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What is Moringa?
Moringa Is A Natural, Nutritional Powerhouse
While it’s one of the newer discoveries to modern science,
Moringa has been making strides in various societies for
thousands of years. Moringa continues to amaze the scientific
world with its amazing balance of antioxidants, minerals and
amino acids.
Ancient Indian writings, dating as far back as 150 B.C., refer
to the Moringa plant and its uses. Early Romans, Greeks, and
Egyptians prized Moringa for its therapeutic properties and also
used it to protect skin, make perfume, and purify water for
drinking. Now this humble plant, often called “the Miracle
Tree,” is coming to the forefront as one of the most nutritious
herbs in the world.
Moringa contains 36 anti-inflammatories
Moringa and Skin Health
Moringa contains a recently discovered cytokinin (plant hormones
that induce cell division, growth, and delay aging of cells).
Moringa Tea has named this unique compound Moringa YSP. In
recent clinical tests, this naturally occurring substance
increased both the growth and yield of agricultural products
and, when added to the diets of dairy cattle, significantly
increased their milk production and furthermore promoted more
rapid cellular regeneration. Clinical studies have shown Moringa
YSP produces anti-aging properties in humans. The human skin
life cycle is approximately 300 days. Every minute more than
40,000 individual skin cells die. With the use of Moringa YSP
the human skin cycle was altered by the fact that new skin cells
grew faster than the older cells died. This resulted in an
amazing reduction of wrinkles on the face and other parts of the
body.
Zeatin, one of the compounds in Moringa YSP, is a supreme
anti-oxidant with powerful anti-aging properties. Zeatin slows
the aging process by helping the body replace cells at a faster
rate than they age, giving a more youthful appearance to the
skin. A 2004 study by Seneteck PLC shows that Zeatin does not
interfere with the genetic control of cellular lifespan, that it
promotes maintenance of small cell size (key determinant of
youthful skin), and prevents the accumulation of macromolecular
damage in the cell. It was also found the Zeatin increases the
activity of anti-oxidants to counter act the damage caused by
free radicals during cell aging and protects healthy cells from
the stress of daily life. Moringa has several thousand times
more Zeatin than any other known plant.
Dietary and Health Benefits of Moringa
Until recently, only a smattering of research had been completed
in India, its bordering countries, and in parts of Africa. Even
less research had been done in the West. Then, not long ago, the
University of Leicester in England performed a number of
studies. The results from these studies along with the limited
number of studies conducted in the United States confirm the
dietary and health benefits of the Moringa, with some of the
results showing to lower cholesterol, assist the respiratory
system and minimize the effects of asthma. Moringa has no known
impurities or adverse reactions when consumed.
While some of the benefits of the Moringa plant have been tapped
by various impoverished civilizations, the plant’s nutritional
potential was not “discovered” by modern societies until the
late nineteenth century. The indigenous knowledge and use of
Moringa is referenced in more than 80 countries and known in
over 200 local languages, has over 300 references to it in
ayurvedic medicine. Even with the known value of this plant,
little has been done to introduce its amazing benefits to the
world.
Amino Acids
Amino Acids: Can’t Live Without Them
What are they and exactly what do they do for us?
You can’t live without them. You’re unhealthy with too few of
them. But in the right amounts they keep your body systems
strong.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Just as
different letters of the alphabet are used to form different
words, so are different amino acids used to build different
proteins.
All Eight Essential Amino Acids
Here is a list of the complete range of naturally occurring
amino acids found in Moringa and a brief explanation of why our
bodies require them:
ISOLEUCINE builds proteins and enzymes and it provides
ingredients used to create other essential biochemical
components in your body, some of which promote energy and
stimulate the brain to keep you alert.
LEUCINE works with isoleucine to build proteins and enzymes
which enhance your body’s energy and alertness.
LYSINE insures your body absorbs the right amount of calcium. It
also helps form collagen used in your bone cartilage and
connective tissues. And lysine aids in the production of
antibodies, hormones, and enzymes. Recent studies have shown
lysine improves the balance of nutrients that reduce viral
growth.
METHIONINE primarily supplies sulfur to your body. It is known
to prevent hair, skin, and nail problems while lowering
cholesterol levels as it increases your liver’s production of
lecithin. Methionine reduces liver fat and protects the kidneys,
which reduces bladder irritation.
PHENYLALAINE produces the chemical needed to transmit signals
between your nerve cells and your brain. It can help keep you
alert, reduce your hunger pains, plus improve your memory and
your mood.
