Moringa is a fast-growing tree found in tropical regions with its botanical name is Moringa Oleifera. Let us explore the vast array of moringa health benefits and its various uses.
Many cultures call it the miracle tree, or cure-all tree, the tree of life, and the tree of immortality.
The great thing about Moringa is it can be consumed in various ways like cooking and juicing the seeds, turning its leaves into a powder which can then be added to drinks like coffee and tea, smoothies, and on a wide variety of dishes.
Almost every part of the tree is usable from roots, bark, leaves, flowers, fruits, and even the seeds. Plus, the oil of the moringa seeds can be extracted, which is known as ben oil perfect for topical applications and cooking purposes.
People of different cultures call it a miracle or tree of life is probably due to its diverse uses, from food to medicine. And, presumably, why it’s also called the tree of immortality because it easy to grow.
While most plants require seeds to grow, moringa grows either from seeds or cutting. Planting and growing a moringa tree is very straightforward. Simply cut a branch or stem and stick it on the ground suitable for planting. In just a matter of days, you’ll see it starting to produce new leaves.
Moringa plant is resilient and can survive a long period of drought. I can still remember when I was little, a drought occurred, and almost all the neighboring plants of our moringa trees are already dried up.
In fact, when the rain came, the only plant that quickly sprouted from the ground was moringa. In a matter of days, it was clear it has grown and ready for consumption.
Other Names Of Moringa Known For
Moringa is also known by different names depending on cultures, and here are the names in which is known for;
|Arbol de las Perlas||Jacinto||Paraiso Blanco|
|Behen||Kelor Tree||Perla de la India|
|Ben Ailé||Malunggay||Pois Quénique|
|Ben Nut Tree||Murango||Sahina|
|Canéficier de l’Inde||Moringa pterygosperma||Sajna|
|Chinto Borrego||Moringe de Ceylan||San Jacinto|
|Clarifier Tree||Malungay||Shagara al Rauwaq|
Rich Nutritional Contents
According to the USDA nutrition report, Moringa has the following nutritional benefits, but first, a quick overview of its nutritional benefits that are well-known if you do quick research on it online.
The Asian Pacific Organization for Cancer Prevention found based on their review (also published at PubMed) that Moringa Oleifera is different from most vegetables as it does not lose or degrade its nutritional contents during cooking.
Moringa, whether it be fresh, cooked, or even stored as dried and powdered, does not lose its nutritional value. Moringa, when powdered, the better as it can last for months without refrigeration while retaining its nutrients.
They also specify that every 100 grams of dried moringa leaves contain the following nutritional benefits compared to others;
|17x the Calcium of Milk||10x the Vitamin A of Carrots|
|25x the Iron of Spinach||12x the Vitamin C of Oranges|
|15x the Potassium of Bananas||4x the protein of Eggs|
|9x the Proteins of Yogurt|
Moringa Health Benefits
Moringa oleifera is a highly nutritious tree from roots to its flowers and seeds. The most commonly used for daily consumption is its leaves as vegetables, which can be prepared in many ways such as sun or air drying it and turning it into a powder.
Cooking fresh moringa leaves is best done as a soup. As a food, it is rich in amino acids, various phenolics, vitamins, protein, and beta carotene.
In medicinal applications, moringa stands out as an anti-inflammatory, diuretic, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antibacterial, and antifungal. It is also useful as a circulatory and cardiac stimulant. Some indigenous people living off-grid have been using moringa as treatments for various ailments as an option to modern therapies that are out of reach.
Numerous cultures across the globe have long been using moringa as a medicinal herb for treating ailments like inflammation, fevers, gout, and even dog bites using young moringa leaves and/or roots.
Moringa tree is truly a tree of life. It contains a high amount of protein, including all eight essential amino acids, a variety of vitamins and minerals, phytonutrients in large amounts, and over 46 potent disease-fighting antioxidants. Many countries in Africa and Asia are using moringa to combat malnutrition.
Rich in Amino Acids
Moringa leaves contain 18 amino acids, in which 8 of them are the essential amino acids. It makes the moringa a plant with complete protein, which is very rare in plants.
For vegetarians, moringa is an excellent source of protein, and it can be prepared in various ways, including juicing, cooking, and even dried or powdered. Vegans who are worried about protein source, moringa is your answer.
