The Benefits of Moringa Tea
Instead of turning to several sources for your daily dose of vitamins and minerals, consider one cup of Moringa Tea, it has all the health benefits you need. Made from 100% Moringa Oleifera leaves, this tea is not only bursting with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants but is also refreshing and nutritious. There is no other plant leaf that contains such a concentrated amount of nutrients – this tea truly beats them all.
This tea is caffeine-free yet energy boosting. It is full of natural components that support your immune system, with no artificial fillers and additives whatsoever. It’s an excellent source of antioxidants and outperforms some of the most popular super foods available today. The benefits of Moringa tea offered by Green Virgin Products are endless.
ORAC tests have catapulted Moringa straight to the top of the list of favourite super foods. ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. That is the unit measurement, developed by the National Institute on Aging in the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to express the antioxidant values of foods. Some of the top super foods include:
Moringa Oleifera 157,000 ORAC
Acai 102,700 ORAC
Dark Chocolate 20,800 ORAC
Blueberries 4,669 ORAC
Broccoli 1,510 ORAC
Green Tea 1,240 ORAC
The results for Moringa Oleifera are extraordinary, which is great news from a health standpoint. High antioxidant activity helps protect your body from free radicals; those unstable molecules that are highly reactive and that have the potential to cause damage to cells, including damage that may lead to cancer. High antioxidant levels are just another benefit of Moringa Tea.
The importance of antioxidants
The human body produces a certain amount of toxic free radicals as part of the normal metabolic process. In addition there are also external stressors like environmental toxins, (pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke), poor diets and stress. Free radicals are molecules with an extra electron (electrons usually come in pairs). In order to gain the “missing” electron, they become highly reactive and quickly interact with nearby molecules in order to take away their electron to complete their own pair.
As a result the other molecule is now missing an electron and it becomes a free radical itself. A chain reaction is prompted and more and more free radicals are created, increasing the damage caused by free radicals. Antioxidants are able to neutralize free radicals by supplying them with an extra electron and by breaking the cycle of damage.
The fact that even after donating an electron, antioxidants remain stable and do not become free radicals themselves make them very unique and important. An antioxidant-rich diet and taking is one of the best ways to inhibit excessive development of free radicals in your body. It’ll help you prevent cell damage support and strengthen your immune system. As one of the many benefits of Moringa Tea, antioxidants are essential to healthy living.
Antioxidants come in many forms and offer different benefits.
Examples of antioxidants include
Vitamin A, C and E
Beta-carotene
Lutein
Lycopene
Selenium
However, by simply having your daily cup of Moringa tea, you can enjoy even more Moringa tea benefits: Moringa leaves also contain a rare combination of zeatin, a plant hormone and potent antioxidant, quercetin and kaempferol, both flavonoids known for their ability to neutralize free radicals and relieve inflammation, and beta-sitosterol, a plant phytosterols that plays a role in inhibiting cholesterol build up, another anti-inflammatory agent.
There have been a number of clinical trials and studies that have been conducted to investigate the effects of antioxidant supplements and cancer risks. One of them was a large-scale randomized controlled clinical trial in China. Healthy Chinese men and women with an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer and gastric cancer were randomly assigned to take a combination of beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol, and selenium daily for 5 years and the other group took no antioxidant supplements. The initial results of the trial showed that the people who took antioxidant supplements had a lower risk of death from gastric cancer.
The “Journal of Medicinal Food” published an animal study in 2009 that confirmed that Moringa provided antioxidant benefits and prevented heart damage. In the study, for a period of 30 days, animals were administered daily doses of 200 milligrams of antioxidants per kilogram of body weight. As a result, oxidized lipid levels were lowered, which protected heart tissue from structural damage. This initial study concluded that Moringa might have the potential to offer significant benefits for heart health and is certainly another plus factor when it comes to Moringa tea benefits.
Moringa and diabetes have also been a topic scientists have started to explore with great interest. Traditional healers in Asia and Africa have long used Moringa in connection with diabetes treatments. Moringa seems to lower blood sugar, and according to studies carried out by the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, its anti- diabetic properties might have their origin in the high levels of zinc that are present in Moringa. Zinc is a mineral required for the production of insulin.
Moringa may also help reduce inflammation and pain of some forms of arthritis, as one study suggested. In its’ February 2011 issue, the “Journal of Chinese Integrative Medicine” reported on a laboratory animal study that used Moringa leaf extracts as well as its roots to successfully reduce pain and improve function in arthritic joints. Researchers also noted that a combination of root and leaf extracts had a “synergistic effect” at reducing sensitivity and reducing pain levels.
As you can see, Moringa tea benefits are numerous and maintaining your health has never been easier. It acts as a great natural sleeping aid and by balancing and optimizing your body functions it has a positive effect on your central nervous system. You feel calmer, more rested and much more energetic and productive throughout the day without having to revert to unhealthy stimulants like sugar or caffeine.
Tea Bags Or Loose Leaf Tea?
At Green Virgin Products you can choose among convenient tea bags or our gourmet loose leaf Moringa, offering you every single one of the Moringa tea benefits. They are packaged in an exclusive oxidation free, resealable pouch that protects our teas and preserves their nutritional value and freshness. Put your tea bag in hot water, or for loose Moringa Tea leaves, add about a tablespoon of leaves to a cup of hot water, let stand for a moment and enjoy.
Do not use boiling water or water above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, as it will destroy some of the nutritional value. Although Moringa is a very robust plant that does not lose its nutrient density during processing and packaging, very high temperatures such as boiling water may destroy some of the heat sensitive components.
If you have access to fresh Moringa leaves, you can even make the tea yourself. Moringa is technically a tisane, the French word for herbal infusion. Herbal teas are teas made of dried flowers, herbs or fruits, steeped in boiling water and historically consumed for medicinal purposes. Teas usually contain caffeine whereas Moringa tea is 100% caffeine-free, another benefit.
If you prefer to make Moringa tea from scratch, harvest fresh leaves from your tree. Preferably pick mature leaves as they dry faster. Air-dry the leaves at room temperature until the stalks and leaves feel dry and crisp. You can also place the leaves in a paper bag (add some holes to it to allow for air circulation) and keep the bag hanging down in a cool area in your home. Do not sun-dry the leaves or leave them in hot temperatures, because both the UV beams of the sun, as well as excessive heat, will reduce the potency of the properties in the leaves.
Once the leaves are dry, shred or pulverize them to preference, with a blender or a grinder. To prepare the tea, just add 1 teaspoon of Moringa to one cup of hot water and maybe lemon and sugar or honey to taste.
If you like, you can even use Moringa to make refreshing ice tea. Add 2 teaspoons of Moringa leaves to approximately 16 ounces of water, and mix with a bit of fresh ginger and honey. If you like you can also add orange juice to taste. Blend or shake well for about a minute, add ice and refrigerate for 8 hours.
To fully enjoy your Moringa tea benefits time after time, ensure that you keep the ground Moringa in tea bags, and store it in a cool, dry place. Make sure not to leave the leaves or powder in open or moist places. Keep them in sealed, non-transparent containers for ultimate freshness.
Moringa makes a refreshing and flavorful tea, full of beneficial properties that promote energy and wellness.
