10 Benefits of Moringa

Meet moringa oleifera. In its native India and Nepal, it's known as "drumstick tree," "miracle tree," and "tree of life"; today it's also grown in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Moringa powder, made from the leaves of the moringa tree, has a number of science-backed benefits and medicinal uses. This superfood has been used as a traditional remedy in phytomedicine and ayurvedic healing for thousands of years. Here are the 10 best health benefits of moringa oleifera.

1 - Rich in Vitamins and Minerals

Moringa leaves are rich in vitamins A, C, B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 and Folate. They are also rich in magnesium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and zinc.

2 - Rich in protein

Moringa leaves are rich in amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. 18 types of amino acids are found in them and each of them makes an important contribution towards our wellbeing

3 - Fights Inflammation

Inflammation is how a body naturally responds to pain and injury. Moringa leaves are anti-inflammatory in nature due to the presence of isothiocyanates. They have niazimicin that is known to reign in the development of cancer cells. Inflammation is the root cause of many diseases like cancer, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and many autoimmune diseases. When we suffer an injury or infection, the body suffers increased inflammation.

Due to unhealthy lifestyle and diet, inflammation can increase in the body. Long-term inflammation leads to chronic health issues. Eating moringa leaves helps to reduce inflammation.

4 - It can help fight free radicals.

Free radicals are created by things like pollution, fried food, and sun exposure. They damage your cells by robbing them of an electron, causing oxidative stress, cell damage, and premature aging. The antidote: antioxidants, like the flavonoids, polyphenols, and ascorbic acid found in moringa. A diet rich in antioxidants has been shown to prevent premature wrinkles and possibly make you live longer.

5 - Making bones healthier

Moringa also contains calcium and phosphorous, which help keep bones healthy and strong. Along with its anti-inflammatory properties moringa extract might help to treat conditions such as arthiritis and may also heal damaged bones.

6 - It helps balance blood sugar.

Spikes in insulin and blood sugar levels can cause mood swings and sugar cravings and even lead to the development of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Enter moringa. The leaf powder has been effective at reducing lipid and glucose levels and regulating oxidative stress in lab studies. One clinical study also showed therapeutic antioxidant properties as well as lower fasting glucose levels in postmenopausal women who took a supplement with moringa, and amaranth, leaves for three months. One animal study even showed that moringa in the diet could help reduce weight gain and insulin resistance.

7 - It is a lactation enhancer.

Moringa can help new moms with nursing by increasing the quantity of their breast milk.

In a 2003 study, the amount of breastmilk produced by lactating mothers who were given 350mg of moringa every day showed a significant increase in breast milk in comparison to lactating mothers who were given a placebo.

Moringa can also help make breast milk more nutritious.

Consuming moringa increases the mother’s intake of beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A. Beta-carotene is important for newborn babies, as blindness, infectious diseases, and protein-energy can be linked to vitamin A deficiency.

In West Africa, vitamin A deficiency is the main reason behind the high mortality rate of children under five. To address this mortality rate, moringa is used as a weaning food in West Africa. Many people add moringa to breast milk or breastmilk substitutes.

8 - Improves gut-health

Some experts believe that health begins in the gut. It may seem obvious that a strong intestinal tract and diverse microbiome aids with basic digestion, but that’s not all. Gut health also has links to our greater immune and hormone systems.

Recent studies reveal how our gut “microbiomes” can effect mood, appetite, metabolism, stress levels, and the ability to deal with illness.

Moringa contains nutrients, fiber, and phytochemicals that have been shown to promote gut health by stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria and suppressing that of pathogenic bacteria.

These compounds have anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce inflammation of the gut wall, thus improving the wall’s ability to inhibit the passage of toxins into the bloodstream.

These phytochemicals are associated with improved management of inflammatory bowel syndrome and a decreased risk of colon cancer and infections.

9 - It can help your sex life.

Stress can stress your sex life. It can throw hormone levels off, spiking cortisol and decreasing dopamine to lower libido. In animal studies, moringa has not only been show to bring down cortisol levels, but it may also naturally boost testosterone levels, a known sex drive supporter. In one study, moringa extract worked to enhance sexual performance in stressed rats by suppressing cortisol and increasing testosterone.

10 - It may help balance hormones.

Menopause can throw women's hormones out of whack—and make them feel off, but moringa may help. A study published in the Journal of Food and Science Technology found that postmenopausal women who took a combination of moringa leaf powder and amaranth leaf powder for three months not only had decreased markers of oxidative stress, but they also had better fasting blood glucose and increased hemoglobin levels, which could mean more balanced hormones. Moringa has also been linked to improved thyroid health, which controls hormones related to energy, sleep, and digestion.