MORINGA: One Of The World’s Most Abundant Sources of Vitamins And Minerals. The tree has been used in Himalayan medicine for 5,000 years and now is becoming an important dietary supplement all over the globe. It’s known as arzen tiiga, or tree of paradise, in the native language of the Mossi people in Burkina Faso, and Science Daily called it the “world’s most useful tree.”
Moringa is originally from northern India, but, as word spreads of its benefits, cultivation is expanding across Asia, Africa and Latin America. According to Trees for Life, moringa oleifera and its cousins are used in traditional medicines to treat an astounding variety of ailments. Indians use it for treating high blood pressure, while ancient Egyptians applied it topically to prevent infection. In the Caribbean, moringa is used to treat warts in Aruba and eye infections in Puerto Rico. Nicaraguan practitioners use moringa buds to sooth headaches, while doctors in Senegal prescribe it to treat weakness and dizziness.
The tree boasts an almost-unbelievable nutritional profile: A serving of fresh leaves contains 7 times the amount of vitamin C in the equivalent amount of oranges, 4 times the vitamin A of carrots, 4 times the calcium of milk, 3 times the potassium of bananas and twice the protein of yogurt. It also contains measurable amounts of vitamins B1, B2 and B3, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous and zinc. In addition, moringa has all essential amino acids, which are the building blocks for our cells.
Dried leaves pack the vitamins even denser, with 25 times more iron than spinach; 4 times more protein than eggs; 10 times more vitamin A than carrots; 17 times more calcium than milk; and 15 times more potassium than bananas, according to the Imagine Rural Development Initiative.
In a recent study, the World Vegetable Center in Taiwan compared 120 types of food and found that moringa had the highest nutritional content of all. That means that the tree can go a long way toward making up the nutritional deficits present in many developing countries. Families can eat the leaves fresh, or grind them into a powder for storage and later consumption.
And it’s not just the leaves — every part of the tree is useful. The roots act as a stimulant and are used in certain traditional medicines. Seeds are high in oleic acid, can be used to purify water and are a promising source of biodiesel. The bark, pods, gum and flowers all have additional medicinal uses.
Furthermore, moringa trees are able to grow in poor soils and require very little water, meaning they can thrive in arid environments that are unsuitable for other nutritionally-rich foods. It grows quickly, and leaves can be harvested months after planting, and up to seven times per year subsequently. Since the leaves grow year-round, they can provide crucial nutritional relief during dry seasons when other crops are not available. The benefits go on and on.
Here pages of Moringa oleifera that are supported by scientific research.
Trusted Sources (Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health)
Moringa oleifera is very Nutritious (1Trusted Source).
Moringa leaves are an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals (2Trusted Source).
The diet of people in developing nations sometimes lacks vitamins, minerals and protein. In these countries, Moringa oleifera can be an important source of many essential nutrients.
However, there is one downside: Moringa leaves may also contain high levels of antinutrients, which can reduce the absorption of minerals and protein (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).
Moringa oleifera Is Rich in Antioxidants. High levels of free radicals may cause oxidative stress, which is associated with chronic diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
Several antioxidant plant compounds have been found in the leaves of Moringa oleifera (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).
In addition to vitamin C and beta-carotene, these include (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source):
- Quercetin: This powerful antioxidant may help lower blood pressure (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).
- Chlorogenic acid: Also found in high amounts in coffee, chlorogenic acid may help moderate blood sugar levels after meals (14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).
One study in women found that taking 1.5 teaspoons (7 grams) of moringa leaf powder every day for three months significantly increased blood antioxidant levels (16Trusted Source).
Moringa leaf extract may also be used as a food preservative. It increases the shelf life of meat by reducing oxidation (17Trusted Source).
Moringa leaves may lead to reduced blood sugar levels, but more research is needed before any solid recommendations can be made.
Interestingly, several studies have shown that Moringa oleifera may help lower blood sugar levels.
However, most of the evidence is based on animal studies. Only a few human-based studies exist, and they’re generally of low quality (18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).
One study in 30 women showed that taking 1.5 teaspoons (7 grams) of moringa leaf powder every day for three months reduced fasting blood sugar levels by 13.5%, on average (16Trusted Source).
Another small study in six people with diabetes found that adding 50 grams of moringa leaves to a meal reduced the rise in blood sugar by 21% (21Trusted Source).
Scientists believe these effects are caused by plant compounds such as isothiocyanates (22Trusted Source).
Moringa oleifera May Reduce Inflammation.
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to infection or injury.
It’s an essential protective mechanism but may become a major health issue if it continues over a long period of time.
In fact, sustained inflammation is linked to many chronic health problems, including heart disease and cancer (23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source).
Most whole fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices have anti-inflammatory properties. However, the degree to which they can help depends on the types and amounts of anti-inflammatory compounds they contain.
Scientists believe that isothiocyanates are the main anti-inflammatory compounds in moringa leaves, pods and seeds (25, 26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source).
But so far, research has been limited to test-tube and animal studies. It remains to be seen if Moringa oleifera has similar anti-inflammatory effects in humans.
Moringa Can Lower Cholesterol
Having high cholesterol has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
Fortunately, many plant foods can effectively reduce cholesterol. These include flaxseeds, oats and almonds.
Both animal- and human-based studies have shown that Moringa oleifera may have similar cholesterol-lowering effects (7Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source).
Moringa oleifera May Protect Against Arsenic Toxicity
Arsenic contamination of food and water is a problem in many parts of the world. Certain types of rice may contain particularly high levels (30Trusted Source).
Long-term exposure to high levels of arsenic may lead to health problems over time.
For instance, studies have linked long-term exposure to an increased risk of cancer and heart disease (31Trusted Source, 32Trusted Source).
Interestingly, several studies in mice and rats have shown that the leaves and seeds of Moringa oleifera may protect against some of the effects of arsenic toxicity (33Trusted Source, 34Trusted Source, 35Trusted Source).
These results are promising, but it’s not yet known whether this also applies to humans.
More references of Moringa’s benetfits
scienceboard.net
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
tribune.com.ng
Jed W. Fahey, SC. D Tree for Life Journal, John Hopkins School of Medicine, Dec. 1, 2005
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