"Clinical Evidence of Moringa Leaves on Glycemic Control: A Review of Animal and Human Studies"

Abstract

The incidence of type 2 diabetes has been increased substantially in the last two decades. Improving diet and lifestyle along with functional foods can prevent the increasing incidence of diabetes. Moringa is a functional food that contains flavonoids mainly quercetin, kaempferol and chlorogenic acid which are responsible for hypoglycemic effects. Moreover, moringa is gaining popularity regarding its health benefits as a super food among Asian population but the scientific evidence is still lacking. The present review aims to present the existing literature published regarding the role of moringa leaves in glycemic control in various animal models and human studies limited to time frame from 2007 to 2022. Numerous research had emphasized on the role of biologically active components present in moringa leaves in the prevention of various diseases such as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. In the conducted studies, large number of animal trails has reported antihyperglycemic activity of moringa. In humans, there is limited evidence regarding hypoglycemic effect of moringa. It is difficult to reach a conclusion and hence, there is a need to conduct well designed clinical trials of appropriate duration regarding the effect of moringa leaf powder supplementation on glycemic control in humans.