Why take Malungai Oil?
The diverse health benefits of malunggay (Moringa oleifera) are no longer just a myth. While India’s ancient Ayurvedic tradition lists at least 300 medicinal uses for the plant, various modern scientific studies have shown that apart from being one of the world’s most nutritious crops, malunggay, likewise, has medicinal effects.
“The benefits of malunggay for increased milk production in lactating women have been thoroughly documented,” says pediatrician and public health specialist Marthony P. Basco, citing studies showing that women taking malunggay three months into pregnancy experience a more rapid onset and more abundant milk production when their child is born. “Studies indicate that ounce per ounce, malunggay contains seven times more vitamin C than oranges; four times more vitamin A than carrots.” Dr. Basco continues, “It has three times more potassium than bananas; three times more iron than spinach, three times more vitamin E than almonds, and two times more protein than yoghurt. Containing four times more calcium than milk, it is a preferable calcium source in an Asian population where lactose intolerance is more common.”
Malunggay or moringa has been called the “miracle tree.” It is otherwise known as the drumstick or horseradish tree, Indonesian kalor, Thai marum, chum ngay in Vietnam, la mu in Chinese, munaga in Hindi, and morango in Spanish. Partly because it is easy to propagate and can withstand a wide range of environmental conditions, the vegetable is cheap and readily accessible. However, the old appellation of malunggay as “poor man’s vegetables” is no longer quite accurate, and non-governmental organizations like Trees for Life, Church World Service and Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization have advocated moringa as “natural nutrition for the tropics.”
Other than a rich food source, however, specific components of Moringa preparations have been reported to have hypotensive, anticancer, and antibacterial activity. The results of the studies have been published in mainstream scientific journals.
“Admittedly, there are many anecdotal claims about the various curative properties of the plant,” says Dr. Basco. “But more and more biochemical and clinical studies worldwide have been proving that, in fact, there is basis to these claims.”
Controlled studies by experts following stringent laboratory methods and standards have shown that malunggay has anti-arthritic properties and is a potent inhibitor of the Epstein-Bar Virus (EBV), a herpes virus that is the causative agent of infectious mononucleosis that is also associated with various types of human cancers.
In a study by Bharali, Tabassum and Assad of the Department of Biotechnology, University of Gauhati in India, moringa “has shown chemopreventive potential against chemical carcinogenesis in the liver.”
As a rich source of vitamin C, malunggay strengthens the immune system and fights infectious diseases including colds and flu; and its high calcium content is beneficial for bones and teeth.
A paper by Jed W. Fahey Sc. D of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Science mentions that “numerous studies point to the elevation of a variety of detoxification and antioxidant enzymes and biomarkers as a result of treatment with Moringa or with phytochemicals isolated from Moringa.” Perhaps, this is the basis of the vegetable’s antioxidant/ anti-aging claims.
Additional reported therapeutic and prophylactic uses being investigated include wart prevention and treatment; urinary tract infection treatment; prevention of dental caries and toothache; antihelminthic (to remove intestinal parasites); and cardiotonic benefits (or pertaining to the efficiency of contractions of the heart muscle). Malunggay is also believed to aid in lipid and blood sugar control; and is traditionally used for the treatment of colitis, flatulence and ulcers. Likewise, studies are underway on moringa as an “enerceutical” that affects alternative cellular energy (ACE) pathways.
The value of malunggay goes beyond its biological benefits, however, and one need not convince Filipinos to eat malunggay — whether in the form of leaves or fruit. As an essential component of food favorites chicken tinola, dinengdeng, or ginisang munggo, eating malunggay is a cultural thing. To get the purported health benefits, however, the vegetable should be eaten regularly. The difficulty is that supply from the market sources can prove erratic. Add to that the reality that space limitations in urban areas can prevent enthusiasts from maintaining garden patches where they can grow the vegetable, and obtaining a steady supply of malunggay can become a problem.
Fortunately, there is Malungai Life Oil, a highly concentrated extract obtained from malunggay leaves and seeds. As a highly concentrated food supplement that comes in a convenient and easily-digestible capsule made from seaweeds, it has become the choice of health-conscious individuals who prefer organic and natural solutions. Malunggay is grown away from urban areas in farms located in Nueva Ecija and Los Baños to lessen air and water-borne pollutants, and the technology protocol involves a system where leaves and seeds are cold-pressed to preserve the nutritional value of the extracted oil. An added benefit is that even the malunggay’s chlorophyll is extracted. The current popularity of chlorophyll in supplements lies in the fact that it is believed to promote wound healing, has antioxidant properties to fight free radicals; helps stimulate the production of red blood cells, and promotes good blood circulation.
But why use food supplements at all? We need to take better care of ourselves because our changing lifestyles expose us to more stress and toxins. Because of this, Malungai Life Oil is a top choice. As “the pure power of nature,” containing roughly one kilo of malunggay leaves in each capsule, we expect to reap all the advantages of ingesting a concentrated extract from “the tree of life.”
* * *
Malungai Life Oil is available at Watsons and Mercury Drug outlets, South Star Drug, Century Chinese Drug Stores (SM Malls), Emmaflor, Shopwise, Rustan’s, and Farmacia Peralta. It is manufactured by Manila Nature’s Link Corp., Unit 1606 Orient Square Building, F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Call 474-2499 or log on to www.malungailifeoil.ph.
