Perihal Moringa , Kacang Kelo

Moringa oleifera

KHASIAT POKOK MERUNGAI(MUNGGAI)

Semua bahagian pokok berkenaan mempunyai khasiat perubatan seperti mampu menstabilkan tekanan darah, mengawal kadar glukos dalam darah, meningkatkan ketahanan badan. Ia juga mampu merawat cirit-birit, bengkak dalam usus, parasit dalam perut, sengal tulang, sakit sendi, gout, sakit kerongkong, jangkitan saluran kencing dan kurang darah. 

Merunggai mempunyai sifat anti kuman, termasuk bakteria Helicobacter pylori yang menyebabkan sakit ulser dan gastrik, serta anti bengkak. 

Benihnya mengandungi minyak yang tidak berbau, glycerides oileic, asid stearik dan palmitik. Bagi mereka yang ingin menjaga kesihatan, amalan memakan tumbuhan semula jadi seperti merunggai boleh memberi segala zat yang diperlukan tubuh tanpa mengharapkan makanan tambahan yang mahal. 

KHASIAT DAUN MUNGGAI

November 11, 2013 Si Alangjingga

Alhamdulillah..pokok munggai ni senang ditanam.Boleh tanam dengan ranting dan boleh tanam dengan biji benih. Banyak sungguh nikmat yang Allah kuriakan. ” Fabiaiyialai rabbikuma tukazziban….z”

Sebelum ini ramai yang mengetahui buah kelor atau dipanggil munggai di kawasan utara digunakan dalam masakan kerana rasanya enak dan mudah diperoleh. Selain buah, daunnya turut digemari untuk dijadikan sayur dan enak jika dimasak lemak.

Bagaimanapun, perkembangan pesat bidang bioteknologi menyebabkan tumbuhan yang juga nama saintifiknya Moringa Olifela kini dikomersialkan apabila daun, buah, batang serta akarnya boleh diproses menghasilkan pelbagai produk seperti teh, minyak, salad, syampu, sabun, jus dan kosmetik.

Pokok kelor dipercayai berasal dan kawasan sekitar Himalaya serta India dan disebarkan ke benua Afrika, Asia Tenggara dan Asia Barat. Di beberapa negara Afrika, termasuk Etiopia, Sudan, Madagaskar, Somalia, dan Kenya selain Arab Saudi dan Israel ia dijadikan tanaman untuk program pemulihan tanah kering dan gersang.

Ini disebabkan sifat tanaman itu yang mudah tumbuh di tanah gersang selain tahan lasak. Di Asia Tenggara, dahan kelor biasanya ditanam sebagai tiang pagar kerana ia mudah hidup, selain daun dan buahnya boleh dimakan. Pokoknya boleh membesar sehingga mencapai ketinggian 10 meter, daunnya kecil, batangnya rapuh manakala buahnya sebesar ibu jari dan panjangnya sehingga 60 sentimeter.

Biarpun manfaat Moringa sudah dikenali dan digunakan sebagai herba tradisional oleh suku kaum asli di beberapa negara, tetapi potensi khasiat tumbuhan ini hanya mula mendapat perhatian daripada saintis moden pada akhir abad ke-19.

Ilmu penggunaan Moringa oleh suku kaum asli direkodkan di 80 negara dalam lebih dari 200 bahasa tempatan. Biarpun nilainya dan segi perubatan sudah lama disedari, ia masih belum begitu meluas khususnya di kalangan masyarakat moden.

Tumbuhan itu mengandungi satu kompaun unik yang dikenail sebagai cytokini yang mana kajian saintifik dan klinikal mendapati ia amat sesuai untuk mempercepatkan tumbesaran. Selain itu ujian cytokini ke atas ternakan mendapati haiwan yang diberikan diet mengandungi bahan itu mampu meningkatkan pengeluaran susu, selain mempercepatkan penyembuhan atau penggantian sel rosak.

Menyedari kelor mempunyai banyak khasiat untuk kesihatan tubuh badan, sebuah syanikat tempatan, FM Alliance Marketing Sdn Bhd yang berpangkalan di Jitra, Kedah mengorak langkah mengkomersialkan tumbuhan itu untuk menghasihkan pelbagal produk.

