When talking about citrus family the list could be quite long and even some names are not familiar in most part of this world. One example of citrus family that is not really famous but has a lot of benefits to human health is calamansi. The size of calamansi which is small is not equal to its benefits which are a lot. However, do you know that it is not only the fruit which is beneficial to human health but also the leaves?

What is Calamansi?

Calamansi is well known worldwide as Calamondin x Citrofortunella which belongs to Rutaceae family. It means, calamansi is not in original family of citrus because it is actually the hybrid of citrus and kumquat. That’s why the orange variety of calamansi is so similar to kumquat but with stronger taste which is more acid. Calamansi is so popular in Asia especially Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.

The fruit is edible but the strong acid taste doesn’t make this fruit popular compared to other types of citrus. However, many Asians love to consume it as beverages and additions to their food to add more acid taste. In some ways, calamansi is also widely used as replacement to vinegar by Asian people, especially when they are cooking fish to wipe away the unpleasant odor while the leaves are used as addition to the foods ingredients like chips and fish soup.

When it comes to the benefit of calamansi fruit, the list could be quite long and now you could find more about the benefits of its leaves for your health as well as for your daily life. If you don’t like consuming the fruits which are very acid but the leaves could provide you so much favor. Not only the fruits that are beneficial to your health, calamansi leaves are also packed with certain properties that are beneficial to human health as well. Thus, here are the health benefits of calamansi leaves

1. Calamansi Leaves Contain Antibacterial Properties

One of the reasons why you should grow calamansi tree in your home yard is because of its leaves which has a lot of benefits. One of them are calamansi leaves contain antibacterial properties. That’s why calamansi tree has been cultivated since ancient time in Asia because it is one of their secret of medication.

2. Calamansi Leaves Have Antifungal Activity

Many studies have proven that calamansi leaves have antifungal activity. Since ancient time, calamansi leaves have been used as herbal medicines to treat diseases caused by fungi especially on skin. However, you have to really careful in applying the calamansi leaves to the open wound due to the exposure of chemical compound during the cultivating process that could be harmful.

3. Calamansi Leaves to Relieve the Itching from Insect Bites

The hardest part of dealing with the insect bites is the itchy feeling that is hard to avoid. If you’re not careful, in order to deal with the itchy, you hurt your skin instead. Though the itchy feeling could relieve by itself but it takes time. Rubbing the itchy area with calamansi leaves will accelerate the relieving process. However, it cannot be applied to those who are allergic to essential oil because calamansi leaves are only making the condition worse.

4. The Oil of Calamansi Leaves Could Act as Carminative

Do you familiar with the term carminative? Well, it is actually one of the herbs from the mixtures of essential oil and herbal spices used to deal with flatulence or digestive flatulence, a condition when the gases are generated inside the intestine and stomach. If you are suffering from that condition, the oil extracted from calamansi leaves are proven to be effective to deal with the condition and act as carminative.

5. The Oil of Calamansi Leaves Could be Used as Volatile Oil

Volatile oil, also well known as essential oil, is one of the oil used as mixtures in herbal medicines. Nowadays, herbal medicines are already part of modern medication because it’s considered as alternative solution. When someone are unconscious due to some factors, as immediate responses to bring her/his back, people will put something strong by their nose, the calamansi leaves are likely to be effective due to its strong smell.

6. Calamansi Leaves Are the Alternative to Deodorant

You got problem with your body smell but you cannot use the deodorant widely sold in the marketplaces because of allergic reaction. Well, don’t worry too much because calamansi leaves could be used as alternative to deodorant. Just rubbing some of the leaves to your armpit and you are ready to go. Yes, it is as easy as that. Now, you have one more reasons why you should grow the calamansi tree in your backyard.

Daily Uses of Calamansi Leaves

Well, it is not only for your health but below is the list of health benefits of calamsi leaves you could get from calamansi leaves for your daily life.

7. Calamansi Leaves for Home Aromatherapy

Calamansi leaves could be used as home aromatherapy as well especially for you who are looking for a natural fragrance to your home. What you need to do is just tearing some calamansi leaves and then combined them with crushed lemongrass and dried pandan leaves. Put them in a bowl and place them in one of the corner in your house. It will be a great aromatherapy for your home.

8. Calamansi Leaves to Wipe Odor from Fish

Not only the calamansi fruit that could wipe odor from fish, the calamansi leaves could do the job as well. The calamansi fruits are well known to be effective in wiping the fish’s odor by using the juice to wash the fish before it is cooked. Fish soup with sour soup is one of the Asian’s favorite culinary, to make sure there is no trace of odor left in the soup, you could add the calamansi leaves to the soup.

9. Calamansi Leaves as Food Ingredients

It is very common for Asian people to add calamansi leaves to their soup because it’s already becoming one of the important ingredients in Asian’s culinary. One of the famous chips in Asia called rempeyek. It is a kind of chip made from flour that is fried with salted small fish or peanuts and the unique taste is actually coming from the chops of calamansi leaves.

10. Calamansi Leaves to Wipe Smelly Hands

You touch something smelly and don’t have access to water and fragranced soap but you are standing next to a calamansi tree. Well, don’t hesitate just take some calamansi leaves and rub your hand with the leaves to wipe the smell.

11. Calamansi Leaves Could be Used as Cleanser

The calamansi leaves are also having similar function as the calamansi fruit; it can be used as cleaners. The oil extracted from the calamanis leaves are effective to remove stains caused by oil or whatever that might cause stains in your kitchen porcelain. If you don’t get rid of them immediately, those stains will turn into something ugly and crust that are harder to be removed. Now, with calamansi leaves you could say good bye to dirty kitchen for good.

12. Calamansi Leaves Used as Insecticides

Many farmers have been used the pulp of calamansi leaves as alternative to chemical insecticides. It has been proven to be effective in eliminating fire ant and other insects that could be harmful for plants. It is totally an alternative solution you should aware of because it is natural and not harmful at all for the environment. Though further studies are strongly required to find out about what kind of insects that are affected by calamansi leaves.

Those 12 benefits of calamansi leaves are enough reasons for you to start cultivating or at least planting the calamansi tree in your home backyard. Not only the fruits are solution to fresh beverages but the leaves are giving you a lot of benefits as well, not only for your health but also for your daily life.

Cautions of Calamansi Leaves

The benefits are not the only thing you should know about calamansi leaves but also some cautions you should aware of as well. Calamansi leaves are probably great to your health as well as your daily life but sometimes the way it grows has significant contribution to your health just like the below list.

1. Growing calamansi tree is not easy because it is so vulnerable to pest. That’s why the easiest solution is by spraying the tree with pesticide. The leaves are the most vulnerable part to the pest so they will be exposed to pesticide in large dosage. In other words, you should make sure to wash them throughout to eliminate all the traces of the dangerous chemical compounds from the pesticide.
2. If you want to add calamansi leaves to your food for its strong aromatic smell, don’t add it too much because aside from the aromatic smell, the taste of the leaves is really bitter. So, just add it wisely.
3. Though calamansi leaves are containing some antibacterial and antifungal properties and widely used to eliminate the itchy from the insect bites but the direct contact with skin could trigger the allergic reaction to those who are allergic to essential oil.

The main benefit of calamansi leaves you could get is its strong aromatic but the oil extracted from the leaves is also great for human health and could be used as essential or volatile oil. To avoid all the cautions of calamansi leaves as mentioned above is the main reason why you should grow your own calamansi trees.