With increased self-care awareness, more couples are turning to plant-based alternatives to address their infertility difficulties. Couples are becoming more attentive and prefer to maintain a healthy lifestyle by including new-age plant-based products in their daily routine. Moringa, often known as drumsticks or shahjan, is a popular plant-based supplement offering several nutraceutical benefits. But does moringa boost fertility?
Moringa is rich in dietary fiber and mineral content making it a popular choice among health-conscious couples looking for natural multi-vitamin alternatives. Couples want to replace their normal multivitamin and mineral supplements with moringa to help them become pregnant and have a healthy baby. Consuming moringa every day can improve the nutritional health of both men and women of childbearing age.
What is Moringa?
Moringa oleifera Lam. is a perennial deciduous tropical tree of the Moringaceae family native to Southern Asia. This functional component contains essential macro and micronutrients. These nutrients promote overall body function and illness prevention (1).
The fibrous moringa sticks have been extensively used in South Indian sambar, curry, soup, stew, salad, sautéed vegetables, and pickle recipes.
Moringa contains 7 times more vitamin C than oranges, 10 times more vitamin A than carrots, 17 times more calcium than milk. It also contains 9 times more protein than yogurt, 15 times more potassium than bananas, and 25 times the iron as spinach (2).
All parts of the moringa tree (pods, leaves, seeds, flowers, and roots) and its extracts (sap and oil) are edible and have a wide range of nutraceutical qualities (3).
The majority of benefits of the moringa plant are attributed to its high concentration of phytochemicals, carotenoids, and glucosinolates (4).
Food products fortified with drumstick leaves; biscuits, mathari, cookies, instant soup powder, bread, and tortilla chips, contained higher protein, dietary fiber, various nutrients, and essential antioxidants (5).
[Read: Turmeric For Fertility]
Does Moringa Help Boost Fertility?
Yes, due to its great nutritional value, moringa can aid fertility.
Moringa’s multiple medicinal properties can help couples enhance their overall health and fitness, resulting in greater fertility. Couples who are trying to conceive are increasingly looking for moringa-based health-promoting and functional dietary products to help them boost their fertility.
1. Prostrate Health
Numerous studies have found that it can treat erectile dysfunction(6) while also maintaining prostate health by increasing blood flow and improving overall circulatory efficiency. This can result in better male fertility.
2. Sperm Health
The extracts of Moringa leaf have the potential to balance testosterone hormone levels, improve sperm count and morphology and reduce any sperm defects that can be the root cause of male infertility (7).
3. Anemia Prevention
Moringa can be beneficial for treating iron deficiency anemia in young women, preparing them for healthy pregnancy (8).
Nutritional Value of Moringa
Moringa is an excellent source of many nutrients that support general health and fertility. Given below are two tables indicating the nutritional value of moringa leaves and moringa pods
Moringa Leaves Nutritional Value
Moringa leaves are an excellent source of nutrition. You can find these leaves in powdered form at grocers and pharmacists. The table below details the nutrition of 100 gm of fresh and oven-dried leaves (9).
| Nutrient | Fresh Moringa Leaves | Oven-dried Moringa Leaves |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture (%) | 75.9 | 6 |
| Energy (Kcal) | 92 | 271.54 |
| Protein (g) | 6.7 | 23.78 |
| Carbohydrates (g) | 12.5 | 28.32 |
| Fat (g) | 1.7 | 7.014 |
| Fibre (g) | 0.9 | 11.8 |
| Vitamin C (mg) | 220 | 56 |
| Beta-Carotene (µg) | 6780 | 37800 |
| Iron (mg) | 0.85 | 19 |
| Calcium (mg) | 440 | 3467 |
| Phosphorus (mg) | 70 | 215 |
| Beta-Carotene (µg) | 6780 | 37800 |
Moringa Pods Nutritional Value
Moringa pods are as good as moringa leaves in nutrition. The table below indicates the nutrition of 100 gm of moringa pods – both immature and mature pods (10).
| Name of the Nutrient | Immature Pod | Mature Pod |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture (g) | 7.1 | 5.8 |
| Protein (g) | 21.03 | 22.39 |
| Fat (g) | 0.26 | 4.6 |
| Fibre (g) | 35.55 | 37.63 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 29 | 21 |
| Energy (kcal) | 207 | 142 |
| Calcium (mg/100g) | 234 | 239 |
| Phosphorus (mg/100g) | 100 | 111 |
| Vitamin C (mg/100g) | 117 | 113 |
How Does Moringa Support Couples Trying to Conceive?
The moringa plant has various bioactive compounds that can help couples trying to conceive.
Moringa may increase healthy blood circulation throughout the body, lowering inflammation, all of which contribute to reproductive health (11).
