The Moringa Tree: Find a Natural Home Water Purification System

Tuesday, July 20, 2010 by: Fleur Hupston
Tags: moringa, drinking water, health news

(NewsTarget) One of the big problems in developing countries is the availability of clean drinking water. Is there an inexpensive, natural, home water purification system that will allow poor people access to clean drinking water? Indeed, there is. The seeds of Moringa tree can be used as an effective water clarifier and home water purification system.

Uses of the Moringa Tree

The Moringa tree (Moringa Oleifera) has been dubbed "The Miracle Tree" by many. This is because every part of the Moringa tree, from the roots to the leaves has beneficial properties that can serve humanity. It is a deciduous, perennial tree that grows to about 10 m tall with drooping branches. The tree provides shade, nutritious food, medicine and oil for biodiesel and other products and can even purify and clarify water. In addition, the Moringa grows best in dry sandy soil and is drought resistant, thus providing a source of food and medicine in arid regions.

According to Baptiste Nduwayezu, leader of the Moringa Oleifera Project in Southern Africa, the tree can be dubbed "The Green Diamond of Africa" because it can also generate revenue if fully utilized for its medicinal and nutritional values. He added that "Moringa leaves and seeds can improve health conditions of HIV positive people, increase breast milk in lactating mothers, lead to improved health of babies and also treat a number diseases such as TB, diabetes, heart problems, lower blood sugar levels, eye and ear infections and other diseases".

Apart from the problem of poor nutrition in many developing countries, there is the problem of disease due to polluted drinking water. The fact that the seeds of the Moringa tree can purify and clarify water, thus eliminating most of its turbidity and bacteria, means that this tree truly is a miracle tree for many poor people.

Using Moringa Seeds as a Home Water Purification System

In order to make an effective water purification system, the Moringa seeds are dried and then ground into a powder. Unlike other particles in the water such as clay, bacteria, and other toxic materials which are negatively charged, the protein in the Moringa seed powder is positively charged, thereby attracting the negatively charged particles like a magnet. The flocs formed by the floculation process can then be easily removed by allowing the water to settle, or removed by filtration. This process is said not only to clarify turbid water significantly, but also to remove 90-99% of bacteria contained in water.

It would appear that there is overwhelming evidence to warrant giving the Moringa tree the title "Miracle Tree". Not only can the Moringa provide highly nutritional food to the people who need it the most, but it can also clean their drinking water.

Sources:

http://allonhealth.com/health-news/moringa-o...
http://www.miracletrees.org/WaterPurificatio...
http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/Herbs/horserad...
http://www.tfljournal.org/article.php

About the author

Fleur Hupston is a professional freelance writer. She is passionate about natural, healthy living and is currently studying to be a naturopath. She divides her time between writing for Natural News and various other sites, home schooling her children and studying part time.