Shigru Patra (Moringa Leaves) in Ayurveda: Properties & Everyday Use

In short

Shigru Patra, known as moringa leaves in English and sahjan ke patte in Hindi, is a familiar part of the Indian kitchen. Classical Ayurveda describes it as pungent and bitter in taste, light in quality, and warming by nature. Moringa leaves are cooked as greens.

In your kitchen

  • The leaves go into dal and parathas.
  • As a warming food, tradition leans on it more in the cooler months.

Good to know

In everyday food amounts it is part of ordinary home cooking. If you're pregnant, nursing or take regular medication, check with your doctor before using it beyond normal food amounts.

What it is

Shigru patra is the leaf (patra) of Moringa oleifera Lam. (family Moringaceae): the fast-growing tree known in English as drumstick or the "miracle tree," native to South Asia. In Ayurveda the plant is named Shigru (with synonyms including Shobhanjan), and its patra (leaves), pushpa (flowers), phala (fruits), and beeja (seeds) are all used: the leaf is the part most studied in modern human trials (WJTCM review).

The leaves are eaten as a food in parts of Africa and India, and trial investigators describe them as nutrient-dense: a source of protein, iron, and provitamin A carotenoids (WJTCM review; Attia et al. trial protocol, PMC).

This article covers the leaf specifically. For the whole-plant Shigru entry, bark, root, and classical formulations, see our shigru article.

Classical properties

Traditional use

Classical Ayurvedic literature names the plant Shigru and counts the leaf among its useful parts; the leaf has long been consumed as a nutritious green vegetable as well as used in traditional preparations (WJTCM review). Classical disease-specific indications for the plant as a whole belong to the Shigru entry and are not repeated here. These are traditional uses, not clinical proof: the human evidence is assessed separately below.

What research has looked at

Post-meal blood glucose

In a small in-vivo study, Saharawi adults with and without type 2 diabetes ate a traditional meal with or without Moringa oleifera leaf powder added, on two different days in randomized order. In the diabetic participants, the leaf-supplemented meal produced a lower postprandial glucose rise than the control meal at 90 minutes, an effect maintained for up to 3 hours. No effect was seen in the non-diabetic participants (Leone et al., Nutrients 2018).

This is a single small meal study, not evidence that moringa leaf treats diabetes. Reviews note that only a handful of small human trials exist on moringa and glycemia, with inconsistent designs and doses (antidiabetic review, PMC).

Breast-milk output

A pilot single-blinded cluster-randomized trial in Kenya enrolled 50 breastfeeding mother–infant pairs; mothers received corn porridge with or without dried moringa leaf powder for 3 months. At exit, mothers in the moringa cluster expressed substantially more milk than controls (p = 0.003), and infant serum IGF-1 was higher in the moringa group. There was no effect on infant growth, and a companion analysis found maternal moringa did not raise milk vitamin A: only a limited increase in milk carotenoids (Attia et al., Current Developments in Nutrition 2025; conference abstract with outcome data20458-8/pdf); Attia et al., Nutrients 2024).

This is one small pilot trial in one population: interesting, not conclusive, and not a basis for treating low milk supply.

What the evidence does not support (yet)

A 2020 review of animal and human studies tabulated the small human trials and found mixed results across glucose, lipid, and blood-pressure outcomes, with different doses and preparations in every study (PMC review). A cardiometabolic review similarly found the clinical studies few, small, and heterogeneous in dosing (PMC review). Claims that moringa leaf treats diabetes, hypertension, or obesity go well beyond what these trials show.

Safety notes

The leaf is widely eaten as food. In the small published human trials, no serious adverse events were attributed to leaf powder. A single-dose safety study in healthy volunteers found no changes in BUN, creatinine, ALT, or AST at the doses tested (review tabulation, PMC). That said, the trials are small and short: safety in pregnancy has not been established in trials, and anyone with diabetes should not adjust medication based on a meal study. Talk to a qualified clinician before using concentrated leaf powder as a herbal preparation.

FAQs

Is shigru patra the same as moringa?

Yes. Patra means leaf: shigru patra is the leaf of Moringa oleifera, the drumstick/moringa tree. Our shigru article covers the whole plant.

Does moringa leaf lower blood sugar?

One small meal study found leaf powder added to a meal blunted the post-meal glucose rise in people with type 2 diabetes (Leone et al. 2018). It is not a diabetes treatment, and it should never replace prescribed medication.

Does moringa leaf increase breast milk?

One small Kenyan pilot trial (50 mother–infant pairs) found higher expressed milk output after 3 months of daily leaf powder (Attia et al. 2025). It needs replication in larger trials before any conclusion.

How much moringa leaf was used in studies?

Swastik does not suggest amounts. The right amount depends on the person, the preparation and the product, so check with a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner or your doctor before taking any herb.

Is moringa leaf safe?

It is eaten as food in many countries, and small trials reported no serious safety signals. But trial data are limited: safety in pregnancy is unestablished, and medicinal use of concentrated powder deserves a clinician's input.

Sources

Disclaimer

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Herbal products can interact with medications and are not suitable for everyone. Talk to a qualified healthcare practitioner before use — especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, managing a medical condition, or taking prescription medicines.

Related herbs

Herbs with overlapping classical actions and dosha effects in the Swastik herb library.