Moringa Leaf: Your Questions Answered
What is moringa?
Moringa, also known as drumstick tree, horseradish tree, ben oil tree, or benzoil tree is a fast-growing tree native to the Himalayas in northwestern India. It has long been used for water purification and hand washing and has found usage in herbalism. Young leaves and seed pods are consumed as vegetables.
What are the health benefits of moringa?
In herbalism, moringa has been traditionally used to treat a variety of conditions:
- inflammation-related diseases
- diabetes
- chronic headaches
- heart problems, including high blood pressure
- kidney stones
- fluid retention
- anemia
- constipation, stomach pains and diarrhea
- epilepsy
- stomach and intestinal ulcers or spasms
- thyroid disorders
- low sex drive
- bacterial, fungal, viral and parasitic infections
- arthritis and other joint pain, such as rheumatism
- allergies and asthma
Moringa plant is considered so potent that in 2008 National Institute of Health (US) proclaimed it the plant of the year.
But what’s the research behind the hype? The Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention examined health benefits of moringa leaf, confirming its multiple nutritional and medicinal benefits.
Moringa Oleifera is rich in essential amino acids, carotenoids and a very wide range of important antioxidants, antibiotics, vitamins, and minerals. It’s also a healthy source of anti-inflammatory nutrients and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.
Moringa has been called a “miraculous tree” because every part of the tree that has been studied -- fruits, seeds, leaves, flowers, bark, and roots -- was found to contain at least one beneficial ingredient.
Moringa is a fascinating plant with some unusual properties. It is widely known that most vegetables don’t preserve their nutritional properties when they are cooked. In contrast, moringa leaves were observed to preserve their nutritional value even after processing, whether they were cooked, stored in a powdered form. Moreover, boiled moringa leaves resulted in a threefold increase in iron bioavailability comparing to the raw leaves.
Multiple in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that moringa has strong anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and antibacterial properties thanks to the presence of flavonoids and phenolic acids.
Does moringa have anti-cancer and anti-tumor properties?
Folk medicine appreciates moringa as a valuable ingredient in tumour therapy. Some research has also indicated skin tumour prevention after moringa seedpod extract was ingested. Moringa was identified as having “therapeutic effects to fight cancer”. Tumors treated with extracts of Moringa leaves and fruits showed slow growth which points to the successful deterioration of tumors. At present, the body of research is definitely insufficient to inform treatment decision. Nevertheless, considering plentiful health benefits of moringa, its consumption might enhance overall wellbeing and vitality.
How to consume moringa: moringa powder, moringa tea or capsules?
Many parts of the moringa plants are edible. Seed pods, flowers, leaves, seeds can all be consumed. However, in the UK fresh moringa plant ingredients aren’t currently available. Those wanting to take advantage of moringa health benefits mostly consume it in the form of powder, capsules or moringa leaf tea.
Moringa leaf powder
Being highly nutritious, moringa leaf is particularly beneficial for people who are lacking essential nutrients, for example, iron. It could be beneficial especially for those following a plant-based diet, thus being more likely to experience iron deficiency.
According to Journal of Food Science and Technology, 1.5 teaspoons of moringa leaf powder taken daily for at least three months contributed to a significant increase in blood antioxidant levels in tested women. The same study also observed that daily moringa leaf powder supplementation reduced fasting blood sugar levels by 13.5%.
You will get the most bang for your buck when consuming moringa leaf powder in a superfood supplement, combined with other superfood ingredients. Sunwarrior products have been thoroughly tested and certified. The company takes pride is creating purest, organic superfood blends. Our favourite Sunwarrior products enriched with moringa leaf include Ormus Supergreens Peppermint blend.