THREONINE is an important part of collagen, elastin, and enamel
proteins. Not only does it assist metabolism, threonine helps
prevent fat build-up in the liverwhile boosting your body’s
digestive and intestinal tracts.
TRYPTOHYAN supports your immune system, alleviates insomnia,
reduces anxiety, depression, and the symptoms of migraine
headaches. It also isbeneficial in decreasing the risk of artery
and heart spasms as it works with lysine to reduce cholesterol
levels.
VALINE is important in promoting a sharp mind, coordinated
muscles, and a calm mood.
Ten Non-Essential Amino Acids
These non-essential amino acids, which can be manufactured by
your body with the help of proper nutrition, are also found
abundantly in Moringa:
ALANINE is important when it comes to building energy in your
muscle tissue, brain, and central nervous system. It strengthens
your immune system by producing antibodies. Alanine also helps
in the healthy metabolism of sugars and organic acids in your
body.
ARGININE has been shown in studies to cause the release of the
growth hormones considered crucial for optimal muscle growth and
tissue repair. It also improves immune responses to bacteria,
viruses, and tumor cells while promoting the healing of your
body’s wounds.
ASPARTIC ACID helps rid your body of ammonia created by cellular
waste. When the ammonia enters your circulatory system it can
act as a highly toxic substance which can damage your central
nervous system. Recent studies have also shown that aspartic
acid may decrease fatigue and increase endurance.
CYSTINE functions as an antioxidant and is a powerful aid to the
body in protecting against radiation and pollution. It can help
slow the aging process, deactivate free radicals, and neutralize
toxins. It also aids in protein synthesis and presents cellular
change. It is necessary for the formation of new skin cells,
which aids in the recovery from burns and surgical operations.
GLUTAMIC ACID is food for the brain. It improves mental
capacities, helps speed the healing of ulcers, reduces fatigue,
and curbs your sugar cravings.
GLYCINE promotes the release of oxygen required in the
cell-making process. It is also important in the manufacturing
of hormones responsible for a strong immune system.
HISTIDINE is used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis,
allergies, ulcers, and anemia. A lack of histidine may lead to
poor hearing.
SERINE is important in storing glucose in the liver and muscles.
Its antibodies help strengthen your body’s immune system. Plus,
it synthesizes fatty acid sheaths around nerve fibers.
PROLINE is extremely important for the proper function of your
joints and tendons. It also helps maintain and strengthen heart
muscles.
TRYROSINE transmits nerve impulses to your brain. It helps
overcome depression; improves memory; increases mental
alertness; plus promotes the healthy functioning of the thyroid,
adrenal, and pituitary glands.
Benefits of Chlorophyll
Natural healer
-Neutralizes toxins
-Flushes toxins from the body
-Purifies the liver
-Removes heavy metals pollutants
-Helps strengthen the immune system
-Assists in building red blood cells
-Rejuvenates at cellular level
-Reduces the ph level in the body
Chlorophyll
One of the phytonutrients in Moringa
Chlorophyll, the green pigment of plants, is an alkalinizing
compound found in plants that helps offset the acidifying effect
of the typical high-fat, high-protein Western diet. Because
chlorophyll is not known to be an essential nutrient, a
“deficiency” does not exist. People who do not eat plenty of
green foods lack chlorophyll in their diets.
“Chlorophyll is involved in the most important chemical reaction
on earth, photosynthesis. Our lives would not be possible
without it. Chlorophyll is the master chemical at the base of
all of our food supply and oxygen production.
Chlorophyll, often referred to as “the blood of plants”, is
closely related to hemoglobin – the red pigment of red blood
cells responsible for oxygen transport in many animals. The main
difference between the two molecules is the metallic element in
the center. In human blood hemoglobin consists of iron, while in
chlorophyll, the metallic element is magnesium. Some people
believe that this resemblance helps the chlorophyll to be better
absorbed and used to “build up” blood and fight anemia. Some
scientists and nutritionists do not believe it is absorbed
internally (to reach the blood) but rather that it may act
locally to support the health of the mouth, stomach and
intestinal tract.
In either case, there is much evidence that chlorophyll could
cure or ease acute infection of the respiratory tract and
sinuses, chronic ulcers, and bad breath; it also accelerates
wound healing and has been shown in animal studies to nullify
the cancer-inducing effects of a variety of environmental
(including food) toxins. Other studies have shown that
chlorophyll supports liver function and detoxification of the
body.
