The original title of this recipe was “Morning Moringa Shake”. I then realized that sounded more like a dance move than a smoothie, so I changed the title of this recipe to what it is – a moringa smoothie!

Either way, if you’re looking for ways to incorporate the nutritious & antioxidant-packed herb (or “superfood”) Moringa oleifera into your life, look no further – this moringa powder smoothie is the way to go. (This post was most recently updated on August 21, 2022.)

This moringa smoothie recipe is simple and versatile. You can keep it vanilla or you can add berries, tropical fruit, cacao, or any additional “superfoods” of your choice!

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Affiliate disclosure

Please know I’m a proud affiliate for Mountain Rose Herbs and Starwest Botanicals, two organic online herbal apothecaries which I choose as primary sources for my dried herbs. That said, if you make purchase from any of the affilialte product links I share, I’ll make a small commission at no extra cost to you!

What is moringa?

Moringa oleifera (aka “moringa”) is a nutritive (nutrient-dense) herb and a very fast-growing, drought-tolerant plant which originates in the Himalayan mountains of India. Moringa grows as a tree, mostly in subtropical and tropical regions of South Asia. Moringa is also cultivated nowadays in various parts of Africa, as well as n the Phillipines and parts of the United States.

From a botanist perspective, moringa categorized as a vegetable in the Brassica family (along with cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and mustards).

For literally thousadns of years, moringa has also often referred to as a “wonder tree” because virtually every part of this plant (from the nutritious and health-promoting leaves to the wood-yielding tree trunks, to the roots, seed oils, medicinal flowers and resins) offers a special benefit!

What are the benefits of moringa?

Most parts of this plant are beneficial whether in the form of nutrition, antioxidant activity or clinical uses which is pretty fantastic!

According to the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention (1), the Journal of Dietary Supplements (2), Phytotherapy Research (3, 4), and the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (5), Moringa oleifera is beneficial for people seeking natural prevention and management of the following:

Digestive issues
Autoimmune disorders
Inflammation
Cancer
Diabetes
Lowering cholesterol & triglycerides
Lowering blood pressure

While at this point moringa may sound like a “magic bullet” herb, it still comes with its share of downsides and contraindicates (like anything else) – since one size never fits all.

Contraindications of moringa

Moringa is NOT recommended for people with hypothyroid conditions or for women who are pregnant or nursing, as some studies suggest it may be a goitrogen which can negatively impact thyroid function in some people when used consistently or excessively (6).

Like all other foods and herbs, moringa is not a “magic bullet” and does not replace a healthy lifestyle.

Generally speaking, one size does not fit all. Moringa may or may not be a plant ally for you. If it’s not, there are literally hundreds of other super-foods to try adding to your healthy milkshake (or no super-foods is totally fine if you’d like to keep it simple!).

Other superfood add-on’s

A few popular antioxidant-rich “superfood” herbs to try in your shake aside from moringa powder include raw cacao powder, matcha powder, wheat grass powder, hemp seeds, turmeric, spirulina powder, chia seeds or ground flax seeds to name a few. Each of these is not necessarily for everyone so I encourage you to do your research.

I personally choose to NOT use maca powder in my list of super-food endorsements, because it’s being over-harvested and sadly now at risk of extinction.

If you’re interested in learning more about which super-foods are right for you, but don’t know where to start, hit me up! I can *and do* talk about this kind of stuff alll day… 😀

Okay rant over… now for the moringa powder smoothie recipe!

Jenna Volpe, RDN, LD, CLT