MORINGA OLEIFERA - FOOD AND MEDICINE FOR THE MODERN WORLD - MINI REVIEW

Abstract

The Challenges of Modernity - Stress, Obesity, Socially Significant Diseases require the search for opportunities for prevention and treatment through sources of nature. In the food chain of modern man there is a total shortage of "living photons" from the sun, nutrients supplied by primordial sources residing in the natural environment, giving the cell both nutritional and energy resources and information from the living environment of the plant world. Overweight, metabolic syndrome and the resulting complications such as hypertension, atherosclerosis and diabetes have been proven to be linked to the modern diet. It is a source of substances that support inflammatory processes in the body. Hippocrates has also said that food is our medicine. The Moringa oleifera plant has features that attract the attention of science from different fields. Moringa oleifera is grown in tropical and subtropical regions at an altitude of 0 to 2000 meters. The plant prefers well-drained clay and sandy soils. The birthplace of Moringa oleifera is the southern foothills of the Himalayas. The plant is widely cultivated in India. The leaders in the Moringa industry are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It is also cultivated in Africa, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Haiti and Taiwan, Southeast Asia, some US states, including Hawaii and various countries in Oceania, as well as in Peru, Paraguay, the Pacific, the Caribbean and South America. Traditionally, in these areas, the plant is used as food and medicine. In many poor regions, Moringa oleifera is a food source of proteins, vitamins and minerals. Moringa oleifera is used in traditional medicine in many societies as a medicine. The Ayurvedic healing system uses the plant to treat 300 diseases. In addition to food and medicine, Moringa oleifera is used to purify water in areas without drinking water sources, to produce oil that is used as a lubricant, as well as in paint. In ancient Egypt, it was prized for its moisturizing properties and later used by the Romans. It is known as a cosmetic for skin rejuvenation and production of perfumes and soaps. Moringa oleifera can be considered an important functional food - a source of substances important to the human body. The unusual properties and wide application of the plant in various fields of human life are of high scientific interest. The ability of Moringa oleifera to influence many of the present-day disease states has been proven. Almost all parts from Moringa can be used as a source for nutrition with other useful values.It has antioxidant properties, which are the basis of anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer effects, anti-dyslipidemic effect, effects of type 2 diabetes, anti-asthmatic, antibacterial, neuroprotective effect.