10 Benefits of Moringa Plant You Should Know About

10 Benefits of Moringa Plant You Should Know About

Moringa is a plant known as Moringa oleifera and also known as “Zogale” in Northern Nigeria. This plant is medicinal from the leaves down to its root. Moringa plant benefits include; use in treating “tired blood” or joint pain, as an antioxidant and treatment of many other illnesses.

People use Zogale in its natural form or powdered form or the oil extract. The plant can be eaten as a soup or garnished which is known as “Kwaɗan Zogale” in Northern Nigeria.

Every part of this plant is beneficial to humans. Here are some Moringa plant benefits to humans that we found useful for you.

10 Moringa Plant Benefits

1. It Is Good for Diabetes Patients

High sugar levels can risk your health conditions. It also gives you heart problems or diabetes over a period of time. Zogale fights diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels according to food scientists.

This plant improves the protein content in your urine. And regulate the haemoglobin content in our urine thereby treating diabetes. An increase in insulin and blood sugar levels can lead to the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

The leaves of Zogale can reduce lipid, glucose levels, and oxidative stress in your body

2. Moringa is Good for the Liver

The liver cleans the blood and metabolizes the fat in your body. Zogale has high concentrations of polyphenols to reverse oxidation in the liver. It also increases the protein levels in the liver. The consumption of Zogale can reduce liver fibrosis and protect against liver damage.

It can also protect the liver from damages if you are suffering from tuberculosis. Zogale can also help reduce the negative effects of the drugs you are taking.

Another way you can also improve your liver health is by taking green tea.

3. Moringa is a Good Source of Nutrients

Zogale is known as the superfood. Since it is a good source of riboflavin, potassium, vitamin E, and magnesium. The leaves have more vitamin C than the rest of the plants.

Its leaves are also rich in vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B3, B6, and Folate. Zogale is also rich in magnesium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and zinc.

4. Zogale is Good for the Skin and Hair

Zogale oil is good for protecting hair, keeping it clean and healthy. Since it contains protein that is helpful in protecting skin from damage. It also has hydrating and detoxifying elements, which also benefit the skin and hair.

Read: Loss of Hair Can Mean Something Serious

The leaves of Zogale improve the health and appearance of your skin. By decreasing the appearance of wrinkles on your skin. Since it has antioxidants and nutrients. Applying Zogale seed oil reduces dandruff, adds life, and bounces to dull hair by strengthening your hair follicles. They are also good for treating oedema and are present in a lot of skin and hair products.

5. Moringa Plant can Cure Stomach Aches

The powder of Zogale has about 30% fibre – and insoluble fibre that you need only for digestion purposes. This plant is a natural antibiotic and antibacterial plant. It may also help inhibit the growth of certain pathogenic bacteria in your body.

The extracts of Zogale can help treat some stomach disorders. Like constipation, gastritis, and ulcerative colitis. Since it is high in vitamin B content, it can assist people with digestion problems.

6. Zogale Aids in Weight Loss

The leaves of Zogale increase the rate of fat burn in your body. This is essential if you want to slim down without losing energy reserves. It helps in reducing cravings for food and boost metabolism. They also help in reducing cholesterol.

7. The Plant is Good for The Cardiovascular System

The Moringa plant has the ability to lower blood pressure and improve heart function. One of the benefits of Zogale is the reduction of inflammation, lowering oxidative stress, and relaxing arteries to improve blood flow in your body.

The antioxidants found in the extract of Zogale might help prevent cardiac damage. It is also known to help in maintaining a healthy heart. The extracts can help lower cholesterol and improve heart health.

8. Moringa is a Good Antioxidant

Zogale has anti-oxidative properties and protects against the effects of free radicals. It is rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene that act against free radicals.

They also have Quercetin which that can lower blood pressure and chlorogenic acid that can regulate blood sugar levels after taking your meals.

