Moringa oleifera Lam. as a potential plant for alleviation of the metabolic syndrome — a narrative review based on in vivo and clinical studies

This narrative review examines Moringa oleifera's potential for managing metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions including hyperglycemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and increased body weight. The authors systematically analyzed both animal (in vivo) and human clinical studies to evaluate moringa's therapeutic effects. The review found promising evidence for moringa's ability to address multiple components of metabolic syndrome simultaneously. In animal studies, moringa demonstrated significant improvements in glucose metabolism, blood pressure regulation, lipid profiles, and weight management. Human clinical trials, though more limited, showed similar beneficial trends. The plant's bioactive compounds, including isothiocyanates, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, appear to work through multiple mechanisms including antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory effects, and metabolic pathway modulation. The review highlighted moringa's particular effectiveness in reducing fasting glucose levels, improving insulin sensitivity, lowering blood pressure, and normalizing cholesterol profiles. Studies consistently showed dose-dependent responses with minimal adverse effects reported. The authors noted that moringa's multi-target approach makes it particularly suitable for metabolic syndrome, which requires addressing multiple interconnected pathological processes. However, they emphasized the need for more standardized human trials with larger sample sizes and longer durations to establish definitive therapeutic protocols and safety profiles for clinical application.