Moringa Helps People with HIV

Around 38 million people around the world are living with HIV. Around 650,000

die every year. Despite antiretroviral therapy, many people still have suppressed

immunity, low platelets, malnutrition and low body mass index. Progress has

been made, but more help is needed. Meet moringa.

Moringa oleifera is common in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. It is loaded in

nutrients and has been found to improve immunity and nutritional status. This

systematic review and meta-analysis of 8 studies set out to see if it could help

people with HIV.

HIV primarily depletes CD4+ T cells, causing suppressed immunity and leaving

the person vulnerable to opportunistic infections. CD4+ count is a key indicator of

immune function and is used to monitor the progression of the illness and the

effectiveness of the treatment. Moringa significantly increased CD4+ count.

White blood cell counts and platelet counts were also significantly higher in the

group supplementing moringa than in the control group, both suggesting

improved immunity.

Moringa was also able to significantly improve BMI. This ability is important

because people with HIV often struggle with malnutrition, both from the disease

and from the toxicity of the drugs. The resulting low BMI diminishes overall health

and quality of life and increases the risk of comorbid conditions.

Importantly, the study also confirmed the safety of supplementing moringa.

This study found that moringa could safely improve immunity and nutrition in

people with HIV, hopefully improving health and quality of life.

Front Nutr. 2025 Sep 8;12:1667158.