Can Pregnant Women Take Moringa?

Is moringa safe in pregnancy? Here’s what the plant is, which part of it goes into our tea, and why the answer for you belongs to your midwife or obstetrician.

Moringa has been eaten as a leafy green for generations across South Asia, Africa and the Caribbean — in many of those places it is an everyday food rather than a supplement. But can pregnant women take moringa? The honest answer is that this is a question for your obstetrician or midwife, not for a blog.* It is worth asking them, too, because pregnancy is exactly the situation in which a general answer is the wrong kind of answer. What we can tell you is what the plant is, and what researchers have looked at. It is only the moringa leaves that are eaten as a food. The root, bark, flowers and concentrated seed extracts are a different matter altogether: they carry compounds that are traditionally avoided in pregnancy, including ones associated with uterine contraction, and they are not something to experiment with. Moringa leaves, on the other hand, are packed with essential vitamins, iron, fiber and protein.

What is actually in moringa leaves?

Here are four things worth knowing about “the world’s most nutrient-dense crop” — none of which is a substitute for your own antenatal care:

Moringa is a caffeine-free alternative to coffee

Doctors recommend either restricting or eliminating the intake of coffee for pregnant women. The concern around coffee is that babies in the womb do not have the ability to metabolize caffeine the way adults do — your own midwife will give you a figure to work to. Moringa leaf tea is naturally caffeine-free, which makes it an easy warm drink to reach for when coffee is off the table. You can choose your favorite flavors from our range of caffeine-free herbal moringa teas: a comforting cup, with no jitters and no crash.

Moringa is a calm, caffeine-free ritual

As per a study, the polyphenols found in moringa leaves have been examined in relation to stress during pregnancy — a stretch of life in which many women describe anxiety, low mood, fear and plain physical discomfort. Other researchers have taken an interest in how the same polyphenols interact with cortisol and with the serotonin and dopamine pathways. This is early, exploratory work rather than anything settled. If low mood or anxiety in pregnancy is weighing on you, please raise it with your midwife or doctor — it is common, and it is something they can actually help with.

Moringa leaves are a source of fiber

Moringa leaves contain up to 30% fiber. Fiber is a normal part of a balanced diet, and moringa leaf is also a source of B vitamins. Those are nutrition facts rather than promises about how you will feel, and persistent digestive discomfort in pregnancy is always worth mentioning at your next appointment. Moringa leaf has also been the subject of laboratory work — including a 1995 laboratory study of moringa leaf extract — genuinely interesting to scientists, and a long way from anything you should expect from a cup of tea.

Moringa leaf is a source of iron and other nutrients

Good nutrition matters in pregnancy, which is why iron comes up so often at antenatal appointments. Moringa leaf contains iron, and a study concerned with anemia in pregnancy has examined moringa leaf as a dietary source of it — a question of nutrition, and one your care team is already following with actual blood tests. Moringa holds real nutritional value; what it does not do is replace the supplement, the monitoring or the advice you have been given.

How can pregnant women add moringa to their diet?

At Miracle Tree, our products are made from 100% organic (dried) leaf moringa — leaf only, never root or bark. From moringa powders to award-winning moringa teas, here are some simple ways to enjoy this nutritionally exceptional superfood, once you and your clinician have agreed it belongs in your diet:

• Add our moringa powder to shakes, smoothies and yogurt
• Mix powder with other ingredients to make salad dressings
• Stir into soups
• Put in baked goods
• Add to pasta sauce or pesto
• Try Miracle Tree’s high-quality herbal moringa teas

*This article is general information about a food, and it is not medical advice or an answer about you specifically. We always recommend that women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive ask their doctor, midwife or obstetrician before deciding to make moringa — or any new food, tea or supplement — a part of their regular diet. Moringa leaf is an important food source in some parts of the world, and has safely been consumed by cultures throughout the world for many hundreds of years; your pregnancy is still yours and your clinician’s to manage together.