One of my passions is growing my own food and making sure that it’s nutritious. The Moringa tree is one of my favorites. It’s a tropical drought-tolerant tree that also thrives in wet tropics where it can grow up to nine feet in one year.
Moringa trees produce edible leaves all year round and seasonal seedpods a few times a year. They are long and thin and look like drumsticks, thus, it’s often called “the drumstick tree.”
The leaves can be sprinkled on eggs, or used in soups and curries. The pods are steamed or boiled like edamame, and the spherical 0.5 to 1 cm diameter seeds become tender and soft.
Moringa is a plant with a rich history of traditional uses for diverse pharmacological benefits. Some choose to take powdered moringa in capsules or drink moringa tea. Today, moringa is recognized for its many nutritional benefits. There has been active research looking into possible medicinal benefits.
One cup of leaves, commonly prepared in a soup or stirred into a curry, can provide the following nutrients:
- Protein: 2 grams
- Vitamin B6: 19% RDA
- Vitamin C: 12% RDA
- Iron: 11% RDA
- Magnesium: 8% RDA
- Riboflavin (B2): 11% RDA
- Vitamin A : 9% RDA
There are those who call this “the miracle tree” and sell its powders at premium prices. There are claims that it can cure almost anything. Most of the of the extreme claims cannot be backed up by science, but the Moringa tree did earn its nickname “the never die tree” in Africa for good reasons. Its bark is used to purify water and every other part of the tree can be eaten. This article offers a balanced perspective and discusses the research that shows some of the beneficial attributes of the plant.
The Truth About Moringa
by Danny Bonvissuto, an article on WebMD.com
Medically Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev on February 22, 2022