A tree native to the southern Himalayas is being touted as the next big time superfood. The Moringa tree grows with relative ease in places such as Indonesia, Africa, and Thailand. Its roots, its leaves, and its seedpods are all consumed by people living in the regions. And now it is making its way into the western world (because of course, it is). Because who hasn’t already heard of Moringa health benefits? Well, mostly everyone. And that’s why I’m here serving as your source of enlightenment.

Should superfood quinoa be afraid? Maybe, just maybe, it should be. Here’s everything you need to know about Moringa oleifera. 

Superfood Moringa goes by a number of aliases, including horseradish tree, ben oil tree, drumstick tree (I am assuming they don’t mean the drumsticks found inside your local ice cream truck), and benzoil tree. That’s a lot of names for one superfood, but this isn’t just any superfood, it’s the newest arrival to the superfood lineup. Think of multiple names in the same way you’d think of, say, walk out music for a new fighter making his or her way to the ring. Bad example, I’m just trying to make this new introduction for you as easy as possible.

The Moringa tree is a powerful addition to a region that doesn’t always fare well when it comes to plant life thriving. The Moringa tree is known to help stop soil erosion (a huge plus), and it has proven to be much less susceptible to drought conditions when compared to other trees and plants in the region (an even bigger plus). Many use Moringa for herbal remedies.

 

Moringa Health Benefits

Moringa may help balance blood sugar levels, therefore helping people with diabetes, a Jaiswal study in 2009 determined. The study was set up as a way to prove (or disprove) the idea that Moringa could help to manage glycemic levels in people. The study used rats that were both normal and diabetic and showed that by using Moringa, they were able to lower the blood sugar levels in the animals. Yes, rats aren’t people, but keep in mind that this study was a reaction to touted anecdotal legend. Essentially, the study provided a pretty decent confirmation.

Moringa contains a chemical known as Beta-sitosterol. And Beta-sitosterol is known to block out bad cholesterol, otherwise known as LDL cholesterol. Beta-sitosterol is also said to be anti-inflammatory and reduce instances of allergies in people. That’s nothing to sneeze at (sorry, I had to). There is, in fact, an entire website devoted to how Moringa tea cured a woman’s allergies. If you’ve suffered from allergies, including seasonal, you have to understand the motivation to get relief.

Moringa has been linked to being a cancer killer. A 2015 study dumped large doses of Moringa leaf extract on lung and liver cancer cells and found that the Moringa extract caused a 97% success rate. That means Moringa extract destroyed almost all cancer cells in those particular instances. That’s pretty amazing.

Moringa has also been linked to treating kidney stones and thyroid disorders.

It has also been used on the skin with great results for things such as dandruff and wart removal and even snake bites!

Moringa Health Benefits Nutrition

As a superfood, Moringa health benefits are well-defined. And that all comes down to the plant’s nutritional profile. What’s stunning about Moringa is that it is a loaded plant protein. This makes Moringa a wonderful vegan supplement. Nearly a quarter of Moringa is plant protein. Remember, when it comes to superfoods, protein is essential in helping you feel full and being utilized as stable energy.

mooring health benefits

photo credit: wikimedia

Additionally, Moringa is a high fiber source, which is also great for satiety and for improving digestion health. Fiber helps to keep the plumbing moving as well as act as good bacteria for gut enzymes to feed on. Many people do not get enough fiber and that can serve as a detriment to their health.

Moringa is a monster source of iron. Remind you of any other superfoods??? (‘cough’ spinach ‘cough’). Moringa, in fact, has twenty-five times the iron than spinach does.

If aging concerns you, you will be happy to know that Moringa’s nutritional profile completes about 17 percent of your daily vitamin E needs. That’s a strong anti-aging showing right there, my friends.

Moringa has more calcium than you will find in milk.

It has trumped the orange for vitamin C.

And it has a way heavier showing of potassium than our friendly bananas.

So yes, Moringa is a valid superfood. 

Moringa Health Benefits In Diet

Now for the tricky part: You want more Moringa benefits in your diet, but how do you achieve that? Unlike spinach, you can’t just go to the store and buy some. Additionally, our top superfood drinks have yet to start adding it in. Your best bet is to buy Moringa as a supplement powder and then follow these instructions on making Moringa tea.

Like anything, there are plenty of ways to skin a cat. Some people put Moringa in popsicles, but I’m not sure you end up winning the Moringa health benefits battle when it comes to adding in all that sugar.

Check out our top superfood drinks. While Moringa is a powerful seed, you want to make sure you get a diversity of superfoods in your diet and there are plenty of awesome superfood drink makers on our list.