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Moringa Health Benefits and Moringa Side Effects

Moringa health benefits for cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, weight loss, and know the side effects of taking moringa are explained. Moringa oleifera has recently gained popularity as a super food due to its ability to provide several health benefits. It is known as a "miracle tree" or "Tree of Life" that has been used for centuries in traditional medicine in Asia and Africa for men and women due to its high nutrition content.
Moringa oleifera Tree
Moringa oleifera Tree
Every part of moringa tree including leaves, pods, roots, seeds, flowers and fruit are packed with micro and macro-nutrients of great value for human nutrition [1]. Looking to the numerous health benefits, you should incorporate moringa leaves or moringa powder into your diet to help improve your overall health and well-being.
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Moringa Nutrition Facts 

Moringa is rich in nutrients including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin A,  vitamin B1 (thiamine),  B2 (riboflavin),  B3 (niacin) and B-6; folate, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc. If you compare moringa with milk, oranges and spinach, then the nutrition in moringa excels.

The following moringa leaves nutrition chart shows that 100 g of moringa leaves have 4 times the vitamin A in carrots, 4 times the calcium and 2 times the protein in milk, 4 times the vitamin C in oranges and 3 times the potassium in banana [2]. Research have reported that moringa contains [2]:
Nutrition     Moringa           Comparison
              Leaves (100g)     Food (100 g)
Protein       6.7 gm       Cow milk: 3.2 gm
Calcium       440 mg       Cow milk: 120 mg
Potassium     259 mg       Bananas: 88 mg
Vitamin A    6780 mcg      Carrots: 1890 mcg
Vitamin C     220 mg       Oranges: 30 mg  
Moringa is also very low in fats and contains no cholesterol. The nutrients in moringa are helpful to make body resistant to illness and disease. The antioxidants rich moringa helps to protect the body against harmful free radicals and also prevent cell damage and reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.

The following table gives the moringa nutrition values per 100 gram of moringa leaves

Table: Nutrients in Fresh and Dried Moringa Leaves [2]
PrincipleFresh leavesDry leavesLeaf powderSeedPods
Calories (cal)9232920526
Protein (g)6.729.427.135.972.5
Fat (g)1.75.22.338.670.1
Carbohydrate (g)12.541.238.28.673.7
Fiber (g)0.912.519.22.874.8
Vitamins
 Vitamin B1 (mg)0.062.022.640.050.05
 Vitamin B2 (mg)0.0521.320.50.060.07
 Vitamin B3 (mg)0.87.68.20.20.2
 Vitamin C (mg)22015.817.34.5120
 Vitamin E (mg)44810.8113751.67-
Electrolytes
 Potassium (mg)2591,2361,324
Minerals
 Calcium (mg)4402,18520034530
 Iron (mg)0.8525.628.2-5.3
 Magnesium (mg)4244836863524
 Copper (mg)0.070.490.575.203.1
 Sulphur (mg)0.05137

From the above Table it is evident that moringa fresh leaves are high in calcium, potassium and vitamins. One can calculate the nutrition values of 1 teaspoon of moringa powder as below:
Calories     = 4.6cal
Fat             = 0.085g
Protein       = 0.335g
Carb           = 0.625g
Calcium      = 22mg
Potassium  = 12.95mg
Vitamin C   = 11mg

List Of Moringa Health Benefits

Moringa Health Benefits Research

Moringa has been used as a remedy for bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, inflammation, diabetes, heart health, cancer , joint pain, etc [3]. Scientists are looking into the following list of diseases that moringa can possibly cure or prevent or may be beneficial in some way. Actually, moringa can cure about 300 diseases.

Moringa Health Benefits For Diabetes

Moringa may be beneficial for people with diabetes or who are at risk of developing diabetes as consuming moringa may regulate blood sugar by reducing the absorption of glucose in the intestines. 

Moringa contains important bioactive phytochemicals, such as polysaccharides, flavonoids, alkaloids, glucosinolates and isothiocyanates which are beneficial in diabetes, so  it has been used as a natural anti-diabetic herb in India and other Asian countries since ages [4].

The research on the effects of moringa leaf powder on blood glucose levels carried out on rats and humans revealed some evidence of decreasing blood glucose level, but the evidence is not strong enough to recommend it as a treatment for people with diabetes [5].

Research on moringa oleifera leaf extract revealed indicated that it may be used for the control of blood glucose and lipid concentration and prevention of hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidaemia [6]. A small research study on people with diabetes revealed that adding 50 grams of moringa leaves to a meal reduced the rise in blood sugar by 21% [7].

Moringa Antibacterial Properties

The moringa plant have antibacterial properties, especially it has been found to be effective against a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). H. pylori can live in the lining of the stomach, causing irritation and swelling in stomach gastritis (stomach inflammation), stomach ulcers and stomach cancer. H. pylori bacteria is a a risk factor for developing stomach cancer and a major cause of gastritis gastric and duodenal ulcers.

Moringa Health Benefits For Cancer

Some research have suggested that moringa  leaves and bark has anti-cancer benefits against Breast and Colorectal cancer cell lines by decreasing cell motility and colony formation in colorectal and breast cancer cell lines [8].

Moringa Health Benefits For High Blood Pressure

Moringa contains niaziminin and isothiocyanate compounds that help to prevent arteries from thickening, which in turn controls blood pressure.
The antioxidant Quercetin in moringa leaves can help to lower blood pressure. Research that has been carried out on rats and humans have revealed that the diastolic blood pressure and average blood pressure can decrease by Moringa oleifera of supplement capsule (25 mg) [39].

