Shuwaka

Shuwaka, shuka ce da ta yi fice a cikin abinci da magungunan gargajiya. A kimiyyance ana kiran ta da Vernonia amygdalina, da Turanci kuma ana kiranta da Bitter Leaf. Tana ɗaya daga cikin tsirrai da suka shahara wajen magance cututtuka da yawa. Duk da ɗacin da ke tattare da ita, ana amfani da ita wajen sarrafa abinci da kuma kula da lafiya.

A ƙasashe da dama na Afirka ta Yamma da suka haɗa da Nigeria, Niger, Ghana da Cameroon, shuwaka na daga cikin muhimman tsirran da aka daɗe ana saka su a magungunan gargajiya da girke-girke. A Najeriya, musamman tsakanin Hausawa, Yarbawa da Igbo, shuwaka ta zama ɓangare na rayuwar yau da kullum.

Asalin tsiron shuwaka

Shuwaka na daga cikin dangin Asteraceae, sannan tsiro ne da yawanci ke girma a cikin yanayin zafi. Ta samo asali ne daga yankin Sub-Saharan Africa, amma yanzu ta bazu zuwa wasu sassa na duniya saboda amfanin ta ga kiwon lafiya. Ana samun tsiron shuwaka ne a cikin dazuka, gonaki, da ma cikin gidaje a matsayin magani ko kayan abinci.

Shuwaka tsiro ne mai ɗan tsawo, wanda zai iya kaiwa kimanin mita 2 zuwa 5. Tana da manyan ganye masu ɗaci, wanda shi ne babbar siffarta da ke bambanta ta da sauran tsirrai. Ganyenta kore ne mai ɗan duhu, da shi ne kuma ake amfani wajen dafa abinci da kuma magungunan gargajiya. Tushenta yana da zurfi a cikin ƙasa, yana kuma iya jure fari da yanayi mai zafi sosai, wannan ne ya sa shuwaka ke girma cikin sauƙi a gidajen mutane da gonaki. Furanninta kuma ƙanana ne masu launin fari ko rawaya. Duk da cewa ba su da amfani kai tsaye wajen magani, amma suna da muhimmanci sosai wajen samar da ‘ƴaƴan tsiron shuwakar.

Sinadaran da ke cikin shuwaka

Ganyen shuwaka ɗauke yake da muhimman sinadarai masu gina jiki da kuma phytochemicals (wato sinadaran dake cikin tsirrai, waɗanda ke ƙara lafiya da ƴaƙar cutuka). Sannan a cikinta a kwai manyan sinadarai masu gina jiki da suka haɗa da:

• Vitamins: A, C, E, B1, B2, B3.
• Minerals: Iron, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc.
• Fiber: Masu taimakawa wajen narkar da abinci. Sannan a cikin shuwaka akwai sinadarin protein
• Flavonoids: Sinadarai ne da ke aiki a matsayin antioxidants, suna kare ƙwayoyin halitta daga lalacewa. Sannan suna taimakawa wajen rage kumburi da hawan jini.
• Saponins: sinadaran da ke rage cholesterol (kitse), sannan suna ƙarfafa garkuwar jiki da yaƙi da cututtuka.
• Alkaloids: Sinadarai ne da ake amfani da su wurin haɗa wasu magunguna saboda ƙarfinsu. Kuma suna taimakawa wajen magance zazzaɓi.
• Tannins: Sinadari ne da ke da ƙarfin kashe ƙwayoyin cuta (antibacterial & antiviral), sannan suna taimakawa wajen kwantar da ciwon ciki, da kuma maganin gudawa.

Amfanin shuwaka a kiwon lafiya

A tsawon tarihi, likitocin gargajiya sun yi amfani da shuwaka wajen magance cututtuka da dama. A wannan zamanin ma binciken kimiyya ya tabbatar da amfaninta a fannin lafiya ga cututtuka irinsu:

• Zazzaɓin malaria: Shuwaka na ɗaya daga cikin ganyayyakin da ake amfani da su wajen magance zazzaɓin malaria, musamman saboda sesquiterpene lactones (Sinadaran dake a cikin tsirrai, waɗanda ake haɗa magungunan gargajiya da su.)
• Rage hawan jini: Ganyen shuwaka na taimakawa wajen sauƙaƙa hawan jini ta hanyar tsarkake jini, rage kitse da daidaita bugun zuciya.
• Sauƙaƙa ciwon sugar: Shuwaka na rage yawan glucose a jini, saboda tana ɗauke da sinadaran da rage glucose a jini (insulin). Masu nau’in ciwon sugar Type 2 na amfana sosai idan suna cin shuwaka muddin basu zarce ƙa’ida ba.
• Tsarkake hanta: A yawanci ana ɗaukar shuwaka a matsayin tsiron da ke: kawar da duk wata guba dake taruwa a hanta, tare da taimakawa wajen murmurewar hanta da ta gaji ko ta kamu da ciwo.
• Kula da narkewar abinci: Ruwan shuwaka na tsaftace hanji, rage kumburin ciki, maganin gudawa da kuma ciwon ciki.
• Kariya daga kansa: Flavonoids da antioxidants da ke cikin shuwaka suna rage taruwar ƙwayoyin da ke haddasa cancer, musamman na nono, prostate, da hanji. Amma ba magani ba ne kai tsaye, sai dai tana da rawar takawa wuri bayar da kariya ga cutar Cancer (preventive role).
• Kula da fata: Ana amfani da ruwan shuwaka wajen warkar da kuraje, rage kaikayi, warkar da rauni, da kuma tsaftace fata.

