Health benefits of Moringa

I often come across people who invest a lot of their time studying and comparing the benefits of the new health supplements that hit the market almost every day. But sadly enough, most of these products fail to rise up to the expectations and leave their user feeling cheated and disappointed.  What people forget here is that the ingredients of these supplements are all natural foods and their product and instead of wasting money on them, all one had to do was to find out the usefulness of the commonly available herbs, trees and roots.

One such herb is Moringa, native Indian herb Murungai, famously called as 'The Miracle tree'. The leaves from this Miracle tree are very rich in most nutrients. What makes this herb so special and unique, and what are its health benefits? Let us take a look.

Most parts of this tree are edible and what makes this herb special and unique is that it contains a wide variety of nutrients with a high concentration of the same. For example, the herb has three times more vitamin C than oranges, it has four times more vitamin A than carrots, and it has four times the amount of calcium as compared to milk.

The plant grows in sub-tropical areas like India, Pakistan, south East Asian, and African countries. This is like a goldmine in the backyard for the people of these countries.

Benefits of individual parts of the tree

The leaves of Moringa contain abundant amount of vitamin A and anti-oxidants. When rubbed against the forehead these leaves can relieve headaches and are used to treat anaemia due to its iron content. They are also rich in protein, other vitamins and minerals.

The juice from the moringa flowers improves the quality and flow of mother's milk when breast-feeding and also acts as a diuretic and prevents urinary infections.

The roots are used in medicines to prevent chronic diseases like arthritis, cancer and high blood pressure.
The juice from the trunk has antiseptic properties and can be used to speed up the healing process. The oil of the Moringa seeds is used for both cooking and in cosmetics.
So, the next time you find Moringa in your neighbourhood, do not have second thoughts about buying or plucking it (with permissions of course). After all it is affordable and has a lot of health benefits. In fact, it should ideally be included twice a week in your diet.