For many years, in India, the leaves of the Moringa oleifera tree were used as an herbal remedy to help reduce cholesterol with great success by traditional medicine practitioners. This wonderful remedy would have simply remained just an unproven herbal remedy if not for the great interest in Moringa oleifera tree generated by its rediscovery by those NGOs in their fight to eradicate malnutrition in Africa.
With the growing interest in the tree, there are now many independent universities conducting scientific research on the many herbal remedies of Moringa oleifera. Consumption of Moringa oleifera leaves as Moringa health supplements can help reduce cholesterol. Now, we have scientific evidence to show that the leaves of the Moringa oleifera leaves can really reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol. Although these studies are conducted in vitro and in vivo at university laboratories, they are conducted independently (that is not paid by interest groups) and are published in respected scientific journals.
In one study published in the 1Journal of Ethnopharmacology in year 2000, the crude leaf extract of Moringa oleifera was administered to rats fed with a high fat diet. In this study, it was found that Moringa oleifera leaf extract decreases the high fat diet induced cholesterol in the rats’ serum, liver and kidney by significant amounts as much as 14.4% for serum, 6.4% for liver and 11.1% for kidney respectively. This research concluded that the leaves of Moringa oleifera have hypocholesterolemic (low cholesterol) activity and supports the traditional use of the Moringa oleifera leaves for treating cholesterol.
In another study published in the 2Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences in year 2008, the research work compared the effects of Moringa oleifera leaves extract with the commercial drug Atenolol on serum triglyceride and cholesterol, blood glucose, heart weight and body weight in adrenaline induced rats. The study shows that Moringa oleifera leaves has profound hypolipidemic (low lipid) activity significantly lowering of blood glucose, heart weight and body weight. The researchers concluded that Moringa oleifera may be used as herbal drugs or as health supplement in the treatment of different cardiovascular complications due to high lipids in the body.
Moringa oleifera is truly a “miracle tree” and if you have the opportunity to plant it in your garden then I strongly urge you to do so and to include the leaves at as many meals that you are able to.
Reference:
1 S. Ghasi, E. Nwobodo, J.O. Ofili; Hypocholesterolemic effects of crude extract of leaf of Moringa oleifera Lam in high-fat diet fed wistar rats, Journal of Ethnopharmacology 69, 2000, 21-25.
2 Naznin Ara, Mamunur Rashid 1 and Md. Shah Amran; Comparision of Moringa oleifera leaves extract with Atenolol on Serum triglyceride, Serum cholesterol, Blood glucose, heart weight, body weight in Adrenaline Induced rats; Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences 15(2) 253-258 December, 2008.
