Moringa is also known as ‘drumstick’ or ‘horseradish’ or ‘malunggay.’ It (Moringa oleifera) is a tropical tree and is cultivated and consumed in parts of Asia and Africa.
Interestingly, this plant is a distant relative of broccoli, cabbage, and kale. It also has a similar nutritional profile. The leaves of the moringa plant have a high medicinal value.
Moringa leaves are great sources of protein. They contain all the essential amino acids. These leaves are particularly rich in potassium, calcium, phosphorous, iron, vitamins A, D, C, and β-carotene.
The moringa tree is also called the ‘Miracle Tree,’ ‘God’s Gift To Man’, and ‘Savior of the Poor’ because it has been used to treat malnutrition and various other disorders.
Moringa leaves help deal with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and inflammatory disorders. The following section has a detailed account of their health benefits.
Benefits Of Having Moringa Leaves
Thanks to their high antioxidant content, moringa leaves can prevent lipid peroxidation and liver disorders. They also boost hemoglobin content and breast milk yield.
1. Boost Hemoglobin And Iron Levels
A cup of chopped moringa leaves has about 0.84 mg of iron, 8 mcg of folate, and 1588 IU of vitamin A. Consuming these leaves may be beneficial for pregnant women and women dealing with anemia.
Optimal levels of iron and hemoglobin in women prevent complications during pregnancy and delivery, including low birth weight.
Moreover, iron absorption is vitamin A-dependent. Since moringa leaves are good sources of vitamin A, they also boost the rate of iron retention. Hence, you will not face rapid iron reserve depletion in your body.
2. Normalize Lipid Profile
Alterations in the levels and composition of lipids in your blood can lead to dyslipidemia. Dyslipidemia could be congenital (by birth) or a result of an unhealthy lifestyle.
An imbalance in your lipid profile is linked to atherosclerosis, diabetes, and obesity. There are many plant-based remedies to manage dyslipidemia and other lipid disorders.
Moringa leaves also increase the levels of good cholesterol (HDL) and balance your lipid profile.
3. May Work As A Natural Protein Supplement
Moringa leaves have high levels of protein with all the essential amino acids. Hence, they can supplement animal protein in your diet.
Dried moringa leaves have higher levels of leucine, isoleucine, threonine, tyrosine, methionine, phenylalanine, lysine, and histidine. Alanine and leucine are the most abundant, while cysteine and methionine are present in the lowest concentrations.
Including these leaves in your diet is a good idea because a high-amino acid diet boosts your immunity. These nutrients protect your GI tract from parasites and microbial infections. The leaves help in replenishing your body’s lost protein content after pathogenic attacks.
4. May Treat Inflammatory Diseases
The drumstick leaves are used in African folk medicine to treat pain and rheumatism. Scientists postulate that the bioactive ingredients of these leaves play a crucial role in managing pain and inflammation.
Their extract inhibits the secretion of pro-inflammatory compounds. It also keeps nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandins, cellular messengers (cytokines), and several other components of the immune system under check.
With potent anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive properties, moringa leaves can relieve several acute/chronic inflammatory disorders to an extent. Studies report the best recovery in the cases of rheumatoid arthritis, edema, ulcers, colitis, irritable bowel disease, and asthma.
5. May Increase Sexual Performance
Various herbal extracts have been used as aphrodisiacs. They improve sexual performance and desire. Some of them can also correct erectile and sexual dysfunction caused due to stress.
Moringa leaf extracts have similar properties. They inhibit the hydroxylation of testosterone, thus enhancing sexual potential. Their antioxidant capacity reduces the depletion of testosterone-producing Leydig cells.
They also exhibit dopaminergic (dopamine-stimulating) action on your brain. Dopamine and testosterone together enhance sexual desire, penile blood flow (vasodilation), and erection in males.
6. Can Prevent Weight Gain
Moringa leaves contain abundant isothiocyanates, which are a class of bioactive ingredients. These help in the reduction of body weight and metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes.
Moringa isothiocyanates stimulate lipolysis in adipose tissues. They trigger the breakdown of accumulated fat in the body to yield free fatty acids and triglycerides.
These active molecules operate at a molecular level. They interfere with the expression of genes involved in weight gain/lipid accumulation pathways. Hence, having moringa leaves may lower obesity and cut the risk of organ damage induced by lipid accumulation.
7. Can Enhance Breast Milk Yield
Another benefit of this miracle herb is enhancing the breast milk yield (galactagogue). Moringa capsules have been prescribed to nursing mothers to promote breastfeeding.
A study performed on postpartum mothers demonstrated the positive effect of moringa leaf capsules. Those taking these capsules had higher prolactin levels. Their newborns too were comparatively heavier.
Lactation significantly improved in women who took moringa capsules for about two months. It is a common practice in the Philippines to use malunggay leaves to augment breast milk production.
8. Can Protect Your Liver
Moringa leaves have been extensively studied for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Chemical studies identified the presence of quercetin, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, glucosinolates, tannins, and saponins in them.
Molecules like quercetin have substantial effects on liver health. They reduce the levels of hepatic enzymes, which include aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). As a result, your liver and kidneys stay protected from drug- and inflammation-induced injury.
The extract could also control the expression of genes involved in the uptake of hepatic lipids.
9. Possess Antioxidant Effects
Moringa leaf extracts scavenge the stress-causing free radicals from your body. They are known for their antioxidant properties. Terpenoids, saponins, tannins, and flavonoids are the common phytochemicals found in them.
Phenolic compounds are the primary antioxidants. They inactivate free radicals, prevent decomposition of complex molecules into free radicals, and neutralize the existing free radicals.
It is because of this property that moringa leaves help manage chronic disorders like diabetes, hypertension, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and even cancer.