Pengurus Pemasaran dan Promosinya, Abdul Hadi Ismail, berkata kajian klinikal mendapati cytokini juga mengandungi unsur anti keuzuran atau penunaan, sekali gus membolehkan ia menjadi bahan awet muda atau merawat pehbagai penyakit. Katanya, walaupun akarnya terasa pahit, ia sangat berkesan untuk membantu sistem penghadaman, membasmi cacing parasit dalam usus, mengatasi sembelit, melegakan sistem saraf dan membina ketenangan dan meningkatkan tenaga batin.

"Selain itu, ia juga sering digunakan untuk merawat lumpuh, demam, batuk, selsema, inflamasi salur nafas, paru-paru, sawan babi dan histeria. Daunnya juga berguna untuk menyembuhkan penyakit skurvi (gusi berdarah), anemia (kekurangan sel darah merah), mengimbangkan dan memulihkan sistem fungsi badan. Malah Moringa atau kelor juga kaya dengan vitamin B, B1, B2, B3, C, D, E, antioxidan, fiber dan sumber klorofil yang tinggi. Ia membekalkan kandungan klorofil tertinggi dalam rekod tumbuhan yang dikenali sejak permulaan tamadun manusia," katanya ketika ditemui Berita Minggu, baru-baru ini.

Abdul Hadi berkata, ia juga mengandungi kompaun beta sitosterol yang berpotensi untuk menurunkan tekanan darah dalam badan yang mana ia banyak digunakan untuk merawat darah tinggi di India.

Beliau berkata, tumbuhan ini mempunyai nilai perubatan yang tinggi kerana ia bersifat bebas racun atau tidak bertoksik selain mempunyai sejarah yang lama dalam bidang perubatan Ayurveda di kalangan masyarakat India.

"Rekod Ayurveda mengenalpasti 300 ramuan daripada Moringa sesuai diamalkan untuk mengatasi dan merawat pelbagai penyakit. Pencairan zat dan jus hijau Moringa mempercepatkan penyerapan biologi badan dan larutan zat yang bersifat 100 peratus biokimia membolehkan badan menggunakannya terus tanpa proses penghadaman,” katanya.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Drumstick tree" and variants thereof redirect here. This name is also used for the golden shower tree (Cassia fistulosa)

Moringa oleifera
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Brassicales
Family:	Moringaceae
Genus:	Moringa
Species:	M. oleifera
Binomial name
Moringa oleifera Lam.
Synonyms[1]
Guilandina moringa L. Hyperanthera moringa (L.) Vahl Moringa pterygosperma Gaertn. nom. illeg.

Pods of Moringa oleifera in Panchkhal, Nepal

Moringa oleifera is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Moringa, which is the only genus in the family Moringaceae. English common names include: moringa,^[2] drumstick tree^[2] (from the appearance of the long, slender, triangular seed-pods), horseradish tree^[2] (from the taste of the roots, which resembles horseradish), ben oil tree, or benzoil tree^[2] (from the oil which is derived from the seeds). It is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree, native to the southern foothills of the Himalayas in northwestern India, and widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas where its young seed pods and leaves are used as vegetables. It can also be used for water purification and hand washing, and is sometimes used in herbal medicine.^[3]

Contents

• 1 Etymology
• 2 Description
• 3 Cultivation
  • 3.1 Production area
  • 3.2 Cultivation practice
    • 3.2.1 Soil preparations
    • 3.2.2 Propagation
    • 3.2.3 Planting
• 4 Breeding
• 5 Yield and harvest
  • 5.1 Fruits
  • 5.2 Leaves
  • 5.3 Oil
• 6 Pests and diseases
• 7 Nutrients
  • 7.1 Leaves
  • 7.2 Drumsticks
  • 7.3 Seeds
  • 7.4 Seed oil
  • 7.5 Roots
• 8 Malnutrition relief
• 9 Culinary uses
• 10 Traditional medicine and research
  • 10.1 Potential adverse effects
• 11 Other uses
  • 11.1 Water purification
• 12 Gallery
• 13 References
• 14 External links

