Effects of Moringa oleifera on Human Health

Abstract

Introduction: The Cuban national program of urban and suburban agriculture prioritizes the promotion, sale, dissemination of home and community-level harvesting of Moringa oleifera, as it is reported to have multiple benefits for the general welfare of human beings.

Objective: To describe the beneficial effects of Moringa oleifera on human health.

Methods: A search of the relevant literature about the subject was carried out in August 2020. SciELO, Pubmed, Google and Google Scholar were used as search engines for scientific information. The search strategy included the following keywords: Moringa oleifera, nutrición [nutrition], efectos benéficos [beneficial effects]. Review articles, research articles and web pages were assessed, if they had been published generally within that last ten, written in Spanish, Portuguese and English, and making reference to the topic of study through their titles. This allowed the assessment of 68 articles, of which 36 were referenced.

Conclusions: Moringa oleifera is a plant appreciated for its nutritional, nutraceutical and functional properties. It has a beneficial effect on human health, mainly attributable to its antioxidant, insulin-sensitizing and immunomodulatory properties, with broad protection effects on several organs and creating balance in the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. It is also said to have anticancer, antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral and anthelmintic effects, among other qualities; hence, its use as a nutritional supplement and adjuvant in the prevention and treatment of multiple diseases.