Moringa, a plant native to India, is rich in antioxidants and nutrients and its powerful health benefits include its ability to protect the liver, fight inflammation, and lower cholesterol. Moringa extract and powder can help give relief from stomach disorders, allergies, and edema.
Moringa can help in managing diabetes, protect the eyes, improve cardiovascular health, enhance bone health, speed wound healing, and boost skin health. It has potent antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Although modern science has recently discovered its value, moringa has been imparting a multitude of benefits across various cultures since ancient times. It was valued by the Romans, Egyptians, and Greeks for its medicinal impact on a range of ailments.
Today, its usage has been encouraged by various humanitarian organizations to combat malnutrition and its effects in poverty-stricken regions, mainly due to its economic viability and rapid growth. Due to its extraordinary and unmatched range of medicinal benefits, it was named the “miracle tree” during the food crisis in Africa.
Its tree has a thick, whitish bark with droopy, fragile branches and long, green, oval-shaped leaflets. In Ayurvedic therapy, it is valued for its impressive range of therapeutic uses, commonly attributed to its antifungal, antiviral, antidepressant, and anti-inflammatory properties. In some areas, it is simply known as ‘shigru’.
Nutrition Facts
Drumstick leaves & raw
Water 78.66 g
Energy 64 kcal
Protein 9.4 g
Total lipid (fat) 1.4 g
Carbohydrate 8.28 g
dietary fiber 2 g
Calcium, 185 mg
Iron 4 mg
Magnesium 42 mg
Phosphorus 112 mg
Potassium 337 mg
Sodium 9 mg
Zinc 0.6 mg
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid 51.7 mg
Thiamin 0.26 mg
Riboflavin 0.66 mg
Niacin 2.22 mg
Vitamin B-6 1.2 mg
Folate, DFE 40 µg
Vitamin B-12. 0 µg
Vitamin A, RAE 378 µg
Vitamin A, 7564 IU
Vitamin D (D2 + D3) 0 µg
Vitamin D 0 IU
Fatty acids, total trans 0 mg
Cholesterol 0 mg
Moringa leaves and pods are a nutritional powerhouse that provides a great range and amount of essential proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
It is a rich source of essential amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins.
According to the USDA, moringa pods also contains a significant amount of vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6, folate, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Its mineral wealth includes calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc.
It contains a very low amount of fats and offers no harmful cholesterol.
Health Benefits of Moringa
Powerful Antioxidants
The moringa plant offers a rich blend of powerful antioxidants such as kaempferol, caffeoylquinic acid, zeatin, quercetin, rutin, chlorogenic acid, and beta-sitosterol. These powerful antioxidants found in moringa possess free radical scavenging capacity and have shown its therapeutic value in curing the damage caused by oxidative stress.
Lower Blood Sugar Levels
Research studies have demonstrated that treatment with moringa works positively towards the reduction of blood glucose, urine sugar, and urine proteins in diabetic test subjects.
Intake of its extract has Show remarkable improvement in the hemoglobin levels and total protein content of the diabetic subjects.
its leaves can be used to prevent chronic hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia (high blood lipid levels)
Reduces Cholesterol
Moringa is effective in maintaining optimal levels of blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the body.
Bioactive components such as isothiocyanate and niaziminin present in it prevent the thickening of arteries and reduce the development of pulmonary hypertension.
its hypocholesterolemic effects help in reducing a high-fat rise in the liver, kidney, and serum cholesterol levels.
Helps with Edema
Research studies have confirmed that treatment with drumstick root extract, which possesses anti-inflammatory qualities, has been significantly effective in inhibiting the development of edema.
anti-inflammatory medicine indomethacin in the treatment of such painful condition
Protects Liver
A research study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food has validated the effectiveness of its leaves against the liver damage caused by anti-tubercular drugs as well as its stimulating effects in speeding up the recovery process.
It helps to restore the levels of glutathione content in the body and prevents radiation-induced hepatic lipid peroxidation.
This protective effect is attributed to the presence of phytochemicals such as catechin, epicatechin, ferulic acid, and vitamin C found in drumstick.
Treats Stomach Disorders
The isothiocyanates present in moringa are effective in the treatment of abdominal disorders such as constipation, gastritis, and ulcerative colitis.
Researches have shown that its extracts can be considered as an effective herbal alternative to a range of commercially available antacids and antihistamines.
treatment with moringa leads to reduced ulceration and its efficacy in curing ulcerative colitis is comparable with the commercially available drug prednisolone.
It contains antibiotic and antibacterial properties and exerts inhibitory effects on the growth of various pathogens.
This includes helicobacter pylori bacteria and coliform bacteria, which can trigger diarrhea. It also helps in combating obesity thanks to its high nutritional and low-fat properties.
The impressive content of vitamin B in its leaves aids in digestion and converts the food into energy rather than storing it as fat.
Skin Care & Hair Care
Moringa seed oil is beneficial for the skin and hair and is effective against the infection caused by the herpes simplex virus.
The healing effects of this herb prevent the development of skin lesions and inhibit the formation of plaque caused by the infecting virus.
The hydrating and detoxifying effects of moringa extracts help in neutralizing the effects of harmful pollutants, prevent wrinkles and slowdowns aging.
The high protein content of drumstick aids in protecting the dermal cells from damage caused by heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium. For the same reason, it is used in the production of cosmetics and skin care products as well.
The favorable effects of moringa seed oil for hair care It is highly beneficial in protecting the hair from environmental damage, including ultraviolet radiation.
as a valuable conditioner for the scalp, strengthens the roots, and stimulates hair growth too.
Antibacterial Agent
It possesses antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties, and is effective against the growth of disease-causing microbes.
Scientific research has proven that moringa extracts exert a wide spectrum of protective activity against food-borne microorganisms such as Salmonella, Rhizopus species, E. Coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.
This defensive activity makes its extracts perfect for sanitation and preservation purposes. Leaves of this plant possess anti-fungal qualities.
The inhibitory effects of moringa help in preventing the growth of diseases causing contaminant fungi such as Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp.
Anticancer Properties
Moringa is an anticancer agent and is highly valued in tumor therapy. A review on the nutritive importance and medicinal application of Moringa oleifera emphasizes on the various medicinal properties of moringa, including its anti-cancer property.
Research has demonstrated that its extracts possess chemopreventive properties attributed to the presence of the phenolic components quercetin and kaempferol.
No comments:
Post a Comment