Turmeric may have stolen the show in 2017 as the best body boosting dietary supplement, but this year, that title may well be usurped by an as-yet unknown plant – the moringa. The equatorial plant, also known as the drumstick tree, has long been cultivated in its native India and Africa as an effective anti-inflammatory, healing and skincare agent.

So why, exactly, should this unassuming plant be added to our daily diet? For starters, moringa is filled to the brim with key nutrients, with twice the protein of spinach per serving, and three times as much iron. What’s more, it’s also a perfect source for calcium, potassium and Vitamin A.

Also, where most purportedly healthy foods don’t exactly pack a lot of flavour, moringa has a very pleasant, palatable flavour. Its seeds are sweet, while its leaves offer a more savoury, nutty profile. It’s no surprise, then, that food companies the world over are clamouring to put this soon-to-be high-profile ingredient in a variety of products including nutrition bars, juices and even chips.

Beauty labels have also supposedly hopped aboard the pro-moringa bandwagon, with a bevy of hyper-nourishing moringa oil products soon to hit the market. Meanwhile, powder made from the plant’s crushed leaves is already widely available on the market as a powerful anti-inflammatory ingredient. For those with an eye for healthy living, snap up this super-healthy ‘cheat’ food today.