‘Super food’ moringa likely to be made part of tree tsunami project

Islamabad : The climate change ministry is considering a proposal to also include plantation of Moringa trees into Ten Billion Tree Tsunami project that would help improve the health of malnourished mothers, children and adolescents especially in the Thar area.

According to the details, the proposal has been given by the local authorities of the Sindh government and it is likely to be approved by the federal government keeping in view its benefits for the local population.

It is pertinent to mention here that there is high incidence of malnutrition among children in Tharparkar district and elsewhere in rural Sindh mainly due to their very limited diet of ‘daal-roti’ (lentils and bread) which does not supply essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals for good health and early development.

An official said the scientific studies proved that moringa tree, considered as super food, packs 92 essential nutrients, 46 antioxidants, 36 anti-inflammatories and 18 amino acids that help the body heal and build muscles.

He said that leaves of the moringa tree have seven times more vitamin C than oranges and fifteen times more potassium than bananas.

It also has calcium, protein, iron, and amino acids and also packed with antioxidants, substances that can protect cells from damage and may boost the immune system in the body, he said.

The latest research reports also showed that all parts of the moringa tree–bark, pods, leaves, nuts, seeds, tubers, roots, and flowers–are edible. The leaves are used fresh or dried and ground into powder.

Aga Khan University and Sindh Agriculture University are also jointly promoting moringa tree plantation in Thar area to fight malnutrition.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said that plantation of trees also aimed at meeting food requirements of the local people.

“We are planting various species of trees under Ten Billion Tree Tsunami project that will provide food items to the local population. Moringa trees are also considered ‘super food’ in the Western countries and we are also considering to plant them under our flagship project,” he said.