Cuba: What the hey is Moringa?

I was visiting Babalú Blog and came across this post by Carlos Eire: Evo Morales enthusiastic about Moringa pills given to him by Fidel Castro

“It’s such an important nutrient. Fidel now sends me Moringa pills,” said Evo Morales, president of Bolivia.

Evo just visited Fidel, to help him extend his 90th birthday celebrations.

El coma-andante Fidel has been promoting the cultivation of the Moringa plant for years, promoting it as a “miraculous tree” and urging its cultivation.

Carlos had added an illustration with the benefits, and a caption,

Google is my friend, so I found moringa on  WebMD. There are some side effects (emphasis added)

Moringa is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken by mouth and used appropriately. The leaves, fruit, and seeds might be safe when eaten as food. However, it’s important to avoid eating the root and its extracts. These parts of the plant may contain a toxic substance that can cause paralysis and death. Moringa has been used safely in doses up to 6 grams daily for up to 3 weeks.

There isn’t enough information to know if moringa is safe when used in medicinal amounts.

Regarding the “Nutrition for infants . . . and pregnant and nursing mothers,”

Special Precautions & Warnings:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It’s LIKELY UNSAFE to use the root, bark or flowers of moringa if you are pregnant. Chemicals in the root, bark, and flowers can make the uterus contract, and this might cause a miscarriage. There is not enough information available about the safety of using other parts of moringa during pregnancy. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Moringa is sometimes used to increase breast milk production. Some research suggests it might do this, however, there isn’t enough information to know if it is safe for the nursing infant. Therefore, it is best to avoid moringa if you are breast-feeding.

Back in the olden days, there were similar remedies with anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory properties,

So better check WebMD before you take advice from Evo and Fidel.