Moringa Nutrition - Moringa Health Benefits

MORINGA OLEIFERA: A NUTRITIONAL POWERHOUSE

Malnutrition remains one of the world's most serious and neglected health problems worldwide. These studies explore moringa's impressive nutritional profile and its potential to enable a food-secure future.

 

This study shows that a daily dose of 10 grams of moringa leaf powder speeds the recovery of severely malnourished children. The use of moringa supplement significantly improved key health parameters in children aged 6-59 months, including a higher average weight gain, with no occurrence of digestive disorders. 

Moringa oleifera Lam. is a plant that is known for its health benefits and nutritional value, particularly for its protein quantity and quality. Due to its nutrient constitution, M. oleifera is used in several regions to treat malnutrition, especially in children. Moreover, M. oleifera contains phytochemical compounds that have important biological activities. Several previous studies confirmed that extracts or compounds isolated from M. oleifera have antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory and anti-hypertensive properties, as well as the ability to protect against hepatic damage. The use of M. oleifera as a nutraceutical plant is now supported not only by traditional knowledge, but also by scientific evidence.

Jed W. Fahey, Sc.D.,  a nutritional biochemist who has studied moringa’s phytochemicals for almost a decade, discusses some of the tree’s most intriguing features, describing it as a "nutritional and medical cornucopia."

Sixteen elements (Na,Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr and Ba) were detected and quantified. The results show that the plant contains many elements of vital importance for human metabolism, diseases prevention and healing. Moringa Oleifera is found to consist of several trace and major elements of importance to human health. The absence of harmful elements in the moringa oleifera leaves and seeds showed that the product has no potential danger to the consumers. Results shows that Moringa oleifera can be useful as mineral supplement for all age groups.

Findings suggest that Moringa oliefera aqueous leaf extract contribute towards the pathophysiological regulation of weight gain and inflammation associated with high-fat-induced-obesity through gut bacteria modulation.

 

This publication from the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS), delivered at the 1st International Symposium on Moringa, promotes the use of moringa as a staple crop with the potential to address problems of poverty and malnutrition, citing its high levels of protein, nutrients and vitamins.

 

This study concludes that moringa has an exceptionally high protein content and contains all essential amino acids. It also demonstrates that moringa extract offers a rich source of growth-promoting elements that are easily digested and metabolized in farm animals.

 

This study assesses the nutritional value of moringa leaves, and concludes that they are rich in protein, minerals, vitamins, fibers, amino acids, fatty acids and bioactive compounds. 

This study evaluated the impact of the level of supplementation of Moringa oleifera leaves on the nutritional (proximate, mineral and vitamin content) as well as on the antioxidant capacities of smoothies made from a blend of pineapple, banana and apple. While supplementation with Moringa oleifera leaves offer a potential avenue to obtain additional nutrients and antioxidative properties. 

Moringa Books 

Moringa Malunggay Philippines, Luis R.Villafuerte, Lalaine Villafuerte-Abonal, AG Publishing (2009)

Miracle Tree, Monica G. Marcu Pharm.D., PH.D., Soundconcepts, (2013).

Moringa, Nature's Medecine cabinet, Sanford Holst, Sierra Sunrise Publishing, (2000).

The Miracle Tree, Moringa Oleifera: Natural  Nutrition for the Tropics, Lowell J.Fuglie, regional representative, Church World Service, Dakar, Senegal; Moringa Tree project, Church World Service, (1999).

Measurement of sympatholytic activity of Moringa oleifera. New Trends in Natural, Products Chemistry [6 th International Symposium on Natural Products Chemistry] 269- 277. Harwood Amsterdam. Hameed-Un-Nisa L, D Shehnaz, and S Faizi. (1998).   

 

Clinical trials on Moringa

{www.clinicaltrials.gov}

This study is conducted to determine if antiretroviral drugs are affected by taking herbs at the same time. This is important because herbal medicines may interact with modern medicine to increase or decrease the amount of medication in the body.

-->Monera-Penduka TG, Maponga CC, Wolfe AR, Wiesner L, Morse GD, Nhachi CF. Effect of Moringa oleifera Lam. leaf powder on the pharmacokinetics of nevirapine in HIV-infected adults: a one sequence cross-over study. AIDS Research Therapy. 2017 Mar 14;14:12. doi: 10.1186/s12981-017-0140-4. eCollection 2017.

-->Monera-Penduka TG, Maponga CC, Morse GD, Nhachi CFB. Capacity for ethical and regulatory review of herbal trials in developing countries: a case study of Moringa oleifera research in HIV-infected patients. J Pharm Policy Pract. 2017 Feb 20;10:9. doi: 10.1186/s40545-017-0099-5. eCollection 2017.

 

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of Moringa Oleifera on the structure and function of bone in post-menopausal women ingesting 1000 mg of Moringa Oleifera daily for 12 weeks.

-->Singh V, Singh N, Pal US, Dhasmana S, Mohammad S, Singh N. Clinical evaluation of cissus quadrangularis and moringa oleifera and osteoseal as osteogenic agents in mandibular fracture. Natl J Maxillofac Surg. 2011 Jul;2(2):132-6. doi: 10.4103/0975-5950.94466.

 

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a difference exists in the gut, oral, vaginal and human milk microbiome of under-nourished pregnant women as compared to healthy and obese pregnant women. In addition, the investigators are setting out to determine if a micronutrient enriched probiotic yogurt can improve the microbiome and pregnancy outcomes of under-nourished pregnant women.

-->Bisanz JE, Enos MK, Mwanga JR, Changalucha J, Burton JP, Gloor GB, Reid G. Randomized open-label pilot study of the influence of probiotics and the gut microbiome on toxic metal levels in Tanzanian pregnant women and school children. MBio. 2014 Oct 7;5(5):e01580-14. doi: 10.1128/mBio.01580-14.

 

Current evidence supports a central role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and diabetes [57-60]. Diabetes Mellitus (DM) type 2 is an inflammatory atherothrombotic condition associated with high prevalence of thrombotic cardiovascular disease. Among the DM risk factors (like hypertension, atherogenic dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, impaired fibrinolysis, inflammatory profile), definitely, inflammation is the neglected one. Moringa oleifera has been suggested to exert anti-inflammatory effects and hypoglycemic property. This trial investigates the effects of Moringa oleifera leaves supplementation on levels of inflammatory marker specifically hsCRP, hgbA1c level and clinical outcome in diabetic patients through a cohort study.

 

The objective is to determine the effect of A.annua L and Moringa oleifera leaf powder on CD4 cell count and other immunological indices in HAART HIV patients.

Expected benefits: Adequate immunological recovery is one of the desired outcomes in HIV care. HAART combinations do not directly aid immunological recovery and some patients fail to have adequate immunological recovery despite adequate suppression of viral load. There are many patients using herbal supplements but there is limited scientific clinical evidence on the benefit of these supplements in HAART patients.

To see whether MINGO, a food supplement containing Moringa Oleifera, will be able to lessen the drastic weight loss seen among X-linked Dystonia Parkinsonism patients.


Conclusion:

Moringa is one of the world's most nutritious plant,

-> it is also packed with potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds: