MORINGA'S ORIGINS AND HISTORY

Moringa oleifera belonging to the family Moringaceae is a handsome softwood tree, native to foothills of Himalayas in India, also called as "Miracle Tree" because of its exceptional nutritious value ever found on our planet and enormous benefits to humanity. In India it is grown all over the subcontinent for its tender pods, leaves and flowers. This is a backyard tree for daily use in millions of homesteads in South India. The Moringa plant has had a long history of success according to India's age-old medicinal tradition known as Ayurveda for centuries, used moringa as healing plant to treat over 300 diseases. ('Ayur' means 'life' "Veda" means knowledge or science)


Moringa, native to parts of Africa and Asia, is the sole genus in the flowering plant family Moringaceae. The name is derived from the Tamil word murungai which refer to M. oleifera. It contains 13 species from tropical and subtropical climates that range in size from tiny herbs to massive trees.

The most widely cultivated species is Moringa oleifera, a multipurpose tree native to the foothills of the Himalayas in northwestern India and cultivated throughout the tropics. M. stenopetala, an African species, is also widely grown, but to a much lesser extent than M. oleifera.

Moringa cultivation is on the rise in Honduras. There are claims that it is a profitable means of combating deforestation, but Moringa is not native to the forests of the New World. As of 2012 support for Moringa farmers is being offered by the Honduran federal government through the Secretary of Agriculture and by private foreign investment firms. The plant's market potential is widespread given its easy growth and high nutrient content. As described below, the plant is valued for its leaves and high-protein seeds. It can also be made into defatted meal. Moringa oleifera silviculture is being promoted as a means to combat poverty and malnutrition.

Moringa grows quickly in many types of environments. Much of the plant is edible by humans or by farm animals. The leaves are rich in protein, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C and minerals. One hundred grams of fresh Moringa leaves have: 2 times the protein of 100 gm yogurt (Moringa 8.3 g, yogurt 3.8 g); 4 times the calcium of 100 gm milk (Moringa 434 mg, whole cow milk 120 mg); the same potassium as 100 gm banana (Moringa 404 mg, banana 376 mg); the same vitamin A as 100 gm carrot (Moringa 738 mcg, carrot 713 mcg); 3 times the vitamin C of 100 gm orange (Moringa 164 mg, orange 46.9 mg.

Feeding the high protein leaves to cattle has been shown to increase weight gain by up to 32% and milk production by 43 to 65%. The seeds contain 30 to 40% oil that is high in oleic acid, while degreased meal is 61% protein.The defatted meal is a flocculant and can be used in water purification to settle out sediments and undesirable organisms.

More recently, the Moringa oleifera is being cultivated in poverty-stricken nations, such as Niger, as a primary source of food and nutrients. The tree is also a rich source of antioxidants.