Moringa

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Reviews

Moringa oleifera: A Review of the Medical
Evidence for Its Nutritional, Therapeutic, and
Prophylactic Properties. Part 1.
Jed W. Fahey, Sc.D.
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Lewis B. and Dorothy
Cullman CancerChemoprotection Center, 725 N. Wolfe Street, 406 WBSB, Baltimore, Maryland, USA 21205-2185
Abstract
Moringa oleifera, or the horseradish tree, is a pan-tropical species that is known by such regional names as benzolive,
drumstick tree, kelor, marango, mlonge, mulangay, nébéday, saijhan, and sajna. Over the past two decades, many
reports have appeared in mainstream scientific journals describing itsnutritional and medicinal properties. Its utility
as a non-food product has also been extensively described, but will not be discussed herein, (e.g. lumber, charcoal,
fencing, water clarification, lubricating oil). As with many reports of the nutritional or medicinal value of a natural
product, there are an alarming number of purveyors of “healthful” food who are now promoting M. oleifera as apanacea. While much of this recent enthusiasm indeed appears to be justified, it is critical to separate rigorous
scientific evidence from anecdote. Those who charge a premium for products containing Moringa spp. must be held
to a high standard. Those who promote the cultivation and use of Moringa spp. in regions where hope is in short
supply must be provided with the best available evidence, so asnot to raise false hopes and to encourage the most
fruitful use of scarce research capital. It is the purpose of this series of brief reviews to: (a) critically evaluate the
published scientific evidence on M. oleifera, (b) highlight claims from the traditional and tribal medicinal lore and
from non-peer reviewed sources that would benefit from further, rigorous scientific evaluation, and (c)suggest
directions for future clinical research that could be carried out by local investigators in developing regions.

This is the first of four planned papers on the nutritional, therapeutic, and prophylactic properties of Moringa oleifera. In this
introductory paper, the scientific evidence for health effects are summarized in tabular format, and the strength of evidence is
discussed in verygeneral terms. A second paper will address a select few uses of Moringa in greater detail than they can be dealt
with in the context of this paper. A third paper will probe the phytochemical
components of Moringa in more depth. A fourth paper will lay out a number
Copyright: ©2005 Jed W. Fahey
of suggested research projects that can be initiated at a very small scale and
This is an OpenAccess article distributed under
with very limited resources, in geographic regions which are suitable for
the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
License which permits unrestricted use,
Moringa cultivation and utilization. In advance of this fourth paper in the
distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
series, the author solicits suggestions and will gladly acknowledge
provided theoriginal work is properly cited.
contributions that are incorporated into the final manuscript. It is the intent
Contact: Jed W. Fahey
and hope of the journal’s editors that such a network of small-scale, locally
Email: jfahey@jhmi.edu
executed investigations might be successfully woven into a greater fabric which
Received: September 15, 2005
will have enhanced scientific power over similarsmall studies conducted and
Accepted: November 20, 2005
reported in isolation. Such an approach will have the added benefit that
Published: December 1, 2005
statistically sound planning, peer review, and multi-center coordination brings
to a scientific investigation.
The electronic version of this article is the
The following paper is intended to be useful for both scientific and lay...