As an herbalist, all plants are special in my eyes but occasionally I come across a plant that truly inspires me and gives me hope in a time when hope can seem harder to find.
The moringa tree AKA tree of life is truly miraculous in that a person could live by simply consuming that one single plant. Although I wouldn’t recommend eating one food as a habit, it could keep you alive in the unlikely event that you couldn’t get to any other food which speaks to its incredible nutrient content. It is the most nutrient dense plant and has more protein than any plant discovered to date. Moringa is truly a super food and medicine.
The typical American eats “food like products” which do not serve as anything more than to fill our stomachs and contribute to chronic disease. Our agricultural practices further deplete our soil of nutrients so even if you think you’re eating healthy, our vegetables are far less nutritious than they were even 50 years ago. I would go as far as to say 99% of people are deficient in vitamins and minerals due to the way our food is grown and our sad American diet.
Moringa’s vitamins and minerals
When we lack minerals, we lack vitamins as minerals are a catalyst for vitamins. Supplementing with one vitamin or mineral can be pointless as they need a certain balance in order to work. Nature provides that balance and is far wiser than humans in that aspect. If you are going to use supplements, I recommend letting Nature work her magic.
Moringa is abundant in vitamins and minerals. A nutritional powerhouse, it has more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach and more potassium than bananas just to name a few. It has been scientifically proven that one serving of moringa contains more than 90 different vitamins, minerals and nutrients. No supplement on the market today can come remotely close to that.
Vitamins found in moringa are A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, E, C, K & Folic acid.
Its mineral wealth includes calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc.
Amino acids
There are 8 amino acids essential to human life and there are very few vegetables that can lay claim to containing all 8. Moringa has them all. These amino acids form the basics of building proteins. Moringa also contains 10 non-essential amino acids and is a complete protein. Moringa has more protein by weight than meat, dairy, eggs or soy.
For the complete list of the amino acids see more here:
Moringa is beneficial to all systems of the body and is known to treat over 300 diseases. Too many to list in this article but some of the more common conditions it addresses are as follows:
Depression and anxiety
Inflammation
Rheumatism, arthritis and joint pain.
Digestive disorders including ulcers
Protects against cancer
Nervous system disorders including epilepsy and headache
Enhances energy and alertness & increases metabolism
Resolves vitamin/mineral deficiency
Overall reproductive health
Lowers high blood pressure and cholesterol
Lowers blood sugar levels
Improves eye sight
Beneficial to skin, hair and nails and resolves skin disorders
Contributes to bone health
Potent anti-microbial
Anti-aging
Moringa does what it says it does in short order. Most people see positive results within the first 2 weeks of consumption.
Moringa of the Tree of Life by-Muhammad Umar
Eating moringa
Plant based foods have phytonutrients that contribute to overall good health. As a food, moringa leaves can be eaten as a salad green, sautéed like spinach or dried and made into tea. I personally would sit under the tree and eat them fresh keeping the enzymes intact. They are delicious as well as nutritious. You can also add them to rice or casserole dishes for an interesting flavor twist. Whichever method you choose to consume the leaves, it’s good to know the fresher the better as heat destroys some of the goodness of the plant.
It is however recommended to cook the flowers and buds. The young seed pods can be eaten like green beans. The seeds themselves can be de-hulled and eaten like nuts. An amazing side effect of eating the fresh seeds is everything you eat afterward will taste sweet which could lessen sugar cravings. Eating 2-3 seeds per day will give an energy boost that you can literally notice and trust me, there is no shortage of seeds from one single moringa tree. You could share and energize your entire neighborhood! The mature seeds can be fried or roasted, and it’s reported they taste like popcorn.
It’s not recommended to eat the root or root bark of the tree as it contains a toxic substance called moringinine. I wouldn’t want to kill the tree by taking the root or take a chance of poisoning myself. The leaves and seeds are easy to harvest. Entire branches can be snapped off because they will re-grow and supply you with a never-ending bounty of food and medicine. Strip off the leaves and the remaining wood can be reduced in a wood chipper and added to the garden as mulch.
Most people prefer to buy processed moringa powder or capsules. As with all herbal supplements, do your research before buying. Contact the company to ensure the moringa was processed using low heat. Don’t be afraid to ask for a sample before buying. The color of the product should be bright green in color and not tan or brown.
A credible source for high quality moringa supplements can be found here: https://www.elgeenatural.com/
Growing moringa
This highly valued tree is native to India but grows in tropical and sub-tropical areas all around the World. It is a deciduous, fast growing tree that is drought resistant and could be used to obliterate World hunger and malnutrition in my humble opinion. Unfortunately for us at higher altitudes, if the roots freeze, the tree will die. They don’t like the cold and will drop their leaves if exposed to it. For those fortunate enough to have a greenhouse and wish to try their hand at growing moringa, starts will be available in May from The Thymekeeper. If space is an issue, the trees can be dwarfed and grown in pots. For more on how to dwarf a tree see:
For information on growing and harvesting moringa see more here:
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