Moringa and its wide benefits

What is moringa?

Moringa (of the species Moringa Oleifera and belonging to the Moringaceae family) is a plant that, due to its extraordinary nutritional and medicinal properties, has been called "the Miracle Tree" and "the Tree of Life," as it is considered the tree with the greatest potential benefits in semi-arid, tropical, and subtropical areas.

Moringa is a tree native to the Himalayan region, northeastern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. It has been used since ancient times as both food and traditional medicine. This is confirmed by Hindu writings dating back to before 150 BC and the ancient Ayurvedic medical system, which affirms moringa's healing power for over 300 ailments. Furthermore, the Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians also valued moringa for its therapeutic properties and used it to protect the skin, make perfumes, and purify drinking water.

Moringa leaves have been identified as the vegetable with the highest nutritional value among 120 types of food species studied.

In their fight against malnutrition in developing countries, the FAO and many other humanitarian organizations have chosen moringa as the best and most feasible food source needed for this purpose. Similarly, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that moringa contains a wealth of nutritional and medicinal properties.

Since 1998, the World Health Organization (WHO) has promoted moringa as an alternative to imported food supplies for treating malnutrition. It is now widely cultivated in much of the world. In the Americas, it is found in the southeastern United States (Florida), Mexico, the Caribbean (Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands), Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama), and South America (Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay).

What does moringa offer us?

The use of moringa has been maintained for thousands of years, passed down from generation to generation, utilizing empirical knowledge about its properties in its native regions and in those where it has been introduced, making it one of the most recent discoveries of modern science. Moringa has many benefits and applications since ancient times, including:

● Rich source of human nutrition.
● Uses in Traditional Medicine.
● Water clarification and disinfection.
● Animal feeding.
● Soil fertilization.
● Edible oil production.
● Production of soap and cosmetics.
● Insecticide and fungicide.
● Biogas and Biodiesel Manufacturing.
● Clarification of honey and sugarcane juice.
● Leather tanning.
● Dye.
● Ornamental tree.

Moringa is a rich source of nutrients and substances with medicinal properties found in all parts of the tree: leaves, flowers, seeds, green pods, stems, and roots. Numerous scientific studies have been conducted on these parts to demonstrate and analyze empirical medicinal knowledge, with quite satisfactory results. For this reason, it is primarily used in the fields of nutrition and traditional medicine.

Nutritional properties of Moringa oleifera

Many chemical analyses have been carried out on the different parts of the moringa tree, especially the leaves, seeds and green seed pods, so their magnificent results abound in publications, with some differences, because they are samples from different crops.

Moringa leaves

Several studies show the high nutritional potential of moringa. For every 100 g of fresh moringa leaves, the following are found: 75 g of water; 6.7 g of protein; 1.7 g of fat; 14.3 g of carbohydrates; 2 g of dietary fiber; 2.3 g of ash; 440 mg of calcium; 70 mg of phosphorus; 7 mg of iron; 110 µg of copper; 5.1 µg of iodine; 11,300 IU of vitamin A; 120 µg of vitamin B; 0.8 mg of nicotinic acid; 220 mg of ascorbic acid; 7.4 mg of tocopherol; 185 mg of calcium; and 147 mg of magnesium. In addition, it contains valuable phytochemicals such as chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, quercetin, tannins, saponins, the antitumor compound β-sitosterol, among others.

Moringa leaves are a rich source of essential and non-essential amino acids, primarily alanine, tyrosine, leucine, and arginine. In addition, moringa leaves contain a wide variety of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, sulfur, zinc, copper, manganese, iron, boron, and selenium. Moringa also contains essential fatty acids that are vital for health.

Comparing the vitamin and mineral content of moringa leaves with commonly consumed foods, we found that fresh moringa leaves far surpass carrots in vitamin A content, oranges in vitamin C, spinach in iron, milk and yogurt in calcium and protein, and bananas in potassium. Furthermore, thanks to modern drying methods that preserve nutrients, dried moringa leaves contain 25 times more iron than spinach, 10 times more vitamin A than carrots, 17 times more calcium than milk, 9 times more protein than yogurt, and 15 times more potassium than bananas.

The green pods and mature seeds of moringa

The green pods and mature seeds of the moringa tree are traditionally consumed for their nutritional and medicinal properties. The pods contain protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A, niacin, vitamin C, copper, iodine, and other nutrients.

The seed oil contains 9.3% palmitic acid, 7.4% stearic acid, 8.6% behenic acid, and 65.7% oleic acid. Myristic and lignoceric acids have also been reported among the fatty acids. The oil cake contains 58.9% crude protein.

Moringa seeds, like the leaves, are a rich source of amino acids. They contain essential amino acids such as threonine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, methionine, cysteine, tryptophan, and histidine, as well as non-essential amino acids such as aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, glycine, alanine, arginine, and proline.

The oil extracted from these wonderful seeds contains fatty acids such as Palmitic, Palmitoleic, Stearic, Oleic, Linoleic, Linolenic, Arachidonic and Behenic.

