According to Traditional Eastern Medicine, sweet leaf (rau ngót) has a cooling nature and a sweet taste, with effects such as clearing heat, detoxifying, nourishing the blood, and promoting bowel movements. Its high plant-protein content makes it recommended as a substitute for animal protein.

1. Characteristics of sweet leaf

Sweet leaf is a popular, common vegetable in Vietnamese meals. It is easy to grow, hardy, and propagated from cuttings, thriving almost anywhere. Therefore, it is often planted in home gardens, around ponds, along fences, or by pathways to make use of available land.

Sweet leaf grows quickly and is especially resistant to pests, eliminating the need for pesticides. This makes it a very safe and healthy vegetable to eat. People often use sweet leaf leaves to cook soup with pork, bones, shrimp, or clams, creating delicious and nutritious family meals while also helping to cool the body in summer. Those with cold body types should avoid it, or add a few slices of ginger when cooking.

2. Nutritional composition of sweet leaf

Sweet leaf is safe, healthy, and highly nutritious.

Nutritional value per 100 g of sweet leaf:

Sweet leaf is rich in nutrients and particularly beneficial for postpartum women, as it helps expel residual fluids from the uterus. It is also a valuable source of fiber, aiding digestion, preventing constipation, and reducing the risk of atherosclerosis.

Although fresh vegetables generally have low protein content, some—such as sweet leaf—are notable exceptions, containing up to 5.3 g protein per 100 g.

Vitamins: Vitamin C 185 mg and Vitamin A 6,650 µg.

Sweet leaf contains much higher levels of Vitamin A and Vitamin C compared to grapefruit, lemon, or orange. These vitamins are essential for collagen production, fat transport, cholesterol regulation, and immune function. Vitamin C also plays a key role in wound healing, slowing aging, and improving brain function, while Vitamin A is vital for growth, vision, infection resistance, and healthy skin.

Note: Vitamin C is lost when the leaves are bruised, so it is best to use fresh leaves and eat immediately after cooking to preserve their nutritional value.

In Traditional Eastern Medicine, sweet leaf leaves have a cooling nature and, aside from clearing heat and detoxifying, they also promote urination, stimulate saliva production, nourish and stop bleeding, support bowel movement, have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, and promote tissue regeneration. The roots are slightly bitter. Both the leaves and roots have medicinal properties: leaves can treat measles rash, cough, pneumonia, high fever, painful urination, and detoxification; roots can promote urination and improve blood circulation.

3. Other medicinal uses of sweet leaf

• Helps cleanse postpartum discharge for new mothers.

• Treats oral thrush in children: infants may develop thrush due to milk residue or fungal infection, causing pain and difficulty sucking.

• Treats retained placenta after childbirth or abortion, preventing infection.

• Aids recovery after delivery.

• Relieves bone pain: sweet leaf cooked with pork bones, eaten several times a day, can be effective.

• Stops nosebleeds.

• Detoxifies alcohol.

• Treats melasma.

Caution for pregnant women: Sweet leaf contains a certain amount of papaverine, a compound that can cause smooth muscle contractions in the uterus, potentially leading to miscarriage. Therefore, pregnant women should limit sweet leaf consumption to avoid unwanted risks.

Sweet leaf is both a nutritious daily food and a medicinal herb with cooling, detoxifying, and healing properties, making it a valuable ingredient to include in family meals.