Etymology

Moringa derives from the Tamil word, murungai .^[4] Numerous other common names for moringa exist in different languages worldwide.^[4]

Description

Moringa flowers

Tree and seed pods of Moringa oleifera

Moringa seeds

M. oleifera is a fast-growing, deciduous tree.^[5] It can reach a height of 10–12 m (32–40 ft) ^[6] and the trunk can reach a diameter of 45 cm (1.5 ft).^[7] The bark has a whitish-grey colour and is surrounded by thick cork. Young shoots have purplish or greenish-white, hairy bark. The tree has an open crown of drooping, fragile branches and the leaves build up a feathery foliage of tripinnate leaves.
The flowers are fragrant and bisexual, surrounded by five unequal, thinly veined, yellowish-white petals. The flowers are about 1.0-1.5 cm (1/2")long and 2.0 cm (3/4")broad. They grow on slender, hairy stalks in spreading or drooping later flower clusters which have a length of 10–25 cm.^[6]
Flowering begins within the first six months after planting. In seasonally cool regions, flowering only occurs once a year between April and June. In more constant seasonal temperatures and with constant rainfall, flowering can happen twice or even all year-round.^[6]
The fruit is a hanging, three-sided brown capsule of 20–45 cm size which holds dark brown, globular seeds with a diameter around 1 cm. The seeds have three whitish papery wings and are dispersed by wind and water.^[7]
In cultivation, it is often cut back annually to 1–2 m (3–6 ft)and allowed to regrow so the pods and leaves remain within arm's reach.^[8]

Cultivation

The moringa tree is grown mainly in semiarid, tropical, and subtropical areas, corresponding in the United States to USDA hardiness zones 9 and 10. It tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, but prefers a neutral to slightly acidic (pH 6.3 to 7.0), well-drained sandy or loamy soil.^[9] In waterlogged soil, the roots have a tendency to rot.^[9] Moringa is a sun- and heat-loving plant, thus does not tolerate freezing or frost. Moringa is particularly suitable for dry regions, as it can be grown using rainwater without expensive irrigation techniques.

Parameter	Requirement/range[9]
Climate	Grows best in tropical or subtropical
Altitude	0 – 2000 m
Rainfall	250 – 3000 mm Irrigation needed for leaf production if rainfall < 800 mm
Soil Type	Loamy, sandy, or sandy-loam
Soil pH	pH 5 - 9

Production area

India is the largest producer of moringa,^[9] with an annual production of 1.1 to 1.3 million tonnes of fruits from an area of 380 km².^{[citation needed]} Among Indian states, Andhra Pradesh leads in both area and production (156.65 km²) followed by Karnataka (102.8 km²) and Tamil Nadu (74.08 km²), a pioneering state having varied genotypes from diversified geographical areas and introductions from Sri Lanka.^{[citation needed]}
Moringa is grown in home gardens in Odisha and as living fences in southern India and Thailand, where it is commonly sold in local markets. In the Philippines and Indonesia, it is commonly grown for its leaves which are used as food. Moringa is also actively cultivated by the World Vegetable Center in Taiwan, a center for vegetable research. In Haiti, it is grown as windbreaks and to help reduce soil erosion.
More generally, moringa grows in the wild or is cultivated in Central America and the Caribbean, northern countries of South America, Africa, Southeast Asia and various countries of Oceania.
As of 2010, cultivation in Hawaii, for commercial distribution in the United States, is in its early stages.^[9]

Cultivation practice

Moringa can be grown as an annual or perennial plant. In the first year, all pods are edible. Later years also bear inedible bitter pods. Therefore, moringa is often cultivated as an annual.^[9]
In less favorable growing locations, perennial cultivation has advantages of reduced erosion and stabilizing agroforestry.^[9]

Soil preparations

In tropical cultivation, soil erosion is a major problem. Therefore, the soil treatment has to be as shallow as possible. Plowing is required only for high planting densities. In low planting densities, "it is better to dig pits and refill them with the soil. This ensures good root system penetration without causing too much land erosion. The pits must be 30 to 50 cm deep, and 20 to 40 cm wide." ^[10]

