Moringa

What Is Moringa?

Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing tree from the foothills of the Himalayas, now planted across the dry tropics. Its long seed pods give it the name drumstick tree, and its roots taste of horseradish. What fills these capsules is the leaf.

How It Works in the Body

Moringa leaf sits closer to a food than to a single-compound supplement. Dried, it carries beta-carotene, vitamin C, calcium, iron and a fair amount of protein for a leaf. Its polyphenols are flavonoids — quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin — along with chlorogenic acid, the compound coffee is known for.

The leaf also holds glucomoringin, a glucosinolate. Break the leaf and a plant enzyme turns it into moringin, an isothiocyanate from the same chemical family as the sharp compounds in mustard.

What It Supports

• A healthy inflammatory response: Moringa leaf is traditionally taken to support a healthy inflammatory response.
• Dietary antioxidants: Quercetin, kaempferol and chlorogenic acid are dietary antioxidants, the same ones found in onions, tea and coffee.
• Everyday greens: Dried moringa leaf is a genuine green vegetable, carrying beta-carotene, calcium and iron.
• Mustard-family chemistry: Glucomoringin puts moringa in the same chemical company as broccoli and horseradish.

Who It May Suit

It suits people who eat few dark leafy greens and want one in a simpler form, and anyone who prefers organic, single-ingredient plant material. The capsule is a vegetable polysaccharide, so it works for vegetarian and vegan eating.

Good To Know

Moringa leaf tastes green and slightly peppery, and the powder is a deep gray-green. This is leaf only. Talk with your healthcare provider before use if you take thyroid medication, since moringa may affect how levothyroxine is absorbed, or medication for blood sugar, and if you are pregnant or nursing.