MORINGA THE MIRACLE TREE

NOTE:
As part of our contribution to a growing international concerted effort to fight
malnutrition, disease and poverty through the now popular MORINGA Projects
and MORINGA Networs, !is "race The #ost $evd E% &% #ani "P', the
Archbishop of 'os Province and The (ord )ishop of #aiduguri, wishes to bring
this nutritious, medicinal, economic and multipurpose tree to your attention%
*ncidentally, !is "race had always been a cultivator of the Moringa +called Zogale
in !ausa, since before his consecration as a )ishop%
The Moringa tree had been a blessing to "od-s people in the past according to
the .criptures, both as natural coagulant +used lie Alum, and source of )en Oil:
And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, which when he had cast into
the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance,
and there he proved them
(Exo 15:25) KJV
I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I
will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the o! tree to"ether
(Isa 41:19) KJV
The enlightening articles below are culled and adapted from various write/ups on
the *nternet and have lins to several resources on the MORINGA Tree%
Enjoy "od-s miraculous provision and tell others of !is goodness%
Venerable Dr. I. U. Ibeme.
UMTH, Maiduguri. Website: http://www.scribd.com/ifeogo E-mail: ifeogo@yahoo.com
Anglican Church of the Resurrection (ACR), GRA, Maiduguri.
.ome !elpful (ins
If you are interested in finding out more about the use of Moringa oleifera seeds in water purification,
please get in touch with: Dr. Geoff Folkard, Engineering Department, Uniersity of !eicester, Uniersity
"oad, !eicester !E# $"%, United &ingdom
For an overview of M. oleifera applied uses and e'tensie references, isit the Uniersity of !eicester(s
M. oleifera )age . http:**www.le.ac.uk.*engineering*staff*+utherland*moringa*moringa.htm
For an up-to-date list of publications regarding Moringa medical research, search the PubMed database
for "Moringa". Notice that most of the studies focus on M. oleifera, with a few also including M.
stenopetala . Despite their potential, none of the other species have ever been studied.
The organization ECHO's Technical Note on M. oleifera has the results of much practical experience with
the tree. http://www.echonet.org/tropicalag/technote.html
The organization Trees for Life has a M. oleifera project site and The Wikipedia On-line Free
Encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moringa have some more information.
1
The Moringa Tree
Moringa oleifera
The Miracle of Moringa Leaves
India's ancient tradition of ayurveda says the leaves of the Moringa tree
prevent 300 diseases.
Modern science confirms the basic idea.
Scientific research has proven that these humble leaves are in fact a
powerhouse of nutritional value.
Gram for gram, Moringa leaves contain
!nfortunately, even while science sings the praise of Moringa leaves, this
vital information has not reached the people who need it most. "rees for #ife
is responding to this need, and you can help.
2
Moringa Oleifera
,atie to India and commonly known as the !orse $adish Tree because of its pungent
edible root, Moringa Oleifera is a soft-wooded tree that grows to about ./ feet tall, with
corky bark and feathery leaes. !eaes are about two feet in length and composed of
ery numerous, small leaflets. 0he flowers are white, fragrant, nearly an inch wide and
grow in loose clusters. 0he fruit is a nine-ribbed cylindrical pod, about #/ inches long.
+eeds are three-angled, winged, and yield a product called 1oil of 2en3 which is used to
lubricate watches.
0he Moringa tree, Moringa Oleifera, is ery useful. 4irtually eery part of it is edible.
0he leaflets can be stripped from the feathery, fernlike leaes and used in any spinach
recipe. +mall trees can be pulled up after a few months and the taproot ground, mi'ed
with inegar and salt and used in place of horseradish. 4ery young plants can be used
as a tender egetable. 5fter about 6 months the tree begins to flower and continues
year round.
0he flowers can be eaten or used to make a tea and proide good
amounts of both calcium and potassium. 0hey are also good for
beekeepers. 0he young pods can be cooked and reportedly hae a taste
reminiscent of asparagus. 0he green peas and surrounding white
material can be remoed from larger pods and cooked in arious ways.
.eeds from mature pods 7which can be . feet long8 can be browned in a skillet, mashed
and placed in boiling water that causes an e'cellent cooking or lubricating oil to float to
the surface. 0he oil reportedly does not become rancid and was once sold as 2en 9il.
0he wood is ery, ery soft. It makes acceptable firewood but poor charcoal.
It is an e'tremely fast growing tree and it is adisable to prune fre:uently beginning
when they are young or they will become lanky and difficult to harest. 2reaking off
tender tips 7used in cooking8 when the trees are about ; or / feet tall, the trees become
much bushier.
0here is more good news. The edible parts are many%
0he leaves are outstanding as a source of itamins 5 and, when raw, itamin <. 0hey
are also a good source of 2 itamins and among the best plant sources of minerals.
0he calcium content is ery high for a plant and phosphorous is low, as it should be.
