^{by Conrado Luis L. Reyes}

In our family, it was tradition that every Friday, we had no meat dishes for dinner. I never knew the reason as to why this was so, but one thing was for certain: there would always be fried tokwa and ginisang munggo with malunggay.

Little did I know that of the meals I was served back then that the tiny green leaves in the munggo were the most nutritious ones, until today!

Moringa oleifera¹, commonly known in the Philippines as malunggay, is an absolute treasure trove of nutrients. As it grows the best in tropical climates¹, it has been the subject of many local studies in regards to its nutritional value throughout the years. It has also been a staple food source of the pre-Hispanic people, and carried on throughout generations.

The myriad uses of this tall tree include a delectably healthy soup that goes great with eggs². Its roots are also boiled for tea and food, and of course, as a nutrient-boosting supplement.

The leaves are the most nutritious part of the plant¹, being a significant source of B vitamins, vitamin C, provitamin A as beta-carotene, vitamin K, manganese, and protein, among other essential nutrients. When compared with common foods particularly high in certain nutrients per 100 g fresh weight, cooked moringa leaves are considerable sources of these same nutrients.

Among its many miraculous benefits, moringa can balance blood sugar levels. The FNRI-DOST conducted a study to determine the changes in glucose of people with moderately-raised glucose levels using malunggay leaves powder to verify this claim³.

Euphoria recognizes the potential this amazing tree can have, and so we incorporated malunggay into our Gourmet Green Coffee Mix. Experience the benefits of malunggay and more with Euphoria’s Gourmet Green Coffee Mix today!

Source(s):

¹Wikipedia: Moringa oleifera

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moringa_oleifera

²Instant soup from malunggay (Moringa oleifera Lam) leaves

http://scinet.dost.gov.ph/union/ShowSearchResult.php?s=2&f=&p=&x=&page=&sid=1&id=Instant+soup+from+malunggay+%28Moringa+oleifera+Lam%29+leaves&Mtype=PROJECTS

³Eating Malunggay Leaves Lowers Blood Sugar Level And More

http://region4a.dost.gov.ph/news/670-eating-malunggay-leaves-lowers-blood-sugar-level-and-more