The Minister Of Health Wants The Benefits Of Moringa From Indonesia To Be Accepted By World Community

JAKARTA - The Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin wants the benefits of the moringa plant in Indonesia to be accepted by the international community.

"We will make moringa one of Indonesia's traditional and herbal foods. We will conduct formal research to support the research so that it can be accepted internationally," said Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin in a written statement reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, March 7.

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi said that moringa is a traditional food and Indonesian herbal plant like ginseng from Korea.

"I want to make up for it like Korean ginseng, to do serious research to enter the international world," said the Minister of Health.

He made this request to relevant policy stakeholders while visiting East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) in the context of monitoring the stunting case on Saturday (4/3).

"I asked the local government, moringa to be included in the research because moringa is rich in nutrients," said Minister of Health Budi Gunadi.

Moringa plants have a series of leaves, seeds, and roots that can be used for various purposes. Moringa has long been known by the people of NTT as a nutritious medicinal plant.

According to the Minister of Health, Moringa leaves are rich in nutrients, such as protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. Therefore, Moringa leaves are often used as a food ingredient or nutritional supplement to help prevent or treat various diseases.

Apart from the leaves, he said, Moringa seeds also have many benefits. Moringa seeds contain essential oils that can be used as biofuel. Moringa seed oil can also be used as a cosmetic or medicinal ingredient.

Moringa or Moringa Oleifera is quite popular in NTT because it contributes to the local community's economic income. Moringa leaves in NTT are usually processed into vegetables or fresh vegetables which are prepared with spices typical of NTT.