Those who deal with food will certainly have heard about it, but mark this name because it is destined to be talked about: moringa. Probably you have already heard it combined with goji berries, avocado oil, macadamia nuts, seaweed, potatoes, pomegranate, bergamot, chard and cabbage: in fact, in the superfood range there is also this plant that harbors many nutrients to make it a real energy bomb worthy of competing with Ferro arm spinach and used just like spinach especially to counteract seasonal fatigue or during pregnancy. Not only: the benefits of this Indianol superfood are many and in recent times it is even claimed its (alleged) slimming vocation. A panacea for all ills?

Super or not super? Certainly full of qualities
Strengthens hair, fights aging, gives energy and strength, prevents diabetes mellitus, fights anemia, reduces cholesterol levels, has anticancer properties and is effective against asthma. It should be enough? Super or not, the moringa is full of merits and this is undoubted. Just know it. superfood is now a term entered into the vocabulary of our diet and has existed in the Anglo-Saxon world for decades. But around this theme there is a heated controversy, between sensationalist titles and very skeptical sarongs. So much so that recently the Guardian newspaper (but not only him), with the help of the nutritional tables provided by the British Dietitians Association (BDA), undermines the super fame and mitigates the reputation of these super fruits, super vegetables or super seeds. The truth, however, is that some foods truly boast so many properties that they justify the adjective miraculous (click here). And the moringa is one of these.

The plant
It is known with an infinite number of names. In Spanish, for example, it is called Jacinto, and already the ancients had guessed how healthy and particular this plant was. Used for centuries, the moringa oleifera has origins in eastern India, it is considered to be from the foothills of the Himalayan range of Uttar Pradesh. Today it is widespread in tropical and equatorial areas (especially in South America). For now, thirteen species have been identified, eight of which are native to Africa. The plant can reach four or five meters in height, but if it finds suitable and very fertile soil it can even reach ten meters. It resists well in lack of water and in periods of cold, as long as they are short, on pain of scarce fruiting of the plant.

Properties of the moringa
The moringa powder is obtained from the leaves and seeds, which are dried and finely ground. The result is an almost impalpable substance that is very reminiscent of the matcha tea and which contains 9 essential amino acids, 27 vitamins, 46 different antioxidants and many mineral salts. To make a comparison, the moringa boasts twice the protein of a yogurt, four times the vitamin A of carrots, three times the potassium of bananas and four times the calcium supplied by the milk. It also contains vitamin C in a quantity seven times greater than oranges. Finally it is rich in vitamin E, which protects the skin and our organs from aging and the action of free radicals. And it is precisely because of their nutritional power that moringa oleifera leaves are recommended as an energetic food both during pregnancy (but beware of the roots and bark that can have abortive effects) both during breastfeeding, but also in periods of particular tiredness due to , for example, to pathological liver values ​​or simply to multiple factors, to anemia or chronic fatigue.

How to consume it
According to the FAO, that of the moringa is an important cultivation which belongs to tradition and which must be preserved due to its many beneficial properties. Increasingly used also in the form of a food supplement all over the world, it can also be consumed in salads, with raw or boiled leaves, such as spinach. The roots have a strong radish smell and taste, from which derives the name "horseradish tree", that is the radish tree and the seeds, circular, should be consumed boiled or toasted. With a teaspoon of powder it can enrich a smoothie in the morning, while the leaves can be added to the vegetable curry or can be used to make chocolate desserts and various types of tea. Flowers, fruits, leaves and roots: nothing of the moringa is thrown away because every part of it is precious.

Emanuela Di Pasqua,
24 January 2018
updated in April 2019