Consuming drumstick leaves regularly may combat fatigue and increase stamina. This can lead to improved sexual health, sperm quality, erectile function, and maintain energy.
[Read: Royal Jelly – Super Fertility Food]
When is The Best Time to Have Moringa?
Couples trying to conceive may start their day with moringa leaves. This can be taken as a fresh or dried powder steeped overnight and filtered. You can follow this with a detox drink on an empty stomach for an energized day.
To reap the benefits of this nutritious detox drink, maintain a half-hour gap between their morning tea/coffee and this nutritious detox drink. Furthermore, drumsticks can be easily added to any dal, curry, or kadi for lunch or dinner.
Are There Any Benefits of Moringa For Fertility?
Yes, moringa does have fertility-boosting properties. These supplements have nutritional and pharmacological properties. that can improve men’s reproductive health by enhancing semen quality, libido, erections, and ejaculatory function.
One of the primary reasons for infertility is increased oxidative stress at the molecular level, which exceeds the body’s antioxidant levels.
Moringa includes a lot of free radical-blocking compounds. It is rich in antioxidants such as alkaloids, flavonoids, zeatin, vitamin C, betacarotene, selenium, and polyphenols.
These bioactive compounds exhibit significant free-radical scavenging activity, which has been related to a good influence on sexual behavior, particularly an increase in libido. Additionally, it improves sperm motility, sperm count, and volume, and protects the testes from injury (12).
In a study designed to evaluate the protective impact of Moringa against male infertility, significant improvements in semen motility and other properties such as morphology, vitality, teratogenicity, and speed tracking were detected (13).
A 2021 study was done on nutritional supplements containing Panax ginseng, Moringa Oleifera, and Rutin. These studies showed significant effects on improving erectile performance in men with mild to moderate vasculogenic erectile dysfunction (14).
Moringa Vs Other Fertility Boosting Herbs
Many herbs are popular for their fertility-boosting benefits.Common varieties include ashwagandha, maca root, red raspberry leaf, shatavari, chaste tree berry, and ginseng. Shatavari for fertility is one of the most commonly used herbs while red raspberry leaf also improves fertility.
So which of these herbs are ideal?
The answer is not straightforward. Each herb has unique characteristics and the user can choose based on the necessity and benefits they wish to obtain from the herb.
Here is the list of various herbs, their nutritional value and the list of benefits.
| Name of the Herb | Nutrients | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Moringa | Vitamin A, B Complex,C & E, Iron, Calcium | Prevent oxidati esdamage, supports egg and sperm health, prevents anemia (in women) |
| Ashwagandha | Alkaloids, Withanolides. | Reduces stress to support fertility, maintains hormone balance |
| Red Raspberry Leaf | Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamine A, B Complex, C & E | Maintains hormone balance, improves libido, maintains eggs and sperm health. |
| Shatavari | Alkaloids, Saponins | Regulates hormones and menstrual cycle, maintains ovarian health and regulates ovulation. |
| Maca Root | Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamine B1, B2, C and E | Acts as aphrodisiac, improves sperm and egg quality and sperm count, balances hormones. |
| Chaste Tree Berry | Magnesium, Zinc, Vitamin B6 | “Magnesium, Zinc, Vitamin B6, regulates hormones and menstrual cycle, regulates ovulation” |
| Ginseng | Manganese, Iron, Zinc, Copper | Improves sperm count and health, relieves endometriosis, improves egg health. |
Who Can Opt For Moringa?
Moringa plant products are incredibly nutritious and may aid couples making an effort to conceive. If you are anemic or suffer from recurring constipation, bloating, gas, or other digestive disorders, you can incorporate moringa into their diet regularly.
The amount used can vary from person to person. Several human and animal investigations indicated that various preparations of moringa leaves and aqueous extract were safe for daily ingestion, with 7-70 g of moringa leaf extract being considered safe and free of toxicity (4A).
[Read: Does Cinnamon Boost Fertility?]
Who Should Not Opt For moringa For Fertility?
Here are some cases in which you may avoid moringa
1. Do not take this if you are on blood pressure medications or use blood thinners (15)
2. Unmonitored moringa use may interact with their prescriptions, leading blood glucose or blood pressure to go too low, causing a medical emergency.
3. Couples undergoing infertility treatment may check with their doctors to confirm moringa is safe for them to consume.
When to Consult a Doctor?
Moringa leaves have laxative qualities, therefore excessive consumption may result in adverse effects. If one or both of those in a couple are using blood pressure or thyroid medications, they should visit a doctor before consuming moringa to ensure that it is safe for them.
Moringa offers numerous benefits, including improved fertility in both genders by treating iron deficiency anemia in females, prostate health in males, and better blood pressure management for both. Recent research has shown that moringa can be used as a functional part of couples’ daily diets to treat fertility. While moringa leaves/drumsticks are extremely nutritious, they should be used in moderation by couples trying to conceive.
