Incidence of obesity has reached an all-time high in the United States and continues to rise. In addition to the well known dangers of obesity—hypertension, heart disease, high cholesterol—obesity changes the body on the
Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree cultivated across the lowland dry tropics worldwide for its nutritious leaves. Despite its nutritious reputation, there has been no systematic survey of the variation in leaf nutritional quality across M. oleifera grown worldwide, or of the other species of the genus. These findings identify clear priorities and limitations for improved moringa varieties with traits such as high protein, calcium, or ease of preparation.