Moringa Products
Indigo Herbs has acquired a very top quality Organic Moringa Powder that we recommend be a part of your smoothie programme. This powder has it all; protein, a fantastic nutrient profile, as well as bursting with a multitude of natural antioxidants! This tree is a multipurpose powerhouse that can be used in so many ways. The seeds, the leaves and the wood all have properties that can help whole communities to thrive.
Thought to have originated in North Western India, this tree/plant has made a name for itself throughout the world from about 2,000 BC. First mentioned in the Charaka Samhita of Ayurvedic literature in 150 BC, Moringa spread from Asia into Egypt and Greece where it was prized for its oil. Moringa oil was used to keep the skin healthy but also to help purify water. The ancients knew that Moringa oil acted as a coagulant when added to water full of dirt and organic matter. This happens when the positively charged proteins in the oil bind with the negatively charged debris and particles of silt, clay and bacteria in polluted water. After this process the water could be then boiled and would be safe to drink. In Africa, Moringa has the name ‘Nebedaye’, which means ‘never die’. For many countries that are developing and suffer from drought or lack of food source, Moringa has been seen as a great gift as it is easy to cultivate and can be eaten by humans and livestock.
The common name though comes from the Tamil word ‘murungai’ which means ‘drum stick’ and refers to the shape of the tree. Ranging in height from 5 to 12 meters in height, with a corky white bark, and opening up into an umbrella shaped crown. The leaves have ovate leaves and open out in a fern shape with flowers being white, resembling the shape of an angel. The fruits or pods start off as light green but at peak maturity can reach over a meter in length and turn a dark brown colour. The seeds can either be round or triangular depending on variety of the 13 species.
