Drumstick Vegetable Health Benefits, Nutrition, Uses, and Side Effects

For over a hundred years, drumsticks have been used in Indian culinary dishes extensively. The vegetable has been rendering a unique flavour to our cuisines in the form of sambhar, curry, with meat, as soups and so on. Drumsticks are native to India and tropical South Asian regions which produce over 1 to 1.3 million tonnes of this vegetable annually. Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and the Philippines are other Asian countries where drumsticks grow.

Drumsticks are also known as moringa, horseradish tree, ben oil tree etc. These are fast growing trees cultivated for their seed pod and the leaves, which have medicinal properties.

Nutritional Facts of Drumsticks

As already mentioned each and every part of a drumstick tree is beneficial. The drumstick leaves are the most nutritional part of the plant that contains iron, calcium, selenium, zinc and magnesium. The seeds and fresh pods of drumsticks are wonderful sources of oleic acid that promotes heart health. The moringa leaves benefits can also be seen in its protein component (over 9.8 grams protein per 100 grams leaves). The leaves once dried and powdered serve as a source of amino acids.

Nutritional level of drumstick per 100 grams

Energy	64 kcal
Carbohydrates	8.28 g
Dietary fibre	2.0 g
Fat	1.40 g
Protein	9.40 g

Further, drumsticks also have huge amounts of vitamins and minerals such as zinc, calcium, iron, magnesium etc.

Benefits of including Drumsticks in your Diet

Drumsticks strengthen our bones, especially among growing children. The presence of essential minerals like phosphorus, calcium and iron aid in making the bones strong. It also eases the osteoporosis symptoms among elderly people.

1. Being high in antioxidants and vitamin C, drumsticks make your immune system strong and help in combating common infections
2. They promote gut health by helping in the smooth functioning of the digestive system
3. The drumstick vegetable help to control hypertension with the presence of its bioactive compounds like niaziminin and isothiocyanate, which reduce the chances of high BP
4. Drumsticks are also known to reduce the growth of kidney and gall bladder stone. Thus, they help in boosting kidney health
5. Being low in calorie and high in minerals, fibre and vitamins, moringa has the capacity to bring down spikes in blood sugar to help regulate diabetes
6. They promote good vision with their eye-friendly nutrients and help in treating dry eyes and cataract
7. Moringa is also helpful in fighting against various infection
8. Drumsticks help in restricting the aggravation of Edema with its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties
9. Further, drumsticks also help in improving liver health by protecting the liver from harmful toxins
10. By regularly including drumsticks in diet, one can boost their body’s antioxidant profile and suppress the formation of cancer cells, thereby reducing the risk of cancer
11. Drumsticks are also said to be beneficial for pregnant ladies and during lactation
12. They are also said to enhance skin health and delay the sign of ageing. They are, in fact, used for various beauty and skin health purposes
13. In addition, drumsticks are also said to improve sperm count, fertility and vitality among human

Side Effects of Drumstick Vegetables

Drumsticks are a highly nutritious vegetable. The flowers, seeds, leaves, and pods of the drumsticks tree are safe for consumption. But, having large quantities of drumstick seeds or pod may show some side effects. Also, the root and root extracts of moringa are regarded unsafe to consume as they contain spirochin, which is a poisonous substance. The bark of drumsticks is not safe for consumption as they may bring upon uterine contractions. Drumsticks are also not advisable to be consumed if you are having thyroid medication.