Moringa for Malnutrition

Malnutrition is one of the most commonly acknowledged growing health problem that can be seen today in countries like Africa and India. According to World Health Organization (WHO) report malnutrition is the major factor which has resulted in high infant mortality rates in areas of West Africa. It is the biggest cause of human suffering from various diseases and the only reason why it is associated with more than half death rates of children worldwide.

Malnutrition also has a deep impact on the economic development of the nation as the nation which is stunned both physically & mentally obviously have reduced work capacity.  This is also the reason why some areas in Africa is suffering from poor health and nutrition which has further resulted in downward trend of poverty as well as nutritional insecurity. Thus nutrition here plays an important role for a country to get rid of poverty from generation to generation.

However getting rid of this major problem is not an easy task in a country like Africa where there are very few nutritional foods readily available. However people living in Africa do have a sustainable solution for this problem and this remedy is within their reach and easily available i.e. Moringa tree.

The Moringa is basically a lush tropical tree that is native to some parts of Africa and Asia. It is famous for its high nutritional value and other health benefits. It is brought by people of Africa from Asia to be used in case of medical emergencies. The tree is called with different names in different areas and some popular ones include Ben Oil Tree, Mzunze or Mlonge, Malunggay, Drumstick Tree, and Nebeday etc. The tree already offers many benefits such as you can eat the green pods or leaves of the tree like other vegetables. Not only this, you can make a dish similar to spinach with Moringa leaves and gain carbohydrates and other proteins.

Many people have these days started consuming Moringa powder as a backup source for removal of malnutrition as they are low in fats and carbohydrates but contain high amount of calcium, proteins, minerals, iron and vitamin A, B & C. Apart from this, some other benefits of Moringa tree include:-

• Moringa leaves help in lowering down blood sugar level.
• Moringa helps in reduction of inflammation during infection or injury.
• Daily consumption of Moringa powder helps in lowering down cholesterol.
• Moringa is rich source of iron, calcium and magnesium all of which is necessary for proper metabolism in our body. Regular intake of Moringa provides proper energy to our body.
• As far as malnutrition is concerned Moringa helps in maintaining healthy and stronger bones which is an important component of healthy body.

It is also suggested that adding Moringa (2 leaves) or mixing 2-3 teaspoons of Moringa dried leaf powder can protect against deficiencies of vitamins, calcium and protein in areas of high malnutrition.

Thus it is suggested that countries like Africa & India where there are large cases of malnutrition are found, Moringa can act as a powerful remedy to cure such disease and in regaining proper health status.