Moringa: UNAM study reveals the benefits of the so-called “miracle tree”

Moringa, known as the “miracle tree”, in addition to being an inexpensive food option, contains substances that lower blood pressure, lower blood glucose levels and help fight infections caused by bacteria, he explained. IB) of UNAM.

To preserve its benefits, it is essential not to subject its leaves to temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, reveals a study carried out in the National University and headed by Olson.

Laboratory investigations have shown This plant has long been rich in a substance called isothiocyanate, which helps detoxify the body.

If we make moringa tea or cook it, the enzyme that triggers its beneficial properties in the plant and also its probable anti-cancer effect is destroyed. Even so, it’s still full of protein, so stop The use of food is great, but if we want it to help with diabetes and other conditions, it needs to be treated differently, the college student said.

Multifunctional tree

The most common species in Mexico is Moringa oleifera, which is found on the Pacific coast, south of Sonora in Chiapas, especially in Balsas depression, although it also develops in the gulf region and in various parts of the peninsula of Yucatan.

This tree, Olson added, belongs to the Brassicales order, where there is also cabbage, radish, watercress and broccoli, among others. All these plants produce isothiocyanates, molecules based on sulfur, cyanide and sugars, which are very biologically active. Three-day-old broccoli sprouts are known to contain a very high concentration of the chemical sulfophane, an isothiocyanate (compound) whose beneficial effects have been widely studied.

In mammals, isothiocyanates increase levels of phase two detoxifying enzymes, which defend the body from the harmful substances that we ingest every day.

for example, lightly burnt meat contains substances soluble in lipids or fats, which our body can hardly process, and the phase two enzymes trigger various reactions that deactivate them and make them less harmful, which allows their elimination.

Using broccoli as a model, Isothiocyanates have been shown to increase levels of phase two detoxifying enzymes, And tests have been done showing that it helps reduce the incidence of cancer in cells in vitro, in animals and in several studies in humans, Olson said.

“We have done research which confirms that moringa is a good source of isothiosanates because they have equal or greater potency to induce a phase two response than sulfophane,” added.

In addition, it grows easily in Mexico, it can grow to eight meters in the first year and, in addition to isothiocyanates, its leaves contain 25 to 30 percent digestible protein by dry weight.

Therefore, and due to its low cost, For decades, some non-governmental organizations sent it to low-income populations, which is why it is known as the “miracle tree”.

In addition, it contains calcium and vitamin A, it is therefore used in childhood blindness prevention programs; its seeds contain 40 percent oleic acid of very high quality.

The bagasse that remains from the plant contains a clotting protein which, in places where there is no water treatment, can aid in the first stage of purification of the liquid. And its stems contain 13 or 14 percent protein, which also makes it a good feed for livestock.

Maximum benefits

Olson became interested in moringa 25 years ago. As he descended the highway towards the Balsas River, the hardwood forest with metallic reds and climbing plants caught his attention and he wanted to understand the evolution of this range of life forms in the dry forests of the world.

“There is a 25 meter moringa that lives in Madagascar, ours is thin, disheveled, but a good size. There is a dwarf variety in Somalia that barely protrudes two inches above the ground. I analyze the whole family, not just one variation, and it helps us know which one is best for private use.“, He detailed.

Studies conducted by the college student and his team revealed that cold brewing is the best option for preserving the isothiocyanates in the plant., which means adding it to room temperature water about 30 minutes before ingesting it, and the suggestion is to put three to five grams of the dried leaf in a quart of water.

He warned that it is important for people to avoid moringa concentrates, as there is evidence that isothiocyanates in very high doses cause reproductive, testicular or abortion disorders in animals.

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