What’s in Moringa, the Miracle Tree?
Moringa is a popular superfood known as “miracle tree” or “wonder tree”. It is also called “drumstick tree” or “horseradish tree”. They grow mostly in India, some parts of Africa, and most recently they are being grown in Latin America. These communities have traditionally used this plant for alternative medicinal purposes as well as a nutritional supplement within their food and herbal teas.
Moringa leaves in particular are a huge source of Vitamins A, C and E. It is also rich in potassium, iron, calcium, amino acids and proteins. Check out the nutrition chart from US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
It is recommended to include antioxidants in our diet because they fight free radicals that cause oxidative stress leading to chronic diseases. Moringa leaves contains such antioxidant compounds. In addition to vitamin C, Moringa has beta-carotene and quercetin (Prakash, et al 2019).
So Why is Moringa nutritious value good for you?
Moringa is a rich source of Vitamin A, which is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect your skin, vision and maintains healthy cell growth. When comparing to Vitamin A rich vegetables such as carrots, Moringa wins the competition by 3 to 5 times.
Vitamin C is a well known antioxidant that supports your skin, bones and immune system. It also helps your body absorb iron from food intake and prevents cell damage. Moringa also wins the competition with orange juice with over 6 times more vitamin C ounce by ounce.
Moringa also contains Vitamin E which is a fat soluble compound, essential to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases due to its role as an antioxidant and effect in our immune systems and metabolic processes.
There is a reason Moringa is so popular as the most nutritious superfood on earth. In addition to all the vitamins previously mentioned, it is rich in minerals and aminoacids. For instance, moringa leaves contains 4 times more calcium than milk. We all know calcium is a mineral that contributes to the health of our bones, and also helps our muscles and blood vessels.
Spinach has nothing on Moringa with the latter having 3 times Iron than this leafy green. Iron helps us maintain healthy hemoglobin levels which transfer oxygen from our lungs to other body tissues.
Research
Lastly, the Amino acids contained in this extraordinary plant help our bodies produce proteins and synthetize hormones. Out of 20 amino acids needed by our body, 9 are essential, meaning we don’t naturally produce them and we need to receive them through our diet. Moringa contains 7 of these essential amino acids.
Although there is more research to be done with this wonderful superfood, there is a lot of evidence and studies that are bringing light to the amazing properties of Moringa Oleifera. Check out this research summary to learn more about Moringa
References
The Irish Examiner—May 16, 2019
“Just like most new food trends, the health benefits of the moringa tree have been around for centuries in the East, but only now are we beginning to tap into it’s healing powers in the West. “
“…if plants were superheroes, then moringa would be Iron Man. “
“Moringa is the latest superfood that experts are raving about. “
“That single seed has blossomed into a global plan for a training center where people around the world can learn sustainable living practices.”