By: Julie Peirano
Credit: golfx/Shutterstock
With all the hype that can build up the latest and greatest "superfoods," it's easy to forget that there are plenty of edible plants out there that deliver more than an average nutritional punch. Usually they're not the ones with all the PR hype -- watercress, for example, is one of the most nutritious greens around, yet gets no street cred.
So don't blame yourself if you haven't heard of moringa, also known as "drumstick tree." Native to the Himalayas and grown widely across Africa and Asia, moringa has more nutrition hiding in its leaves and pods than there is in virtually every other plant, and it's easy to grow on top of it all. Forget the kale, this is your new favorite super-plant. Here's why.
Credit: Magdalena Paluchowska/Shutterstock
Moringa has serious medicinal value
Moringa is good for far more than just giving other superfoods a run for their money, or for taking money out of your pocket. It can help lower cholesterol, has loads of antioxidants (those are good!), and is anti pretty much every bad thing that can happen inside your body.
It can be used as a skin treatment
The healing powers of moringa exceed those of internal health alone. Not only does it have antibacterial properties, but moringa is just as effective as regular old soap for hand washing. There's also the fact that it can help protect your skin against UV radiation, and you can envision a scenario in which you wash your hands with moringa before cooking moringa before putting moringa on your face when you go outside. If you're into that.
It's packed with basically every nutrient you want and need
Fine, you're in perfect health and don't need to eat a cholesterol-lowering plant. Oh, you've also stocked up on hand soap and sunscreen for the year. Moringa leaves happen to be loaded with vitamins, minerals, and all the antioxidants your heart could desire, plus it's a great plant source of protein -- in short, you really can't go wrong when consuming moringa.
To find out what other health benefits moringa can bestow upon you, get the full story at Thrillist.com!
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