Drumstick (Moringa oleifera) is a widely cultivated variety of therapeutic plant that has been known for its medicinal properties since a long time. It belongs to the plant family Moringaceae and the genus Moringa. This variety of plant is cultivated in the semi-arid, tropical and subtropical areas of the world. It is fast growing and highly nutritious and hence, has a variety of uses. Native to the southern foothills of the Himalayas, in the north-western zone of India, drumsticks are now widely cultivated in the African continent and Middle East as well. The plant is usually very slender, with an average height of about 10 meters. The branches are drooping and the pods of the plant are used for different purposes. To explore the nutrition value and benefits of drumstick, read the information given below.
Nutritional Values Of Drumstick
Amount of Drumsticks: 100 grams
Nutrients
|
Pods
|
Leaves
|
Basic Components
|
|
|
Protein
|
2.5 g
|
6.7 g
|
Carbohydrates
|
3.7 g
|
13.4 g
|
Water
|
86.9%
|
75.0%
|
Calorie
|
26
|
92
|
Fiber
|
4.8 g
|
0.9 g
|
Fat
|
0.1 g
|
1.7 g
|
Vitamins
|
|
|
Vitamin A
|
0.11 mg
|
6.8 mg
|
Vitamin B (choline)
|
423 mg
|
423 mg
|
Vitamin B1 (thiamin)
|
0.05 mg
|
0.21 mg
|
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
|
0.07 mg
|
0.05 mg
|
Vitamin B3 (nicotinic acid)
|
0.2 mg
|
0.8 mg
|
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
|
120 mg
|
220 mg
|
Minerals
|
|
|
Calcium
|
30 mg
|
440 mg
|
Magnesium
|
24 mg
|
24 mg
|
Phosphorus
|
259 mg
|
259 mg
|
Potassium
|
110 mg
|
70 mg
|
Copper
|
3.1 mg
|
1.1 mg
|
Iron
|
5.3 mg
|
7 mg
|
Sulphur
|
137 mg
|
137 mg
|
Amino Acids
|
|
|
Arginine (g/16g N)
|
3.6
|
6.0
|
Histidine
|
1.1
|
2.1
|
Isoleucine
|
4.4
|
6.3
|
Leucine
|
6.5
|
9.3
|
Lysine
|
1.5
|
4.3
|
Methionine
|
1.4
|
2.0
|
Phenylalanine
|
4.3
|
6.4
|
Threonine
|
3.9
|
4.9
|
Tryptophan
|
0.8
|
1.9
|
Valine
|
5.4
|
7.1
|
Nutrition & Health Benefits of Eating Drumsticks
- Drumsticks are known for their high nutrition content and almost all the parts of the plants have therapeutic value. Its leaves serve as an excellent health tonic for maintaining and enhancing the strength of the skeletal system. They are also used for the purpose of purifying the bloodstream.
- The plant is extremely useful during pregnancy and lactation and regular intake of a tonic made from its leaves provides expectant mothers with necessary calcium, vitamins and iron. This particularly helps to control the sluggishness of the uterus, ensures smooth flow of the delivery process and decreases post-delivery complications.
- The leaves of the plant are used to curb digestive disorders and are regarded as one of the best known herbal treatment for diarrhea, cholera, dysentery and jaundice.
- Drumstick soups are considered as a good cure for any kind of chest congestions, sore throats and coughs.
- Asthma and such other lung problems can be cured to a great extent by inhaling the steam of water, in which drumsticks have been boiled.
- The juice of the plant is great for the skin and helps to add glow to a person’s face. All you need to do is blend together some drumsticks and lime juice and apply the paste all over the face. This also helps to treat pimples, blackheads and such other skin problems.
- A soup made from the plant greatly helps to prevent infections of the skin, chest and throat. This is basically because of the fact that the plant has vital anti-bacterial properties, which are very much similar to penicillin and other antibiotics.
- A soup made from drumstick flowers, boiled in milk, helps to cure sexual debility and is also useful in functional sterility of both males and females.
- A powder made from the dark bark of the plant helps to cure premature ejaculation, impotency and thinness of the semen.