Propagation

Moringa can be propagated from seed or cuttings. Direct seeding is possible because the germination rate of M. oleifera is high. After 12 days, the germination rate is about 85%.^[10] Production in seedbeds or containers is very time-consuming. In these techniques, the plants can be better protected from insects and other pests. They are also used in areas where soil erosion is a problem.
Cuttings of 1 m length and a diameter of at least 4 cm can be also used for propagation.^[10] At least one third of the cutting must be buried in the soil. In the Philippines, moringa is propagated by planting 1– to 2-m-long limb cuttings, preferably from June to August. It can also be propagated by seeds, which are planted an inch below the surface and can be germinated year-round in well-draining soil.

Planting

For intensive leaf production, "the spacing of plants should be 15 x 15 cm or 20 x 10 cm, with conveniently spaced alleys (for example: every 4 m) to facilitate plantation management and harvests. Another option is to space the seeding lines 45 cm apart and to sow every 5 cm on those lines. One can also space the lines only 30 cm apart and sow at a larger distance on the lines (10 to 20 cm)".^[10] Weeding and disease prevention are difficult because of the high density. In a semi-intensive production, the plants are spaced 50 cm to 1 m apart. This gives good results with less maintenance.
Moringa trees can also be cultivated in alleys, as natural fences and associated with other crops. The distance between moringa rows in an agroforestry cultivation are usually between 2 and 4 meters.^[10] In Haiti, it is used as fencing and windbreaks on farms.

Breeding

In India, from where moringa most likely originated, the diversity of wild types is large.^[11] This gives a good basis for breeding programs. In countries where moringa has been introduced, the diversity is usually much smaller among the cultivar types. Locally well-adapted wild types,though, can be found in most regions.
Because moringa is cultivated and used in different ways, there are different breeding aims. The breeding aims for an annual or a perennial plant are obviously different. The yield stability of fruits is an important breeding aim for the commercial cultivation in India, where moringa is cultivated as an annual. On less favorable locations, perennial cultivation has big advantages. Erosion is much smaller with perennial cultivation.^[11] In Pakistan, varieties have been tested for their nutritional composition of the leaves on different locations.^[12] The different breeding aims result in a different selection. India selects for a higher number of pods and dwarf or semidwarf varieties. Breeders in Tanzania, though, are selecting for higher oil content.^[13]

Yield and harvest

M. oleifera can be cultivated for its leaves, pods, and/or its kernels for oil extraction and water purification. The yields vary widely, depending on season, variety, fertilization, and irrigation regimen. Moringa yields best under warm, dry conditions with some supplemental fertilizer and irrigation.^[9] Harvest is done manually with knives, sickles, and stabs with hooks attached.^[9] Pollarding, coppicing and lopping or pruning are recommended to promote branching, increase production and facilitate harvesting.^[14]

Fruits

When the plant is grown from cuttings, the first harvest can take place 6–8 months after planting. Often, the fruits are not produced in the first year, and the yield is generally low during the first few years. By year two, it produces around 300 pods, by year 3 around 400-500. A good tree can yield 1000 or more pods.^[15] In India, a hectare can produce 31 tons of pods per year.^[9] Under North Indian conditions, the fruits ripen during the summer. Sometimes, particularly in South India, flowers and fruit appear twice a year, so two harvests occur, in July to September and March to April.^[16]

Leaves

Average yields of 6 tons/ha/year in fresh matter can be achieved. The harvest differs strongly between the rainy and dry seasons, with 1120 kg/ha per harvest and 690 kg/ha per harvest, respectively. The leaves and stems can be harvested from the young plants 60 days after seeding and then another seven times in the year. At every harvest, the plants are cut back to within 60 cm of the ground.^[17] In some production systems, the leaves are harvested every 2 weeks.
The cultivation of M. oleifera can also be done intensively with irrigation and fertilization with suitable varieties.^[18] Trials in Nicaragua with 1 million plants per hectare and 9 cuttings/year over 4 years gave an average fresh matter production of 580 metric tons/ha/year, equivalent to about 174 metric tons of fresh leaves.^[18]

Oil

One estimate for yield of oil from kernels is 250 l/ha.^[9] The oil can be used as a food supplement, as a base for cosmetics, and for hair and the skin.

