Moringa: the 4 virtues of the Tree of Life

Moringa oleifera: the multi-beneficial Tree of Life

A fast-growing tropical tree native to Asia, and India in particular, moringa, or Moringa oleifera to give its botanical name, is a plant with multiple benefits for health.

Its fruit, roots, bark, seeds and leaves are all used in the countries in which it grows naturally: Southeast Asia, Indonesia, India, Ethiopia, Chad, etc. In English-speaking countries, it’s known as the horseradish tree (because its root tastes similar to horseradish), as brede mouroum in Réunion, etc.

Moringa is widely used as a cooking ingredient in many countries because of its high nutrient content, its ability to withstand drought and because it produces young shoots and leaves in the dry season when food becomes scarcer.

It’s for this reason, and because it’s the basis of the vegetarian diet in India, that it is known as the Tree of Life.

But moringa has also been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine. In addition to having a high nutrient content, it’s a medicinal plant with numerous benefits for health (1).

Moringa can treat 300 diseases? Really?

Ayurvedic medicine credits moringa with the ability to treat more than 300 health problems, including colds, diabetes and high blood pressure. According to this age-old Indian system of medicine, moringa is also good for the kidneys, hair and sleep. But as we’ll see, recent scientific research has concentrated primarily on its benefits for blood sugar levels (2).

The 4 key benefits of moringa

While every part of the plant is used in cooking in the various regions of the world in which this tropical tree grows, it’s the leaves in particular, that are currently the subject of scientific study. They contain numerouspolyphenols, alkaloids, such as glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, as well as saponins. They are also easily dried and made into powder to produce moringa capsules (3).

Moringa and glycaemia: a tool for fighting diabetes?

While research is ongoing to establish the precise mechanisms behind moringa’s effects, a number of studies have shown that supplementing with moringa for several weeks can reduce blood sugar levels by up to 30% in diabetic individuals. Moringa consumption also appears to increase insulin sensitivity.

Even more interestingly, other studies have demonstrated similar glycaemia-lowering effects in ‘healthy’ individuals.

That’s why extract of moringa leaf is now considered to be a potential natural remedy for diabetes and is recognised by the EFSA for supporting glucose metabolism (4-5).

Moringa: a nutritional powerhouse

Moringa is not only a staple food in certain regions of India, but this Tree of Life has also attracted the attention of numerous NGOS such as Action against Hunger, the Red Cross, and UNICEF. The reason for this is its remarkable nutritional value.

Moringa is rich in (6) :

• minerals (it contains 3 times as much potassium as bananas, 4 times as much calcium as milk and as much magnesium as dark chocolate);
• vitamins A, C and E (it contains 4 times as much vitamin A as carrots and 7 times as much vitamin C as oranges);
• high-quality protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids (and twice as much protein as yogurt).

A potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant?

Moringa’s high content of polyphenols, saponins, glucosinolates and isothiocyanates has also prompted researchers to investigate this medicinal plant’s potential as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant (7).

Some studies suggest that moringa leaf extract inhibits production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by macrophages and reduces the activity of genes involved in inflammation (8).

And a number of other studies are evaluatingmoringa’s antioxidant potential, because of its high content of tocopherols and beta-carotene, amongst others.

According to an article on the plant produced by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), moringa products have antibiotic, hypotensive, antispasmodic, antiulcer, anti-inflammatory, cholesterol-lowering, and hypoglycaemic properties (9).

Moringa and the kidneys, sleep and hair

Moringa seeds are also rich in fatty acids such as behenic acid, oleic acid and palmitoleic acid, as well as in antioxidants. For this reason, oil extracted from its seeds is widely used in hair and skincare products (10).

In addition, studies indicate that its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential could benefit the kidneys, which moringa may protect from disease (11).

And finally, while some studies suggest that moringa may improve sleep quality, the only real effect shown is that moringa boosts the sedative action of pentobarbital, a barbiturate used as a sleeping pill and anaesthetic in surgery. Moringa’s effects on sleep are thus being evaluated for pharmaceutical applications (12).

Potential risks of moringa

The only contraindication associated with moringa relates to women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, due to a lack of data on the plant’s effects on the foetus or infant.

You can obtain moringa’s benefits by taking a course of moringa leaf extract supplements in capsule form, (such as the product Organic Moringa Leaf Extract).