Moringa powder, horseradish tree leaf powder (organic?, raw?)

Moringa powder ( Moringa oleifera) is considered a superfood. But even when it is organically certified or raw, the nutritional value of horseradish leaf powder is controversial. In Asian or African countries of origin, however, locals benefit from the proteins and nutrients of the raw or cooked leaves.

Using Moringa powder in the kitchen:

What is Moringa powder? It is made from dried and ground Moringa leaves (powder, pellets, granules, cubes). Their spicy smell is reminiscent of fresh hay or horseradish. The taste of Moringa spice is sour and bitter and the slight spiciness is due to the mustard oil glycosides. The product can be used as a raw food powder for raw vegan cuisine.

Moringa leaf powder is suitable as a coloring green ingredient for numerous vegan or vegetarian recipes, e.g. muesli (oatmeal, porridge), desserts, chia pudding, creams, ice cream (glace), dips, pesto, soups, bread, cakes (e.g. raw cake, raw food cake), cookies, muesli bars, muffins, pancakes, tea, drinks, vegan lattes or smoothies.

Are raw horseradish leaves edible? The fresh leaves, flowers and seedlings of the horseradish tree are enjoyed raw or cooked as a vegetable in the countries of origin. You can find more information at Horseradish tree, leaves, raw and Moringa leaves, cooked. You will also find text on the horseradish tree pod with information on the edible seeds from which horseradish tree oil is made.

Vegan recipe for chia pudding with moringa topping:

Ingredients (for 2 people): 1 mango, peeled and pitted; some zest of organic oranges ; 2 oranges, peeled; 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 banana, peeled; 1 tsp moringa oleifera leaf powder (moringa spice, organic); 4 tbsp plant drink (e.g. almond milk or oat milk).

Preparation: First, puree the mango with the oranges. Mix the chia seeds into the fruit puree and let the fruit pudding swell for at least 30 minutes. For the topping, mix the banana together with the moringa powder, the plant drink and the vanilla to form a fluffy cream. Pour this onto the chia pudding. Finally, garnish the vegan dessert with the zest.

Recipe for tea made from Moringa powder:

In addition to the fresh leaves, you can also make a tea from the Moringa leaf powder. Stir ½ teaspoon of leaf extract into a cup (250 ml) of hot drinking water. For a pleasant taste, you can refine the tea recipe with lemon, honey, ginger or mint.

Vegan moringa powder recipes can soon be found under the note: "Recipes that have the most of this ingredient".

Purchasing - where to buy Moringa spice?

Horseradish tree leaf powder (Moringa powder, horseradish powder) can be bought loose in cans or packaged in tea bags as well as in the form of capsules, pellets or tablets. Organically certified products as well as those in raw food quality (raw quality) are available in stores. Prefer controlled organic quality, as these goods are (also, but) less frequently contaminated with pesticide residues.

Natural food stores, health food stores, organic stores, Asian shops, pharmacies and online shops offer horseradish tree leaf powder. You can find it in supermarkets such as Rewe, Spar, Alnatura, Denn's Biomarkt or at Coop Vitality. According to our research, supermarket chains such as Migros, Aldi, Lidl, Edeka, Denner, Volg or Hofer do not stock any moringa spice (powder, shredded or organic).

In addition to chia seeds, acai berries and other foods, manufacturers advertise moringa as a "superfood" and also provide moringa powder recipes. According to the European Union 's Health Claims Regulation, health-related claims are only permitted if there is scientific evidence for the health-promoting effects. Since this is lacking to the required extent, manufacturers are not allowed to advertise the leaf powder as a superfood. The products are registered as food supplements and therefore have the same status as "normal" foods. ^1,2

Note: If special promises about nutrient content are printed on the packaging of Moringa spice, the quantity is required by law. Advertising is only permitted if the recommended daily amount covers at least 15% of the daily requirement. If a reference is made to a "high nutrient content", it must be 30%. ³

Wild found:

Information on wild collection can be found HERE under the same subtitle.

Making your own Moringa powder:

Fresh leaves can be dried in a place protected from the sun or in a dehydrator. Sufficiently dried leaves rustle and can be crushed with your hands. They can be ground into powder using a hand blender.

Storage of horseradish tree leaf powder:

The powder should be stored in cans or dark jars, protected from light and moisture.

Moringa nutritional values - ingredients - calories:

Here we realistically show you the ingredients of spices and herbs per 1 g (instead of per 100 g as usual).

