Is Moringa Tea Good For You? Health Benefits Explained

Moringa tea is a special kind of tea prepared by steeping moringa leaves in hot water. If you are someone who is always on the lookout for natural and organic substances that boost the body’s immunity and overall health, you must have heard about this popular herbal tea. In this article we will provide you with a detailed list of all the potential health benefits of consuming moringa tea regularly. Let us first find out the nutritional components of moringa tea leaves. 

For calorie-conscious people, you will be happy to know that moringa tea has 0 calories. It also does not contain any amount of protein, fat, or sugar. Moringa tea bags may contain 1gm of carbohydrates. 

Moringa leaves have large amounts of Vitamin C which are good for boosting immunity. However, by the time these leaves are dried and prepared for steeping in tea, most of that Vitamin C is lost. But, the dried leaves still contain good amounts of Calcium, Iron, Vitamin A, and Thiamine. 

Health benefits

Aside from having beneficial nutritional properties, consumption of Moringa tea may be helpful in maintaining the smooth functioning of different organs of the body. 

Kidney

Moringa leaves contain high levels of antioxidants. Studies suggest that ingestion of moringa tea may help in boosting the functioning of your kidneys by aiding in the process of detoxifying your body. Regular consumers of moringa tea are therefore less likely to suffer from renal diseases such as kidney stones.

Liver

Moringa tea has also been found to be beneficial for keeping your liver healthy. It aids the functioning of the liver and it has been seen that daily ingestion of moringa tea alleviates symptoms of liver damage and fibrosis. So if you are worried about your liver, a daily dose of moringa tea might work wonders for you.

Heart

Heart health is something that most of us worry about. While maintaining a good diet and regular exercise definitely ensures a healthy heart, you might also want to add moringa tea to your diet. Studies have shown that moringa tea significantly helps in maintaining heart health by reducing arterial plaque. Since people with diabetes are always at a greater risk for developing heart disease, it is advisable for them to drink moringa tea regularly. 

Cholesterol

A high level of cholesterol is dangerous for the body and is the most common cause of heart attacks and strokes. It is always advisable to keep your cholesterol in check. Along with a healthy diet, consuming moringa tea on a regular basis can help you maintain a healthy level of cholesterol in the body. There have been reported cases of cholesterol levels being lowered after routine consumption of moringa tea. So keep your arteries clean of plaque with a cup of moringa tea!

Inflammation

Inflammation of organs and airways in the body is one major cause behind the acceleration of any disease. Some people with immune diseases suffer from chronic inflammation which makes them susceptible to dangerous diseases like diabetes, cancer, arthritis, heart disease, and so on. Medicines can only do so much when it comes to curing inflammation. Moringa leaves contain several compounds like tannins, polyphenol, and saponins which actively reduce inflammation and other diseases. Moringa tea is, therefore, an ideal drink for immuno-compromised people to help manage their inflammatory symptoms. 

Moringa Tea during pregnancy

It is absolutely safe and even beneficial to drink moringa tea during pregnancy. Moringa leaves may alleviate common pregnancy symptoms like bloating, cramps, and constipation. However, other parts of the moringa tree, like roots and bark, may be harmful to pregnant women,  as they can cause uterine contraction. So, if you are pregnant, you can safely drink moringa tea which consists only of dried moringa leaves.

Moringa Tea during menopause

Menopause is a major change in the lives of women and it is often helpful to be aware of foods and drinks that can help manage the postmenopausal symptoms. Moringa tea has been found to provide relief in case of issues like hot flashes and night sweats which often cause sleeping difficulties. If you are postmenopausal and are suffering from these problems, moringa tea may be a great choice for you. 

Side effects of Moringa tea

Having Moringa tea regularly comes with a host of potential health benefits. But before you add moringa to your diet immediately, we would like to caution you regarding some reported side effects of moringa tea. 

Here are a few potential side-effects of consuming Moringa tea:

• Reduced effectiveness of certain drugs (including diabetics, and chemotherapy medications)
• Diarrhea
• Bloating
• Heartburn

Moringa tea might have negative results in case of drug interactions. Few studies show that having moringa tea may reduce the effectiveness of certain drugs, of which one is used to manage diabetes. So, it is better to consult your doctor before adding moringa tea to your diet if you are on prescribed diabetes medication.

Similarly, there have also been cases of reduced effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs. There have also however been cases where moringa tea has increased the effectiveness of chemo. Therefore if you or your loved one is going through chemotherapy treatments, please seek medical advice before drinking moringa tea. 

We mentioned earlier that moringa tea is safe for pregnancy and only the roots and the bark of the tree should be avoided. However, we would further like to stress that there have been reported cases of miscarriage which has been linked to ingestion of moringa bark/roots. So always be sure to check that the tea you are consuming is only made of moringa leaves and contains no traces of the bark or root. 

Moringa leaves are also known to have laxative properties. So if you consume large quantities of moringa tea you might experience diarrhea, bloating, or heartburn. Therefore one should always consume it in moderate amounts. 

These are roughly the side effects of moringa tea. As you can see, if you are well aware of the nature of your prescription drugs and follow your doctor’s advice, you can safely have moringa tea. 

There are some misconceptions that moringa tea causes cancer and kidney stones. There have been no research or case studies that link the consumption of moringa tea to these diseases. In fact, as far as kidney stones go, we have already mentioned that moringa tea often reduces your chances of kidney stones! 

What does Moringa tea taste like?

We understand that despite the proven health benefits, some people might be apprehensive about trying moringa tea without knowing how it tastes. We assure you that if you like the taste of green tea, moringa tea will not throw you off!

Similar to green tea, moringa tea is known to have an earthy flavor, and it is less bitter than green tea. However, due to its alkaline nature, there is some lingering bitterness.  It has a slightly astringent taste to it which might be unpleasant for some people. This is due to the high concentration of tannins. 

So while moringa tea might not taste like your sweet milk tea, the overall taste is not unpleasant for most people. You can always add a dash of honey to make it a little sweeter and to your taste, if it suits you! 

How often should I drink moringa tea? 

Like everything else, moringa tea works best if taken in moderation. If you are planning to add moringa tea to your regular diet we suggest that you limit it to one to two cups per day. Overdoing it might cause bowel problems and heartburn. Enjoy your daily cups of moringa tea and keep scary diseases at bay!