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Moringa Uses and Plant Profile

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Moringa is an herb that you may have come across in powder form at a health food store or as a richly-green, tall tree if you’re located in tropical or subtropical regions. Moringa is a deciduous, perennial tree growing up to 10–12 m in height and is native to South Asia along Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. It has now been introduced to and cultivated in Southeast Asia, Africa, South West Asia, Central America, and South America.¹

The name “moringa” is derived from the word “murungai” in Tamil which means “twisted pod”, referring to the shape of the long seed pods of the plant, which also resemble drumsticks, hence one of its common names “drumstick tree”. In the scientific name Moringa oleifera, the “oleifera” comes from the Latin word “oleum,” meaning “oil” and “ferre” which means “to bear,” which speaks to the oil-bearing relevance of the seeds.²

Moringa has been used for thousands of years since ancient Egyptian, Indian, and Greek civilizations as a source of medicine, food, fiber, and textiles.³ In Asia and Africa, the wood has been used as fuelwood and for textiles, gum material extracted from the stem is used in leather tanning, the seeds have been used in water purification and as a potential biodiesel source, and all parts of the plant have been used as a food source for humans and animals.^4,5 It is also believed in African folklore that planting moringa plants on graveyards keeps away hyenas and protects against witchcraft.

Moringa Uses and Plant Profile Summary

Botanical Name: Moringa oleifera
Other Common Names: horseradish tree, drumstick tree, Ben oil tree, miracle tree, malunggay
Family: Moringaceae
Parts Used: leaves, seed pods, seeds, bark, root
Energetics: heating, drying
Taste: bitter, pungent
Plant Properties: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, hypoglycemic, antirheumatic, galactagogue, nutritive tonic
Plant Uses: lactation, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, cancer, infections, skin wounds, headaches, edema, liver disease, kidney stones, asthma, insomnia, ulcers
Plant Preparations: decoction, tea, topical, food

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Written by Nada Beydoun

Nada Beydoun is a registered herbalist with a BSc. in Microbiology and Immunology and Masters in Applied Human Nutrition. Her interests include SWANA region herbal medicines, and she has a community work background in refugee settlement and empowerment. You can follow her plant journey on Instagram @beybotany or her other socials here.

Footnotes

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