1. What is Moringa oleifera or malunggay?

Moringa oleifera Lam is the most widely cultivated species of the monogeneric family Moringaceae (order Brassicales), that includes 13 species of trees and shrubs distributed in sub-Himalayan ranges of India, Sri Lanka, North Eastern and South Western Africa, Madagascar and Arabia. Today it has become naturalized in many locations in the tropics and is widely cultivated in Africa, Ceylon, Thailand, Burma, Singapore, West Indies, Sri Lanka, India, Mexico, Malabar, Malaysia and the Philippines (Fahey, 2005).

Moringa oleifera is considered one of the world’s most useful trees, as almost every part of the tree can be used for food, or has some other beneficial property. In the tropics it is used as foliage for livestock. It is an exceptionally nutritious vegetable tree with a variety of potential uses. The Moringa oleifera plants is absolutely power-packed with nutrients and minerals, including Calcium, Chloride, Chromium, Copper, Flourine, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, Molybdenum, Phosphorus, Potassium, Osidum, Selenium, Sulfur and Zinc, Vitamins A, B, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, Folic Acid, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin K, and vitamin E.

2. What are the medicinal uses of Moringa?

According to Fahey, J.W. (2005), the known medicinal uses/effects of all the parts of Moringa tree are:

Anti-Bacterial • Infection • Urinary Tract Infection • Epstein-Bar Virus (EBV) • Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV-1) • HIV AIDS • Helminthes • Trypanosomes • Bronchitis • External sores/Ulcers • Fever • Hepatic • Anti-Tumor • Prostate • Radio Protective • Anti-Anemic • Anti-Hypertensive • Diabetes/Hypogclycemia • Diuretic • Hypocholestemia • Thyroid • Hepatorenal • Colitis • Diarrhea • Dysentry • Ulcer/Gastritis • Rheumatism • Arthritis • Headache • Antioxidant • Carotenoids • Energy • Iron Deficiency • Protein, Vitamin/Mineral Deficiency • Lactation Enhancer • Antiseptic • Catarrh • Lactation • Scurvy and Tonic • Dental Caries/Toothache • Common cold • Snakebite • Scorpion bite • Digestive • Epilepsy • Hysteria • Antinutrietional factors • Abortifacient • Aphrodisiac • Birth control • Asthma • Cardiotonic • Flatulence • Anti-spasmodic • Rubefacient • Vesicant • Gout • Hepatamegaly • Low back/Kidney pain • Splenomegaly • Syphilis • Typhoid • Earache • Throat infection • Anthelmintic • Skin cancer • Joint pain • Warts • Goitrogen

3. What are the nutritional values of Moringa leaves?

Nutritional analyses indicate that Moringa leaves contain a wealth of essential, disease-preventing nutrients. They even contain all of the essential amino acids, which is unusual for a plant source. Since the dried/powdered leaves are concentrated, they contain higher amounts of many of these nutrients, except vitamin C.

4. How is moringa compared to common foods?

The following figures show a comparison of the nutritional content of Moringa leaves compared to common foods. All values are per 100 grams of edible portion.

5. Do Moringa leaves have any negative side effects?

Moringa leaves have not been found to be toxic. Very extensive health and safety studies conducted at the Noguchi Memorial Medical Research Centre in Ghana determined that Moringa leaf powder has no toxic elements. Absolutely no adverse side effects from even the most concentrated Moringa diet were observed.

6. Is it safe to feed pregnant women and infants with Moringa leaf powder?

In 1997-98, Alternative Action for African Development (AGADA) and Church World Service tested the ability of Moringa leaf powder to prevent or cure malnutrition in pregnant or breast-feeding women and their children in southwestern Senegal. Malnutrition was a major problem in this area, with more than 600 malnourished infants treated every year. During the test, doctors, nurses, and midwives were trained in preparing and using Moringa leaf powder for treating malnutrition. Village women were also trained in the preparation and use of Moringa leaf powder in foods.

This test found the following effects to be common among subjects taking Moringa leaf powder:

* Children maintained or increased their weight and improved overall health.
* Pregnant women recovered from anemia and had babies with higher birth weights.
* Breast-feeding women increased their production of milk.

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Sources:
Japan Food Analysis Center Foundation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/moringa_oleifera
http://www.tfljournal.org/article.php/20051201124931586
http://www.treesforlife.org/our-work/our-initiatives/moringa