The plant is a good source of vitamins C and A, and various minerals.
Moringa was 2018's big new superfood, a “miracle tree” indigenous to the foothills of the Himalayas, but widely cultivated throughout India, south-east Asia and east Africa, too.
Entirely edible, from root to bark, fast-growing and drought tolerant, with seeds that can purify dirty water, it’s such a valuable resource in many regions that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has named it crop of the month.
It is also, apparently, pretty good news for the rest of us: moringa has been touted by Time magazine as “the next quinoa”, while the Huffington Post reckons it’s “about to be huge, and you should know about it”.
But some of the claims made for it – such as the assertion by “nutritionist and beauty expert” Kimberley Snyder that “it has twice the protein of spinach and three times as much iron” – should be treated with a degree of caution.
A journal published by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology last year found states more promising evidence for the anti-inflammatory qualities of moringa extract, which early studies suggest may be more potent than last year’s darling, turmeric. Moringa contains the full complement of amino acids, and is a good source of vitamins C and A, and various minerals.
It looks like moringa might be the new wellness additive that's here to stay.
Just like most trendy "new" superfoods, the health benefits of the moringa tree have been known in various cultures for hundreds of years, but have just recently found their way into mainstream wellness culture - where you are about to see a lot more of it. According to Google Trends, interest in moringa has been growing steadily for the past five years.
The fast-growing, drought-resistant tree is native to the sub-Himalayan areas of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan is sometimes referred to as the “drumstick tree.”
According to a study published in the journal PhytotherapyResearch, the bark, sap, roots, leaves, seeds, and flowers of the moringa tree have all been traditionally used to treat a variety of ailments including: edema, swelling, stomach disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, epilepsy, thyroid disorder, anemia and sickle cell disease, and bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic infections.
As if that wasn't enough incentive, the “miracle tree” has also been linked to having positive effects on liver function, skin and hair, bone health, immunity, cardiovascular health, kidney function, eye health, and cancer prevention.
If you are curious, you’ll find fresh moringa leaves and seedpods, sold under a variety of names including “drumstick”, in Indian and African grocers, and the powders online or in health food shops – look for fair-trade versions.
You could stir a little of moringa into a smoothie to try to disguise its flavour (politely described as “earthy”), but you’re more likely to enjoy a curry made with the more spinachy fresh leaves or okra-like pods.
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