Drinking moringa tea is good for you.
This ethno-medicinal herb grown in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world is known for its various therapeutic purposes [1].
Some of the reported medicinal uses and health benefits of moringa tea include treatment of fever and ear infections, and maintenance of blood sugar and blood pressure levels [1].
According to WebMD, moringa is an “important food source” as it is rich in vitamins and minerals.
Key Nutrient Facts of Moringa Tea
Moringa is one of the healthiest leafy greens packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It has zero fat and a few calories.
The list below contains nutritional information based on a 100-gram serving of moringa. The percentage values are for a 2,000 calorie diet.
- Calories 37
- Fat 0
- Cholesterol 0
- Sodium 42 mg
- Potassium 461 mg
- Carbohydrates 9 g
- Dietary Fiber 2 g
- Protein 1 g
- Vitamin A 1%
- Vitamin C 234%
- Calcium 3%
- Iron 2%
- Vitamin B6 5%
- Magnesium 11%
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11 Health Benefits of Moringa Tea
1. Moringa Tea Prevents Free Radical Damage
Worried about free radicals?
Moringa tea can be your best defense.
This herbal infusion is packed with antioxidants such as gallic acid, quercetin, and ferulic acid that can neutralize the cellular damage caused by free radicals, and in turn, prevent an array of ailments [2].
Just a few of the many diseases that can be caused by free radicals and oxidative stress are heart disease, cancer, asthma, dementia, and diabetes.
Many studies have been done on this subject, and have proven that moringa has powerful free radical scavenging activities that can benefit people’s health [3, 4, 5, 6].
A 2003 study featured in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry explains that the “major bioactive compounds” in moringa are kaempferol and quercetin [3].
These are some of the compounds that exhibited the highest antioxidant activities [3].
Researchers believe that moringa should be used in developing pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products [6].
Key Takeaways:
- Moringa tea has potent antioxidants that can inhibit the actions of free radicals and prevent various types of health problems.
- Some of the active compounds that demonstrated the highest antioxidant activities include quercetin and kaempferol.
2. Moringa Tea Can Help Manage Diabetes
When the body is not able to use or produce insulin, the blood sugar levels can be thrown out of balance, and the result is a condition called diabetes [7].
This is not a condition that can be taken lightly.
If not given ample medical attention, it can lead to serious complications such as heart disease, nerve damage, kidney failure, eye damage, foot problems, skin issues, hearing impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Not only should you seek professional treatment, you should also learn to make the necessary lifestyle changes that would help keep blood sugar levels in check.
Diabetics can also help manage this condition with moringa tea.
Scientists have confirmed several times that moringa has significant anti-diabetic effects [8, 9, 10, 11].
In one that was conducted in the University of Rajasthan in Jaipur, India, researchers probed the anti-diabetic and antioxidant effects of moringa on diabetic rats induced with streptozotocin [8].
For 21 days, the rat subjects were administered with either 150 or 300 mg/kg of moringa extract [8].
After the experiment, it was found that moringa significantly halted the progression of the disease, and at the same time, reduced the nitric oxide and serum glucose [8].
Moringa was also discovered to have increased the antioxidant activities in the pancreatic tissue [8].
A Nigerian study published in the International Journal of Science and Technology, meanwhile, revealed that moringa leaf water extract is “almost as effective as the standard drug” in treating diabetes [11].
Key Takeaways:
- Managing diabetes can be done naturally and safely by drinking moringa tea, which according to research can be almost as effective as the standard drug prescribed for this condition.
- It worked in delaying the progress of diabetes, and reducing the serum glucose and nitric oxide.
- It also boosted the body’s antioxidant activities, particularly in the pancreas.
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3. Moringa Tea Can Alleviate Inflammation
Despite what many people think, inflammation is not entirely bad.
In fact, it is the body’s way of protecting itself from harmful invaders that can cause infectious diseases [12].
The body swells to get rid of the contaminants before they cause serious harm.
The only problem is, inflammation can cause pain and discomfort when it is chronic, or when the immune system attacks its own tissues [12].
