Buzz about turmeric’s anti-inflammatory powers dominated 2017, but 2018 is all about moringa. North American healthy food companies have discovered this super-green from south of the equator, and it’s being touted as an even more powerful inflammation fighter.
Called the “world’s most useful tree” by scientists, moringa’s healing history in India, Chile, and Africa has been little known in this part of the world. But its nutrition profile is now becoming super brag-worthy on the wellness scene: It has twice the protein of spinach and three times as much iron, says nutritionist (and Well+Good Council member) Kimberly Snyder. According to the journal Ecology of Food and Nutrition, it has impressive amounts of calcium, potassium, and vitamin A. So this is pretty much a Survivor Island superfood of choice.
Fortunately, the buzzy veggie has a likable taste—its seeds are slightly sweet, and its ground leaves are nutty and grassy like tea. So food companies are not wasting a minute adding moringa into everything from nutrition bars and protein powders (Kuli Kuli) to juices (Pressed Juicery) and kombucha (as in, Suja’s new adaptogenic brew). Moringa’s even entering the chip aisle, where you can grab a bag of Vegan Rob’s Moringa Puffs for your next Netflix girls’ night in.
Oh, and in 2018 expect beauty brands featuring super-nourishing moringa oil (which can be a fair-trade ingredient) to make a point of telling you how great it is for your skin. Based on our research, they might be right.
What else is going to be huge next year? We’ve picked 18 for ’18—check out all of our Wellness Trend predictions here.
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