Malunggay or Moringa Oleifera is the tropical tree and is categorized as the genus in the family Moringaceae and it is commonly known as horse-radish tree in Western world. This miracle tree is known as fast-growing and drought-resistant tree which mostly grow in tropical countries. Etymologically Malunggay is known as Moringa, ben-oil tree, clarifier tree or drumstick tree in English, Malunggay in Philippines, La Mu in Chinese, Shevaga in Marathi and Sajina in India. Its scientific name is Moringa Oliefera. This riched-nutrients tree is widely used as ingredients in cooking for herbal medicine. It can grow to 9 meters high witth the compund leaf which has 4—9 leaflets while it has white trunks. This riched-vitamin tree also has white fragrant flowers which produce long pods with 3-angled winged seeds.
Malunggay as the Miracle Tree
Malunggay leaves are used for medicine since it contains very good nutrients for our body. It is tropical tree which can be found in Asia countries easily. The medical scientits from all over the world revealed that Malunggay is enriched with vitamins and minerals which can effectively heal many kind of diseases. Currently Malunggay tree has been known as the miracle tree and it is usable for medical and nutritional purposes from it roots, trunk and even branches to the leaves, flowers and seed.
The progress of herbal medicine has brought malunggay tree to be a well-known mullti-healing herbal tree. It is used to heal different types of illness. Moreover it is also used to strengthen and support our immune system.
The Miracle Nutrients of Malunggay
The most-used part of malunggay tree which is used as herbal medicine is its leaves. Many people cultivates malunggay tree and take its leaves to heal the illness such as headache, diabetes, allergy, eye-strain and even wellness. Some people traditionally cultivates it as tea in which they can consume everytime. Malunggay’s leaves contain a compound pterygospermin and it is known as antimicrobial or antibacterial.
The nutritional contents of malunggay leaves are Vitamin C, provitamin A as beta-carotene, vitamin K, manganese, amino essentials and protein. The calcium in marunggay leaves is bound as crystals of calcium oxalate and it can be compared with level 1/25th to 1/45th of that found in spinach. That is why ancient people used malunggay leaves as vegetable ingredients for cooking.
It proves that malunggay is enriched with various nutritions in which they can heal many kind of diseases and hereby the benefits of maluggay leave:
1. Normalize Blood Sugar Level (Diabetes)
Among the various benefits of Malunggay leaves, anti diabetic becomes one of the illness which can be healed by Malunggay. Some studies of diabetes explained an increase in the magnitude of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) which almost doubled from 4.1% to 8.1%. That condition may be caused by stressed of lifestyle and it lead to the increase in the incidence of diabetes. Malunggay leaves have many potential in managing health especially for diabetes. Hyperglycemia is one of the most important symptoms of diabetes. The study used Malunggay leaves tea in lowering the blood sugar levels. The research involved some participants and they were asked to have breakfast before they drank Malunggay tea.
After taking breakfast their blood sugar levels were measured. The research used Malunggay dried-leaves tea and commercially prepared according to the specifications of the manufacturer. One tablespoon of Malunggay leaves was mixed into a cup of hot water and brewed for 5 minutes and each respondent drank one cup of Malunggay tea. After two hours, their blood sugar levels were measured again and the study proved that taking Malunggay leaves tea did not have significant effect on the blood sugar level two hours after intake for people with initial blood sugar levels that are between 60-120 mg/dl. In other side when the Malunggay leaves tea was drunk by hyperglycemic patients, their blood sugar levels sugnificantly decreased two hours after intake. That proof shows that Malunggay leaves tea can manage or treat diabetes.
2. Combating Malnutritions
Malunggay leaves have been known in medical field as the effective way to combat malnutrition especially among infants or new born baby and nursing mothers. In order to combat malnutrition, Malunggay leaves are consumed by mothers in feeding programs. The drumsticks are similarly to green beans while the seeds are taken out from the mature pods and it is cooked like roasted nuts. The Malunggay leaves are cooked and used such spinach and dried for usage as a condiment. Malunggay leaves is riched-nutrients and minerals and are used as nutritional supplement.
3. Anti-infectious, Antibacterial and Antifungal
The medical field has proved the miracle benefits of Malunggay leaves for some treatments including the herbal medicine for anti infectious, anti bacterial and antifungal since Malunggay leaves contain iron, thiamin, calcium, beta-carotene, phosphorous, vitamin A, B, C and E and lipoprotein. Specific components Malunggay leaves which include the isothiocyanate compounds was reported to exhibit hypotensive, anticancer and antibacterial activities in our body. Pterygospermin is known in medical science as having antimicrobial was also found in Malunggay leaves.
4. Anticancer (Phytochemicals)
Nowadays cancer has been one of the main concerns in medical research. It leads the scientists to do more research finding the effective medicine by using healthy plants. Phytochemical is chemical compounds produced by plants and the study analyzed that Malunggay leaves were particulary rich in potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A and D, Essential amino acids as well as known as antioxidants such as β-carotene, vitamin C and flavonoids. Furthermore, this miracle plant is rich in compounds containing simple sugar, rhamnose and unique group or glucosinolates and isothiocyanates which categorized as hypotensive, anticancer and antibacterial activities. Benzyl isothiocyanate which is found in Malunggay leaves can prevent cancer cells in our body. Malunggay leaves are also used in the treatment of prostate and skin cancer. While another study show that Malunggay can prevent againts doxorubicin resistant human breast cancer cells. Malunggay leaf can even heal tumor and prevent cancer cells activities.
