Drumstick(Moringa oleifera)

Drumstick is also known as Moringa tree or Horseradish tree or Sahajan or Sajiyun .It is an easily available vegetable which is cultivated mostly in Asian and African regions. Its seeds, flowers, leaves and stems are edible and extremely nutritious. Compared with spinach, drumstick contains 30 and 100 times more iron and calcium respectively.

Its scientific classification is:

Kingdom : Plantae

Clade: Tracheophytes

Clade : Angiosperms

Clade : Eudicots

Clade : Rosids

Order : Brassicales

Family : Moringaceae

Genus : Moringa

Species : oleifera

Scientific name: Moringa oleifera

It have long , dark green bumpy pods running along the length and the fleshy pulp inside the pod enclosing each seed. These pods have a faint bitter taste combined with slight sweetness.

Drumstick leaves are the most nutritious part of the trees which are rich in vitamins, while the roots are mineral rich. The stem is rich in vitamin C and the flowers and seeds are rich in potassium. The pod and flowers also have enzymes that help bring down chloestrol level.

Nutrional value of Drumstick per 100 gram

• Energy – 64 kcal
• Carbohydrates – 8.28 g
• Dietary fibre – 2.0 g
• Fat – 1.40 g
• Protein – 9.40 g
• Vitamin A – 378 micro g
• Vitamin B5 – 0.125 g
• Vitamin B3 – 2.220 g
• Vitamin B6 – 1.2 mg
• Vitamin C – 51.7 mg

Minerals

• Calcium – 185 g

• Iron – 4.00 mg
• Magnesium – 147 mg
• Manganese – 0.36 mg
• Phosphorous – 112 mg
• Potassium – 337 mg
• Sodium – 9 mg

( Source: The USDA)

Benefits due to consumption of drumsticks

• It has phytonutrients that helps in the prevention of various dieseases such as cancer, asthama, high blood pressure, etc
• It helps in maintaining ab optimum blood glucose level .So, it is highly recommended for diabetic patient
• It promotes the brain health and stabilize our mood
• It also improves our immunity systems
• It helps to prevent acne and other skin issues
• It helps to keep our heart healthy
• It helps to improve bone health due to the presence of an adwquate amount of calcium.

drumstick