According to a study that can be found in the International Journal of Pharmacognosy, moringa can help alleviate inflammation [13].
After oral administration of moringa extract, it successfully halted carrageenan-induced rat paw edema [13].
A dosage of 660 mg/kg produced 50 percent inhibitory concentration [13].
Researchers have discovered that this medicinal herb can be an effective treatment for acute and chronic inflammatory conditions [13].
Key Takeaways:
- Inflammation is a way by which the body removes harmful contaminants before they cause any infection.
- It only becomes a problem when it’s chronic or when it attacks its own healthy tissues.
- A good way to alleviate inflammation is with the use of moringa.
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4. Moringa Tea is a Good Remedy for Arthritis
Suffering from painful arthritis?
Moringa tea is the perfect solution.
Arthritis is an umbrella term for inflammatory conditions involving the joints [14].
It causes great pain and discomfort, as symptoms include warmth, swelling, redness, and difficulty in moving the affected joints [14].
There are some types of arthritis in which some internal organs are also severely affected [14].
Two of the most common types are osteoarthritis, which affects the hips, fingers and knees, and rheumatoid arthritis, which attacks the hands and feet [14].
Pain killers are often prescribed for these conditions but they can only do so much.
Moringa does not only help alleviate the pain, but also tones down the inflammation caused by this condition.
In 2007, scientists investigated the anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory effects of moringa, and they’ve found out that it is a promising treatment for arthritis [15].
Paw edema volume as well as the arthritic index score were much lower in animal subjects after they were given moringa extract for a period of 21 days [15].
Key Takeaways:
- Arthritis is a disorder that causes joint inflammation.
- It brings pain, redness, swelling, and decreases range of motion of the affected joints.
- With its anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory properties, moringa can help tone down arthritis and provide immediate pain relief.
5. Moringa Tea Can Treat Bronchial Asthma
Asthma is more common and more serious than most people realize.
Over 25 million people suffer from asthma, seven million of which are children [16].
This chronic lung condition is characterized by the inflammation and narrowing of the bronchial tubes or airways, resulting in coughing and difficulty in breathing [16].
If not taken care right away, it can possibly result in death.
Herbal remedies like moringa tea have been proven successful in toning down airway inflammation [17].
In a clinical trial conducted in the Department of Pharmacology in India, 21 patients who were diagnosed with mild to moderate asthma were given three grams of dried moringa powder for three weeks [17].
By the time the trial was over, it was noted that the intake of moringa significantly reduced the severity of an asthma attack [18].
Improvement in the symptoms was also observed [18].
It’s also important to mention that none of the patients experienced any unpleasant side effects following the use of this remedy [18].
Key Takeaways:
- A condition that causes the airways to inflame, asthma can make it difficult for one to breathe.
- It can sometimes result in death, if not given proper medical attention.
- One of the natural ways to improve asthma condition is to make use of moringa.
- Moringa not only ameliorates the symptoms, it also reduces the severity of the attack.
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6. Lower Fever with Moringa Tea
Like inflammation, fever can also be good for the body.
A temporary increase in the body temperature can kill disease-causing viruses and bacteria, according to Mayo Clinic.
However, it can become a problem when the temperature becomes too high.
There are some cases in which excessively high fever causes convulsions.
Convulsions are more common in children than in adults.
To lower the fever, you can make use of natural remedies like moringa tea.
Various studies provide evidence that moringa has strong anti-pyretic and analgesic properties that can provide relief for people with fever [19, 20].
Not only does moringa work to reduce the body temperature, it can also ease the bodily pains that usually come with fever.
Key Takeaways:
- Relieve yourself from the uncomfortable feeling of having a fever by drinking moringa tea, an herbal remedy known for analgesic and anti-pyretic properties.
- It doesn’t only lower the temperature of the body, but also alleviates the pain that comes with the fever.
7. Fight Infectious Bacteria with Moringa Tea
It’s true that bacteria are present inside the body.
In fact, they help carry out certain bodily processes.
Problem starts when bad bacteria outnumber the good bacteria.
