Sorrel is a slender herbaceous perennial plant in the family Polygonaceae.  

The herb is known for its sour or bitter taste due to the presence of oxalic acid.  

There are several species of sorrel, two of which possess powerful medicinal properties – common or garden sorrel (Rumex acetosa) and sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella).

As children many people used to wander lawns and meadows picking and chewing sorrel leaves. However, this plant offers so much more than a casual snack.

During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, sorrel was considered a miraculous remedy for infections, fever, poisoning and scurvy.

The high content of oxalic acid in sorrel makes it poisonous to a small degree, so its intake should be regulated. In smaller quantities sorrel is completely harmless.

The oxalic acid is also responsible for the tart, tangy taste that is reminiscent of wild strawberries and kiwi.

Sorrel contains impressive amounts of fiber, very few calories, almost no fat and a small amount of protein.

It is rich in vitamins C, A and B6 as well as minerals such as iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium. 

It is also high in polyphenolic acids, flavonoids and anthocyanins.

This herb has been valued for its powerful medicinal properties since ancient times. It has been employed for centuries as an effective folk remedy for various diseases.

Digestive health

Due to its high content of dietary fiber, adding sorrel to your diet may significantly improve your digestive health.

Dietary fibers stimulate the digestive system, improve your gastrointestinal health and reduce conditions such as constipation, diarrhea, bloating, cramping as well as some more severe gastrointestinal issues.

In folk medicine it has been used as a remedy against food poisoning and various gastrointestinal infections.

Blood pressure

One cup of sorrel contains 15 per cent of your daily recommended potassium intake.

Potassium is crucial in regulating and maintaining fluid balance in the body, relaxing the blood vessels and arteries. 

Sorrel's rich dietary fiber content may also help reduce total cholesterol in the body, as well as significantly decrease chances of atherosclerosis and more severe conditions such as heart attacks or strokes.

Sorrel's helps lower blood pressure, which in turn reduces the chances of clotting and excessive strain on the heart that can lead to coronary heart disease and other complications.

Skin health

Sorrel acts as an excellent blood purifier, supports the circulatory system and assists in promoting the overall health of the skin. 

These powerful medicinal properties are likely due to the vitamin C and vitamin A content found in the herb.

Dried sorrel leaves are used for the treatment of ringworm and itchy skin.

The juice extracted from the fresh sorrel leaves can be applied topically to the affected area to reduce rashes and irritation.

Cancer prevention

Although studies on the antioxidant properties of sorrel are still underway, there is sufficient evidence that sorrel contains polyphenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins, compounds that function as antioxidants in the human body.

They may effectively block or suppress cancerous changes in the body. The oxalic acid contained in sorrel also possesses powerful anticancer and antitumor properties.

The abundance of antioxidants that sorrel contains provides many health benefits, cancer prevention being their most high-profile medicinal property.

Sorrel's rutins and polysaccharides also act to prevent tumors and other cancerous growths.

The beta-carotene contained in sorrel also acts as an antioxidant, increasing the production of cancer-killing T-cells.

The chlorophyll in sorrel purifies the liver, promotes tissue regeneration, decreases swelling of the pancreas, cleanses the blood and increases resistance to x-rays.

Sorrel has also been used to treat the side effects of chemotherapy.

A poultice made from sorrel has been shown to have a drawing effect on reducing cysts and tumor cells, whereas the plant itself has been recognized as an excellent anticancer agent that effectively breaks down and reduces tumor growths.

Perhaps it would be most appropriate to quote Rene Caisse, a Canadian nurse who popularized Essiac tea as a cancer remedy:

The herb that will destroy a cancer is the dog-eared sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella), sometimes called sourgrass. The entire plant must be used and should be harvested in the spring  before the flowers form.'' 

(April 4, 1974 letter to Dr.Chester Stock)

Other sorrel health benefits

• purifies the blood
• strengthens and stimulates the immune system
• boosts blood circulation
• protects against diabetes
• improves and supports bowel and kidney function
• helps treat respiratory infections

Sorrel's habitat and harvest

Sorrel is a common plant in grassland habitats. It grows on lawns, in meadows, fields and pastures as well as in open woods.

Sorrel has a tall, slender and reddish stem that may reach 50 centimetres in height. Its small, arrow-shaped leaves grow up to 3 centimentres in length.

Sorrel flowers from March to November, when yellowish-green (male) or reddish (female) flowers develop on separate plants, at the apex of the stem, and later turn into small round balls of red fruits.

All parts of sorrel are used medicinally (leaves, flowers, roots and stems).

The leaves and stems are harvested in the spring or summer, before the flowers form. The roots are harvested in the fall.

Best tips for using sorrel

Small quantities of the leaves of sorrel may be eaten in salads or boiled as a green vegetable.

Dried sorrel leaves are generally ten times stronger than the fresh leaves.

They should be put to soak 12-16 hours before cooking.

Traditional sorrel recipes

Sorrel leaf tea

Sorrel tea is a natural cure for fever, inflammation and scurvy.

Sorrel leaves and roots may also be employed to treat skin ailments and cleanse, clear and care for impure and acne-prone skin.

Prepare sorrel leaf tea by boiling 20 grams of dried sorrel leaves (or 40 grams of sorrel roots for skin tonic) in 1 liter of water.

Let it sit for 10 minutes, then strain. Consume two cups per day, in the morning and at night before bedtime.

Sorrel decoction

Place a handful of fresh sorrel leaves in a tea pot and boil for 15 minutes. Strain and drink one cup per day.

Sorrel leaf compress for skin conditions

Sorrel leaves used as cold compresses may help relieve and reduce itching, swelling, eczema, acne and other skin conditions.

Prepare your own sorrel compress by boiling two handfuls of sorrel leaves in a liter of water for 15 minutes. Strain. 

Moisten a clean cloth with liquid and place it over the affected area of the skin.

Essiac tea (Cancer-fighting herbal tea)

Essiac is an herbal mixture promoted as an alternative treatment for cancer and other illnesses. 

It was popularized by a Canadian nurse Rene Caisse and inspired by a native American herbal formula.

Essiac is a combination of several therapeutic herbs that possess strong anticancer properties and aid the detox process. 

Ingredients:

• 6,5 cups of burdock root, cut (Latin Articum lapa)
• 453 g whole sheep sorrel herb, including the root, powdered (Latin Rumex acetosella)
• 113 g slippery elm, powdered (Latin Ulmus fulva)
• 28 g Turkey rhubarb, powdered (Latin Rheum officinale)

Directions:

Mix 28 grams of herbal blend with 9 decilitres of spring water. 

Boil the mixture hard for 10 minutes in a covered pot. Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered, on a warming plate, overnight. 

The next morning reheat the mixture so that it warms up but doesn't reach the boiling point again. 

Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to settle for a few minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer into hot sterilized bottles.

Allow the tea to cool and then refrigerate.

After you have used up all of the prepared tea, pour the rest of the liquid into another bowl and leave in the fridge overnight. The next morning pour off all you can without sediment.

For natural cancer treatment, one should consume 30 ml of Essiac tea per day, diluted with 60 ml of hot water. This should be sipped every night before bedtime on an empty stomach.

This herbal tea should be taken for 4 weeks, with resting intervals of one week off. You may take Essiac at this dosage level for up to two years.

Specific Essiac tea dosage - recommendations can be found in the article below.

When preparing Essiac tea, do not use any aluminium utensils nor chlorinated water.

If you are buying the herbs yourself, make sure to choose certified organic herbs. It would be best to use homegrown herbs.

Note

Sorrel is also available in tincture, capsule or tea form.

Due to its high oxalic acid content, this herb is generally not recommended for those suffering from kidney disease, kidney stones or rheumatoid arthritis.

When cooking sorrel, try to avoid metal cookware, as it will interact with the oxalic acid and cause the herb to take on an unpleasant smell and taste.

 

 

Sources referred to in the article include:
[url=http://www.healthfreedom.info/]http://www.healthfreedom.info/[/url]
[url=https://www.organicfacts.net/]https://www.organicfacts.net/[/url]
"Moj herbar zdravlja" – Maurice Messegue 

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