Pests and diseases

The moringa tree is not affected by any serious diseases in its native or introduced ranges. In India, several insect pests are seen, including various caterpillars such as the bark-eating caterpillar, the hairy caterpillar or the green leaf caterpillar. The budworms Noctuidae are known to cause serious defoliation. Damaging agents can also be aphids, stem borers, and fruit flies. In some regions, termites can also cause minor damage. If termites are numerous in soils, insects management costs are not bearable.^[6]
The moringa tree is a host to Leveillula taurica, a powdery mildew which causes damage in papaya crops in south India. Cultivation management should therefore be checked.

Nutrients

Moringa oleifera leaf, raw

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	64 kcal (270 kJ)
Carbohydrates	8.28 g
Dietary fiber	2.0 g
Fat	1.40 g
Protein	9.40 g
Vitamins
Vitamin A equiv.	(47%) 378 μg
Thiamine (B1)	(22%) 0.257 mg
Riboflavin (B2)	(55%) 0.660 mg
Niacin (B3)	(15%) 2.220 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)	(3%) 0.125 mg
Vitamin B6	(92%) 1.200 mg
Folate (B9)	(10%) 40 μg
Vitamin C	(62%) 51.7 mg
Minerals
Calcium	(19%) 185 mg
Iron	(31%) 4.00 mg
Magnesium	(41%) 147 mg
Manganese	(17%) 0.36 mg
Phosphorus	(16%) 112 mg
Potassium	(7%) 337 mg
Sodium	(1%) 9 mg
Zinc	(6%) 0.6 mg
Other constituents
Water	78.66 g
Units μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams IU = International units
Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database

M. oleifera pods, raw

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	37 kcal (150 kJ)
Carbohydrates	8.53 g
Dietary fiber	3.2 g
Fat	0.20 g
Protein	2.10 g
Vitamins
Vitamin A equiv.	(1%) 4 μg
Thiamine (B1)	(5%) 0.0530 mg
Riboflavin (B2)	(6%) 0.074 mg
Niacin (B3)	(4%) 0.620 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)	(16%) 0.794 mg
Vitamin B6	(9%) 0.120 mg
Folate (B9)	(11%) 44 μg
Vitamin C	(170%) 141.0 mg
Minerals
Calcium	(3%) 30 mg
Iron	(3%) 0.36 mg
Magnesium	(13%) 45 mg
Manganese	(12%) 0.259 mg
Phosphorus	(7%) 50 mg
Potassium	(10%) 461 mg
Sodium	(3%) 42 mg
Zinc	(5%) 0.45 mg
Other constituents
Water	88.20 g
Units μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams IU = International units
Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database

Many parts of the moringa are edible.^[3] Regional uses of the moringa as food vary widely, and include:

• The immature seed pods, called "drumsticks", are popular in Asia and Africa.
• Leaves are eaten, particularly in Cambodia, the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, and Africa.
• Mature seeds
• Flowers
• Oil pressed from the mature seeds
• Roots

In some regions, the young seed pods are most commonly eaten, while in others, the leaves are the most commonly used part of the plant. The flowers are edible when cooked and are said to taste like mushrooms.

Leaves

Nutritional content of 100 g of fresh M. oleifera leaves (about 5 cups) is shown in the table (right; USDA data), while other studies of nutrient values are available.^[19]

Sonjna (Moringa oleifera) leaves with flowers in Kolkata, West Bengal, India

The leaves are the most nutritious part of the plant, being a significant source of B vitamins, vitamin C, provitamin A as beta-carotene, vitamin K, manganese, and protein, among other essential nutrients.^[3][20][21] When compared with common foods particularly high in certain nutrients per 100 g fresh weight, cooked moringa leaves are considerable sources of these same nutrients. Some of the calcium in moringa leaves is bound as crystals of calcium oxalate^[22] though at levels 1/25th to 1/45th of that found in spinach, which is a negligible amount.
The leaves are cooked and used like spinach and are commonly dried and crushed into a powder used in soups and sauces.