Moringa Health Benefits For Central Nervous System

Many diseases associated with the central nervous system, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, Huntington’s, etc. affect activities such as inability to concentrate, memory loss, movement, balance, etc. Moringa leaves have been traditionally used to treat epilepsy and Alzheimer’s diseases [10].

Moringa Health Benefits For Heart

The moringa is good for heart health. It can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reduces the risk of heart disease. 

Moringa Health Benefits For Brain Health

The vitamins and minerals in moringa such as iron, potassium, and vitamins B and E are important for brain health. These nutrients may also help improve memory and cognitive function.
 

Moringa Health Benefits For Pregnant and Lactating Mothers  

The fresh moringa leaves also improve the milk production of pregnant and lactating mothers and are used to treat anaemia [11].

Moringa Health Benefits For Weight Loss

The moringa has so many health benefits, but can it aid weight loss?
Yes, moringa may help with weight management as it is a low-calorie food and its high vitamin B content helps with efficient digestion. Research has shown that moringa extract can be effective in controlling weight gain in mice.

Medicinal Uses of Different Parts of Moringa Tree

Every part of moringa tree including leaves, bark, pods, roots, seeds, flowers and fruit have medicinal uses as given below [12]

Moringa Leaves Benefits / Moringa Powder Benefits
Treatment of asthma, bronchitis, hyperglycaemia, dyslipidaemia, flu, malaria, diarrhoea, headaches, heart burn, pneumonia, scurvy, syphilis, skin diseases, eye and ear infections, blood pressure and cholesterol, anti-cancer,  antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-atherosclerosis properties 

Moringa Seeds Benefits
Treating hyperthyroidism, Crohn's disease, arthritis, rheumatism, gout, cramp, epilepsy, and sexually transmitted diseases

Medicinal uses of Moringa Root bark
Cardiac stimulant, antiulcer, and anti-inflammatory agent

Medicinal uses of Moringa Flower
For cold and urinary problems, hypocholesterolaemia, antiarthritic agents

Medicinal uses of Moringa Pods
Treatment of diarrhea, liver and spleen problems, joint pain

Side Effects and Risk Factors of Moringa

Very few side effects of taking moringa have been reported. However, it is advised to discuss it with a doctor before you use moringa extract or moringa capsules.
Taking these may interfere with your regular medicines for diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc.

References

1. I. Aslam and A. Asghar, Nutritional and Medical Benefits of Moringa Oleifera, the Miracle Tree, Sustainable Agriculture Reviews, Vol 52. Springer, Cham (2021).

2. Gopalakrishnan L., Doriya K., Kumar D. S. (2016). Moringa Oleifera: A Review on Nutritive Importance and its Medicinal Application. Food Sci. Hum. Wellness 5 (2), 49–56. 10.1016/j.fshw.2016.04.001. 
C. Gopalan; B. V. Rama Sastri; S. C. Balasubramanian, Nutritive Value of Indian Foods. Hyderabad: National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research. pp. 66, 78 919710.

3. Piyush Kashyap, Shiv Kuma, Charanjit Singh Riar, Navdeep Jindal, Poonam Baniwal, Raquel P. F. Guiné, Paula M. R. Correia, Rahul Mehra and Harish Kumar, Recent Advances in Drumstick (Moringa oleifera) Leaves Bioactive Compounds: Composition, Health Benefits, Bioaccessibility, and Dietary Applications, Antioxidants 2022, 11(2), 402.

3. Fang Wang, Yifan Bao, Chen Zhang, Libin Zhan, Washim Khan, Sahifa Siddiqua, Sayeed Ahmad, Esra Capanoglu, Krystyna Skalicka-Woźniak, Liang Zou, Jesus Simal-Gandara, Hui Cao, Zebin Weng, Xinchun Shen & Jianbo Xiao, Bioactive components and anti-diabetic properties of Moringa oleifera Lam, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 62:14, 3873-3897, (2022) DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2020.1870099 

5. Frederick S. Owens, et al., The effects of Moringa oleifera on blood glucose levels: A scoping review of the literature, Complementary Therapies in Medicine (Churchill Livingstone),Vol. 50, pp 102362 (2020).

6. S. Adisakwattana and  B. Chanathong, Alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity and lipid-lowering mechanisms of Moringa oleifera leaf extract, Eur. Rev. Med. Pharmacol. Sci. 2011 Jul;15(7):803-8. PMID: 21780550 (2011).

7. Felicia William,S. Lakshminarayanan and Hariprasad Chegu, Effect of some Indian vegetables on the glucose and insulin response in diabetic subjects, International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, Volume 44, 1993 - Issue 3, 

8. Abdulrahman Khazim Al-Asmari, Sulaiman Mansour Albalawi, Md Tanwir Athar, Abdul Quaiyoom Khan, Hamoud Al-Shahrani, and Mozaffarul Islam, Moringa oleifera as an Anti-Cancer Agent against Breast and Colorectal Cancer Cell Lines, Pone. 2015; 10(8): e0135814 (2015).


10. A.G. Bakre,  A.O. Aderibigbe and O.G. Ademowo, Studies on Neuropharmacological Profile of Ethanol Extract of Moringa oleifera Leaves. Mice. J. Ethnopharmacol. 2013;149:783–789. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2013.08.006.

11. L.J. Fuglie, The Miracle Tree: Moringa oleifera, Natural Nutrition for the Tropics. Church World Service; New York, NY, USA (1999).

12. Zahidul Islam, S. M. Rashadul Islam, Faruk Hossen, Kazi Mahtab-ul-Islam, Md. Rakibul Hasan, and Rezaul Karim, Moringa oleifera is a Prominent Source of Nutrients with Potential Health Benefits, Int J Food Sci. 2021; 2021: 6627265.