What is Moringa and why have I not heard of it?

You may or may not have already heard about this new superfood on the block, but Moringa, a small tree native to parts of North India & Africa has been making quite a buzz in the worlds of nutrition and natural health. Moringa has a rich history of medicinal and culinary use dating back thousands of years. The Romans and Greeks are both known to have made use of Moringa using its oils to create fragrant skin lotions and perfumes and there is even evidence suggesting it was used in ancient Egypt as a form of sunscreen.

Thriving in hot, arid climates Moringa is fast becoming a key player in the battle to fight world famine as well as reduce nutritional deficiencies in third world and developing countries.

Health benefits of Moringa:

• Help to control diabetes – The wide range of vitamins and antioxidants found in Moringa help to support the body’s production of nitric oxide. Regular intake of Moringa is thought to protect diabetic patients from the development of cataracts 

• Powerful antioxidant action – Oxidization and oxidative stress takes their toll on our bodies, this is largely due to free radicals (unpaired molecules that travel around out blood supply.) Taking antioxidants helps additional electrons to bond with these molecules rendering them harmless to our bodies.

• Increases stamina and energy levels – Moringa is packed full of essential amino acids, including each of the 9 that are bodies are unable to produce on their own making this supplement a great choice for anyone looking to increase energy and stamina

• Help our bodies to control blood pressure -  Many of the substances found within Moringa are known to be beneficial for people suffering from high blood pressure these include Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc, and Vitamin E. Moringa 

• Helps to reduce bad cholesterol – A number of recent studies involving animals have confirmed Moringa to be as powerful at lowering cholesterol as some of the leading pharmaceutical medicines without the adverse risk of side effects including diabetes.

• Help to treat depression – Although though official studies backing up these claims, I have seen a number of blog and forum posts stating that Moringa can and has been used as a powerful antidepressant formula

5 Moringa facts: (Gram per gram)

• Moringa packs 7 times as much vitamin C as an orange.

• Around 4 times for calcium can be found in Moringa than a glass of milk.

• We all know carrots are good for our eyes, this is due to the high levels of vitamin A. Moringa contains 4 times as much vitamin A weight for weight as carrots.

• Two times more protein than natural yoghurt.

• Two – three times for potassium than can be found in bananas 

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