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Camp Bassfish | 06-23-2008 09:58 AM
The Giving Tree Giving tree Cobleskill professor uses the Moringa to help fight malnutrition COBLESKILL -- The Moringa tree doesn't look like much. Its skinny, naked trunk supports a leafy plume at the top. It grows in the hottest regions of Earth and survives droughts by dropping its leaves and waiting for better times. But some people believe the Moringa tree may fight malnutrition in some of the world's poorest nations. "For the 2 billion or so folks who don't have adequate nutrition," said SUNY Cobleskill professor George Crosby, "the Moringa tree is a piece of the puzzle. It's one way to supplement the diets they already have." The so-called "miracle tree" stores a mighty load of nutrients in its leaves. The leaves have more vitamin C than oranges, more potassium than bananas, more beta carotene than carrots and more protein and calcium than milk, according to researchers. But the Moringa is not a traditional part of anyone's diet. In fact, it tastes nasty. The challenge is to educate the malnourished people throughout the world about the nutritional value of the plant and how to cultivate it as a food crop. Crosby, a plant science professor, stumbled across the tree when a speaker mentioned it at a conference, and he started researching it. Crosby has traveled to Uganda and Nigeria to teach subsistence farmers to cultivate the tree. Some trips were funded by SUNY, while others were personal trips organized by a Christian missionary organization called WorldVenture. In a greenhouse in Cobleskill, Crosby bit into a sprout of Moringa leaves and chewed. He kept a straight face but admitted the leaves taste bitter, a little like arugula. A minute later, the aftertaste lingered. "Nobody will mistake it for chocolate," he said. The Moringa tree is part of the plant family Moringaceae. It is native to India, Africa and the Red Sea region, but grows in many tropical locations. The tree has hundreds of names including horseradish tree, as it is known in Florida, and drumstick tree, as it is known in India. Moringa leaves can be eaten raw, in salads and stews, but dried powder sprinkled on potatoes or other food is the preferred way to eat the Moringa to hide the unpleasant taste. It is recommended that children eat two or three tablespoons of the powder daily, and five to six tablespoons for adults, he said. Feeding a family Crosby and his students conducted experiments cultivating the tree as a crop. On its own, the tree grows 25 to 30 feet, like a telephone pole. But if it's cut back while it's young, branches sprout from the trunk and produce a rich canopy of leaves. Crosby found that frequent grooming will keep the tree producing young leaves, enough to feed an extended family with three or four trees. Earlier visitors to Uganda convinced some families to plant the trees. They were told they'd be rich, but nobody explained what to do with the trees and the villagers decided it was a joke. Crosby showed skeptical Ugandans how to groom the trees and cut them back. Later, he visited the Rev. Andreas Lubono and noticed a couple of his trees had been cut down to the stump. Fresh shoots were growing from the trunk. Crosby was thrilled. Lubono looked down and said something under his breath. The man's granddaughter laughed and translated: Lubono said he was trying to kill it. But the rugged tree persisted. One tough tree Just how tough is the Moringa? Crosby said he forgot 24 Moringa seedlings in an unused greenhouse over the summer. The sun baked the greenhouse to 125 degrees for three months. When he found them in the fall, the seedlings were leafless sticks. The soil had pulled away from the edges of the pots. He watered them, and within days, they sprouted leaves. Uganda has 30 million people and more than 80 percent farm to survive. Most live with no electricity, no drinking water and no transportation. Their diets consist of potatoes and other root vegetables like cassava, Crosby said. Even if they get enough calories, they may have deficiencies in certain nutrients that the Moringa could supplement. Several other humanitarian groups are researching the value of the Moringa, and Crosby hopes to return to Africa and teach more farmers to grow the tree. Crosby said, "This is something that is going to have an immediate and profound effect on the health of these folks." Cathleen F. Crowley can be reached at 454-5348, or by e-mail at ccrowley@timesunion.com. Moringa nutrients 100 grams of dry Moringa leaves contain: 29 grams protein 8 grams fat 38 grams carbohydrates 10 grams fiber 1924 milligrams calcium 1384 milligrams potassium 267 milligrams phosphorous 28 milligrams iron 1 milligrams copper 15,620 IU (international units) vitamin A 120 milligrams vitamin B 773 milligrams vitamin C Source: Melanie Broin, http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=697838&category=LIFE&BCCode=&new sdate=6/23/2008

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