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Traditional Medicines
Scholarly Journal
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Expectations of increased U.S. market share under Obama International fashion model Camilla Barungi wants Americans to use moringa, a traditional leafy vegetable in Africa, as a nutritional supplement. She recently launched her product line, African Moringa(TM), offering African Moringa powder (loose and in tea bags) and African Moringa oil. "I've been using both for the last five years. I fell in love with both products and decided that I wanted to build my own Moringa brand and so African Moringa was born," says Barungi, a native of Uganda. The benefits of moringa, which is found in all tropical regions, are infinite, Barungi says. "African Moringa(TM) powder gram for gram contains 0.5 times the vitamin C in oranges, 10 times the vitamin A in carrots, 17 times the calcium in milk, 15 times the potassium in bananas, 9 times the protein in yogurt, 25 times the iron in spinach, the B vitamins, the rarely available vitamin D, selenium, magnesium, zinc and copper. It contains antioxidants, has a high chlorophyll phytonutrient content and over 22 amino acids, including 10 of which humans do not have the ability to manufacture naturally," she says. Optima of Africa Ltd., a private com- pany that works with the tree in Tanzania, says 25 grams daily of moringa leaf powder will give a child 42 percent of its daily recommended pro- tein allowance, 125 percent of calcium, 61 percent of magnesium, 41 percent of potassium, 7 1 percent of iron, 272 per- cent of vitamin A and 22 percent of vita- min C. Almost every part of the moringa tree, hailed by scientists as "nature's miracle tree," can be used for food or has some other beneficial property. The bark, sap, roots, leaves, seeds, oil and flowers are used in traditional medicine in several countries. Ayurveda...