Poga Moonga Juice and Moringa Oleifera, the Miracle Plant!

Poga Moonga Juice and Moringa Oleifera, the Miracle Plant!

Moringa oleifera, commonly referred to simply as Moringa, is of the family Moringaceae and is the most widely cultivated variety of moringa genus. It is a tree that has many uses and is exceptionally nutritious. The tree is rather slender with drooping branches that can grow 15 feet or higher but in most cases is trimed regularlyto 3 or 4 feet, to make it easier to harvest pods and leaves. Cut it back regualy also promotes new growth.

The Moringa tree grows mainly in subtropical and semi-arid tropical areas. It tolerates poor soil but grows best in dry sandy soil. It is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree that is native to the southern foothills of the Himalayas, and possibly Middle East and Africa. Today it is widely cultivated in India, Central and South America, Mexico, Africa, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and the Philippines. Moringa is considered one of the world’s most useful trees, as almost every part of the Moringa tree can be used for food, or has some other beneficial property. In the tropics it is used to feed livestock.

The green pods, called “drumsticks” are probably the most widely used and valued part of the tree. In India, they are commonly consumed in India in a similar fashion to green beans and have taste like asparagus. The seeds are removed from more mature pods and are roasted like nuts eaten like peas. When Cooked , the flowers are editable and taste like mushrooms. They use to shred and use the root as a condiment however it contains the alkaloid spirochin, a potentially nerve paralyzing agent, so such practices should be strongly discouraged.

The leaves are highly nutritious and are a significant source of potassium, Vitamin C, beta-carotene, iron and protein. The leaves are cooked and used like spinach. The leaves are also dried, crushed into a powder and used in sauses and soups. In Tamil Nadu, India, it is known as Murungakai Tamil and used in Siddha medicine, a form of India’s medicine practice because it’s leaves are full of medicinal properties. The tree is a great source for phosphorus and calcium. In Siddha medicine, the drumstick seeds are used to improve sexually related problems in men and women. They use it for treating erectile dysfunction in men and also in women for prolonging sexual activity.

The Moringa seeds yield 38–40% edible oil which contains a high concentration of behenic acid and called ben oil. It is used in cosmetics, cooking and lubrication. The oil, when refined, is odorless, clear and resists rancidity as well as any other botanical oil. After the oil extraction, the seed cake may be used to purify water and as a fertilizer.
The leaves, oil, seeds, bark, sap, roots and flowers are used in traditional medicine practices of several countries. The sap is used as blue dye In Jamaica, The flowers are a delicacy in Bangladesh and West Bengal when cooked. They call it is sojne ful and is cooked with potatoes and green peas.

Moringa is being grown in developing areas of the world and being used for addressing malnutrition. It is grown in Africa as a nutrtional supplement for individuals infected with the HIV/AIDS virus because of its high mineral and vitamin content. Many African governments promote locally growing Moringa oleifera because its beneficial to HIV-positive individuals and can be easily and cheaply grown.

It has been used successfully to combat malnutrition among new mothers and infants in Africa. After Moringa was added to their diet, nursing mothers have been shown to produce far more milk . By adding moringa to their diet, severely malnourished children have made significant weight gains. Because of it’s nutritional content It is commonly added to porridge. There approach to treating malnourished children has changed from the recommeneded diet of vegetable oil. whole milk powder and sugar because it was to expensivefor the parents. Experiments in treating malnourished children with this plant have been really amazing and it can be grown by the parents at no cost.