photo: tierra-moringa.com

6 More Reasons Why Moringa Is Taking Over the Superfood World

1) Rich Nutritional Value

Moringa leaves are loaded with vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, and more. One hundred grams of dry moringa leaf contains:_¹

• 9 times the protein of yogurt
• 10 times the vitamin A of carrots
• 15 times the potassium of bananas
• 17 times the calcium of milk
• 12 times the vitamin C of oranges
• 25 times the iron of spinach

2) Antioxidants Galore

Moringa leaves are rich in antioxidants, including vitamin C, beta-carotene, quercetin, and chlorogenic acid. The latter, chlorogenic acid, has been shown to slow cells’ absorption of sugar and animal studies have found it to lower blood sugar levels. As noted in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention:_²

“The leaves of the Moringa oleifera tree have been reported to demonstrate antioxidant activity due to its high amount of polyphenols.

Moringa oleifera extracts of both mature and tender leaves exhibit strong antioxidant activity against free radicals, prevent oxidative damage to major biomolecules, and give significant protection against oxidative damage.”

Further, in a study of women taking 1.5 teaspoons of moringa leaf powder daily for three months, blood levels of antioxidants increased significantly._³

3) Lowers Blood Sugar Level

Moringa appears to have anti-diabetic effects,_⁴ likely due to beneficial plant compounds contained in the leaves, including isothiocyanates. One study found women who took seven grams of moringa leaf powder daily for three months reduced their fasting blood sugar levels by 13.5 percent._⁵

Separate research revealed that adding 50 grams of moringa leaves to a meal reduced the rise in blood sugar by 21 percent among diabetic patients._⁶

4) Reduces Inflammation

The isothiocyanates, flavonoids, and phenolic acids in moringa leaves, pods, and seeds also have anti-inflammatory properties. According to the Epoch Times:_⁷

“The tree’s strong anti-inflammatory action is traditionally used to treat stomach ulcers. Moringa oil (sometimes called Ben oil) has been shown to protect the liver from chronic inflammation. The oil is unique in that, unlike most vegetable oils, moringa resists rancidity.

This quality makes it a good preservative for foods that can spoil quickly. This sweet oil is used for both frying or in a salad dressing. It is also used topically to treat antifungal problems, arthritis, and is an excellent skin moisturizer.”

5) Maintains Healthy Cholesterol Levels

Moringa also has cholesterol-lowering properties, and one animal study found its effects were comparable to those of the cholesterol-lowering drug simvastatin._⁸As noted in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology:_⁹

“Moringa oleifera is used in Thai traditional medicine as cardiotonic. Recent studies demonstrated its hypocholesterolemic effect.

… In hypercholesterol-fed rabbits, at 12 weeks of treatment, it significantly (P<0.05) lowered the cholesterol levels and reduced the atherosclerotic plaque formation to about 50 and 86%, respectively. These effects were at degrees comparable to those of simvastatin.

… The results indicate that this plant possesses antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, and antiatherosclerotic activities, and has therapeutic potential for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.”

6) Protects Against Arscenic Toxicity

The leaves and seeds of moringa may protect against some of the effects of arsenic toxicity, which is especially important in light of news that common staple foods, such as rice, may be contaminated._¹⁰ Contamination of ground water by arsenic has also become a cause of global public health concern, and one study revealed: _¹¹

“Co-administration of M. oleifera [moringa] seed powder (250 and 500 mg/kg, orally) with arsenic significantly increased the activities of SOD [superoxide dismutase], catalase, and GPx with elevation in reduced GSH level in tissues (liver, kidney, and brain).

These changes were accompanied by approximately 57%, 64%, and 17% decrease in blood ROS [reactive oxygen species], liver metallothionein (MT), and lipid peroxidation respectively in animal co-administered with M. oleifera and arsenic.

Another interesting observation has been the reduced uptake of arsenic in soft tissues (55% in blood, 65% in liver, 54% in kidneys, and 34% in brain) following administration of M. oleifera seed powder (particularly at the dose of 500 mg/kg).

It can thus be concluded from the present study that concomitant administration of M. oleifera seed powder with arsenic could significantly protect animals from oxidative stress and in reducing tissue arsenic concentration. Administration of M. oleifera seed powder thus could also be beneficial during chelation therapy…”

Original article by Dr. Mercola for wakeup-world.com

sources:

• ^1, 2 Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2014;15(20):8571-6.
• ^3, 5 Journal of Food Science and Technology November 2014, Volume 51, Issue 11, pp 3464-3469
• 4 Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:381040.
• 6 International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition 1993, Vol. 44, No. 3 , Pages 191-195
• ^8, 9 J Ethnopharmacol. 2008 Mar 28;116(3):439-46.
• 10 Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2014 May;4(Suppl 1):S353-8.
• 11 Cell Biol Int. 2007 Jan;31(1):44-56. Epub 2006 Sep 15.