Drumsticks

An Indian drumstick

The immature seed pods, called "drumsticks", are commonly consumed in South Asia. They are prepared by parboiling, and cooked in a curry until soft.^[23] The seed pods/fruits, even when cooked by boiling, remain particularly high in vitamin C^[24] (which may be degraded variably by cooking) and are also a good source of dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, and manganese.^[24]

Seeds

The seeds, sometimes removed from more mature pods and eaten like peas or roasted like nuts, contain high levels of vitamin C and moderate amounts of B vitamins and dietary minerals.

Seed oil

Mature seeds yield 38–40% edible oil called ben oil from its high concentration of behenic acid. The refined oil is clear and odorless, and resists rancidity. The seed cake remaining after oil extraction may be used as a fertilizer or as a flocculent to purify water.^[25] Moringa seed oil also has potential for use as a biofuel.^[26]

Roots

The roots are shredded and used as a condiment with sharp flavor qualities deriving from significant content of polyphenols.^[27]

Malnutrition relief

Moringa trees have been used to combat malnutrition, especially among infants and nursing mothers.^[3][28] Since moringa thrives in arid and semiarid environments, it may provide a versatile, nutritious food source throughout the year.^[29]

Culinary uses

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2015)

Dunt-dalun chin-yei, Burmese drumstick sour soup

Moringa has numerous applications in cooking throughout its regional distribution. It may be preserved by canning but is often made into a variety of curry dishes by mixing with coconut, poppy seeds, and mustard or boiled until the drumsticks are semisoft and consumed directly without any extra processing or cooking. It is used in curries, sambars, kormas, and dals, although it is also used to add flavor to cutlets and other recipes.
The fruit meat of drumsticks, including young seeds, is used for soup. Young leaves can either be fried with shrimp or added as a topping in fish soup. Several traditional dishes use leaves (sluc) of the moringa tree known as daum m'rum,^[30] such as korko (a mixed vegetable soup). As it is a favorite vegetable, Cambodians traditionally grow moringa trees close to their residences.
Tender drumstick leaves, finely chopped, are used as garnish for vegetable dishes and salads. It is also used in place of or along with coriander. In some regions, the flowers are gathered and cleansed to be cooked with besan to make pakoras.^{[citation needed]}
The leaves may be fried and mixed with dried-fried tuna chips, onions and dried chillies. This is equivalent to a sambal and eaten along with rice and curry. Soup is made with the leaves and rice, and eaten especially for breakfast during Ramazan. It is also a common ingredient in an omelet. The pods are used to cook a mild curry.

Traditional Thai kaeng som with drumstick pods and fresh pla thu

Flowers may be first separated from the stem, boiled, mashed, and cooked. Curdle is an important element of its recipe to create a specific taste and favorite dish.^{[citation needed]} Other regions of Indian cuisine often uses moringa seed pods and leaves in curries. The long moringa seed pods are cut into shorter lengths and stewed in curries and soups. Because they are fibrous, seed pods are often chewed to extract the juices and nutrients, with the remaining fibrous material discarded. The flowers are mixed with gram flour and other spices, then deep fried into fritters to be served as snacks or added to curries.
The green pods, leaves, and flowers are used in a variety of Thai dishes, such as curries, stir-fries, soups, omelets, and salads.^{[citation needed]} A traditional dish is sour Thai curry made with drumstick pods and fish.
Moringa leaves are commonly added to broth as a simple soup. The leaves may also be used as a typical ingredient in tinola, a traditional chicken dish consisting of chicken in a broth, moringa leaves, and either green papaya or another vegetable or in the all vegetable dish known as utan. The leaves can also be processed with olive oil and salt for a pesto-like pasta sauce. Moringa juice may be mixed with lemonsito juice to make ice candies or cold drinks. In Indonesia, the leaves are commonly eaten in a clear vegetable soup, often with corn, spinach and coconut milk.