Rich In Calcium and Magnesium
Moringa is also rich in both calcium and magnesium. A serving of moringa leaves provides approximately 125% calcium and 61% of magnesium, both based on RDI(recommended daily intake).
Turning Moringa Leaves Into Powder
There are two approaches for drying up the moringa leaves; sundry and air dry. Sun-drying may be preferable for people in regions where sunlight is abundant. But many will not do sun-drying as it may degrade moringa’s nutritional contents due to heat.
Below is a video showing the air-drying approach for moringa leaves, which after the leaves are dried, it needs to be heated for 2 to 3 minutes medium heat to make the leaves brittle and easy to make it into powder.
With sun drying, after sun-drying and while it is still brittle, the dried moringa leaves are then grind using a typical blender. The crispier the leaves, the quicker the process of powdering it in the blender or grinder.
Uses Of Moringa Powdered Leaves
When the leaves are dried and powdered, it can last up to 6 months in storage. Ideal storage should be in an airtight jar and store it just as you would store typical spices like pepper, cinnamon, etc. The moringa powdered leaves have a wide variety of uses, including flavoring in dishes, tea, oral supplementation, and skin nourishment.
When used on dishes, sprinkle a teaspoon of moringa powder on any recipe you want. However, to retain most of its nutrients, but the moringa powder when the food is fully cooked just before serving.
Tea is another application of moringa powdered leaves. Take two teaspoons of moringa powdered leaves into a cup and add hot water. You can either drink it all or filter it.
Turning moringa powdered leaves appear like those commercially available, put them in empty teabags. These teabags may be available at stores near you or buy it online at Amazon.
Another popular application of moringa powdered leaves is oral supplementation. Instead of buying supplements, you can take moringa powder daily as a supplement. Orally ingesting a teaspoon of it is an effective daily dosage.
Or, if you want to make it more professional, you can put the powder in empty gelatin capsules. These empty capsules can be obtained mostly from medical or drug stores or order it online at Amazon.
Powdered moringa leaves are also excellent for skin nourishment due to trace mineral content. These days, the cosmetic industry is beginning to include moringa extracts in various products like skincare products, including creams and lotions. These topical applications target the skin and allow the nutrients to be absorbed for skin rejuvenation.
There are plenty of options to use moringa, especially when it’s dried and powdered. Now, what if you don’t have access to moringa leaves and want to take it on regular?
But first, make sure you conclude you can’t find fresh moringa and consume it as vegetables, check local farm markets in your area and ask for it. Most of the time, asking one person can lead you to another, and another, until you’ll end up with someone selling or best giving it to you for free.
If you did all you can but still couldn’t find moringa in your area, there are moringa supplementation available, particularly those sold at Amazon.com.
However, before buying moringa pills, make sure to read its description and reviews from other users who have tried it. With that in mind, here are some of the top-selling moringa pills at Amazon.com;
More Published Studies On Moringa Oleifera
- Effect of Supplementation of Drumstick (Moringa Oleifera) and Amaranth (Amaranthus Tricolor) Leaves Powder on Lipid Profile in Postmenopausal Women
- Better water purification with seeds from moringa trees
- Review of the Safety and Efficacy of Moringaoleifera
- Chemical characteristics and fractionation of proteins from Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves
- Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of Moringa oleifera leaves in two stages of maturity
- More research for moringa olefeira available at PubMed.Gov
Moringa has been a part of nutrition for many cultures around the world. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen it as popular as kale, especially online.
Popular online magazines are not even covering moringa, or perhaps they do, but it’s rare. Fortunately, I was one of the lucky people who grew up in a suburban with first-hand experience about moringa’s potency, whether it be as food or medicine.
Everyone in the family eats moringa, especially mothers who are breastfeeding, and I’m proud to be one of those who has been breastfed from a mother who maintains a natural diet with whole foods.
For those who are ignoring moringa, now is the time to make it a part of your diet. Moringa leaves are very easy to cook and can be a part of many dishes, especially those dishes prepared with coconut milk. I’m juicing it, and we put some on our drinks and smoothies like avocado. The green color is so refreshing and relaxing to drink, especially when sprinkled with moringa.
Regular consumption of moringa oleifera leaves, either fresh or dried, has been linked to improved mood and digestion, boost the immune system, lower blood pressure. Since it also contains high dietary fibers, low fat, and calories, it’s perfect for people who are trying to lose weight, as well.