The Complete Guide to Moringa

In this article

• What is moringa?
• Where does moringa come from?
• Which part of the moringa tree is used in supplements?
• What nutrients are in the moringa leaf?
• What does the evidence say about moringa benefits?
• How has moringa been used traditionally?
• How should Australians take moringa?
• Is moringa safe for everyone?
• How do you choose a quality moringa supplement?
• How is moringa grown and processed?
• What is the bottom line?
• How is moringa regulated in Australia?
• Forest Super Foods Moringa Capsules

What is moringa?

Moringa usually refers to Moringa oleifera, a fast-growing leafy tree native to the Indian subcontinent. It is now cultivated throughout many warm tropical and subtropical regions and is sometimes known as the drumstick tree because of its long, slender seed pods.

Different parts of the moringa tree have been used traditionally, including the leaves, pods and seeds. Forest Super Foods uses the leaf only. The leaves are freeze-dried, finely milled and encapsulated as a whole-leaf powder rather than being supplied as an isolated extract.

Where does moringa come from?

Moringa oleifera originated in the Indian subcontinent and has travelled widely through cultivation. It grows best in warm conditions with plenty of sunlight and well-drained soil, and established trees are well adapted to periods of dry weather.

Forest Super Foods currently sources its moringa leaf from Erode, Tamil Nadu, India, an agricultural region in the south of the country.

Which part of the moringa tree is used in supplements?

Moringa products can be made from different parts of the plant, so the label matters. Forest Super Foods Moringa Capsules contain 500 mg of Moringa oleifera leaf powder per capsule in a plant-based hypromellose capsule.

Leaves, seeds, roots, bark and pods are not nutritionally or chemically identical. When comparing moringa products, look for both the botanical name and the plant part.

What nutrients are in the moringa leaf?

Moringa leaf has an unusually broad nutritional profile. Across Moringa oleifera, researchers have described more than 90 nutritional chemical components, including proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and naturally occurring plant compounds. At least 19 different amino acids, including essential and non-essential amino acids, have also been identified. The exact profile of the leaf can vary with growing conditions, harvest, processing and storage.

• Macronutrients: protein, carbohydrate, dietary fibre and naturally occurring fats, including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
• Vitamins and related nutrients: provitamin A carotenoids, vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B6, folate (vitamin B9), vitamin C and vitamin E (tocopherols).
• Minerals: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, sodium, sulphur and boron.
• Amino acids and phytonutrients: moringa contains essential and non-essential amino acids together with carotenoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, glucosinolates, sterols, terpenes, tannins, saponins, glycosides and polysaccharides.

This diversity is one of the reasons moringa leaf is nutritionally interesting. Importantly, “more than 90” refers to nutritional chemical components identified across Moringa oleifera rather than a claim that every capsule provides 90 nutrients in a nutritionally significant amount. Individual nutrient levels naturally vary from plant to plant and batch to batch.

PubMed sources: Peñalver R, et al. Foods. 2022;11(8):1107. PMID 35454694; Pareek A, et al. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(3):2098. PMCID PMC9916933; “Exploring the Phytochemical, Pharmacological and Nutritional Properties of Moringa oleifera: A Comprehensive Review”. Nutrients. 2024;16(19):3423. PMCID PMC11479159. Peñalver et al., Foods (2022), PMID 35454694; Sokhela et al., Nutrients (2023), PMID 37111230.

What does the evidence say about moringa benefits?

Forest Super Foods Moringa Capsules are a TGA-listed medicine with two relevant indications. Moringa has antioxidant activity and helps reduce free radicals formed in the body. It is also traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine to help relieve inflammation.

Those two statements are the most useful way to understand the product. They describe what the listed medicine is intended to do without turning moringa into a cure-all.

How has moringa been used traditionally?

Moringa has a long history within South Asian food traditions and traditional systems of medicine. Ayurveda, the traditional medical system originating in India, includes moringa among the botanicals used in practice.

For Forest Super Foods Moringa, the relevant traditional indication is that it is traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine to help relieve inflammation.

How should Australians take moringa?

In Australia, Forest Super Foods Moringa is supplied as a TGA-listed medicine. Take it according to the directions on the current bottle label and do not exceed the labelled amount.

Each capsule contains 500 mg of Moringa oleifera leaf powder. Always read the label and follow the directions for use.

Is moringa safe for everyone?

Moringa is not suitable for everyone. Forest Super Foods Moringa should not be consumed by people with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, or by women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant.

If you take medicines, are breastfeeding, have a medical condition or are unsure whether moringa is suitable for you, check with a health professional before use. If symptoms persist, talk to your health professional.

How do you choose a quality moringa supplement?

Start with the basics: the label should clearly identify Moringa oleifera, state that the leaf is used, show the amount per capsule and provide the Australian listing number.

It is also worth looking for transparent sourcing, organic certification where claimed, botanical identity testing, contaminant testing and clear manufacturing information. Forest Super Foods Moringa is AUST L 460360 and uses 500 mg of whole moringa leaf per capsule.

How is moringa grown and processed?

Moringa begins as an agricultural crop, so quality starts well before the leaves reach a capsule. Growing conditions, harvest, handling and drying all influence the finished leaf material.

Forest Super Foods moringa is organically grown in Tamil Nadu, freeze-dried, finely milled and encapsulated in Australia. Freeze-drying removes moisture at low temperature, helping create a stable whole-leaf powder for encapsulation.

What is the bottom line?

Moringa is a traditional botanical with a distinctive whole-leaf nutritional profile. Forest Super Foods keeps the product simple: Moringa oleifera leaf, 500 mg per capsule, no bark or seed, and no isolated extract.

The listed product is used for antioxidant activity and is traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine to help relieve inflammation.

How is moringa regulated in Australia?

Moringa has an unusual regulatory position in Australia. Moringa oleifera is not currently permitted for retail sale as a food or food ingredient following the FSANZ decision on Application A1294.

Therapeutic products are regulated separately. Forest Super Foods Moringa Capsules are included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods as AUST L 460360.

Forest Super Foods Moringa Capsules

Forest Super Foods Moringa Capsules contain 500 mg of whole Moringa oleifera leaf powder per capsule. The moringa is organically grown, freeze-dried, finely milled, tested and encapsulated in Australia.

Always read the label and follow the directions for use.