The nutritional values per 1 g are 2.58 kcal (calories), 0.02 g fat, 0.38 g carbohydrates and 0.26 g protein. In addition to the presence of proteins, the content of vitamin E (1.05 mg/1g), vitamin K (5.29 µg/1g) and iron (0.98 mg/1g) is worth mentioning. ⁵

Spirulina (0.57 g/1g), dulse (0.29 g/1g) or dried wild garlic (0.3 g/1g) as well as dried parsley (0.27 g/1g) contain more proteins than horseradish tree leaf powder.

No other dried herb or spice we have described contains higher amounts of vitamin E. Following at a considerable distance are paprika powder (0.29 mg/1g), curry powder (0.25 mg/1g), dried oregano (0.18 mg/1g) and dried basil (0.11 mg/1g).

More vitamin K can be found in dried wild garlic (26.3 µg/1g), in dried basil (17.1 µg/1g) or in dried coriander leaves (13.6 µg/1g).

Higher iron values are found in dried thyme (1.24 mg/1g), lower in dried marjoram (0.83 mg/1g) or in dried dill (0.49 mg/1g). ^5,6

Moringa oleifera contains varying amounts of flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin). ⁷ The plant also contains carotenoids, saponins and zeatin (plant hormone). ¹

False promises:

Does Moringa contain vitamin B₁₂ ? Sales websites repeatedly advertise products with an alleged vitamin B₁₂ content. Plant-based foods can contain traces of real cobalamins if they have been contaminated with bacteria or fermented. The formation of measurable vitamin B₁₂ would therefore occur via microorganisms and not via the plant itself. Since there are strong fluctuations here, these foods are not considered reliable sources of vitamin B _12. They could also possibly be structurally related analogues that do not have any vitamin effectiveness. To date, there is little information on the effectiveness and safety of vitamin B₁₂ analogues that are formed through nutrient interactions in vitamin and mineral supplements. ^5,6,8,9

The way in which the nutritional content of moringa leaves is advertised is designed to deceive consumers. Although the leaves contain a broad spectrum of nutrients, they are not a superfood. ⁵ Based on current scientific knowledge, no special nutritional benefits of the horseradish tree in the form of food supplements or other products are to be expected. ¹⁰

Is Moringa the most nutritious food? The advertising claim that nutrients from gently dried Moringa leaves are 100% available cannot be proven. Anti-nutritional ingredients such as oxalic acid, trypsin inhibitors (polypeptides) or phytic acid inhibit the absorption of nutrients from raw quality preparations. Gently cooking the leaves in water increases the bioavailability of iron and increases the digestibility of protein. ¹¹

The complete ingredients of horseradish tree leaf powder, the coverage of the daily requirement and comparison values with other ingredients can be found in our nutrient tables in CLICK FOR below the ingredients picture.

Health aspects - effects:

The scientific data for the actual effectiveness of moringa preparations on human health is poor. Results from basic research and animal studies cannot be transferred one-to-one to humans. ^1,12 More detailed information can be found here: Horseradish tree pod, raw.

Dangers - intolerances - side effects:

Is horseradish powder harmful to health? Possible warnings relate to products made from the moringa root and moringa leaves: They contain mustard oil glycosides. In very large quantities, tablets, pellets, powder (depending on the concentration and dosage also for tea) and other products have a toxic effect, which is why the content limits consumption. ^3,14

High doses of leaf extracts (> 3 g/kg body weight) led to genetic damage in animal experiments (2012). Ingestion of a maximum of 1 g/kg body weight was safe for the test rats. ^1,15

Evidence from recent animal studies (2007-2014) shows that the extract from moringa leaves in high doses could worsen blood counts, liver and kidney values. Such changes occurred in rats in a laboratory study after 8 weeks. In converted terms, the amount for a 60 kg person corresponds to about 60 g of horseradish tree leaf powder, which would be 250 g of fresh, uncooked leaves (daily). ^16,17,18

It is still unclear whether and to what extent these findings can be transferred to humans. Only trustworthy studies with humans can provide information here. ¹²

If Moringa oleifera capsules are taken at the same time as medication, interactions may occur (immunomodulators, anti-hormone therapy). In cancer patients, ingredients in horseradish tree preparations can inhibit the liver's cytochrome P450 enzyme type 3A4. In these cases, use should be discussed with the treating doctor. ¹⁹

The Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office ( CVUA) in Germany regularly tests moringa leaf powder for misleading advertising, pesticide residues, salmonella contamination and other substances harmful to health. In 2013-2015, the office had to reject 14 out of 16 samples. Two samples contained salmonella, 12 had pesticide residues (eight samples, including two "organic" samples, exceeded the maximum levels) and 13 samples had labeling defects (mostly due to misleading nutritional and/or health-related advertising, but also inadmissible disease-related information). ³ The test results from 2016 show no improvement compared to previous years in terms of neither the residue situation nor the misleading advertising. ²⁰

Occurrence - origin - ecology:

Moringa is an important cultivated plant in India, Ethiopia, the Philippines and Sudan. Moringa oleifera is the most economically valuable species and comes from South Asia, where it grows in the foothills of the Himalayas. The plant is now widespread in all tropical and subtropical regions. Nine varieties are found in eastern Ethiopia, northern Kenya and Somalia, eight of which are endemic to Africa. ^7,21

Growing in the garden or as a potted plant:

You can grow the horseradish tree as a potted plant in your room or winter garden and keep it on the terrace or balcony in summer. ^4.22 You can read more about this in the raw moringa leaves section.

Cultivation - Harvest:

Moringa oleifera is the most commonly cultivated species within the genus. The main cultivation areas include South India, Thailand, the Philippines, Honduras and South America. With an annual production of 1.1-1.3 million tons of fruit on an area of 380 m ², India is the largest producer of Moringa products. ²³

Ecological aspects:

Moringa plants are fast-growing and drought tolerant. During dry seasons and periods of drought, they produce leaves that provide a nutritionally excellent source of green vegetables during periods of food shortages and malnutrition. ²¹

Danger of confusion:

Moringa oleifera is colloquially known as the 'miracle tree'. It shares this name with other plants. This can lead to confusion due to ambiguous names, e.g. with castor oil plant ( Ricinus communis). You can find distinguishing features HERE under the subtitle of the same name.

Industrial production:

The Moringa leaves are mostly separated from the branches by hand. Drying takes place in a drying room at constant temperatures until a set residual moisture level is reached. It is possible to produce raw food quality at a maximum of 38 °C. This is followed by an inspection for foreign bodies - by hand and using a metal detector. The leaves, packed in bags, are ready for export once the necessary documents have been completed. In Europe, a microbiological examination takes place and the product is further processed into Moringa spice, so-called horseradish powder, capsules or pellets. This process varies depending on the manufacturer.

The irradiation of food (e.g. horseradish tree preparations) to increase shelf life and to kill harmful microorganisms is generally permitted in the EU. In Germany, this is only permitted for dried aromatic herbs and spices. Irradiated food must be labelled with the statement "irradiated" or "treated with ionising radiation". This procedure is prohibited for food with the EU organic seal. ²⁴

In Switzerland, saturated steam disinfection and UVC sterilization of Bio-Suisse herbs available in retail stores are not permitted. These sterilization processes are permitted for organic herbs that are used for further processing or in the catering industry. In this case, a declaration must be made on the label and in the product specification. ²⁵

General information:

The horseradish tree ( Moringa oleifera, syn.: Guilandina moringa) belongs to the Moringaceae family. The plant is not related to horseradish ( Armoracia rusticana).

The German name horseradish tree (incorrect spelling: Meerretichbaum) is derived from the content of mustard oil glycosides, which are responsible for the pungent, burning smell of the moringa root and are reminiscent of horseradish. The long, hanging bean fruits look like drumsticks. Hence the alternative name drumstick tree.

Alternative names:

The term horseradish leaves (sg. horseradish leaf) is often an abbreviated name for horseradish tree leaves. Dried and ground, the product is called moringa leaf powder, moringa leaf powder, horseradish tree leaf powder, horseradish powder, moringa powder or moringa powder.

Caution: The term horseradish powder is ambiguous and can also refer to dried and powdered horseradish (the latter is often used as a feed additive for animals).

In English, the leaves of the plant are called drumstick leaves or moringa tree leaves, in Spanish hojas de moringa and dried hoja seca de moringa. Local names are Murungai, Murunga and Malunggay.

Keywords for use:

The Moringa leaves and seeds have a bactericidal effect. In countries where it occurs naturally, this effect is used to treat drinking water or for physical hygiene - hence the name purifying tree. ¹³

Literature - Sources: