Camote Tops Tea/Juice Recipe and its Medicinal Qualities

My batchmates and I were led to the dining area for some refreshments.  Then, we noticed that the juice was pinkish in color.  One of my batchmates asked one of the Sisters what it was and the Sister said it was camote tops/talbos ng camote iced tea with calamansi.  We tried it and we asked for more!  It was good!

That was many years ago when I was still in college and was investigating the life of the Carmelites.  Yes, it was in the Carmelite house that I learned about camote tops being made into tea.  Why I did not become a Carmelite is another story. :)

Trivia:  Do you know that this is the only plant that is very rich in iodine, high in calories and Vitamin A?

 This is how to make it:

1. Wash the camote tops (talbos ng camote) with water and vegetable and fruit liquid cleanser like that of Pigeon's cleanser for baby bottles and toys.  (It's made of 100% food grade or edible ingredients and removes pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables.)

2. Boil water in a pot.

3. Once the water is boiling, put the camote tops (leaves only) and let them boil for at least 5 minutes.

4. Steep some more for 5 minutes.

5. Remove the leaves (or talbos) using a strainer and set aside.  You can make these leaves into a salad.  It's delicious too!

6. Pour on glasses (or cups if you want hot tea).

7. Squeeze 1-2 calamansi to get the juice and mix into the tea.  You can add some more if you want it to have a stronger calamansi flavor.

8. Add a teaspoon (or more if you have a sweet tooth) of honey and mix.

9.  Add some ice cubes for a refreshing and nutritious iced tea!

Now, while you're enjoying your glass/cup of camote tops tea, let share some of its medicinal qualities.

• It's a remedy for constipation or aids in regular bowel movement.
• It's a remedy for stomach distress like those cause by indigestion.
• It helps maintain thyroid hormones that prevents the thyroid from getting big.
• It helps lower blood sugar and cholesterol of patients with type 2 diabetes.

According to Wiki.answers.com:

 Sweet potato tops are excellent sources of antioxidative compounds, mainly polyphenolics, which may protect the human body from oxidative stress that is associated with many diseases including cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

 Sweet potato greens have the highest content of total polyphenolics among other commercial vegetables studied.

 Sweet potatoes contain protein, dietary fiber, lipid, and essential minerals and nutrients such as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfur, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, aluminum and boron.

 Sweet potatoes are also important sources of vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and ascorbic acid.

In recent years, it has been reported as well that this tea can help Dengue patients recover.  Read more about this on an article here.

Below is the nutritional value that every 100g of camote tops contain as taken from First Vita Plus website :

• 30 calcium
• 24 magnesium
• 373 potassium
• 13 sodium
• 49 phosphorus
• 85 chlorine
• 26 sulphur
• 0.8 mg/kg iodine
• traces of manganese, copper and zinc

Were you surprised that this cheap vegetable can be this nutritious?  In fact, some people plant this in their backyards and just harvest them when they want to have them for salad or tea.