Rage nauyi: Shuwaka na rage nauyi saboda ɗacinta da kuma ikon ta na rage cholesterol, shuwaka na tallafa wa masu neman rage nauyi ta hanyar: kara narkewar abinci, hana yawaitar kitse.

Amfanin shuwaka a girke-girke

Duk da ɗacin ta, shuwaka na daga cikin muhimman ganyayyakin da ake amfani da su a cikin girki a Afirka. Ana amfani da ita wajen yin miyan shuwaka, wanda ya shahara a wajen mutanen Igbo da Hausawa, ta hanyar wanketa sosai har sai ɗacin ya lafa, yawanci ana haɗa shuwaka da man gyada, kifi, wake, ko nama, domin ƙara mata armashi a baki.

Amfanin shuwaka a tsohuwar al’ada

• A wasu al’adu, shuwaka na da amfani sosai fiye da abinci ko magani. Wasu yankunan suna amfani da ita wurin tsarkake jiki da ɗaki. Wasu kuma na shafa ganyen shuwaka a gida don tsarkake muhalli, ko hana ƙwari.
• Sannan a can baya ana saka shuwaka a cikin kayan haihuwa. Mata masu juna biyu ko masu haihuwa ana ba su ruwan shuwaka domin sauƙaƙa zafin ciki da kuma tsarkake mahaifa bayan haihuwa. Masu wasannin gargajiya da masu noma suna shan shuwaka don ƙara ƙarfi da da inganta lafiyar numfashi.

Illolin da ke tattare shuwaka

Duk da yawan amfanin shuwaka take da su, toh kuma tana da illolin da ka iya afkuwa idan ba a yi amfani da ita yadda ya kamata ba. Daga cikin illolinta a kwai:

• Ɗacinta: kamar yadda kowa ya sani shuwaka na da ɗaci, kuma cin kowane nau’i na ɗaci ba bisa ƙa’ida na iya haddasa ciwon anta, ciwon ciki, amai, tare da ƙananan matsalolin narkewar abinci.
• Zubewar ciki: Kaɗan daga cikin Illolinta ga mai ciki shi ne za ta iya haifar da zubewar ciki, inda wasu sinadaran da ke cikin shuwaka kamar sesquiterpene lactones na iya sa mahaifa ta yi ƙarfi ko motsi fiye da ƙima, wanda zai iya zama haɗari ga jariri, musamman a farkon watanni 1 zuwa3
• Sannan yawan amfani da shuwaka ga mai juna biyu zai iya rage yawan sinadarin folic acid a jiki. Folic acid kuma yana da matuƙar muhimmanci ga cigaban kwakwalwar jariri.
• Ta wani bangaren ma shan ruwan shuwaka na iya sauya daidaiton hormones. Hakan kuma na iya haifar da matsaloli a cigaban ciki, ko kuma tsawon lokaci kafin daukar ciki.
• Wasu matan masu ciki kuma, shan ruwan dafaffiyar shuwaka na iya kawo musu zafin ciki ko tashin zuciya.
• Haka kuma masu shan maganin diabetes ko hypertension su kula domin shuwaka ma na da irin nata tasirin wurin dakushe kaifin wasu magungunan.

Manazarta

G, O., & G, L. (2013). Heavy Metal Content in Bitter Leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) Grown Along Heavy Traffic Routes in Port Harcourt. InTech eBooks.

Iwalokun, B., Efedede, B., Alabi-Sofunde, J., Oduala, T., Magbagbeola, O., & Akinwande, A. (2006). Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Activities ofVernonia amygdalinaon Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatic Damage in Mice. Journal of Medicinal Food, 9(4), 524–530.

Degu, S., Meresa, A., Animaw, Z., Jegnie, M., Asfaw, A., & Tegegn, G. (2024). Vernonia amygdalina: a comprehensive review of the nutritional makeup, traditional medicinal use, and pharmacology of isolated phytochemicals and compounds. Frontiers in Natural Products, 3.

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