Traditional medicine and research

The bark, sap, roots, leaves, seeds and flowers are used in traditional medicine.^[3][31] Research has examined how it might affect blood lipid profiles, although it is not effective at diagnosing, treating, or preventing any human diseases.^[32][33]
Extracts from leaves contain low contents of polyphenols which are under basic research for their potential properties.^[3][34][35] Despite considerable preliminary research on the biological properties of moringa components, there are few high-quality studies on humans to justify its use to treat human diseases.^[3]

Potential adverse effects

Various adverse effects may occur from consuming moringa bark, roots or flowers and their extracts, as these components contain chemicals that appear to be toxic when eaten. Moringa leaves have been used safely in doses up to 6 grams daily for up to 3 weeks.^[32]

Other uses

In developing countries, moringa has the potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development, and support sustainable landcare.^[3][36] It may be used as forage for livestock, a micronutrient liquid, a natural anthelmintic, and possible adjuvant.^{[37][clarification needed][38][clarification needed]}
Moringa oleifera leaf powder was as effective as soap for hand washing when wetted in advance to enable anti-septic and detergent properties from phytochemicals in the leaves.^[39]

Water purification

Moringa seed cake, obtained as a byproduct of pressing seeds to obtain oil, is used to filter water using flocculation to produce potable water for animal or human consumption.^[40][41] Moringa seeds contain dimeric cationic proteins^[42] which absorb and neutralize colloidal charges in turbid water, causing the colloidal particles to clump together, making the suspended particles easier to remove as sludge by either settling or filtration. Moringa seed cake removes most impurities from water. This use is of particular interest for being nontoxic and sustainable compared to other materials in moringa-growing regions where drinking water is affected by pollutants.^[41]

6 Science-Based Health Benefits of Moringa Oleifera

By Atli Arnarson, PhD |

November, 2015

|

151,605

views

Moringa oleifera is a plant that has been praised for its health benefits for thousands of years.
It is very rich in healthy antioxidants and bioactive plant compounds.
So far, scientists have only investigated a fraction of the many reputed health benefits.
Here are 6 health benefits of Moringa oleifera that are supported by scientific research.

1. Moringa Oleifera is Very Nutritious

Moringa oleifera is a small tree that is native to North India.
It goes by a variety of names, such as drumstick tree, horse radish tree, or ben oil tree.
Almost all parts of the Moringa oleifera tree can be eaten or used as ingredients in traditional herbal medicines.
The leaves and pods are commonly eaten in parts of India and Africa (1).
This is a photo of Moringa oleifera leaves, powder and capsules:

The leaves are an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals. One cup of fresh, chopped leaves (21 grams) contains the following (2):

• Protein: 2 grams.
• Vitamin B6: 19% of the RDA.
• Vitamin C: 12% of the RDA.
• Iron: 11% of the RDA.
• Riboflavin (B2): 11% of the RDA.
• Vitamin A (from beta-carotene): 9% of the RDA.
• Magnesium: 8% of the RDA.

In Western countries, dried leaves are sold as dietary supplements, in either powder or capsule form.
Compared to the leaves, the pods are generally lower in vitamins and minerals. However, they are exceptionally rich in vitamin C. One cup of fresh, sliced pods (100 grams) contains 157% of your daily requirement for vitamin C (3).
The diets of people in developing nations sometimes lack 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 (4, 5).
Another thing to keep in mind is that if you’re taking Moringa oleifera as a supplement, taking it in capsules won’t supply large amounts of nutrients.
The amounts are negligible compared to what you are already getting if you eat a balanced, real food-based diet.

Bottom Line: Moringa leaves are rich in many important nutrients, including protein, vitamin B6, vitamin C, riboflavin and iron.

2. Moringa Oleifera is Rich in Antioxidants

Antioxidants are compounds that act against free radicals in our bodies.
High levels of free radicals cause oxidative stress, which may contribute to chronic diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes (6, 7).
Several antioxidant plant compounds have been found in the leaves of Moringa oleifera (8, 9, 10).
In addition to vitamin C and beta-carotene, these include (11, 12):

• Quercetin: This powerful antioxidant may help lower blood pressure (13, 14).