Traditional medicinal uses of moringa leaves

Moringa leaves have been traditionally used for their properties in strengthening the immune system, protecting the cardiovascular system, hydrating the skin, improving digestive health and vision, reducing anxiety, and improving the respiratory system. Moringa has also been traditionally used as an anticatarrhal, antiscurvy, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, antimalarial, antipyretic, antimicrobial, anxiolytic, vermifuge, and to improve bronchitis, cataracts, and conjunctivitis.

Studies in animal models and humans have shown antioxidant properties, blood glucose reduction, and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases, as well as improvements in intestinal inflammation, tuberculosis, and hepatoprotection, lipid-lowering, and antispasmodic effects. It has also been shown to improve gastric ulcers, reduce urinary tract infections, prevent cataracts, and act as an antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiparasitic agent. Antitumor activity and anti-aging properties have also been described.

Moringa-based supplements and functional foods

Currently, moringa-based products are marketed as dietary supplements and as functional foods to support health and well-being.

Of all the parts of the moringa plant, the most commercially important is the leaf, as it contains the highest concentration of nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, and other substances with extensive medicinal properties. To guarantee the highest quality product, organic farming methods are used for the planting and cultivation of the moringa plants.

How to consume moringa leaves?

Fresh moringa leaves have a spicy flavor (similar to radish) and are used in both stews and salads. Minimal cooking is recommended when preparing them to avoid losing some of their many nutrients.

The best way to use moringa leaves is dehydrated (under special conditions to prevent vitamin loss) and ground into a powder. This optimizes their content by concentrating their nutrients and medicinal substances, while also enhancing their pleasant flavor. This method facilitates their guaranteed sale in powder or capsule form. The leaf powder can be used to prepare teas and infusions, added to prepared meals, and blended into fruit smoothies to maximize their benefits.

Due to its high content of beneficial substances, moringa powder is generally used in small quantities in juices, soups, yogurt, or to make infusions. However, it is always advisable to consult a healthcare professional because of the various beneficial effects of moringa on the body.

What are the precautions when using moringa?

Like all consumption, including food, it must be taken with precautions, because anything in excess or under certain conditions for consumption can cause unwanted effects.

Experts in moringa advise moderation in the quantity, form, and duration of consumption, as its possible side effects include:

- Sleep loss, due to its high energy production, so it is suggested to consume it in the morning and not at night.
- Excessive production of red blood cells, due to its high iron content and vitamins that promote its assimilation, so it is always recommended to consult a doctor to reduce the dose or discontinue use, in the case of a tendency towards high hemoglobin and the risk of increasing blood viscosity.
- It can sometimes cause heartburn if consumed with water on an empty stomach. In this case, it is suggested to consume it mixed with food.
- It is necessary to consider its hypoglycemic properties before consuming it.
- A medical consultation would be essential in cases of people who require medication for their health problems.
- It would be advisable to start consuming it with low doses and gradually increase them in the first few days.
Pregnant women should not consume it because it could cause uterine contractions with the risk of miscarriage.
- It is suggested to avoid its consumption during breastfeeding because there is still not enough information about its effects on the newborn.
- Consuming moringa on an empty stomach can have laxative effects.

References

• M. Ashfaq et al. Moringa a miracle plant of agro forestry and southern Punjab, Pakistan. World Environment Day 16th June-2011.
• Abdull Razis AF, Ibrahim MD, Kntayya SB. Health benefits of Moringa oleifera. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2014;15(20):8571-8576.doi:10.7314/apjcp.2014.15.20.8571
• Fahey JW. Moringa oleifera: A Review of the Medical Evidence for Its Nutritional, Therapeutic, and Prophylactic Properties. Part 1. Trees for Life Journal 2005, 1:5
• Available online: https://treesforlife.org/our-work/our-initiatives/moring
• Moringa, in Discovering Indigenous Treasures: Promising Indigenous Vegetables from Around the World. 2009. AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center.
• Available online: https://avrdc.org/moringa-moringa-oleifera/
• Al Azharia JS et al. 1986. The tree that purifies water: cultivating multipurpose Moringaceae in the Sudan. Unasylva. 38(2): 23-28
• Gopalakrishnan L et al. Moringa oleifera: A review on nutritional importance and its medicinal application. Food Science and Human Wellness Volume 5, Issue 2, June 2016, Pages 49-56.
• Available on the Internet: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213453016300362#:~:text=The leaves of M. oleifera [8]
• Available on the Internet: https://rgproteam.wordpress.com/composicion-de-la-moringa-oleifera/
• Moyo B. et al. Nutritional characterization of Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) leaves. African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 10(60), pp. 12925-12933, October 5, 2011
• Available on the Internet: Madrigal H et al. Moringa oleifera http://www.analogforestrynetwork.org/docs/INIFAP%20Moringa%20oleifera.pdf
• Oliveira JT et al. Compositional and nutritional attributes of seeds from the multiple purpose tree Moringa oleifera Lamarck. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 1999 Volume 79, Issue6 1 May Pages 815-820
• Abdull Razis AF, Ibrahim MD, Kntayya SB. Health benefits of Moringa oleifera. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2014;15(20):8571-8576. doi:10.7314/apjcp.2014.15.20.8571