Malunggay Picking and Health Benefits

One sunny afternoon somewhere in Laguna Hills, California me and friends found a Malunggay tree at the of a friends house and asked some branches for i will cook tinolang manok for our dinner to celebrate our Memorial Day long weekend, Malunggay is known to have a lot of health benefits to cure some diseases and cancers!

Malunggay (Moringa Oleifera), is a popular plant known for nutritional value as well as a herbal medicine. Malunggay is a plant that grows in the tropical climates such as the Philippines, India and Africa. Malunggay is widely used as vegetable ingredient in cooking, as herbal medicine for a number of illness and other practical uses. The Malunggay plant can grow to as high as 9 meters with erect white trunks. The compound leaf has about 3 to 9 leaflets. Malunggay has white fragrant flowers that produces long pods with 3-angled winged seeds.

Malunggay may be propagated by planting its seeds about an inch in the ground or matured malunggay stem cuttings of about 3 feet in length may also be planted into the ground. Planted malunggay cuttings grows faster compared to planted seeds.

Malunggay (Moringa Oleifera) has been used as herbal medicine in many cultures for hundreds of years, Malunggay is known as a very nutritious plant where it is used to combat malnutrition in third world countries especially for infants and nursing mothers.

The malunggay pods are the most valued and widely used part of the plant. Malunggay pods contains essential amino acids, vitamins and other nutrients. Malunggay pods may be eaten raw or may be prepared or cooked. Malunggay pods may be fried and may produce a clear, odorless and sweet oil mostly called - Ben Oil.

Malunggay leaves may be eaten as greens, in salads and as vegetable ingredients for soups and other tropical viands. Malunggay flowers are cooked and eaten either mixed with other foods or fried in batter.

The lowly malunggay may not be top of mind when it comes to vegetables, but this leafy green veggie boasts of many health and medicinal benefits.

“Malunggay’s young leaves are edible and are commonly cooked and eaten like spinach or used to make soups and salads. They are an exceptionally good source of provitamin A, vitamins B and C, minerals (in particular iron), and the sulphur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine.

Filipinos use malunggay (Moringa oleifera) in making halaan or clam soup or a vegetable dish called ginataang malunggay.

But adventurous cooks and chefs have started adding malunggay to pasta dishes, as well as to muffins, bread and polvoron.

According to Legarda, even malunggay seeds can be used for seasoning. “The dry seeds can be ground to a powder and used for seasoning sauces," she said.

And the roots and flowers have uses too. "The roots from young plants can also be dried and ground for use as a hot seasoning base with a flavor similar to that of horseradish. The flowers can be eaten after being lightly blanched or raw as a tasty addition to salads," added Legarda.

The senator revealed that malunggay can also be used as a vegetable cooking oil.

Malunggay as medicine

Studies have shown that malunggay can be used to treat a number of illnesses.

“Malunggay leaves are good for headache, bleeding from a shallow cut, bacterial and fungal skin complaints, anti-inflammatory gastric ulcers, diarrhea, and malnutrition,” said Legarda.

This is one reason why the government has used malunggay in its feeding and nutrition programs.

Internal organs are said to benefit from the vegetable. “Malunggay pods are dewormers, good for treating liver and spleen problems, pain of the joints, and malnutrition. Likewise, malunggay seeds treat arthritis, rheumatism, gout, cramp, STD, boils and urinary problems, and is a relaxant for epilepsy,” the senator added.

According to philippineherbalmedicine.org, the plant is anti-diabetic and anti-tumor: "There have been claims that malunggay can be used to lower blood pressure ... as well as its being an anti-tumor plant."

wow...very hot malunggay model ..d best..

pinaghandaan ko talaga to hehehe

wow..nice one at may malunggay jan..very healthy..

wow..nice one at may malunggay jan..very healthy..

amazingly there is but american size hehehe

amazingly there is but american size hehehe

hehehe tama kasi malaki din ang leaves nang malunggay nila compared diri.