Moringa: Your Guide to Superfood Goodness

Learn all about moringa and its exceptional nutritional benefits. A must-read for health enthusiasts and curious minds.

Introduction

How often do your joints ache after doing everyday tasks? Do you feel that your extremities from your upper and lower body are tender and hot to the touch? Or do you feel general muscle pains in your joints in the morning that get better throughout the day? When inflammation affects the joints within the body, it can cause overlapping pain symptoms, thus leading to inflammatory effects. When this happens, many people start looking for ways to reduce inflammation from affecting their joints. Many people opt for holistic treatments incorporating nutraceuticals, vitamins, and herbal supplements to reduce joint inflammation. One of the supplements we are going to look at is moringa.

 

Moringa: The Nutritional Powerhouse

 

A plant native to various parts of Africa and Asia called moringa, known as the “Miracle Tree,” has potent medicinal and nutritional properties. This nutrient-dense superfood is a multi-purpose plant with various comprehensive dietary and therapeutic properties. (Arora & Arora, 2021) The moringa plant has a variety of essential vitamins, antioxidants, bioactive compounds, and minerals that contribute to overall health. For individuals looking at how nutritious moringa oleifera is, 1,00 grams of dried moringa leaves contain:

• Protein – 9 grams
• Vitamin C – 51.7 mg
• Vitamin A – 378 mcg
• Calcium – 185 mg
• Potassium – 337 mg
• Iron – 4 mg
• Magnesium – 147 mg
• Fiber – 2 grams

 

Additionally, one of the most beneficial properties of moringa for many individuals is its natural ability to combat inflammation and alleviate joint pain associated with arthritis and other joint conditions.  

 

A Natural Remedy For Inflammation

Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injuries, illnesses, and chronic joint conditions like arthritis. Inflammation comes in acute and chronic forms and can affect the individual depending on the severity of the affected area. Acute inflammation causes redness and radiates heat in the affected area; however, chronic inflammation can cause overlapping risk profiles, thus leading to long-term pain and tissue damage. When this happens, moringa can help reduce inflammation naturally within the joints with its anti-inflammatory compounds.

 

How Moringa Helps Fight Inflammation

Moringa has numerous beneficial properties to reduce the impact of inflammation; it includes:

 

Antioxidant Riched

Moringa contains powerful antioxidants that inhibit the pro-inflammatory enzymes quercetin and kaempferol while neutralizing harmful oxidants due to oxidative stress and inflammation. (Chis et al., 2023) The antioxidant effects from moringa can minimize the damaging effects caused by free radicals by neutralizing them. (Vergara-Jimenez et al., 2017)

 

Contains Natural Anti-Inflammatory Compounds

The moringa plant has isothiocyanates that have been scientifically proven to possess strong anti-inflammatory properties. At the same time, moringa can help modulate gene expressions that involve inflammatory responses and carcinogenesis of chronic conditions, thus downregulating pro-inflammatory mediators through chemo-preventive properties. (Cuellar-Nunez et al., 2021)

 

Supports Immune Function

Many people don’t realize chronic inflammation is often linked to immune system dysfunction, and moringa can help support immune function. Consuming moringa can attenuate physical and chemical irritation and induce immune disorders by inducing a moderate inflammatory phase to promote healing. (Xiao et al., 2020) Additionally, moringa has a high vitamin A and C and beta-carotene content to help strengthen the immune system to promote and regulate a healthy inflammatory response.

 

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Unlocking The Secrets Of Inflammation-Video

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Moringa for Joint Pain & Arthritis

For individuals suffering from joint pain, whether it is osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, moringa may serve as a natural pain reliever without the conventional side effects of medications. This is because as the body ages, so does the joint, as joint spacing can narrow, causing tenderness associated with inflammation, which can cause malalignment over time. (Gessl et al., 2021)

Reduces Joint Swelling

• The anti-inflammatory properties that moringa has can help decrease joint swelling and reduce stiffness and pain. At the same time, the anti-inflammatory properties of moringa can help improve skeletal muscle dysfunction associated with joint swelling by reducing the pro-inflammatory cytokines. (Sailaja et al., 2022)

 

Prevents Cartilage Breakdown

• The antioxidants in moringa help protect against cartilage degradation, which is a major cause of joint pain.

 

Improves Joint Mobility & Flexibility

• Many people found that incorporating and regularly consuming moringa can help reduce joint pain and stiffness while improving mobility and flexibility in the upper and lower extremities.

