to the formation of kidney stones. Sorrel leaves that have passed their tender age have a higher amount of oxalic acid. So, it is better to use the tender ones.

• Due to the presence of oxalic acid, sorrel must not be cooked in aluminum or iron cookware as the acid reaction with the metal makes it toxic and inedible.

• Consuming high amounts of sorrel can cause diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and liver diseases.

• People suffering from skin diseases or asthma should avoid sorrel.

Infographic: 7 Reasons To Add Sorrel Leaves To Your Diet

While numerous green leafy vegetables taste good, sorrel leaves top the list. The perfect combination of amazing taste and high nutrient content makes them an excellent addition to one’s diet. We have rounded up 7 benefits of sorrel leaves in the infographic below. Scroll down to know more!

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Can sorrel leaves be eaten raw?

Yes, sorrel leaves can be eaten raw. Their sour and tangy flavor can give salads, sandwiches, and smoothies a refreshing boost. However, it is best to consume them in moderation to avoid adverse reactions.

What is the best way to incorporate sorrel into my diet?

Include sorrel in your diet by slicing fresh leaves into salads for a refreshing taste. You can add them to smoothies, soups, and sauces too. To further appreciate its refreshing flavor and nutritional advantages, try making sorrel pesto, omelet stuffing, or herbal tea.

Is sorrel good for diabetes?

Yes. Sorrel has anti-diabetic and antioxidant properties that help treat diabetes (13).

Can you drink sorrel every day?

Sorrel is considered safe to drink every day if it is consumed in moderation. However, consuming large amounts of sorrel is unsafe and may cause kidney stones.

Is sorrel the same as spinach?

No. Sorrel closely resembles spinach. However, sorrel leaves are richer in fiber, vitamins, and minerals than spinach.

Illustration: Amazing Health Benefits Of Sorrel Leaves

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Want to discover the incredible health benefits of sorrel leaves? Watch this informative video now to learn how incorporating them into your diet can enhance your overall well-being.

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Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Mollie MeldahlRD, LD, CPT

 

Mollie Meldahl is a plant-based Registered Dietitian and Personal Trainer based out of Austin, TX, with 8 years of experience. She has been following a plant-based lifestyle for over six years and currently counsels clients on transitioning to a plant-based diet to prevent and reverse heart disease.

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Tanya ChoudharyHealth & Wellness Writer

 

Tanya is an ISSA certified Specialist in Fitness & Nutrition. She specializes in writing articles on ingredients that benefit skin, hair, and health. She believes in the right health and lifestyle practices and strives to promote the same to everyone around her.

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Ravi Teja TadimallaCo-Editor-in-Chief

Ravi Teja Tadimalla is a Co-Editor-in-Chief and a published author. He has been in the digital media field for over a decade. He graduated from SRM University, Chennai, and has a Professional Certificate in Food, Nutrition & Research from Wageningen University.

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Moksha GandhiHealth & Wellness Writer

Moksha is a health and wellness writer and a certified diet and nutrition coach. Her passion for science and writing has helped her excel in crafting evidence-based articles. Her previous experience in writing science-based research papers ensures that her articles are grounded in research and provide practical tips that are reader-focused.

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