9. It Also Helps with Inflammation

Inflammation is the way your body responds to cellular injury. Zogale has anti-inflammatory effects in humans. Food scientists have seen Zogale significantly lower inflammation in cells. The inflammation that lowers polyphenols and isothiocyanates.

Zogale reduces the inflammation in your body by suppressing inflammatory enzymes and proteins in the body.

10. Moringa Plant can Boost Sexual Activity

Stress can affect your sex life since it can affect your hormone levels by increasing cortisol and decreasing dopamine. Researchers believe it can bring down cortisol levels and also boost testosterone levels.

Zogale is used to treat erectile dysfunction as a traditional medicine eating as an aphrodisiac food option.

Conclusion

The Moringa plant benefits (Zogale) are quite vast. These benefits include being nutritious, lowering blood sugar levels down to help your skin. There is a variety of dishes that you can make with Zogale.

How do you like to use your Moringa (Zogale) plant? Kindly leave your comments below or share them with your loved ones to let us know if you prefer using the leaves, powder, or prefer using the oil.

6 Common Labels on Food Products and How to Read Them

6 Common Labels on Food Products and How to Read Them

Every packaged food item comes with a food label, giving different information about the food. Common food labels provide information on what you need to know about that food item. It is important to scan through the food labels on food products to equip yourself with what makes up the food. Furthermore, you could also learn about the production date and whether the food is certified or not.

Common Label on Food Products

1. Nutritional Facts

This is a block of information that gives the most detail about the food item. In summary, it tells you all you need to know about the food’s benefits. This section is divided into three categories:

Serving Facts

This tells you the amount of the stated serving that is available in any food item. It is NOT a recommendation of how much food you should eat. This information is given either in grams, units, etc. 

Calories

If you are counting your calories for weight gain or loss, this piece of information is vital for you. The stated amount is the number of calories you would get from each serving about.

For instance, if the label says 230 calories per serving of 1 cup and you consume two cups, then 230 x 2 = 460 calories. 460 calories is the total amount of calories consumed.

Nutrients

This table will show you all the nutrients or some prime nutrients present or absent in that food item. The company may give the figure in microgram (mg) or grams (g). This section is, in fact, vital if you have a deficiency of a nutrient or you are avoiding one.

Do know that each value given is for one serving of the food if you are eating more than one servings them multiply as I did above. Some of the nutrients commonly given are fat, sugar, carbohydrates, sodium, fiber, etc.

Recommended Daily Value (RDV):

Companies express this piece of information in percentage. It is telling you how much of the servings of that food contribute to your recommended daily diet.

Ensure to compare these details with other food you will eat during the day to get enough nutrients.

2. Ingredients

When you look at this section, you see every raw material used to make the food item. It also contains information on the preservative, additive, food colour, etc.

This section will also show you possible allergens. Companies write allergen in bold letters or bright colours. Make sure you check the ingredients of the food item you buy if you are allergic to some raw material, or if you are staying away from preservatives present in food.

3. Dates

This section contains Manufacture Date, Expiry Date, Best Before Dates, etc. These dates tell you the production and expiry period of your food.

Learn more on the difference between the dates and what you should do when your food exceeds its best before date.

4. Manufacturer Details

This will include the name of the manufacturing company, address, and contact details. It also includes details like production license, marketer details, etc.

5. Certification

All food products must come with a certification of some sort for authentication. The most common certification in Nigeria is NAFDAC. Make sure the food item you are buying is NAFDAC-certified to guarantee safety and quality, and a Halal certificate to confirm that the food item is permissible for consumption for Muslims.

Some other certifications include MAN, Organic Certification, Vegan or Vegetarian Certification, Animal Cruelty-free Certification, etc. If you follow a type of diet, make sure to check the labels to confirm the authentication from certifying bodies for that diet.

6. Others

These are details that do not fit into any section. For example, the total weight of the food item, cooking instructions, storage advice, etc.

Conclusion

Labels on food products are attached to food items for a reason. Make sure you read and comprehend them for your safety and those around you.