Health Benefits of Malunggay or Moringa Oleifera

Malunggay is not a new Latin American dance that's sweeping the countryside. It is a nutritious plant from tropical areas offering health benefits from every part of it. People once called it a poor man's food but recognize it as a miracle tree that offers nutritional benefits and acts as Mother Nature's medicine cabinet. Scientists believe that this easy to grow tree may be the answer for solving world hunger. New studies show that the oil from the seed may even help the energy crisis by offering a viable alternative to diesel fuel.

There are a number of names for malunggay. These vary by language and country. In the Philippines, they call it malunggay but if you lived in India, this health-giving tree might be Sajina. The scientific name for the tree often called the drumstick tree is Moringa oleifera.

Moringa Uses and Health Benefits

While scientists often site the nutritional properties of the plant, ample folk lore exists on how to use the moringa for medicinal purposes. Many scientists now study the effects of the plant and its ability to produce the health benefits claimed in the verbal history. Every part of the tree is useful and sustained many poorer cultures for thousands of years.

Uses of Moringa Pods

The pods look a bit like an elongated green bean pod. The home remedies created by the indigenous people that use the pods include those to rid the body of intestinal parasites, boiled and used as an antiseptic for ulcerations and sores. The pod's powdered seeds are a treatment for rheumatic pain when applied to the affected area.

The folk medicine also includes the use of the seeds taken internally to aid hypertension, asthma, hiccups, gout or act as a diuretic. In Malaya, they eat the seeds like peanuts and this treat has a high nutritional value. The oil from the seeds is Ben oil. It never becomes rancid so it often used not only as a lubricant for machines and in other types of manufacturing, but also as a cooking oil.

Benefits of Malunggay Roots

The ancient remedy for inflammation or swelling of exterior parts was to pound the roots of the malunggay tree and apply that as a poultice to the area. Many folk medicines also use the roots in a decoction to gargle for the relief of hoarseness or a swollen throat. Sometimes they mixed the juice of the roots with milk for relief from the hiccups, lumbago, gout, earache or asthma.

The roots have a horseradish flavor and many cultures use them as a seasoning. The roots also provide a tonic for the lungs. Some cultures consume the roots as a method of birth control in women.

Uses of Moringa Bark

The bark and wood are often valued for the basis of a blue dye. However, they also have properties that make them useful as a cure for diarrhea.

Benefits of Malunggay Leaves

The leaves are a wonderful food source. However, they have many medicinal qualities too. Folk medicines often site that poultices are excellent ways to reduce glandular swelling. Young mothers eat the leaves as a method of increasing lactation.

Used externally the leaves have an antiseptic quality for cuts and decoctions act as liniment on aching joints. They're also beneficial to relieve constipation. Because of their high nutritional content, they benefit almost every function of the body.

Nutrition Facts of Moringa

A number of scientific studies show that many of the folk claims are true. The malunggay tree is beneficial as an anti-inflammatory. Its leaves are high in vitamin A (four times higher than carrots) and C (higher than oranges).  It contains more calcium than milk and two times the protein. It's a better source of potassium than bananas and has a large amount of zinc. There's more iron than spinach and a plethora of amino acids.

Studies show it lowers cholesterol, increases the body's immunity, balances sugar levels while boosting energy, stimulates metabolism, is beneficial for increasing milk production in lactating mothers and has an anti-bacterial property. This makes it useful in water purification.