Moringa: More than just a tree

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It has been called many names, from a “Tree of Life” to the “Miracle Tree”, but the bottom line is that it is really more than just a tree.
This is the Moringa tree, biological name Moringa oleifera.
It is a fact that each human being has different nutritional requirements at different stages of his or her life, thus the consumption of a variety of nutrients is essential to meet these requirements.
The leaves from Moringa are exceptionally nutritious for people of all ages and the use of the plant as side dishes or sauces provides daily allowances of important nutrients.
Research has shown that the leaves of the Moringa tree have a high content of vitamin A and vitamin C when they are raw. Vitamin A is required for good eyesight and vitamin C strengthens the gums. The content of minerals like calcium is very high, which is rare among plants.
According to Tree Africa, the calcium is used for strengthening bones. The leaves are an excellent source of protein and a very low source of fat and carbohydrates
Imagine that 100 grammes of Moringa tree leaf powder contains four times the calcium in milk, four times vitamin in carrots, twice the protein in milk, thrice the potassium in bananas and seven times the vitamin C in oranges.
Is that not amazing?
Moringa is a small, shrub or tree that can reach up to 12 metres in height at maturity and can live for up to 20 years – a short but intense life.
A life in the fast lane: Moringa is perhaps the fastest-growing of all trees as it can reach three metres in just 10 months after the seed is planted.
It has deep roots, and therefore it can survive in dry regions, and a wide-open crown with a single stem.
Moringa is a healer, food magician, beauty and beautician, a plant with surprising water purification capabilities, a best friend and humanitarian who works for so little. It is one of the most useful trees on earth.
Moringa makes a major contribution to human and animal health; in many cases, it can mean the difference between life and death.
Absolutely no negative effects to daily consumption of Moringa leaves have ever been reported.
As a healing plant, Moringa is even more amazing. There is much evidence from around the world, from various traditions and cultures that have used this miracle tree for so many ailments and troubles.
The leaves are believed to have a stabilising effect on blood pressure and control glucose levels.
They are also used to treat anxiety, diarrhoea and inflammation of the colon, skin infections, scurvy, intestinal parasites, and many other conditions
Pure water is a key requirement for good health and alternative cheap, safe methods are required in many countries.
In a paper that has just been published in the leading American Chemical Society journal on interfaces, Langmuir, researchers from Uppsala University in co-operation with the University of Botswana describe how extracts from seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree can be used for water purification.
Flocculation of particulate impurities is a common first stage in the purification of water.
This often uses addition of either aluminum or iron salts. Aluminum, particularly, has undesirable health implications. An alternative procedure that uses a natural extract from seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree is used in Africa.
Research in a paper that has just been published in the aforementioned American Chemical Society journal describes how very small amounts of the protein from these seeds can bind strongly to surfaces and thus would cause contaminant particles to aggregate.
The Scattering Centre at Ångström Laboratory and the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Uppsala University is a centre of expertise in exploiting a powerful technique known as neutron reflection to measure structure and composition of layers of just a few nanometres (millions of a millimetre) at the interface between a solid and a liquid.
The Moringa tree, commonly known as the Horseradish tree, is native to northwestern India but is now found all over the world, including Zimbabwe.
Today it is grown worldwide in the tropics and subtropics of Asia and Africa.
Research has shown that the tree tolerates a wide range of soil and rainfall conditions. Moringa is a drought tolerant plant and needs very little water. It is resistant to most pests and diseases, though root rot can occur if the soil is too wet.
Moringa grows quickly from seed or cuttings and can reach a height of four metres within the first year, with a trunk diameter of 30cm, if not pruned when very young.
The tree will regenerate itself even after severe pruning. The plants are propagated by seed, either in the nursery or by direct seeding in the field and in Zimbabwe, Environment Africa has been trying to promote the project. Research has shown that direct seeding gives faster growth.
Moringa grown in a seedbed as a vegetable is good for an average village and could change lives for many, who have no cash for conventional medicine.
There is no doubt that the Moringa tree is more than just a tree and could change the lives of millions of people who cannot afford conventional vitamin, calcium, potassium and other body needs.
The time is now to encourage people in rural and urban areas to grow this tree for the benefit of current and future generations.