Health benefits of the moringa plant
Dear Donovan,
Just recently we had a presenter at church who spoke to us about the health benefits of the moringa plant. I was wondering if I could use this plant as a substitute for my vitamin supplements. I am also diabetic and weigh 210 pounds. Someone told me the moringa could help me to lose weight. Is this true?
The moringa plant is of African origin and has been touted as the miracle plant. It has been in Jamaica since 1817 and is now found growing islandwide. Still, many persons are unaware of its medicinal and nutritional benefits.
Moringa has seven times more vitamin C than oranges, four times more vitamin A than carrots, four times more calcium than milk and twice as much protein as milk. It has three times more iron than almond and three times more vitamin E than spinach. It is considered in many circles to be the number one treatment for high blood pressure and diabetes, which are common to Jamaicans.
The moringa plant increases the natural defence of the body to beautify the skin, promote energy, gives a feeling of wellness, improves the body’s immunity, stabilise sugar, provides nutrients to eyes and brain, acts as an anti-oxidant, and promotes good cholesterol and normal functioning of the kidney and the liver.
I read where your weight is 210 pounds and that you are diabetic. It is time to do something about your weight and diabetes and moringa can be part of this programme.
In the case of your diabetes, vitamin A found in high quantities in the moringa, acts as an antioxidant to convert beta-carotene, which thereby reduces the risk of blindness.
Vitamin C, which is in abundance in moringa, is very important for regulating effectively the production of insulin. It has been shown that insufficient vitamin C affects the capacity of the pancreas to secrete insulin. Vitamin B12, which is also found in the moringa leaf, is used to treat neuropathic diabetes. In addition to this, vitamin D which is found in large proportions in the moringa plant also reduces the chances of children developing type one diabetes.
Apart from using the moringa plant in the treatment of diabetes, there are also some other things which you can do to help with your treatment. You will definitely need to exercise. You may need to work out at least 45 minutes to one hour per day.
Try to eliminate bread, pasta, white flour and rice as much as you can from your diet and incorporate more raw and steamed vegetables in your daily meal plan instead. Don’t forget to have your vegetables and a fair amount of fruits.
Moringa, especially the leaves, are also helpful in weight loss. Persons wanting to lose weight can benefit greatly from ingesting the moringa leaf, which can be cooked like a vegetable, eaten raw, or added to juices or tea. These leaves are low in fat and carbohydrates, but are extremely high in protein, vitamins and minerals.
The moringa leaf can therefore be taken as a nutritional supplement because of its high nutritional content. It is also able to convert food to energy quickly and can therefore reduce the possible storage of fat.
