Moringa (Malunggay)

MORINGA

Moringa oleifera is a rising star in the world of superfoods. This drought-resistant and fast-growing tree is native to Southeast Asia but has spread throughout tropical zones in Africa and South America. In 2008 the National Institutes of Health named moringa “the Plant of the Year.”

Not only does moringa have an impressive nutritional profile, but it also has been praised for its ability to purify water and make it potable, for its many uses in traditional Ayurvedic medicine where it has the reputed ability to cure 300 diseases (many of which have been verified recently by the scientific community), and for the food security and improved nutrition it provides to impoverished and malnourished communities.

Moringa packs a lot into its unassuming leaves and seeds, which are eaten as vegetables or ground into a green powder (that looks a lot like matcha). It contains 9 essential amino acids, 27 vitamins, 46 antioxidants, and many minerals. Gram for gram, the fresh leaves of the moringa plant contain:

Traditional medicine says that moringa flower juice can improve human lactation and a tea made of its leaves can fight colds and infections. The fresh leaves help to cure anemia, gastric ulcers and diarrhea, and a paste made of the leaves provides anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory treatment for insect bites, wounds or fungal skin problems. Crushed seeds can aid cramps, rheumatism and arthritis, and be a natural antibiotic.

Soursop (Guyabano)

 SOURSOP (GUYABANO)

Buah Merah Mix has Soursop (Guyabano)

Botanical name: Annona muricataFamily: annonaceae (annona family)Common names: Soursop, Guyabano, Graviola, Brazilianawpaw, Prickly custard apple, etc.


DescriptionSoursop is believed to be indigenous to most of the warmest tropical regions of the world.
It is a small upright evergreen tree that grows up to 6 metres tall.
It has large dark and shiny green and leathery leaves, which has a pungent odor when crushed.

Soursop is called Cancer Killer
which the Buah Merah Mix had it

The flowers are large, with yellow or greenish-yellow colour.
The fruit of the tree (soursop) is large and has a heart-like shape, covered with small spine-shaped structures.

The potent ingredients of soursop

The pulp is fleshy, soft and white in colour, with a slightly sour-acid taste and it can be eaten out-of-hand. The fruit may contain up to 100 black seeds.
In most tropical regions of the world, where the plant grows, it is often referred as a miracle tree.

Parts Used
In natural medicine practice, all parts of the soursop tree are used as medicine, including the roots, barks, stems, leaves, fruits and the fruit-seeds.

Each part of the tree has long been shown to have different therapeutic properties.Chemical Constituents

Many scientific analyses have shown that soursop contains many nutrients, including protein, sugar, fatty acids, dietary fiber, Vitamins C, B1, B2, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium chloride.

It also contains many bioactive compounds and phytochemicals, such as alkaloid, citric-acid, malic-acid, stearic-acid, stepharine, tannin, vinblastine, etc.

Therapeutic Properties
Generally, it is known that soursop has a broad spectrum antimicrobial, antispasmodic, anti-diabetic, antioxidant, analgesic, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, astringent, cardio tonic, diuretic, emetic, galactagogue, immunity boosting, laxative, liver tonic, sedative and activities.

Besides these activities, the main interest in this plant is because of its strong anti-cancer or anti-tumour properties and effects.

Medicinal UsesCancer And Preventive Agent
Various parts of the plant- leaves, stems, fruits and seeds- have been shown to contain phytochemicals, which are cytotoxic against various types of cancer cells, including colon, breast, ovarian, uterine, prostate, lung, pancreatic, anal, kidney, liver, lung and skin cancers.
Soursop fruit or the fruit juice can be taken to prevent or treat cancer.

The fresh leaves and stems of the plant can also be used for the same purpose.
In these cases, about one handful of the fresh leaves and stems of soursop is cut into pieces and boiled in 1 (One) litre water until the water is reduced to half. This is then strained and up to100 ml is taken orally morning and night.

The decoction can be sweetened with pure honey.

Soursop has been proven to be a miraculous natural cancer cell killer and it is said to be 10,000 times stronger than most chemotherapy drugs.

A recent study conducted at Catholic University of South Korea shows that one chemical (acetogenins) present in soursop was found to selectively kill colon cancer cells at10, 000 times the potency more than the commonly used Adriamycin (a chemotherapy drug).

Unlike chemotherapy, which indiscriminately destroys both cancerous and normal cells, the compound extracted from the soursop selectively kills only cancer cells without harming the healthy and normal ones.

Other Uses Of Soursop
The fruit juice of soursop is creamy, with musky, sub-acid to acid flavour, sometimes used in ice cream.

It is rich in Vitamins B and C. It is commonly taken after childbirth to help increase mother’s breast milk to cool down feverish conditions, chill and flu, as an astringent for diarrhea and dysentery and for intestinal parasites.

The alkaloid-rich fresh leaves and bark/roots of soursop can be prepared as a standard infusion (one cup 2-3 times daily); decoction (1-3 times twice daily or 6 grams of powdered leaves in capsules in 3-4 divided dosages) for the following conditions:Digestive Problems: Constipation, indigestion, as emetic, diarrhea, dyspepsia, peptic ulcer, diabetes, liver and gallbladder disorders.

Bacterial and fungal infections (as broad spectrum antimicrobial), cold, flu, catarrh and fevers.

Nervous disorders: nervousness, edgy nerves, insomnia (as tranquilizer or sedative).
Heart problems, palpitation, hypertension with insomnia and nervousness and anemia.
Various menstrual disorders and difficult childbirth.

Respiratory tract problems: cough, asthma, chest problems and bronchitis.

In some rural communities, infused oil prepared from the fresh leaves and unripe fruit of soursop is mixed with olive oil or virgin coconut oil and used externally for massaging in cases of arthritic/rheumatic pains, gout and neuralgia.

Buah Merah Mix has Soursop, Moringa, Buah Merah, Mangosteen, Wheatgrass and Barley.