Moringa oelifera
Malunggay is a widely cultivated plant in the Philippines. It is also known as Moringa, West Indian Tree, horseradish tree, ben oil tree, drumstick tree, la mu (Mandarin), arzan taiga (Burkina Faso), windi bundu (Niger), among others.
Malunggay is a very nutritious plant and its benefits have been acknowledged by nutritionist, dietitians, and nutrition researchers. Considered as a miracle plant, the tea derived from this plant has higher levels of flavanoids or polyphenols. These are anti-oxidants that can help detoxify your body and strengthen the immune system.
Malunggay trees are generally grown in the backyards in countries of Southeast Asia, Central and South America , and Africa. It is said that these plants are "low maintenance," requiring little to no care.
Health Benefits
Malunggay can help restores skin condition, controls blood pressure, relieves headaches and migraines.
Malunggay tea can help strengthen the eye muscles.
Malunggay tea can help heal inflammation of the joints and tendons.
Malunggay tea can prevent intestinal worms.
Malunggay can help increase semen count.
Malunggay help normalize blood sugar level therefore preventing diabetes.
Malunggay has anti-cancer compounds (phytochemicals) that help stop the growth of cancer cells.
Malunggay helps relax and promotes good night sleep.
Malunggay tea is used to treat fever and asthma.
Malunggay help heals ulcers.
Malunggay is high in calcium (four times the calcium in milk), therefore lactating mothers are advised to consume malunggay leaves to produce more milk for their babies. The young malunggay leaves are also boiled and taken as tea.
Malunggay contains three times the potassium in bananas.
Malunggay contain four times the vitamin A in carrots.
An ounce of malunggay has the same Vitamin C content as seven oranges.
Malunggay leaves contain two times the protein in milk.
Malunggay seed is used to clean dirty or polluted water.
Making Malunggay Tea - Step by Step Process
Collection and harvesting of fresh leaves of the Malunggay tree is easy. Just pick the compound leaves from the tree branch. The leaves come off from the branches quite easily. Special tools are not needed to do this step. You have to pick the greenest mature leaves and make sure to remove those that have signs of yellowing. It is up to you to harvest as much or as little as you want.
Step 2: Sorting
Place the harvested leaves in a clean dry pan. Shake the leaves to remove dust or cobwebs. Then carefully pick and remove impurities such as dirt, twigs, and small insects like ants.
Step 3: Air-drying
After sorting and cleaning your harvest, transfer the leaves into a larger flat container for air-drying. Place the container in a shaded and cool area. Do not sun-dry the leaves. This is important because sun-drying can diminish the nutritional content of the leaves. Air-drying takes about three days. After the third day, the leaves will become wilted and they’re ready for crushing.
Step 4: Crushing
Get a fine wire mesh and place the wilted Malunggay leaves on top of it. Start the crushing process by vigorously shaking the leaves on the wire mesh. This will remove more impurities from the leaves and will eliminate leaf petioles that were shed during the drying process.
Pan-drying removes moisture to make the leaves brittle. The process deactivates oxidative enzymes and prevents the leaves from rotting. The application of heat also stops the growth of molds. This is a delicate step and proper care must be followed to ensure that the leaves will retain their flavor and nutritional value.
Place the pan over low fire and allow it to get warm for about one to two minutes. Pour the dried leaves into the pan and continuously turn them over for about three minutes. Quickly remove the completely dried leaves from the pan and place them in a clean open container to cool.
Note: You have the option to further crush the dried leaves to make them more powdery. If you don’t want a powdery consistency, just allow the leaves to cool so you can prepare them for packaging and storage.
Moringa tea is best stored in an air-tight colored glass container. This is done to minimize oxidation, increase shelf-life, and to retain the full flavor of the brew. You can buy small tea bags and pack each bag with two teaspoonfuls of the dried leaves. If you do not have tea bags or you don’t want to use one, storing the tea in a glass container will do. Just make sure to use a thoroughly dry teaspoon for scooping the tea leaves.
When brewing, it is best not to boil the leaves so that you can get the full nutritional benefits of Malunggay tea. What you need to do is to steep two teaspoonful of Malunggay tea in boiling water. Allow the leaves to settle at the bottom of the cup before drinking the brew. You can add honey or sugar to the brew if you want a sweet-tasting tea.
Final Words
All parts of the malunggay tree are usable for nutritional and medicinal purposes - from the roots, trunk, and branches to the leaves, flowers, and seeds. The small, oval, dark-green leaves are famous vegetable ingredient in soup, fish and chicken dishes. The leaves can actually be eaten raw, but best added in meals due to its high concentration of nutrients. The roots is used to make tea, while the trunk, after it's scraped and squeezed for its juice is used to clean wounds.
Yes, you can use it on your skin too as it helps rejuvinate it. In fact, a number of skin toners, creams, lotions and cleansers contain malunggay extracts. The best thing here is that it’s completely natural and safe.
Here is a simple home remedy for those nasty pimples.
Get as much malunggay leaves as you can for the day and then juice it. You can do so by grinding it with a mortar and pestle and then adding enough warm water. You can apply it directly to your face and leave it for 10 minutes. You can also use a small towel or tissue dipped in the malunggay juice. Afterwards, you can rinse your face with your regular cleanser.
