What are the benefits of malunggay for you and your family?

What are the benefits of malunggay?

In the Philippines, malunggay grows almost everywhere. It's not uncommon to see people asking their neighbors if they could get some malunggay leaves because they're cooking tinola or ginisang monggo for dinner.

And surprisingly, not a lot of people are aware of the amazing benefits of malunggay! Here are just a few of the amazing things that malunggay can do for you and your family's health:

1. It has a lot of antioxidants

Antioxidants are compounds that help fight off free radicals in our bodies.

Free radicals can cause oxidative stress, which can lead to heart disease and diabetes. That's why eating a lot of malunggay that's rich in antioxidants can not only prevent this from happening, but it can also lower your blood pressure, and your chances of developing heart disease and diabetes.

2. Helps combat malnutrition

Malunggay is also full of essential nutrients and vitamins that your children need. It contains protein, vitamin B6, vitamin C, iron, riboflavin, vitamin A, and magnesium.

Adding malunggay to the dishes you cook can significantly boost your family's health, and provide them with much-needed vitamins and nutrients!

3. It can lower blood sugar levels

High blood sugar is the main culprit for people who suffer from diabetes.

Studies have found that adding even just 50g of malunggay to every meal can have a positive effect on a person's blood sugar levels. It does that since malunggay contains compounds called isothiocyanates that reduce blood sugar levels.

4. It's anti-inflammatory

Did you know that you can also eat malunggay pods and seeds along with the leaves?

Malunggay pods and seeds have been found to have anti-inflammatory properties, also because they contain isothiocyanates.

This means that eating more malunggay can help your body better protect itself against illness or injury.

5. It strengthens the immune system

As a result of the vitamins and minerals that malunggay has, it can help strengthen the body's immune system, especially against infections such as coughs or colds.

Malunggay is also high in vitamin C, which is integral for regulating the body's immune system.

6. It increases milk supply for moms

This should come as no surprise, since malunggay is widely known to increase a mother's milk supply. Add to that the nutrients that it provides, and it's definitely something that moms and moms-to-be should definitely add to their diet!

7. It helps lower cholesterol

Many kinds of food such as oatmeal, almonds, and flax have been found to lower blood cholesterol. Recent studies have discovered that malunggay also has this property.

Lower blood cholesterol also means that a person has a lower risk for heart disease, so malunggay is definitely something that families should be eating more of!