the CONVENIENCE of the backyard MALUNGGAY

Before we say goodbye to the Nutrition Month, which falls every July, let me give you a special NUTRITION MONTH entry.


Rainy days is officially on for this tropical country. It is nice to include a soup dish in every meal to invigorate our wet and tired human bodies after a hard days work. In one of those type of days, I decided to prepare a simple "TINOLANG ISDA" or fish soup. Since it is raining hard, I was too lazy to go buy some vegetables to complete the soup, thank goodness for the MALUNGGAY from our backyard to the rescue.

moringa leaves

Known as an excellent source of nutrition and a natural energy booster, Malunggay or Moringa oleifera Lam is loaded with nutrients, vitamins and amino acids. In the Philippines, pregnant women and nursing mothers are advised to have a daily dose of soup with young malunggay leaves for it is helpful in increasing breast milk in the breastfeeding months. It also provides nearly all of the woman's daily iron and calcium needs during those stages.

Aside from its leaves and bods, other parts of Moringa have different uses as well. Commercially, the BEN OIL extracted from flowers can be used as illuminant, ointment base, and absorbent in the enfleurage process of extracting volatile oils from flowers. The oil, applied locally, has also been helpful for arthritic pains, rheumatic and gouty joints.

Our grannies made full use of the Malunggay in their backyard, by doing the following:

•  Pods for intestinal parasitism.
• Constipation: Leaves and fruit
•  Decoction of boiled roots used to wash sores and ulcers.
•  Decoction of the bark used for excitement, restlessness.
• Pounded roots used as poultice for inflammatory swelling.
• Juice of roots is used for otalgia.
• Seeds for hypertension, gout, asthma, hiccups, and as a diuretic.
•  Juice of the root with milk used for asthma, hiccups, gout, lumbago.
•  Poultice of leaves applied for glandular swelling.
•  Pounded fresh leaves mixed with coconut oil applied to wounds and cuts.
• The flowers boiled with soy milk thought to have aphrodisiac quality.

                                                                             Source: STUARTXCHANGE

As I was preparing the dish, I came to the realization, that poverty is not the ultimate reason for malnutrition and hunger. Growing vegetables in the backyard is only one of the easy ways to hinder the growing number of unhealthy children in the world. Moringa is one of the many vegetables that can be grown in our backyards or in pots (if you lack space). 

Let us not blame each other for what is happening with the world, better start doing something for the betterment of it.