It’s a good thing there are natural ways to combat bad bacteria, such as with the use of moringa tea.
Several studies confirm that moringa has strong antibacterial properties against various strains of harmful pathogens that can cause serious health problems [21, 22, 23, 24, 25].
A 2012 study shows that moringa can inhibit bacterial strains such as Staphylococcus aureus [25].
The presence of flavonoids, tannins, phenolics and glycosides in moringa are said to contribute to its antibacterial activities [25].
Key Takeaways:
- Moringa can efficiently inhibit the growth and spread of bacteria, and in turn, prevent various diseases.
- Responsible for its antibacterial properties are tannins, flavonoids, phenolics and glycosides.
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8. Moringa Tea Can Reduce Blood Pressure Levels
High blood pressure is not something that can be ignored.
Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure occurs when the force of blood on the arterial walls is too high [26].
As it can lead to heart disease, blood pressure levels should be monitored and maintained [26].
Research has shown that moringa tea can keep blood pressure levels in check with its hypotensive properties [27, 28, 29].
It was shown in a 2002 study that the alkaloids in moringa have antihypertensive effects [29].
Key Takeaways:
- Don’t wait for heart disease to happen before you monitor blood pressure levels.
- Help keep it in proper levels by drinking moringa tea every day.
9. Moringa Tea Has Anti-Cancer Properties
There’s no shortage of scientific literature that confirms moringa’s efficacy as treatment for cancer [30, 31, 32, 33, 34].
It has been established that the isothiocyanates in moringa exhibit anti-tumor activities in various forms of cancer such as lung, skin, breast, esophagus and pancreas [30].
Indian researchers have also uncovered moringa’s potential for inhibiting ovarian cancer cells [30].
It worked by killing the cancer cells inside the ovaries [30].
A 2013 study meanwhile reported that it can successfully destroy cancer cells in the pancreas [32].
Apart from destroying cancerous cells, it also helps prevent the spread to other healthy tissues [31].
Its anti-cancer and anti-tumor properties can be attributed to the presence of antioxidants such as kaempferol and quercetin [31].
Researchers from the Philippines and from Japan also explain that moringa has anti-tumor properties that work against the two stages of carcinogenesis [34].
Key Takeaways:
- Cancer, the second leading cause of death in the world, can be treated with moringa tea, which is rich in cancer-fighting polyphenols.
- It works by killing the cancer cells, and preventing them from spreading.
- It also suppresses the formation of tumors during the two stages of carcinogenesis.
10. Moringa Tea Can Cure Urinary Tract Infection
Urinary tract infection (UTI) affects about 150 million people every year [32].
Wikipedia defines this condition as “an infection that affects part of the urinary tract.”
As it can cause debilitating pain, it’s important to treat UTI and relieve its symptoms with herbal remedies such as moringa tea.
Results of a clinical trial involving 30 patients with UTI show that those who used moringa tea experienced a significant reduction in symptoms [33].
A large percentage of the moringa users were cured of UTI [33].
Key Takeaway:
- The symptoms of urinary tract infection can be mitigated by moringa tea.
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11. Moringa Tea Can Stimulate Thyroid Function
Hypothyroidism, also called underactive thyroid, occurs when the thyroid gland is not capable of producing thyroid hormone [34].
This hormone is necessary for utilizing oxygen and enhancing the synthesis of protein [35].
Needless to say, deficiency in this hormone can cause several problems in one’s health.
It’s a good thing, this problem can be alleviated with moringa tea, which according to research, is an efficient way to stimulate the function of the thyroid gland [35].
Key Takeaway:
- Moringa tea can help keep thyroid in top health by stimulating its function and preventing hypothyroidism.
Bottom Line
Enjoy the multitude of benefits that moringa tea can bring to your health.
Use it to ward of cancer and other ailments, and also to boost the immune system, among many others.
Of course, it’s important to consult a medical practitioner before using this or any other remedy.
Let us know your queries about moringa tea and how you can better incorporate this favorite drink to your daily routine.
Write in the comment section.
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