5. Anti-inflammatory
The advantages of Malunggay leaves have been revealed including in inhibiting inflammation. Traditionally Malunggay leaves was also used to prevent and treat inflammations associated to rheumatism, arthritis and joint pains. The Malunggay leaves are loaded with various vitamins and minerals which can effectively prevent againts many kind of sickness. A recent reseach analyzed that Malunggay 4-(4′-O-acetyl-α-L-rhamnosyloxy) benzyl isothiocyanate and 4-(α-L-rhamnosyloxy) benzylisothiocyanate could significantly decreased gene expression and production of inflammatory markers in RAW macrophages.
6. Produce more Milk for Breast-feeding
Breast-feeding mothers need to give the best milk for their baby in order to prevent malnutrition. Natural nutrition of breast-feeding can produce more milk if the mothers consume Malunggay leaves. Moreover Malunggay leaves is believed to have an aphrodisiac that enchance or stimulate the sexual activity. Malunggay young can increase the flow of milk lactating mothers.
7. Strengthen the Immune System
Malunggay leaves help to boost immune system about 10x more than the commercially-made vitamins and other supplements.
8. Helping to Restore Skin Condition
Skin problem is the main interest for women or men. Women, especially are worried about their skin and they will find the best way to solve this skin problem. Malunggay leave known as miracle leaves can solve this skin condition. This miracle leave contain many various nutrients which are very useful for skin care. Eating fresh and young Malunggay leaves can reduce the skin problem such as irritated skin and reddened skin. The seed oil is also the main agent to prevent inflammatory.
9. Relieves Headache
Malunggay leaves are not only used for serious illness, but also used to treat another diseases such as headache where by the leaves enriched by vitamin A and C. Malunggay fried-leaves are useful for cold and fever while the juice of its leaves is used in cases of headache
10. Strengthen the Eye Muscles
Another benefit of Malunggay leave juice is also applied in the eye in fainting fits due to nervous debility. Malunggay’s vitamins and minerals is essential for preventing general micronutrient disorders. Vitamin E which is contained in Malunggay leaves can strengthen muscle weakness including eye muscles.
11. Prevent the Intestinal Worms (Anthelmintics)
Malunggay leave contain important nutrient called anthelmintic which can prevent againts parasitic or worms and may able to kill the intestinal worms activities in the body.
12. Increase Semen Count
Malunggay leaves tea have been proved as the multi-advantages tree. While Malunggay fruits may bring the solution for men’s problem. For those who has the semen problem, Malunggay is the best way to increase semen count. It can effectively help men to produce more fluids in which they protect and enriches sperm.
13. Relax and Promote Good-Night Sleep
For those who is lack of sleep can use Malunggay as natural sleep aid to make good-night sleep very well. The various nutrients from Malunggay leaves make people can get relaxed and freshed brain and prevent nervous disorder. Anti-spasmodic and the vitamins of Malunggay leaves can solve the problem related to enxiety during sleeping time.
14. Treat Common Cold, Fever and Asthma
When cold, fever or asthma occur in our body, the effective herbal medicine such as Malunggay is the best way to heal naturally. Malunggay has more vitamin C than other fruits which can strengthen immune system and attact diseases such as cold, fever and even astma. Besides its young root can treat fever as well as its leaves. While for Asthma, scientists suggested Malunggay seeds and juice of the young root mixed with milk for treatment of Asthma.
15. Heal Ulcers
Another benefit of Malunggay leaves is proved in healing ulcer or gastritis. The amino acid histidine of Malunggay can be used in healing ulcer and glutamic acid.
16. Clean Dirty or Polluted Water
Malunggay is not known only as the medical herbal but in many countries, the seeds of the Malunggay tree are used to purify and clean dirty-polluted water. For example in Sudan, the research using the seeds of Malunggay in Nile water proved that the process of water purification not only removed solid contaminants but also greatly reduced amounts of harmful bacteria. While a study in UK found that Malunggay seeds not only purify water but also soften it very well. A study revealed that Malunggay seeds can filter water using flocculation to produce healthy and potable water.
17. Treat Rheumatism
Malunggay leaves is known as useful medicin to heal aching muscles and it is also effective to reduce rheumatism since Malunggay has amino-acid histidine used in treatment of rheumatoid arhtritis. Malunggay leaves can work together with its seed and they are roasted then it is applied in painful area of rheumatism. Vitamin B1 of Malunggay is also preventing rheumatism.
18. Hypocholestemia or High Cholesterol
Malunggay leaves contain calcium, potassium, protein, iron and vitamin A, B, and C in which they contribute and balance the cholesterol level in the body. It is the same when Malunggay leaves were tested to measure blood sugar levels.
The Side Effects of Malunggay
Besides the great benefits of this miracle tree there are some side effects that we must pay attention on it. The root and the root extracts of Malunggay should not be consumed as food ingredients for cooking. Spirocin, an alkaloid isolated from the root and it may cause a fatal nerve paralysis. And for some reason, the use of Malunggay should not be for pregnancy. It is considered to be possinly unsafe when the root, bark or flowers are used during pregnancy because it can cause abortion and uterine contractions. So when thinking about consuming Malunggay we have to stay safe and enjoy its natural nutritional value.