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Moringa Leaves: Nearly a Perfect Source of Nutrients in a Single Plant

7/3/2013

6 Comments

 
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I was shopping at my weekly Farmers Market when I came across a leafy green vegetable for my first time: Moringa leaves, also known as Drumstick Leaves from the Drumstick Tree. Draped over the Moringa was a sheet of paper stating that one leaf of Moringa has 7 times the vitamin C of oranges, 4 times the vitamin A of carrots, 4 times the calcium of milk, 3 times the potassium of bananas, and 2 times the protein of yogurt. WOW! That caught my attention! Intrigued by those claims, I sampled a taste of a small, roundish leaf. It had a very pleasant, mild taste. I gladly paid $2.00 for a hefty bunch of Moringa leaves and took it home.

I’ve since learned that Moringa leaves have many health benefits because they are a rich source of a wide variety of nutrients, including antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin A, protein, calcium, iron, and potassium. In fact, Moringa leaves are very unusual because they contain such a wide variety of nutrients in such high amounts within a single plant. Moringa leaves are an excellent source of plant protein because they contain 18 of the 20 amino acids our bodies need, including all nine essential amino acids (those amino acids our bodies cannot make and therefore we must get from foods we eat), and the protein in Moringa appears to be easier for our bodies to digest and assimilate than other proteins such as soy protein. Moringa trees do well in hot, dry areas, and many cultures, especially in hot climates in Africa and South Asia, use Moringa leaves as a remedy and multivitamin! Children at a clinic in Senegal (West Africa) were healthier, happier, more energetic, and smiling only three weeks after ingesting one teaspoon of dried Moringa leaves three times daily (check out the Discovery Channel YouTube video link below). Monica G. Marcu, author of Miracle Tree, even stated that Moringa is very close to being a perfect source of nutrients in terms of variety and concentration.

I was curious about the claims I found on the sheet at the Farmers Market (shown in the photo above), so I went to the USDA National Nutrient Database and looked up the nutrient content of each item on the list to verify those claims. While I found those particular claims to be somewhat exaggerated, I also found the nutrient content of Moringa leaves to be highly impressive, none-the-less.

Here’s what I found per 100 gram equivalent (about 5 cups of chopped Moringa leaves) of each item compared on the sheet that I saw at the Farmers Market:
  • Vitamin C: Moringa leaves - 51.7 mg; orange - 59.1 mg
  • Vitamin A: Moringa leaves - 7,564 IU (378 ug); carrots - 16,706 IU (835 ug)
  • Calcium: Moringa leaves - 185 mg; whole milk: 113 mg
  • Potassium: Moringa leaves - 337 mg; bananas - 358 mg
  • Protein: Moringa leaves - 9.4 g; yogurt: 3.47 g (plain, whole milk) to 5.73 g (plain, skim milk); Spinach - 2.86 g; kale - 4.28 g; 
  • Iron:  Moringa leaves - 4.00 g; Spinach - 2.71 g

Given what I discovered using the NSDA National Nutrient Database, here’s what I would put on a fact sheet about Moringa leaves: for a comparable weight, Moringa leaves have close to the same amount of vitamin C in oranges; roughly 1/2 the vitamin A in carrots; over 1 1/2 times the calcium in whole milk, roughly 2-3 times the protein in yogurt, over 3 times the protein in spinach, and over 2 times the protein in kale; and nearly 2 times the iron in spinach. Plus, Moringa leaves have 18 of the 20 amino acids our bodies need to repair and build protein, including all 9 essential amino acids.

Moringa leaves can easily be substituted for spinach in your favorite recipes, and Moringa leaves can be served cooked or raw in salads or green smoothies. Try some and let me know what you think!

You can also click here to watch a video from the Discovery Channel about Moringa.

If you like this post or found it helpful, please click on the FB "Like" button below.

6 Comments
Litoli Shohe
2/20/2017 01:20:42 am

Hi, I would like to know if the comparators (ie oranges, bananas, spinach, carrots) which were used for the claim was used freshly or in dried matter for comparison

Reply
Terri link
2/20/2017 01:03:27 pm

Hi Litoli - all data presented here is from 100 grams of fresh foods, not dried.

Reply
Alberto Rubio Casillas
8/23/2017 08:15:34 am

Dear Dr. Quenzer: I am very interested on your comments about Moringa nutrients. I tried to go to the USDA database but I did not find the information you cited. Could you be so kind to send me the specific file ? I have read that dried leaves contain more nutrients than fresh ones. So I am confused! Thank you very much!

Reply
Terri link
8/24/2017 09:32:58 pm

Hi Alberto,

Thank you for your question. You have to search on Drumstick Leaves in the USDA nutrient database, another name for Moringa Leaves. Here's the link: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2974?n1=%7BQv%3D1%7D&fgcd=&man=&lfacet=&count=&max=50&sort=default&qlookup=drumstick&offset=&format=Full&new=&measureby=&Qv=1&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing=.

Dried fruits and vegetables are often higher in nutrients by weight than their fresh counterparts because removal of the water concentrates the nutrients.

Reply
Alberto Rubio
8/25/2017 08:13:51 am

Dear Dr. Quenzer: Thank you very much for your reply. Now is all clear, I totally agree with your comments.

Moringawholesale link
8/5/2018 11:41:33 pm

Thanks for the great article

Reply



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    Terri Quenzer, PhD

    Terri has a passion for good health and for helping others find happiness in themselves through better health! Through her scientific and life experiences, her goal is to help you reach your healthy goals!

    ​Be The Healthy U!: nominated for San Diego's Best Nutrition/Cooking Classes of 2016!

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    Catch Terri's interview about plant-based nutrition on KCQB 1170 AM - click here.

    How Not to Die: Terri interviews New York Times Bestselling Author Michael Greger, MD. Listen below.
    Terri speaks with Jordan Hoffman of Jordan Hoffman Acupuncture about what to eat and East vs West.
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