Effect of moringa leaves powder on body weight, glycemic status, lipid profile, and blood pressure in overweight individuals with hyperlipidemia

Moringa leaf powder has demonstrated beneficial effects on body weight, lipid profiles,and blood pressure in animal studies. However, research on the impact of moringa on theseparameters in humans is limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examinethe effects of moringa on body weight, glycemic status, lipid profile, and blood pressure inhuman subjects. The study was designed as a randomized controlled parallel clinical trial. A total of 40 overweight, hyperlipidemic subjects (both sexes), aged 30 to 60 years, wereincluded. Participants were assigned to either the moringa group (n=20) or the control group. The moringa groupreceived capsules containing 0.5 g of powdered moringa leaves, while the control groupreceived capsules containing 0.5 g of corn starch, both administered twice a day for 12 weeks. Additionally, bothgroups were instructed to engage in moderate-intensity physical activity for 40 to 60 minutes. Anthropometric measurements, including weight,BMI, and waist circumference, were taken at baseline and after 12 weeks of intervention. Dietary intake wasassessed using the 24-hour dietary recall method at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Venous blood (5 ml) was collected at both time points to determine biochemical parameters, including lipidprofile and blood glucose levels. Blood pressurewas measured with a sphygmomanometer at baseline and after 12 weeks of intervention. Thefindings revealed a significant reduction in carbohydrate, energy, and cholesterol intake inthe moringa group compared to baseline values. Body weight, BMI, and waist circumference (WC) weresignificantly lower (P <= 0.05) in the treatment group than in the control group. Additionally, there weresignificant differences (P <= 0.05) in blood pressure, triglyceride levels, and LDL and HDL cholesterol levelsbetween the treatment and control groups. The findings of this study indicated that a 1 g doseof moringa over 12 weeks effectively reduced body weight, blood pressure, triglycerides,and LDL and HDL cholesterol levels, while a nonsignificant reduction in total cholesterol was observed inoverweight subjects with hyperlipidemia. Therefore, moringa may serve as a complementarytreatment alongside existing therapies to improve lipid profiles in hyperlipidemic patients.