Spotlight On Morings

MORINGA HAS BEEN CALLED A ‘SUPERHERO’ OF THE PLANT WORLD. SO WHAT IS IT, AND WHAT’S EARNED THIS TREE ITS STATUS?

- Sarah Marinos

Every part of the moringa tree is packed with nutrients or contains a powerful medicinal punch. Also called the drumstick tree, thanks to its long, thin seed pods, it has been part of Indian diets and used in traditional home remedies for centuries. Now the Western world is discovering its secrets too. Scientists have realised there’s much more to this tree than meets the eye. So not surprisingly, moringa is finding its way on to health store shelves and being added to everything from breakfast cereals to smoothies and salads.

Introducing moringa

There are 13 types of moringa, but the most common is Moringa oleifera. The trees can grow to about seven metres and they’re tough; they easily survive in hot, dry climates and can grow by as much as 30cm a month. They thrive in the foothills of the Himalayas and in places including Malaysia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, the Philippines and Mexico – the site of the world’s largest, most diverse collection of moringa trees. They’re being grown by researchers at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, who are focused on how moringa can be cultivated to tackle global malnutrition and starvation.