Drumstick leaves (moringa): nutrition per 100 g

1. 01

   First of 160 foods for carotene

   Moringa leaves carry 17542 micrograms of beta-carotene per 100 g, the highest value in IFCT 2017. The body turns beta-carotene into vitamin A as needed, which supports vision, especially in dim light. Cooking with a little oil improves absorption.

2. 02

   Vitamin C well above the daily need

   100 g of fresh leaves gives 108 mg vitamin C, 8th of 130 foods. That is 135 per cent of a man's daily requirement and 166 per cent of a woman's, though long cooking destroys a good share.

3. 03

   Protein, fibre and calcium

   At 6.4 g protein and 8.2 g fibre per 100 g, moringa ranks 2nd and 3rd among leafy vegetables. Its 314 mg calcium ranks 22nd of 242 foods, about 31 per cent of the adult requirement.

4. 04

   B vitamins and omega-3

   Riboflavin at 0.45 mg ranks 3rd of 241 foods, and vitamin B6 at 0.87 mg covers 36 per cent of a man's requirement. The 446 mg of omega-3 ALA per 100 g is the highest among leafy vegetables.

Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.

• Murungai keerai poriyal: leaves stir-fried with shallots, dried red chilli and fresh coconut until just wilted.
• Murungai keerai adai: a handful of leaves stirred into a coarse lentil and rice batter before the pancakes go on the tawa.
• Muringa ela thoran or parippu curry in Kerala: leaves cooked with coconut, or simmered into moong or toor dal.
• Sajana saga in Odisha: leaves fried with garlic and dried chilli in mustard oil, eaten with pakhala.
• Moringa thepla or chilla: a spoonful of dried leaf powder or a handful of fresh leaves mixed into the batter or dough.

Fresh moringa leaves are an everyday food, and eating them in a poriyal or dal is not a concern for healthy adults. Dried moringa powders and capsules are different: they are far more concentrated, quality varies between brands, and they are often sold with health claims that go well beyond the evidence. People taking medicines for diabetes, blood pressure or thyroid, and pregnant women, should ask their doctor before taking concentrated moringa supplements. The leaves also hold 479 micrograms of vitamin K1 per 100 g, relevant to anyone on warfarin.

Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.

• Drumstick (moringa pods)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Agathi leaves

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Amaranth leaves (chaulai)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Curry leaves

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Fenugreek leaves (methi)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

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