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Moringa
tree
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The
resilient, fast growing Moringa tree is packed with so many vitamins and
nutrients and has such a high nutritional value that it has been rightly dubbed
by some as the miracle tree.
The
Miracle Tree
All
parts of this scruffy looking tree are edible; the leaves can be eaten raw,
cooked like spinach or made into a powder that can be added to sauces, soups or
chowders. The new leaves have a tendency to appear towards the end of the dry
season when few other sources of green leafy vegetables are available. The
young, green pods can be eaten whole and are comparable in taste to asparagus.
The older pods can be used for their seeds, which can be prepared as peas or
roasted and eaten like peanuts. The flowers which bloom around 8 months after
the tree is planted, can be eaten fried and have the taste and texture of
mushrooms. In Hawaii, the flowers are used to make a tea that cures colds. In
addition to this, the flowers are a year- round source of nectar and can be used
by beekeepers.
When
the pods mature and turn brown, the seeds can be removed and pressed to extract
high quality oil similar to olive oil rich in oleic acid (73%). The mature seed
contains about 40% oil. The oil, which is known as Ben oil, can be used for
cooking, lubrication, in soaps, lamps and perfumes. The oil was highly valued by
ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians and was used in perfumes and for skin
protection; it was also used in Europe in the 19th century for the same purpose
and was imported from the West Indies. The taproot of young trees can be used to
make a spice resembling horseradish when vinegar and salt are added to it.
Not
only is the Moringa oleifera tree extraordinary in that all parts of the tree
are edible, but the most amazing aspect of the tree is its exceptionally high
nutritional value. The leaves of the Moringa tree are an excellent source of
vitamin A (four times the amount in carrots), the raw leaves are rich in vitamin
C (seven times the amount in oranges), and they are also a good source of
vitamin B and other minerals. The leaves are also an outstanding source of
calcium (four times the amount in milk), protein (twice the amount in milk), and
potassium (three time the amount in bananas). The content of iron is very good
as well and the leaves have purportedly been used for treating anaemia in the
Philippines. The content of amino acids such as methionine and cystine is also
high. Carbohydrates, fats and phosphorous content are low making this one of the
finest plant foods to be found.
Africa’s
Solution to Malnutrition?
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Moringa
olefeira flowers
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These
qualities have made the Moringa oleifera tree a candidate in the fight against
malnutrition. A group of health workers from the Church World Service have been
utilizing this highly nutritious and fast growing tree as a means to cure and
prevent malnutrition in infants, pregnant and lactating women as an alternative
to the classic and expensive condiments usually used such as whole milk powder,
sugar, vegetable oil, and sometimes peanut butter. It takes around ten days to
see an improvement in malnourished infants when Moringa leaves are used whereas
it takes months for recovery with conventional methods.
According
to Dr. Lowell Fuglie, the West Africa representative of the Church World Service
who used the Moringa tree as a base for a nutrition program, “for a child aged
1-3, a 100 g serving of fresh cooked leaves would provide all his daily
requirements of calcium, about 75% of his iron and half his protein needs, as
well as important amounts of potassium, B vitamins, copper and all the essential
amino acids. As little as 20 grams of leaves would provide a child with all the
vitamins A and C he needs."
"For
pregnant and breast-feeding women, Moringa leaves and pods can do much to
preserve the mother's health and pass on strength to the fetus or nursing child.
One 100 g portion of leaves could provide a woman with over a third of her daily
need of calcium and give her important quantities of iron, protein, copper,
sulfur and B-vitamins."
“One
rounded tablespoon (8 g) of leaf powder will satisfy about 14% of the protein,
40% of the calcium, and 23% of the iron and nearly all the vitamin A needs for a
child aged 1-3. Six rounded spoonfuls of leaf powder will satisfy nearly all of
a woman's daily iron and calcium needs during pregnancy and
breast-feeding."
Water
Purification
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Left
- whole seed and seed powder; right - presscake remaining following oil
extraction
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The
Moringa tree has other extraordinary qualities; the powder from ground Moringa
seeds and the presscake left over from oil extraction have the ability to clear
murky water as it acts as a coagulant which attaches to particulate matter and
bacteria in the water and falls to the bottom of the container. The purified
water can then be poured out and boiled. This method has been used for centuries
domestically and has recently been tried commercially and was found to be
equally efficient to, if not surpassing, alum which is usually used and at a
fraction of the cost.
Practical
Uses
The
bark of the tree can be used to make mats or rope and in tanning hides. The gum
from the cut tree trunks is used in calico printing and in some medicines. The
wood can be used to make a blue dye and can also be used as firewood. The
flowers and roots of Moringa trees contain a powerful antibiotic known as
pterygospermin, which also has fungicidal properties. An effective plant growth
hormone can be extracted from fresh leaves and has been found to increase crop
yields by up to 25-30%, and the leaves can also be used as a green manure to
enrich farmlands.
Mother’s
Best Friend
The
family Moringaceae contains 14 species of Moringa trees. Moringa oleifera, is a
drought tolerant tree, and is the best-known member of this family. It is native
to sub-Himalayan regions of northern India and is distributed all over the world
in tropics and sub tropics. Moringa stenopetala, which produces larger seed and
leaves than M. oleifera, inhabits Ethiopia and northern Kenya. M. peregrina is
native in Egypt, Sudan, and the Arabian Peninsula and as far north as the Dead
Sea. M. ovalifolia is found in Angola and Namibia.
The
tree has many different names. It is called the drumstick tree in India due to
the long pods, or the horseradish tree as the roots may be used to make a spice
resembling horseradish. In some parts of the world it is known as ‘Mother’s
best friend’. In Senegal, it is known as Nebeday, which means "Never
Die," because the tree is outstandingly hearty. It is also known as the Ben
Oil tree; the Benzolive tree in Haiti; Marum in Thailand; Yoruba in Nigeria and
Malunggay in the Philippines.
Sources
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Sreenivasan,
Jyotsna, 2000:The
Drumstick Tree A Natural Multi-Vitamin.
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NCCCUSA,
2000: Expedition
to Distribute 20,000 Moringa Tree Seeds in Tanzania.
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ECHO.
Moringa,
Nature's Medicine Cabinet.
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ECHO.
Effectiveness
of a Moringa Seed Extract in Treating a Skin Infection.
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ECHO.
Moringa
and Carotene.
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Fuglie,
Lowell. New
Uses of Moringa Studied in Nicaragua.
ECHO.
-
ECHO.
The
Moringa Tree, Moringa oleifera, is Called Mother’s Best
Friend.
-
ECHO.
Using
Moringa on a Larger Scale.
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Gardner,
Ellen, 2002: Moringa
tree has many uses, From Food to Firewood.
Yumasun.
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Portalmarket,
Moringa
Tree Powder.
-
Price,
Martin L., 1985:
Fruits
& Others: Articles The Moringa Tree. Tropical-Seeds.
Aisha
El-Awady has a
bachelor’s degree in medicine from Cairo University and is currently working
as instructor of Parasitology in the Faculty of Medicine. She may be
contacted at aawady@islam-online.net.
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