Read Also: Preconception Detox For Fertility
FAQ’s
1. Does Moringa Increase Egg Production?
Moringa’s amino acid profile can improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar and hormone levels in women struggling with infertility. It can therefore assist in reducing stress, inflammation, promote egg production, and energy.
2. Does Moringa Affect Sperm Count?
Moringa leaves and seeds are strong in antioxidants, which can help protect the body from the damaging oxidative stress induced by free radicals. Such damage may impair sperm quality. Moringa water extract has been recommended as a treatment for male infertility to improve sperm.
References
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- S Yegambal and A Swarnalatha. Nutrient analysis and development of products in drumstick leaves. J Pharmacogn Phytochem 2019;8(1):1173-1176. – https://www.phytojournal.com/archives/2019.v8.i1.6919/nutrient-analysis-and-development-of-products-in-drumstick-leaves
- Vinod Kumar Shukla, Farjad Khan, Smart irrigation-based behavioral study of Moringa plant for growth monitoring in subtropical desert climatic condition, AI, Edge and IoT-based Smart Agriculture, 2022 – https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/moringa-oleifera
- Kashyap, Piyush, Shiv Kumar, Charanjit Singh Riar, Navdeep Jindal, Poonam Baniwal, Raquel P. F. Guiné, Paula M. R. Correia, Rahul Mehra, and Harish Kumar. 2022. “Recent Advances in Drumstick (Moringa oleifera) Leaves Bioactive Compounds: Composition, Health Benefits, Bioaccessibility, and Dietary Applications” Antioxidants 11, no. 2: 402. – https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/11/2/402#B180-antioxidants-11-00402
- Labdhi Shah, Nishita Baxi, Arpi Shah, Trilok Kumar Akhani; An Overview of the Health Benefits of Drumstick Pods, Asian Pac. J. Health Sci., (2022) – https://www.researchgate.net/
- Prabsattroo, Thawatchai & Wattanathorn, Jintanaporn & Iamsaard, Sitthichai & Muchimapura, Supaporn & Thukhammee, Wipawee. (2012). Moringa Oleifera Leaves Extract Attenuates Male Sexual Dysfunction. – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
- Mohlala, Kutullo, Ugochukwu Offor, Elizabeth Monageng, Ndivhuho B. Takalani, and Chinyerum S. Opuwari. 2023. “Overview of the Effects of Moringa oleifera Leaf Extract on Oxidative Stress and Male Infertility: A Review” Applied Sciences 13, no. 7: 4387 – https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/7/4387
- Balebu DW, Aminuddin R, Hadju V, Arsin A, Jafar N,, et al. The Miracle of Moringa Oleifera Leaves for the Prevention of Anemia: A Literature Review. Pharmacognosy Journal. 2023;15(6s):1258-1261. – https://phcogj.com/article/2195
- Sahay, Surbhi & Yadav, Upasana & Srinivasamurthy, Sheetal. (2017). Potential of Moringa oleifera as a functional food ingredient: A review. International Journal of food science and nutrition. 2. 2455-4898. https://www.researchgate.net/
- Anjali Chaudhary, Sadhna Singh, Parul Maurya, Mridula Pandey and Zeenat Aman, Nutritional Evaluation and Value Addition of Drumstick Pods, Biological Forum – An International Journal https://www.researchtrend.net/bfij/
- Stohs SJ, Hartman MJ. Review of the Safety and Efficacy of Moringa oleifera. Phytother Res. 2015 Jun;29(6):796-804. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5325. Epub 2015 Mar 24. – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25808883/
- Luh Putu Widiastini, I. G. Agung Manik Karuniadi, I Nyoman Mangku Karmaya, I Gede Widhiantara; The Potential of A Balinese Traditional Medicine Kelor Leaves
(Moringa oleifera) For Male Infertility Treatment : A Mini Review; Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, January-March 2022, Vol. 16, No. 1https://www.researchgate.net - Lali MAM, Issa RA, Al-Halaseh LK, Al-Suhaimat R, Alrawashdeh R. Reduction of reproductive toxicity in murine sperm model using Moringa peregrina leaves extracts. J Appl Pharm Sci, 2023; 13(11):050–056.https://japsonline.com/abstract.php?article_id=4071&sts=2
- Mirone V, Napolitano L, D’Emmanuele di Villa Bianca R, Mitidieri E, Sorrentino R, Vanelli A, Vanacore D, Turnaturi C, La Rocca R, Celentano G, Arcaniolo D, Cirino G. A new original nutraceutical formulation ameliorates the effect of Tadalafil on clinical score and cGMP accumulation. Arch Ital Urol Androl. 2021 Jun 28;93(2):221-226. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34286560/
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