Moringa is one of the very few foods that contain chlorophyll
together with so many other nutrients (vitamins, minerals,
proteins, beneficial fats), and has a great taste. Dark green
vegetables and herbs like Romaine lettuce, spinach, or parsley
are excellent sources of chlorophyll, but they do not provide
many of the other nutrients of Moringa.”
Excerpt from
Miracle Tree,
by Monica Marcu, Pharmagologist
Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins and Minerals
Perform many vital functions for the body;
but what are they, and what exactly do they do for us?
What are vitamins and minerals?
Vitamins and minerals perform many vital functions for the body
and can lower your risk for many chronic diseases and cancers.
These substances are essential to normal metabolism, growth and
development, and regulation of the functioning of your body’s
cells and tissues. Vitamins and minerals are obtained from food,
except for vitamin D and vitamin K, which the body can
synthesize. Minerals are simple chemical elements and are an
essential part of your body’s functioning. Minerals cannot be
synthesized by your body and must be obtained through the food
you eat.
What is a vitamin or mineral deficiency?
A deficiency of a vitamin or mineral can result if you are not
getting enough of it in your diet, your ordinary nutritional
needs increase, or you are unable to absorb the nutrients from
the food you eat. A deficiency or lack of a vitamin or mineral
in your diet can lead to a nutritional deficiency disease, such
as rickets. There are complex interactions among vitamins and
minerals, and a deficiency or excess of one affects others.
What is the difference between a water soluble vitamin and a fat
soluble vitamin?
A water soluble vitamin (vitamin B and C) can not be stored by
the body and must be replenished every day. A vitamin that is
stored by the body is known as a fat soluble (vitamin A, D, E,
and K). Over time fat soluble vitamins can build up to toxic
levels.
What are the Daily Recommended Allowances (RDAs)?
Two agencies, the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration, have both issued standards for meeting
the nutritional needs of men, women, and children. Expressed as
RDA, they generally indicate the amount of a particular nutrient
that is needed to avoid nutritional diseases.
What are antioxidant vitamins and why are they
important?
Our bodies are actually battlegrounds for infection and
diseases. Normal body functions, such as breathing or physical
activity, and other lifestyle habits, such as smoking, produce
substances called free radicals that attack healthy cells. When
these healthy cells are weakened, they are more susceptible to
cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancers.
Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, and cartenoids, which
include beta-carotene and lutein, help protect healthy cells
from damage caused by free radicals.
We have vitamins A, B, C, D, E, AND K.
Whatever happened to vitamins F-J?
Vitamins are named in the order of discovery. Later research
found vitamins F-J closely related to other vitamins, mainly the
B complex group, and were
re-assigned.
A Partial List of the Vitamins and Minerals in Moringa:
Vitamins
As defined by A.D.A.M. Inc.
Vitamin A (Beta carotene)
Definition: Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin.
Function: Vitamin A (retinol) essential in the formation and
maintenance of healthy teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, mucous
membranes, and skin. It may also be required for reproduction
and lactation. It is also known as retinol because it generates
the pigments in the retina. Vitamin A promotes good vision,
especially in dim light. When Vitamin A is manufactured by
plants, it is present in the form of a precursor called beta
carotene. Beta carotene is an anti-oxidant—a substance that
protects the body against disease and premature aging by
fighting the cell-damaging chemicals called free radicals.
Vegetable sources of beta-carotene are fat and cholesterol free
(not so with vitamin A from dairy and meat products). The body
regulates the conversion of beta-carotene to Vitamin A based on
the body’s needs. The more intense the color of a fruit or
vegetable, the higher the beta-carotene content.
Deficiency: Vitamin A deficiency can increase the susceptibility
to infectious diseases, as well as cause vision problems.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
Definition: Vitamin B1, one of the B vitamins, a group of
water-soluble vitamins that participate in many of the chemical
reactions in the body. Thiamine is important in the production
of energy.
Function: Thiamine helps the body cells convert carbohydrates
into energy. It is also essential for the functioning of the
heart, muscles, and nervous system.
Deficiency: A deficiency of thiamine can cause weakness,
fatigue, psychosis, and nerve damage.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
Definition: A water-soluble vitamin required by the body for
health, growth and reproduction; one of the B-complex vitamins.
Function: Riboflavin works with the other B vitamins. It is
important for body growth and red cell production, and helps in
releasing energy from carbohydrates. Because riboflavin is
destroyed by exposure to light, foods with riboflavin should not
be stored in glass containers that are exposed to light.
Deficiency: Deficiency symptoms include dry and cracked skin and
eyes that are sensitive to bright light.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
Definition: Niacin (vitamin B3) is a water-soluble vitamin
required by the body for health, growth and reproduction; part
of the vitamin B complex.
Function: Niacin assists in the functioning of the digestive
system, skin, and nerves. It is also important for the
conversion of food to energy.
Deficiency: A deficiency of niacin causes pellagra. The symptoms
include inflamed skin, digestive problems, and mental
impairment.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
Definition: A water-soluble vitamin, part of the B complex.
Function: Vitamin B6 plays a role in the synthesis of antibodies
in the immune system. It helps maintain normal nerve function
and acts in the formation of red blood cells. It is also
required for the chemical reactions of proteins. The higher the
protein intake, the more need for vitamin B6.
Deficiency: Deficiency of this vitamin is not common in the
United States.
Vitamin B7 (Biotin, formerly vitamin H)
Definition: Biotin, a water-soluble vitamin, helps the body
break down and use food. Biotin is part of the B vitamin
complex.
Function: Biotin is essential for the metabolism of proteins and
carbohydrates (like the other B vitamins), and in the synthesis
of hormones and cholesterol.
Deficiency: There is no known dietary deficiency of Biotin.
Vitamin C (Absorbic acid)
Definition: A water-soluble vitamin that is necessary for normal
growth and development.
Function: Vitamin C promotes healthy teeth and gums, helps in
the absorption of iron, aids in the maintenance of normal
connective tissue, and promotes wound healing. It also helps the
body’s immune system.
Deficiency: A deficiency of vitamin C causes the disease scurvy,
which is especially rare in the U.S.
Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol)
Definition: Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is used in
the absorption of calcium.
Function: Vitamin D promotes the body’s absorption of calcium,
which is essential for the normal development of healthy teeth
and bones. It also helps maintain adequate blood levels of the
minerals calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D is also known as the
“sunshine vitamin” because the body manufactures the vitamin
after being exposed to sunshine. Ten to 15 minutes of sunshine 3
times weekly is adequate to produce the body’s requirement of
vitamin D.
Deficiency: A vitamin D deficiency leads to soft bones
(rickets).
Vitamin E (Tocopherol)
Definition: Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin; it is one of the
vitamins that act as antioxidants.
Function: Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects body tissue
from the damage of oxidation. It is important in the formation
of red blood cells and the use of vitamin K.
Deficiency: There is no known dietary deficiency of vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Definition: Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an
important role in blood clotting.
Function: Vitamin K is known as the clotting vitamin, because
without it blood would not clot. Some studies indicate that it
helps in maintaining strong bones in the elderly. Vitamin K is
also made by the bacteria that line the gastrointestinal tract.
Deficiency: Vitamin K deficiency is very rare. It occurs when
there is an inability to absorb the vitamin from the intestinal
tract, and can also occur after prolonged treatment with oral
antibiotics.
What are Fatty Acids?
Fats and oils in foods are made up of basic units
called fatty acids. The oils and fats that people eat are nearly
always mixtures of 3 types of fatty acids– monounsaturated,
polyunsaturated, or saturated fats, with one type predominating.
Two specific types of polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic
(omega 6) and alpha-linolenic (omega 3), are called essential
fatty acids (EFAs). They must be present in the diet in adequate
amounts because they are literally essential to life and health.
Seven critical functions of essential fats are:
Developing and maintaining gray matter in the brain
Achieving optimal growth
Maintaining the integrity of cell membranes
Keeping skin healthy
Proper visual development
Maintaining a healthy nervous system
Regulation of blood pressure, blood clotting and the body’s
inflammatory response
Omega-9, Oleic Acid
One of the best types of fats is oleic acid (Omega-9). Omega 9,
a monounsaturated
oil (MUFA), is not an essential fatty acid as the body can
synthesize it from other nutritional compounds that are
consumed. It occurs naturally in greater quantities than any
other fatty acid. Oleic acid is the main fat in olive oil. Olive
oil is well known for it’s health benefits, with science clearly
linking oleic acid to lower cardiovascular risk, lower blood
levels of cholesterol and lower levels of blood glucose. Olive
oil is about 75% oleic acid, Moringa Oliefera follows closely
having about 73% oleic acid. (Oleifera is a Latin term meaning
oil containing). Oleic acid comprises about 55% in Canola oil
and about 20% in sunflower oil. Studies suggest that in
countries with higher obesity prevalence, it is the shift from
MUFA (such as olive oil) to PUFA (vegetable oils) that
particularly appears to be associated with the risk of obesity. |
