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Herb library · Herb · Moringa oleifera

Moringa

A fast-growing tree whose leaves are cooked as a vegetable across Africa and Asia. By USDA figures, 100 g of raw leaves carries 9.4 g of protein, 185 mg of calcium and 51.7 mg of vitamin C. As a supplement, its research is mixed.

Traditional use

Native to India. Its leaves, seeds, bark, roots, sap and flowers are eaten and used in traditional medicine in Africa and Asia, and in the Philippines, where it is called malunggay, the leaves are a traditional food for nursing mothers.

Traditional energetics

What studies show

  • Limited

    Breast milk: LactMed reports a meta-analysis of 14 studies (865 people) in which moringa increased prolactin and milk volume. Its long-term effect on breastfed infants has not been well studied, and it is no substitute for help with feeding.

  • Insufficient

    Weight, cholesterol and blood sugar: a 2025 meta-analysis of nine randomized trials found no significant effect on most measures and rated the certainty of all the evidence very low.

  • Limited

    Blood pressure: a 2026 meta-analysis of eight trials found systolic pressure about 6 mmHg and diastolic about 7 mmHg lower, but the 2025 analysis found only a small diastolic effect that did not hold up in sensitivity checks. The two disagree, and both call for more research.

Be careful of

Cautions

  • ConditionMoringa may stimulate blood clotting, so LactMed advises caution for anyone at high risk of blood clots.
  • NoteGenerally well tolerated, and not linked to liver enzyme rises, although LiverTox records one case of acute hepatitis associated with it.
  • PregnancyStudies have found no serious short-term side effects in nursing mothers who ate moringa leaves or in their babies (LactMed). Little is known about other parts of the plant, such as the root and bark.
  • Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician before taking moringa supplements if you take blood pressure or diabetes medicines, have a clotting disorder or a history of clots, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.

From the old books

What herbals and dispensaries of the past printed. History, in their words.

“The seeds are described as acrid and pungent and are used externally as a stimulant They are called Sveta maricha that is white pepper.”
Udoy Chand Dutt, The Materia Medica of the Hindus (1877), p. 118. See the page of The Materia Medica of the Hindus, p. 118 (opens in a new tab) · Read the full passage from The Materia Medica of the Hindus, p. 118
“Being of quick growth, this pretty little tree is frequently planted in Jamaica for fences and along garden walks, and is generally known by the name of moringa.”
John Lunan, Hortus Jamaicensis (1814), vol. 1, p. 386. See the page of Hortus Jamaicensis, vol. 1, p. 386 (opens in a new tab) · Read the full passage from Hortus Jamaicensis, vol. 1, p. 386

Sources

  1. Drumstick leaves, raw - SR Legacy | USDA FoodData Central (opens in a new tab) · USDA · read September 22, 2026
  2. Moringa — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 22, 2026
  3. Moringa — LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 22, 2026
  4. Effects of Moringa oleifera Lam. supplementation on cardiometabolic outcomes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials with GRADE assessment (Nutrients, 2025) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 22, 2026
  5. The effect of Moringa oleifera on body weight and blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (Food Sci Nutr, 2026) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 22, 2026

Reviewed September 22, 2026.