TURNING TO NATURE
YOUNNIE Tan Mooi Yong, a former flight attendant, started consuming moringa in 2014 after an old friend told her about it.
“I hadn’t heard about moringa oleifera before and upon Googling it, I was amazed at what I discovered.”
Tan realised there were many medical and scientific studies making important discoveries about moringa’s health and life saving benefits.
She says the dried leaf powder is more potent than fresh leaves and the moringa she’s consuming is of pharmaceutical grade.
She consumes it daily in the mornings, with the powder added to juices made of either grapefruit, green apples, pineapple, beetroot or carrot.
“Sometimes, I just take the powder directly. I like the natural taste of it too. It keeps me healthy and feeling energised every day.”
Entrepreneur Phang Kooi Ming started consuming moringa powder six years ago after hearing about its benefits from friends.
He takes it for general wellness and just adds it to plain water for consumption.
“I realise that I fall sick less often. More importantly, because I play badminton and as a result suffer from joint pain, it helps reduce pain and inflammation,” he says.
Phang believes it has also helped him with weight loss and better weight management.
He has never consumed moringa as a vegetable and believes that having it in powder form helps him absorb the nutrients from the plant.
“It comes in a sachet. You just add it to water as opposed to cooking and preparing it as a vegetable. It’s more convenient.”
Shanti Ratnam, a mother of two, started consuming moringa as a vegetable when she was breastfeeding because her mother-in-law told her it would help increase her milk supply.
Shanti has since stopped breastfeeding but given that she felt more active and energetic when consuming the vegetable, she decided to continue consuming moringa on a regular basis.
She buys a brand of moringa powder sold online and adds some of it to her breakfast smoothie every day.
“I liked eating the freshly cooked leaves but it’s not so easy to find it nowadays and preparing and cooking it takes work. It’s good that we have alternatives.”
Shamsul Bahril has been consuming moringa powder since 2013 and has also been taking natural food supplements for over 20 years.
“I’m always on the lookout for the best for my family’s general health and was introduced by a good friend to the benefits of moringa oleifera which people call a miracle tree,” says the entrepreneur.
He consumes the powder daily by just adding it to cold water in a shaker. Shamsul says one can also add it to salads or use it as an ingredient to make moringa ice-cream.
“I find that generally, it strengthens the immune system so my family and I seldom fall sick. It also provides enough energy so you stay alert and active the whole day.”
Shamsul says during the fasting month, consuming the powder in the morning helps him feel full throughout the day until it’s time to break his fast.