After digesting that post, this morning I had my first experience with Moringa Tea and I honestly feel
good
about this. To think that I serve Hubby Moringa every morning, I watch
him mix it with his soups and other meals. I watch him take it as many
times as possible on a daily basis, yet, have never been able to bring
myself to taking it, It's shocking how sometimes we know what is great
for our bodies but have no will power to do it.
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| Moringa leaves with stem |
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| moringa tea in a bottle |
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| moringa tea |
What is moringa.
Moringa
popularly known as "The miracle tree" is a Nutritional power house of
minerals, antioxidants and amino acids. In the Ancient world, they
regarded the tree as a “Cure all tree”,
An “Elixir of long life”, “The tree of life”e.t.c. It is a multipurpose
plant as the Roots, leaves, Pods, flowers, fruits, seeds and even the
bark of the tree can be utilized and used to cure various diseases.
Scientifically, it is known as Moringa Oleifera .
In Nigeria especially
in the north where it is commonly grown, the Hausa people call it
Zogale. Other common names are; Ben-oil tree, horse radish tree,
Drumstick tree (referring to the large pods).It
is mostly planted around local houses and used as a fence. It can grow
up to 36feet in height and can live as long as 20 years if undisturbed.
Due to its nutritional, therapeutic and prophylactic benefits, it is
widely promoted in poverty stricken areas to counter malnutrition and
the effects can be seen within a few days of including it in the diet.
The leaves can also be dried, ground into powder and stored for many
months without any significant loss of nutritional or therapeutic
values.
There are no side-effects of moringa
tree leaves which have been proved till date. At the same time it can
be consumed by small children and adults alike. Therefore, many people
have started using it as tea, in salads, porridge, pastas, breads, etc.,
to reap the everlasting health benefits.
Nutritional properties
Moringa…………….
• Is
rich in Vitamin A. It contains four times more Vitamin A or
beta-carotene than carrots. Hence, it is a weapon against blindness.
• Is a rich source of Vitamin C. It contains seven times more Vitamin C than oranges.
• Is a rich source of Calcium. It contains four times more calcium than milk.
• Is a rich source of Protein. The moringa leaves are said to contain twice the protein present in milk.
• Is a rich source of Potassium. It contains seven times more potassium than bananas.
• Is a rich source of Iron. it contains thrice more iron than spinach.
The leaves of Moringa oleifera are rich sources of dietary fibers, starch, beta-carotene, minerals (zinc, magnesium, and selenium), iodine, lutein, zeatin, etc.
Known Health Benefits
• Moringa
is an effective natural immune system booster and therefore helps your
body heal faster. It also contains powerful antioxidants that can
naturally supplement and maintain the smooth functioning of the body’s
immune system.
• Moringa helps in regulating sleep cycles. People suffering from insomnia find the use of moringa beneficial
• It is known to nourish the eyes, therefore, people suffering from poor eyesight should include moringa in their diet.
•The
immature pods are highly nutritious, containing all the essential amino
acids together with other vital nutrients. The immature pod contains
green peas that can be eaten raw together with salad.
• Moringa
leaves are often used as a nutritional food supplement for both weight
loss and weight gain. This is due to the exceptional content of all the
essential macro- and micro-nutrients. By consuming moringa, you would be taking in most of the nutrients your body needs.
• Moringa
can be taken to naturally increase male and female libido. In fact,
it’s long been used to treat sexual dysfunction as well as a natural way
to boost sex drive. For libido get the tender stem of moringa which is very green in color remove skin and chew. The seeds are also potent in this aspect.
• Moringa
is also said to balance sugar levels, hence it is helpful in the fight
against diabetes. It also contains omega-9 fatty acids, which have been
proven to reduce the body’s resistance to insulin and severity of
symptoms of diabetes. Overall, it can alleviate the symptoms of diabetes
and reduce the severity of the body’s reaction to diabetes
• It helps in combating and preventing anemia as it contains thrice more iron than spinach.
• Moringa
helps in balancing and lowering cholesterol levels in the body as well
as improving the ratio of good cholesterol (high density lipoprotein) to
Bad cholesterol (Low density lipoprotein)
• The body's natural defense mechanism increases with the consumption of moringa in the daily diet pattern. Since it is an immunity-stimulant, it is prescribed for AIDS afflicted patients.
• It is a nutrition booster and is known to promote a feeling of well-being in people. Therefore it can be used to counter Anxiety and depression.
• It is especially useful for lactating mothers. The consumption of moringa has shown dramatic increase in the quantity of breast milk produced.
• Researchers recently concluded that a compound in moringa
inhibits the growth of cancer cells. The secret lies in the fact that
it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin
gallate (EGCG) which is a powerful antioxidant. Besides inhibiting the
growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy
tissues.
• It can help in preventing tooth decay due to its bacteria destroying abilities.
For Beauty
The flowers and oil from the pods (Ben oil) are used to produce soaps
and body creams. Some people Say it has anti-aging properties (It may be
beyond that though)
Method of preservation
The Moringa leaves can be either freeze dried or dried at room temperature. Once it is completely dried,
it can now be ground into powder and stored for many months without any
significant loss of nutritional or therapeutic values.
Step 1: Get the fresh moringa leaves and remove them from the stem.
Step 2: Spread them out and leave to dry at room temperature (Away from sunlight)
Step 3: Ground into powdered form and Store in an airtight container.
I just learnt at her blog that Moringa is good for every member of the family, not just parents and the elderly.
My successful enjoyment of moringa
this morning, makes me feel like I have just won a great victory. I
could not stand the thought of dry powdery substances (leaves) in my
mouth.
Please wish me luck. I do not want to stop this journey halfway, knowing all these Health benefits.
For those in Abuja, you can get Moringa Tea at Park n Shop or Grand Square. Also Try Sahad Stores.
Enjoy Moringa for great health!