0he content of iron is ery good 7it is reportedly prescribed for anemia in the )hilippines8
and the leaes are an e'cellent source of protein and a ery low source of fat and
carbohydrates. 0hus, the leaes are one of the best plant foods that can be found. In
his Edible !eaes of the 0ropics, the author adds that the leaes are incomparable as a
source of the sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine which are often in
short supply. 5 compound found in the flowers and roots of the Moringa 0ree,
pterygospermin, has powerful antibiotic and fungicidal effects.
Dr. +amia 5l 5=haria >ahn with the Deutsche Gsellschaft fur 0echnische
?usammenarbeit in Germany found another une'pected use for the seeds%
3
+uspensions of the ground seed of the ben=olie tree are used as primary coagulants.
0hey can 1clarify ,ile water of any degree of isible turbidity.3 5t high turbidities, their
action was almost as fast as that of alum, but at medium and low turbidities, it was
slower. 0he doses re:uired did not e'ceed ./@ mg*i. <oagulating the solid matter in
water so that it can be easily remoed can remoe a good portion of the suspended
bacteria. 1"ier water is always fecally polluted. 5t our sampling site, the total
coliforms amounted during the flood season to #A@@-#6,@@@ per #@@ ml. 0urbidity
reductions to #@ F0U were achieed after one hour, reducing the coliforms to #-.@@ per
#@@ ml. Good clarification is obtained if a small cloth bag filled with the powdered seeds
of the ben=olie is swirled around in the turbid water.3
01(T*2AT*ON
It seems to thrie in impossible places B een near the sea - in bad soil and dry areas.
+eeds sprout readily in one or two weeks. 5lternatiely, one can plant a branch and
within a week or two it will hae established itself. It is often cut back year after year in
fence rows and continues to thrie. 2ecause of this, in order to keep an abundant
supply of leaes, flowers and pods within easy reach, topping out is useful. 5t least
once a year, one can cut the tree to three or four feet aboe the ground. It will readily
sprout again and all the aluable products will remain within safe, easy reach. 0he tree
responds well to mulch, water, and fertili=er, but the branches are brittle.
0OO&*N" T!E (EA2E.
9f all parts of the tree, the leaes are most e'tensiely used. 0he growing tips and
young leaes are best. 0he leaes can be used any way you would use spinach. 9ne
easy way to cook them is this: +team . cups freshly picked leaes for Cust a few minutes
in one cup water, seasoned with an onion, butter and salt. 4ary or add other seasons
according to your taste. In India, leaes are used in egetable curries, seasonings and
in prickles.
0OO&*N" T!E PO3.
4
Dhen young, horseradish tree pods are edible whole, with a delicate flaor like
asparagus. 0hey can be used from the time they emerge from the flower cluster until
they become too woody to snap easily 7the largest ones usable in this way will probably
be #. to #/ inches long and #*; inch in diameter8. 5t this stage, they can be prepared
in many ways. %ere are three:
1. <ut the pods into one-inch lengths. 5dd onion, butter, and salt. 2oil for ten
minutes or until tender. +team the pods without seasonings, and then marinade
in a mi'ture of oil, inegar, salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley.
2. +team the pods without seasonings, and then marinade in a mi'ture of oil,
inegar, salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley
3. 5n acceptable mock asparagus soup can be made by boiling the pods and onion
until tender. 5dd milk, thicken, and season to taste.
0OO&*N" T!E PEA.
0he seeds 7peas8 can be used from the time they begin to form until they begin to turn
yellow and their shells begin to harden. 9nly e'perience can tell you at what stage to
harest the pods for their peas. 0o open the pod, take it in both hands and twist with
your thumbnailE slit open the pod along the line that appears. "emoe the peas with
their soft winged shells intact and as much soft white flesh as you can by scraping the
inside of the pod with the side of a spoon. )lace the peas and flesh in a strainer and
wash well to remoe the sticky, bitter film that coats them. 79r better still, blanch them
for a few minutes, then pour off the water before boiling again in fresh water8.
,ow they are ready to use in any recipe you would use for green peas. 0hey can be
boiled as they are or, seasoned with onion, butter and salt, much the same as the
leaes and young pods. 0hey can be cooked with rice as you would any bean. In India,
the peas are prepared using this recipe:
#.-#/ horseradish tree pods
# medium onion, diced
; cups grated coconut
. bouillon cubes
. inches ginger root
; tablespoons oil or bacon grease
# cloe garlic
. eggs, hard-boiled
salt and pepper to taste
2lanch both peas and pods, drain. "emoe milk from .-#*. cups grated coconut by
s:uee=ing water through it two or three times. <rush ginger root and garlic, sae half
for later. Fi' peas, flesh, coconut milk, ginger root and garlic together with onion,
bouillon cubes, oil, salt and papper. 2ring to a boil and cook until the peas are soft -
about .@ minutes. Fry remaining half of crushed ginger root and garlic in . tablespoons
of oil. Dice eggs. 5dd coconut, ginger, garlic and eggs to first mi'ture. %eat through.
+eres
5
dditional !eso"rces and Information
From zija-moringa.org retailer of Moringa Capsules:
Online Videos:
Videos #1 - United Methodist Communications 3-minute production of "Nature's AIDS Remedy."
http://www.umtv.org/archives/natures_AIDS_therapy.htm
Books:
Miracle Tree - Lowell J. Fuglie, 1999. The Miracle Tree/Moringa oleifera: Natural Nutrition for the Tropics.
