Health experts have recently been baffled by the benefits of a tree known as moringa. You must know it already. It is referred to by many names, with the most common ones being malunggay and drumstick.
The leaves and fruits of the tree are commonly used as part of South Indian cuisine because of their special taste. In fact, the other parts including the flowers, pods, bark, and even the roots of the tree are edible and loaded with nutrients.
The tree is native to both Asia and Africa.
Why Moringa is Special?
A comparison between moringa and the commonly taken healthy foods can give you a pretty good idea about where this tree stands nutritionally:
- The seeds of its fruits produce an edible oil called Ben oil. It has a similar nutritious consistency as that of olive oil. It is loaded with antioxidants and can last for a long time;
- We have all been eating spinach to replenish our need for iron. Moringa leaves contain 3 times as much iron as spinach;
- Coffee is the standard beverage to start your day with. But you haven’t ever tried moringa tea. Have you? The leaves of the tree can naturally boost your energy levels and maintain those levels for a much longer time;
- When you think of vitamin A, carrots are the first things that come to mind. Why not moringa? Even though it has 4X the vitamin A as in carrots, we have never known about it. It is also loaded with more beta-carotene;
- There are many people who are taking multivitamins on a regular basis. The moringa supplements made using moringa pods and leaves are considered to have more vitamins. They are also safer because they don’t have artificial ingredients;
- Yogurt is your mainstay when it comes to proteins. But do you know that it has 2X the proteins as in yogurt;
- Bananas are known for their high potassium content. But moringa has 3X the potassium on a per-gram basis;
- It has 7X vitamin C compared to oranges;
- It has 4X calcium compared to milk, making it far more beneficial for your bones.
Cancer-Fighting Benefits of Moringa
Besides these nutrients, there are several cancer-fighting ingredients in moringa. They include rhamnetin, kaempferol, and isoquercetin. Scientists have also found that the tree has cancer-fighting powers. Studies show that it can fight liver cancer, Liver Exam, ovarian cancer, and melanoma. More information about these studies can be found at PubMed.
These studies have shown the cancer-fighting potential of this plant, and it will be some time before it can be called a cure for cancer. Yet it would not be wrong to claim that it could become an anti-cancer medication of the future.
Applications
Some of the other applications and benefits of this tree are as follows:
- It can be used for purifying water;
- It has been known to help improve human lactation;
- This plant has 9 essential amino acids, four dozen antioxidants, two dozen vitamins, and several minerals;
- It is a great skin cleanser and perfect for vibrant and healthier hair;
- It can treat a wide range of chronic diseases, wounds, bites, and other illnesses;
- It doesn’t cause any side effects and can be used by both adults and kids alike.
Where to Source Moringa
Kuli Kuli Foods is a supplier of moringa products. This is a Ghana and Haiti-based company that is a small-scale, fair-trade farming cooperative.
You could also get moringa products like curry dishes and soup at South Indian grocery stores. The availability of tree products will start increasing when more and more people start seeking them.
Via NCBI | NCBI | Herbs Info | NCBI