Moringa, the horseradish tree native to India, is hailed as the most nutrient-rich plant and panacea for the body. But what’s really in it?
It tolerates heat and drought, makes few demands on the soil and can grow up to 30 cm a month – the horseradish tree (Moringa oleifera) is the ideal useful plant in the tropics and subtropics. Leaves, fruits, flowers and roots – almost all parts of the plant are edible. The fact that Moringa is particularly rich in vitamins, nutrients and minerals has elevated it to the rank of the most nutritious plants.
In the case of vitamins A and C and the minerals potassium, calcium and iron, the respective content in fresh Moringa leaves is said to be many times higher than in the well-known “vital substance heavyweights” carrots, oranges, bananas, milk and spinach.
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Moringa as a deceptive package
In our latitudes, however, there are no fresh Moringa leaves. Dried and ground in powder or capsule form, you can buy Moringa over the Internet or in selected (health food) stores. The prices are often astronomical, the quantity is sometimes cheated and the quality leaves much to be desired.
But even if you buy flawless, organically certified Moringa powder, is it really as nutrient-rich and healthy as it is advertised? No, unfortunately not, because as a dietary supplement you only take a few grams of the product. Converted to the daily requirement, moringa powder is the lonely front-runner only for vitamin B2. To cover your daily requirement, you need less than 10 g of the dried leaves.
Better alternative: kale
When it comes to supplying vitamins A and C as well as potassium and calcium, you can safely turn to kale. 100 g of kale, whether fresh or cooked, supply us better or – in the case of calcium – equally well with the above-mentioned vital substances than 10 g of dried moringa leaves. And there’s also an extraordinary portion of vitamin K. As far as iron content is concerned, 100 g of fresh or cooked spinach leaves are about as good as 10 g of the exotic leafy vegetable.
Moringa as a fountain of health?
Moringa preparations are said to lower blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure, and also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Although there have been scientific studies on animals, it is not easy to draw conclusions about humans.
In addition, kale contains plenty of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant substances, and special dietary fibers in the cabbage vegetable are actually able to lower cholesterol levels.