Moringa , Nature's Medicine Cabinet - by Sanford Holst, 2000. This book has everything you need to
know--Moringa's medicinal properties, nutritional content, where to get it, the best way to grow it, and how
to prepare Moringa for best results. 128 pages, soft cover.
The Miracle Tree - Free, online book that documents the Church World Service study of Moringa's
nutritional value and usefulness in preventing or quickly curing malnutrition.
Some Call It A Miracle - Moringa Book Trees for Life, a nonprofit organization.
Information:
West African 'Miracle Tree' Offers Nutritional Benefits - United Methodist News Service UMNS, December
4, 2003.
Trees for Life - Trees for Life has more than ten years' experience with the Moringa tree.
Moringa News - The newly-founded Moringa Network, an association of non-profit, research, and business
organizations, offers an excellent website with news about Moringa, a mailing list, database of Moringa
research, Moringa links, and much more.
Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization (ECHO) - Supplies free, trial packets of seeds to its
overseas development network.
REPORTED NUTRITIONAL, THERAPEUTIC & PROPHYLACTIC
USES OF MORINGA OLEIFERA
Trai!io"al
Use
Co"i!io"#Eff
ec!
a
Pla"! Par!
$
A"!i%icro$ial
# &iocial
LFSPR&'O
$acterial #%S
!rinary "ract
Infection
#
"yphoid G
Infection #%
Syphilis G
&ental
'aries("oothac
he
)$G
%ungal(
Mycoses
*
"hrush
+iral
'ommon cold %)$
,pstein-$arr
+irus .,$+/
#
6
0erpes Simple1
+irus .0S+-2/
#
0I+-3I&S #
4arts S
5arasites
&ranunculiasis
.guinea-worm/
0elminths #%5
Schistosomes S
"rypanosomes #)
*ther ( 6ot
3ttributed to a
Specific
5athogen
S7in .&ermal/ * S
0epatic #
%ever #)GS
,arache G
,1ternal
Sores(!lcers
#%)$
$ronchitis #
"hroat
Infection
%
4ater
treatment
.general/
S
As!h%a R'
Ca"cer
Thera() #
Pro!ec!io"
LFP&S
3nti-tumor #%S$
5rostate #
)adioprotective #
S7in 5
Circ*la!or)#E
"ocri"e
Disorers
LFSPR
3nti-anemic #
3nti-
hypertensive
#5
'ardiotonic )
&iabetes(hypog
lycemia
#5
&iuretic #%)G
0ypocholestemi
a
#
"hyroid #
"onic %
0epatorenal #)
De!o+ifica!io" &O
3ntipyretic
5urgative *
Sna7ebite $
Scorpion-bite $
Di,es!ive
Disorers
LSR&'
%or ")"M6" of
'olitis #$
&iarrhea #)
&igestif $
&ysentery #G
%latulence )
!lcer ( Gastritis #S
I"fla%%a!io" LFSPR'
)heumatism #%S5)G
8oint 5ain 5
,dema )
3rthritis S
I%%*"i!) SO
Immune-
stimulant
S
#upus *
Nervo*s
Disorers
LFR&'O
3nti-spasmodic S)
,pilepsy )$
0ysteria %)$*
0eadache #)$G
N*ri!io"al LS&O
3ntinutritional
factors
$
3ntio1idant #*
'arotenoids #
7
,nergy #S*
Goitrogen S
Iron deficiency #S
*il 9uality *
5rotein #S
+itamin(Mineral
deficiency
#S
Re(ro*c!ive
Heal!h
LFPR&'O
3bortifacient %)$G
3phrodisiac )$
$irth 'ontrol $
#actation
,nhancer
#
5rostate
function
*
S-i"
Disorers
LRS'
3ntiseptic #
3stringent )
5yodermia S
)ubefacient )G
+esicant )
'e"eral
Disorers#Co
"i!io"s
LFSPR&O
$ladder *S
'atarrh #%
Gout )*
0epatamegaly )
#actation #
#ow.$ac7(:idn
ey 5ain
)
Scurvy #S)$*
Splenomegaly )
;"onic< #%5S*
a
It is very difficult in some cases
to separate the effects of severe
nutritional deficiencies .e.g.
+itamin '/ from se9uelae .e.g.
scurvy/ which transcend
categori=ation by organ systems
or classification into single
disease states.
$
5lant parts are designated by
their first letters .in bold/
Leaves
Flowers
Seeds
Pods .drumstic7s/
Roots
&ar7
'um
Oil .from
seeds/
Trees for Life Journal >00?, 2?
Jed W. Fahey, Sc.D.
)EE" "E4IEDED
8ohns 0op7ins School of Medicine, &epartment of 5harmacology
and Molecular Sciences, #ewis $. and &orothy 'ullman 'ancer
'hemoprotection 'enter, @>? 6. 4olfe Street, A0B 4$S$,
$altimore, Maryland, !S3 >2>0?->2C?
8