how to use moringa leaves and other nutritious plants
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How to Use Moringa Leaves and Other Nutritious PlantsTRANSCRIPT
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Workshop 1. How to use Moringa leaves and otherhighly nutritious plants in a medical or nutritionalcontext
Summary of discussions
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Expected Results
Product standards with acceptable range ofvariation
Best practices to reach these standards Guidelines for measuring out Moringa leaf
powder according to patient’s profile
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Patients to exclude from Moringa leafpowder intake for medical / ethical reasons?
Best eating practices/associations tomaximize nutrient intake
Further information and research projectsneeded
Expected Results
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Product standards with an acceptable range ofvariation
The considerable task of compiling andsummarizing data in preparation for thisworkshop has already been accomplished
Additional analyses obtained from otherparticipants of the workshop will be added
The average values as well as theacceptable range of variation will bepublished in the proceedings
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
5 773 + 91 (5)
15620 + 6475 (7)
2.5 + 0.6 (7)
8.4 + 2.4 (7)
422 + 52 (6)
1384 + 420 (6)
Moyenne + ET/100g MSMean + SD /100g DM
28 + 6 (10)
1.0 + 0.2 (8)
1924 + 288 (13)
38 + 7 (6)
11 + 2.2 (9)
29 + 6 (11)
Moyenne + ET/100g MSMean + SD /100g DM
Vitamine C* (mg)Fer (mg)Iron
Vitamine A (IU)Cuivre (mg)Copper
Zinc (mg)Calcium (mg)
Manganese (mg)Glucides (g)Carbohydrates
Magnesium (mg)Minéraux (g)Minerals
Potassium (mg)Protéines (g)Proteins
ElémentNutrient
ElémentNutrient
Establishing product standards with an acceptablerange of variation
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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These values will evolve and become increasingly reliableas new data is taken into consideration
These values will be useful for field work and forcommunication on Moringa
But all nutritional studies should include a proper analysisof the particular samples used
Establishing product standards with an acceptablerange of variation
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Best practices to meet these standards
Cultivars’ nutritional content vary littleExcept for the iron content of an Indianvariety grown in India. Two reliableindependent analyses report a very low ironvalue for these varieties (cultivar-environment interaction?)
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Production: preferably choose mature leaves (richerin nutrients) for leaf powder and young leaves (moretender) for fresh consumption
Harvesting season can have an effect on nutrientcontent, but this is difficult to quantify as it variesdepending on the local climate. Long conservationalso effects nutrient content.
Best practices to meet these standards
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Processing can greatly alter nutrient content (esp.vitamins): drying and grinding temperature, dryingtime, UV exposure…
Processing can also have an effect on thebioavailability of nutrients (which must be veryprecise when used in a medical context)
Best practices to meet these standards
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Best practices to meet these standards
Storage can influence the nutrient content(shelf life, temperature, oxidization…)
Avoid contaminations while being stored andused (use appropriate packaging)
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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To prevent and cure moderate malnutritionin vulnerable groups: children being weaned(6 months – 3 years), pregnant and nursingwomen.
Patients’ profiles
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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In addition to medical treatment for peoplesuffering from chronic diseases or particularaffections
Patients’ profiles
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Patients’ profiles
Regular consumption of Moringa leaves bypregnant women increases the birth weightof babies
It stimulates milk production in nursingwomen
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Patients’ profiles
From what is known today, Moringaleaves should not be used to treat severemalnutrition as the patients are veryweak and have very specific needs
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Medicinal properties linked to leaf consumption
Chronic diseases
Boosts the immune system of HIV+ patients Lowers glycaemia in diabetic patients Lowers blood pressure (taken as tea or leaf powder) Drepanocytose
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Minor Health Issues
Improves libido Regulates bowel movements (fresh leaves) Improves sleep patterns Improves state of health in general in cases of microbial
infection (taken as tea)
Medicinal properties linked to leaf consumption
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Medicinal properties of Moringa leaves
To treat malaria: a decoction of leaves isprepared by soaking leaves in water withpalm oil for 24 hours. The next day thepatient washes himself with this water (inaddition to treatment)
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Recommended amounts
To prevent or cure malnutrition: 10 to 30g of leafpowder per day (50 to 150g fresh leaves) accordingto the patient’s weight.
For medicinal use, generally 1 to 4 tablespoons areused daily
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Caution
Moringa leaves are not a substitute for medicaltreatment in cases of illness (HIV, malaria, etc.)
For pregnant women, the quantities should belowered during the third trimester to avoid theproblems related to giving birth to high birth-weight babies
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Important notice
Medical follow-up is always necessary incases of disease or malnutrition
Moringa leaves should not be considered asa medicinal plant but as a dietarysupplement that bolsters overall wellbeing
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Important notice
If Moringa is associated with disease andmalnutrition, healthy people will refuse touse it
People suffering from diseases could betempted to replace their treatment withcheaper Moringa, which could be dangerousfor them
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Best eating practices
Leaf powder should be associatedwith other foods in order to increase thebioavailability of nutrients:
For children, pregnant women, nursingwomen and the ill, as a flour associated withcereals, legumes and lipids
As beverage: tea, powder in water (formedicinal use mainly)
Fresh or dry leaves added to traditionaldishes
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Best eating practices
These eating practices promote theidea that Moringa leaves are a « healthfood » rather than a medicine, whichfosters consumption sustainability
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Further information and research projects needed
Priority research areas: Effects on malnourished children, pregnant and nursing women
(figures and statistics) Effect on HIV+ patients (recommended intake, limitations) Cardio-vascular pathologies, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure Drepanocytose
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Proposals
Create a nutrition task group in theMoringanews Network
Priority actions: Define a simple protocol for clinical follow-up
that can be easily used by field workers inorder to gather as much comparable data aspossible
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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Proposals
Establish technical notes on production,processing, storage, packaging, nutritionalvalues, recommended intake, foodassociations for optimal efficiency
Set up common research projects
Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a betterimpact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006
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