While you may have only seen the word “moringa” in the last few years, how much do you know about it? How does the superfood moringa compare to other superfoods like spirulina?

Moringa has gained recognition from grocery stores and celebrities across the country. Recently, Naomi Campbell and Martha Stewart both cited moringa as a powerful way to nourish and energize the whole body, as well as support greater immune health. In 2016, we launched a “Battle of the Supergreens,” exploring how moringa compared with top superfoods. Here’s a throwback article!

After reading how these two greens compare, why not combine these superfoods and make a Probiotic Moringa Spirulina Smoothie?

Moringa vs Spirulina: A Recap

Morina has been showing up strong in the Battle of the Supergreens, a lively series where we compare supergreens to each other. Just to give you a quick recap, so far moringa has taken out matcha, spinach and kale.  So now that moringa holds a respectable 3-0 record, we thought we’d put it up against something a little more competitive.

What could possibly hope to compete with moringa, you ask? This time around we’ll be looking at everyone’s favorite blue-green algae, spirulina.

*Cue dramatic music*

Compared to moringa’s previous super-opponents, this next contender might actually put up a fight. For as you may or may not know, spirulina is a mighty, mighty protein beast.  In fact, spirulina is so high in protein that it actually holds the number one spot on two very appealing lists: highest protein content per calorie, and highest protein content per ounce. That’s right, 100 grams of spirulina contains nearly 58 grams of protein! And like moringa, spirulina is a complete plant protein meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids. Not to mention it’s also said to have been eaten by Aztec warriors in preparation for battle.

But you know we’re not here just tell you how great spirulina is. For this battle, moringa will be relying on a few of its old standbys: its incredibly high iron content, as well as its respectable amounts of vitamin A, calcium, and fiber. For this round we will be looking at 10g of Kuli Kuli moringa powder (about 1 tablespoon) vs. 10g of spirulina powder.

So without further ado…the Battle of the Greens begins!!!

moringa vs spirulina

The above graphic might be a lot to digest. When it comes to calcium, fiber, iron, Vitamin A, Carbohydrates, and Sodium, moringa wins! We realize it’s not always as simple as winning or losing; however, moringa does seem to have a wider nutritional breadth than spirulina. 

Moringa is the Champion!

DING DING DING!

Moringa knocks out spirulina 7-3 with several decisive wins.  As it turns out, spirulina is kind of a one trick pony. Beyond its high protein content, it really wasn’t very competitive in any of the other categories.

Let’s visualize things a little differently in a 100% stacked bar chart.  This is a great way to compare the nutritional content of the two foods as you can see the relative differences between moringa and spirulina for each nutrient.

moringa vs spirulina

As you can see, moringa did in fact pull off big wins in the vitamin A, calcium, fiber, and iron categories. A single serving of moringa will give you half of your daily recommended iron content which is why it is such a great addition to any vegetarian’s diet. It’s also quite low in sodium, and its protein content is certainly nothing to sneeze at.

Since moringa and spirulina are both complete plant proteins, moringa is really just an all around more nutritious food.  Moringa has also been shown to reduce blood sugar, has anti-inflammatory properties, and is a well known lactation enhancer making it a great choice for diabetics, athletes, and new mothers alike.

So now that you know how great moringa is, you may be wondering how to add it to your diet.  As you might have guessed, we have an extensive catalog of moringa recipes on our site for your reading pleasure.

This summer 2020, we also have a moringa smoothie giveaway happening! Here’s a quick reminder of how to enter. We can’t wait to see your creations!
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1. Post a photo of your delicious Moringa Smoothie
2. Tag @kulikulifoods
3. Use the hashtag #MyMoringaSmoothie
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Moringa vs Other Superfoods

Interested in seeing how moringa fares against a host of other green superfoods?  Be sure check out the other blogs in our battle of the greens series. You’ll soon find out that moringa is well on its way to being a nutritional world champion!

Kale vs Moringa

Matcha vs Moringa

Spinach vs Moringa

Collard Greens vs Moringa

Swiss Chard vs Moringa

Kelp vs Moringa

There you have it! A bit of the nutritional details behind moringa and spirulina, revealed. 

Moringa Versus Spirulina

Don’t forget to tag @kulikulifoods in any social media posts you share so we can see your beautiful creations!

moringa iced tea

Sources

Moringa: Kuli Kuli Moringa Powder Nutrition Facts

Spirulina: United States Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database

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