• Chlorogenic acid: Also found in high amounts in coffee, chlorogenic acid may help moderate blood sugar levels after meals (15, 16).

In fact, one study in women found that taking seven grams (1.5 teaspoons) of moringa leaf powder every day for three months significantly increased blood antioxidant levels (17).
Moringa leaf extract may also be used as a food preservative. It increases the shelf life of meat by reducing oxidation (18).

Bottom Line: Moringa oleifera is rich in various antioxidants, including quercetin and cholorogenic acid. Moringa leaf powder can increase blood antioxidant levels.

3. Moringa Oleifera May Lower Blood Sugar Levels

High blood sugar can be a serious health problem. In fact, it is the main characteristic of diabetes.

Over time, high blood sugar raises the risk of many serious health problems, including heart disease. For this reason, it is important to keep blood sugar within healthy limits.
Interestingly, several studies have shown that Moringa oleifera may help lower blood sugar levels.
However, most of the evidence is based on animal studies. The human studies are few, and generally of low quality (19, 20, 21).
In one study, 30 women took seven grams of moringa leaf powder every day for three months. This reduced fasting blood sugar levels by 13.5% (17).
Additionally, a small study in six diabetic patients found that adding 50 grams of Moringa leaves to a meal reduced the rise in blood sugar by 21% (22).
These effects are caused by plant compounds found in Moringa leaves, such as isothiocyanates (23).

Bottom Line: Moringa leaves may lead to reduced blood sugar levels, but more research is needed before any solid recommendations can be made.

4. Moringa Oleifera May Reduce Inflammation

Inflammation is the body’s natural response to infection or injury.
It is essential as a protective mechanism, but may become a major health issue when it goes on for a long time.
Sustained inflammation is believed to be involved in many chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer (24, 25).
Many fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices have known anti-inflammatory effects. These include turmeric and pomegranates.
Moringa leaves, pods and seeds have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties as well, which may also be due to isothiocyanates (26, 27, 28).
However, the research so far has been limited to test tube and animal studies. It remains to be seen if Moringa oleifera has similar anti-inflammatory effects in humans.

Bottom Line: In animal and test tube studies, Moringa oleifera has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. This has not been studied in humans.

5. Moringa Oleifera Can Lower Cholesterol

High amounts of cholesterol in the blood have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
Many plant foods can effectively reduce cholesterol. These include flaxseeds, oats and almonds.
Both animal and human studies have shown that Moringa oleifera may have similar cholesterol-lowering effects (8, 19, 29, 30).

Bottom Line: Moringa oleifera can lower cholesterol levels in the blood, which should lead to reduced risk of heart disease.

6. Moringa Oleifera May Protect Against Arsenic Toxicity

Arsenic contamination of food and water is a problem in many parts of the world.
Rice may contain particularly high levels (31).
Although arsenic in food or water does not cause symptoms of toxicity right away, long-term exposure may lead to health problems over time.
Observational studies indicate that long-term exposure to arsenic may increase the risk of cancer and heart disease (32, 33).
Several studies of mice and rats show that the leaves and seeds of Moringa oleifera may protect against some effects of arsenic toxicity (34, 35, 36).
These studies are promising, but it is not yet known whether this also applies to humans.

Bottom Line: Animal studies suggest that Moringa oleifera may protect against arsenic toxicity. However, this has not yet been studied in humans.

Take Home Message

If you want to enjoy the benefits of Moringa oleifera, then there is a great selection on Amazon with tons of interesting reviews.
To sum up, Moringa oleifera is an Indian tree that has been used in traditional medicine for a very long time.
It has been used to treat various different conditions and diseases, but only a few of the health claims have been studied scientifically (1).
So far, studies have shown that Moringa oleifera may lead to modest reductions in blood sugar and cholesterol. It may also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and protect against arsenic toxicity.
Moringa leaves are also highly nutritious, and should be particularly beneficial for people who are lacking in essential nutrients