If you are a vegetarian or vegan you may find baobab powder especially beneficial due to both, its calcium and iron content. It’s just another way of adding a proportion of the recommended daily dose of these essential minerals to your diet. Are you eating enough vegetables and fruits? Osman MA. Chemical and nutrient analysis of baobab (Adansonia digitata) fruit and seed protein solubility. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 2004;59:29-33. View abstract.

Below we discuss studies support some of these 5 powerful ingredients. Aloe vera is a championed ingredient for digestive distress. Multiple studies have looked at using aloe vera as a therapeutic assistant for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). One study took 68 patients diagnosed with IBS. These were split into an aloe vera and placebo group. There was a larger response in the treatment group for ‘adequate relief’ while taking aloe vera. Not to mention a remarkable improvement in the severity of the symptoms felt by the test group. Additionally, another study demonstrated a positive trend when using aloe vera in diarrhoea predominant IBS patients. In addition, to the Tim Spector Study mentioned above, studies demonstrate baobab fibre can balance the intestinal flora. Brilliant product- I swear by this product. I have seen amazing reduction to my IBS symptoms and I really feel it’s good for my digestive system In addition, Prebiotics have been seen to increase specific beneficial immune cells such as natural killer cells (NK), Effector T Cells, C reactive proteins, IL-4, IL-8 and IL-10. Due to this being a new area of study, scientists are yet to understand the mechanism but have noticed the cause and effect relationship between the two. How to Increase Prebiotics in your diet

One of the reasons why I started consuming baobab powder was because I was slightly concerned that I may not be getting enough calcium as I wasn’t drinking cow’s milk. Calcium is important for healthy bones and for the prevention of osteoporosis so we do need to try and make sure we get enough of it through our diet. As was mentioned earlier in the article, prebiotics are fructooligosaccharides (FOS), Trans-galacto-oligosaccharides (TOS) and Galactooligosaccharides (GOS). Aside from sounding like gobbledygook, these structures can be found in foods such as onions, garlic, artichokes, apples, konjac root, flaxseed, legumes, oats, soybeans and asparagus. Chapotin SM, Razanameharizaka JH, Holbrook NM. A biomechanical perspective on the role of large stem volume and high water content in baobab trees (Adansonia spp.; Bombacaceae). Am J Bot 2006;93:1251-64. View abstract. A study conducted by Oxford Brookes University found that polyphenol-rich baobab fruit extract, baked in bread, reduced starch digestion and glycemic response in humans. Mulaudzi RB, Ndhlala AR, Kulkarni MG, et al. Antimicrobial properties and phenolic contents of medicinal plants used by the Venda people for conditions related to venereal diseases. J Ethnopharmacol 2011;135:330-7. View abstract.

Affonfere M, Chadare FJ, Fassinou FTK, Talsma EF, Linnemann AR, Azokpota P. A complementary food supplement from local food ingredients to enhance iron intake among children aged 6-59 months in Benin. Food Sci Nutr 2021;9(7):3824-3835. View abstract. Rita K, Bernardo MA, Silva ML, et al. Adansonia digitata L. (baobab fruit) effect on postprandial glycemia in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial. Nutrients. 2022 Jan 17;14(2):398. View abstract. The baobab fruit pulp has become available in the UK in 2008 when it won approval from EU food regulators. How is baobab fruit powder made?

What is baobab?

Another common way to get a large dosage of prebiotics is via supplementation. The most common of which include inulin from artichokes and chicory root, and baobab. This can be taken as a daily powder or tablet alongside food. These are typically a more concentrated and purer root of taking prebiotics. Prebiotics were discovered in 1995 by Glenn Gibson and Marcel Roberfroid. At the time they defined a prebiotic as a non-digestible food ingredient that beneficially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon, thus improving the health of the host. Examples of this include fructooligosaccharides (FOS), Trans-galacto-oligosaccharides (TOS) and Galactooligosaccharides (GOS). Baobab porridge with blueberries, almond butter and natural yoghurt Baobab powder can be added to herbal tea and used instead of lemon I see baobab powder as one of the most natural ways to add extra vitamins and minerals to your diet. This is better than taking synthetic vitamins as natural foods are easier to absorb by your body. Just to keep in mind that baobab powder will make only a small contribution to your overall daily nutritional needs – a couple of tablespoons should make more difference than just having one teaspoon a day. So yes, baobab powder is good for you. Baobab powder is a source of calcium Chapotin SM, Razanameharizaka JH, Holbrook NM. Baobab trees (Adansonia) in Madagascar use stored water to flush new leaves but not to support stomatal opening before the rainy season. New Phytol 2006;169:549-59. View abstract.