 

Incorporating Moringa Into Your Diet

Many people who are thinking about their health and wellness can make small changes to their daily routine, especially regarding their eating habits. Since food and nutrition are crucial to developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, adding moringa into a person’s daily routine can do that. (Bibi et al., 2024) There are several ways to enjoy moringa’s benefits:  

 

Moringa Powder

• Adding 1-2 teaspoons of moringa powder to smoothies, soups, or teas can provide an extra nutritional boost to the body.

 

Moringa Capsules

• For individuals with a busy, hectic lifestyle, consuming moringa capsules daily can help many people incorporate taking supplements as a daily habit.

 

Moringa Tea

• For those individuals who enjoy a warm cup of tea, seeping moringa leaves for three to five minutes in hot water can create a soothing anti-inflammatory tea.

 

Moringa Oil

• Individuals dealing with joint pain can apply moringa oil to their joints for additional pain relief.

 

Final Thoughts

Moringa is a powerful superfood with anti-inflammatory and joint pain-relieving properties that can be incorporated into a healthy diet. Due to its essential nutrients, antioxidants, and bioactive compounds can be a natural alternative for individuals seeking relief from arthritis and chronic inflammation. Incorporating moringa as part of a healthy dietary habit can improve individuals’ health and joint mobility.

 

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Injury Medical & Functional Medicine Clinic

We associate with certified medical providers who understand the importance of the various effects of incorporating moringa to reduce the inflammatory effects that are causing joint pain. When asking important questions to our associated medical providers, we advise patients to implement small changes to their daily routine, like incorporating anti-inflammatory foods into their diets to reduce the effects of joint inflammation and restore mobility. Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., utilizes this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.

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References

Arora, S., & Arora, S. (2021). Nutritional significance and therapeutic potential of Moringa oleifera: The wonder plant. J Food Biochem, 45(10), e13933. doi.org/10.1111/jfbc.13933

Bibi, N., Rahman, N., Ali, M. Q., Ahmad, N., & Sarwar, F. (2024). Nutritional value and therapeutic potential of Moringa oleifera: a short overview of current research. Nat Prod Res, 38(23), 4261-4279. doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2023.2284862

Chis, A., Noubissi, P. A., Pop, O. L., Muresan, C. I., Fokam Tagne, M. A., Kamgang, R., Fodor, A., Sitar-Taut, A. V., Cozma, A., Orasan, O. H., Heghes, S. C., Vulturar, R., & Suharoschi, R. (2023). Bioactive Compounds in Moringa oleifera: Mechanisms of Action, Focus on Their Anti-Inflammatory Properties. Plants (Basel), 13(1). doi.org/10.3390/plants13010020

Cuellar-Nunez, M. L., Gonzalez de Mejia, E., & Loarca-Pina, G. (2021). Moringa oleifera leaves alleviated inflammation through downregulation of IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-alpha in a colitis-associated colorectal cancer model. Food Res Int, 144, 110318. doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110318

Gessl, I., Popescu, M., Schimpl, V., Supp, G., Deimel, T., Durechova, M., Hucke, M., Loiskandl, M., Studenic, P., Zauner, M., Smolen, J. S., Aletaha, D., & Mandl, P. (2021). Role of joint damage, malalignment and inflammation in articular tenderness in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and osteoarthritis. Ann Rheum Dis, 80(7), 884-890. doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-218744

Sailaja, B. S., Hassan, S., Cohen, E., Tmenova, I., Farias-Pereira, R., Verzi, M. P., & Raskin, I. (2022). Moringa isothiocyanate-1 inhibits LPS-induced inflammation in mouse myoblasts and skeletal muscle. PLOS ONE, 17(12), e0279370. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279370

Vergara-Jimenez, M., Almatrafi, M. M., & Fernandez, M. L. (2017). Bioactive Components in Moringa Oleifera Leaves Protect against Chronic Disease. Antioxidants (Basel), 6(4). doi.org/10.3390/antiox6040091

Xiao, X., Wang, J., Meng, C., Liang, W., Wang, T., Zhou, B., Wang, Y., Luo, X., Gao, L., & Zhang, L. (2020). Moringa oleifera Lam and its Therapeutic Effects in Immune Disorders. Front Pharmacol, 11, 566783. doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2020.566783

 

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