Moringa hits all the points in the checklist of marketability. Highly nutritious, and easy to source, eaten by enough people so we can conclude on its safety, and its got attractive names to market itself. Welcome to Moringa.Works – a website dedicated to the Moringa tree and maintained by O. M. Jonathan. Continue reading…
The Tree of Life! The Miracle Tree!
I bet that you’ve got all the goosebumps right on your body and chills down your spine when you hear something like this, but hold your wallet just yet.
There’s a reason to be skeptical though.
How many times did you read something like this, buy it, try it and it was left behind on your high shelf or in the trash?
So, right now, you must be asking yourself; is it worth it? What is Moringa, and why is it so appealing?
Does it hold any promise for us in the modern world, or is it destined to be just another food product?
“ Although very few people have heard of it by now, Moringa could soon become one of the most valuable plants in the world, at least from humanitarian reasons. “
— Nil Vitmayer, National USA academy of science
“ In addition to providing other essential micronutrients, Moringa oleifera is the most abundant source of Beta-Carotene (vitamin A). Even more than most green vegetables.”
— DR. Kamala Krishnaswamy, National Institute of Nutrition, India
“ Moringa promises very much as a means to overcome one of the most severe problems of the developing world – malnutrition, land degradation, contaminated water, and poverty. This tree works best in dry regions where these problems are the worst.”
— Andrew Young, USA ambassador
So, how about you? What is your opinion on this plant?
You are here to find out?!
Ok, that’s fair. Keep reading.
What is Moringa oleifera?
Moringa tree OR the ‘drumstick tree’ is one of the most amazing plants you could ever meet. This could sound sensational, but Moringa’s nutritional and medicinal properties have the potential to end malnutrition, dying of hunger, prevent and cure many diseases around the world.
The Moringa itself is made up of 13 subspecies. The most common subspecies is Moringa oleifera.
It has been found in many tropical and subtropical regions in harshest climatic elements where hardly anything else would grow. Actually, one of Moringa’s nicknames is “Undying” because of its
incredible ability to survive severe weather and even drought.
All parts of the Moringa tree are edible
Imagine that!
The most miraculous thing about Moringa is the number of nutrients, medicine chemicals, and compounds found in it.
The graphics below will give you a glance at some of the crucial nutrients that are found in this plant.
It is said that Moringa contains 539 known compounds, and therefore, according to traditional African and Indian medicine (Ayurveda), it’s considered to be the cure for more than 300 diseases.
As you can see in the drawing above, not only does Moringa contain vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, Potassium, Iron, and Proteins, It contains them in a high amount which the human body can quickly burn and assimilate. Furthermore, it follows with not one, nor two, nor three but over 40 anti-oxidants.
Take that oxidative stress!
But first let’s see what the science and lab are saying;
All values refer to 100 grams of edible part.
Just by looking at this wealth that is found in a number of different vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, as well as the high concentration of many other nutrients it’s easy to understand why it’s said that Moringa can prevent over 300 illnesses.
Although it’s called a miracle tree, some could say that Moringa is a weird plant at least.
Firstly, it contains isothiocyanate molecules. These nutrients are a group found only in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli that underlie their unique benefits against cancer and toxins, but Moringa oleifera is not a cruciferous vegetable. It’s just weird that it includes them. What is most interesting about this plant is that each part is edible. Seeds, fruits, flowers, and roots are edible and due to their unique taste are very often used in desserts in South India.
Moringa seed benefits
Moringa seeds are consumed in a wide variety of ways, and they can be boiled, steamed, or roasted and served as snacks.
The seeds are an excellent alternative for high sugary nutrients too. Moreover, people use them for their high boost of vitamin-C, proteins, and potassium.
Also, Moringa seeds are a surefire way to lower the sugar level in the blood, thus protecting you from developing other long-term complications associated with diabetes like cardiac and renal failure.
Besides that, Moringa seeds act as a stimulant for the cardio system,( contain 75% of oleic acid), which aids in the creation of a protective layer around the cardiac nerves.
Many developing countries are facing illnesses, and high mortality among children which are caused by bacteria, in water. Moringa seeds are an easy and affordable way to purify polluted water. The seeds remove bacteria, algae, and dirt and leave it safe for drinking.
Moringa flower benefits
The bloom of this Miracle tree varies depending on the climate where Moringa is growing. One of the most common uses is to boil the fresh flowers in water for 5 minutes to make a medicinal tea.
Moringa tea has a very distinctive flavor and is used in villages in Haiti as a cold remedy. However, some people are saying that the best way is not to boil Moringa flower at all. The alternative method is to press collected flowers and gather its natural juice.
This unprocessed juice is used to treat urinary infections and release excess water from your body. But again there are those who eat them raw in a salad.
Moringa leaves benefits
So, the research has shown that the majority of benefits comes from the leaves of the Moringa plant because the most nutrients are found in small leaves.
The leaves are known to have one of the highest antioxidant potentials to help you with keeping your health in top notch condition.
Some of the antioxidant compound that has been found in the leaves of Moringa besides of Vitamin C and beta-carotene is quercetin which works anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, anti-rheumatic, antiviral and anti-cancer, and its positive effects on fight against diabetes and its consequences.
NOTE: Keep in mind that antioxidants will have the maximum effect on the damage caused by free radicals only when they are introduced with food in combination with nutrients.
Using leaves also encourages the normal function of the cardiovascular system and healthy blood sugar levels after a meal.
One study with a female control group showed that taking 1.5 teaspoons (8 grams) of grounded moringa leaf every day for three months had significantly increase of blood antioxidant levels.
(https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13197-012-0859-9)
Moringa root benefits
Moringa root was used by ancient Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians for its healing properties. They used it to protect their skin, to make incense or aromatic oils. Although it has higher nutrient quantities then seeds and leaves, its bark contains some alkaloids and phytochemical compounds that are toxic, so it’s best to use Moringa roots as a medicine.
If you buy fresh root and decide to use it as a food, please remove the bark from the roots first.
Moringa root is well-known for its antibiotic properties and based on that; it’s used to cope with a wide range of conditions and illnesses like asthma, circulatory/endocrine disorders, digestive disorders, gastritis, inflammation, rheumatism, nervous disorders, reproductive health, skin disorders.
Moringa oil
Moringa oil has a particular nutrient profile, dominated by vitamin C and B-family vitamins, as well as a high level of monounsaturated and some saturated fats. The most crucial ingredient is oleic acid (omega-9), of which more than 70% of this oil is composed.
Furthermore, there are significant amounts (5-10%) of behenic acid and docosanoic acid (saturated fat) which has a number of eminent effects on the body like skin care, liver care, lowering of the blood pressure, boosting immunity, and promoting good nights sleep.
In the end…
Now… The simplest and also the most challenging question is…
Is Moringa for you?
Knowing your body and its health condition is the first step.
Of course, certain supplements such as vitamins minerals, and antioxidants are welcome no matter the gender, age, and health goal. Simply put, they are necessary because we live in an unhealthy and stressful environment.
Obviously, this is an area in which we have a plethora of evidence – classical scientific, as well as extensive anecdotal evidence – that are extremely convincing. These are already present for over 50 years, but most of them are utterly unknown to western folks.
But now you know more.
Moringa Works 