Baobab is widely used by the indigenous people of Africa, also for medicinal purposes. Modern medicine confirms the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties of baobab fruit. Due to the very high concentration of vitamin C and the antioxidant potential, it was considered another superfood.

Baobab( Adansonia digitala ) is a huge tree growing in the prairies and savannas of the Sahelian region of central Africa, as well as in the western part Madagascar in very hot and dry areas. It reaches up to 25 meters in height, and the trunk can be up to 10 meters in diameter. Baobab lives for several hundred years, and some sources say it is up to 2,000 years. Baobab is called "inverted tree" in African dialects due to the shape of the tree's crown, which resembles spreading roots. Baobab is of great importance to the indigenous people, hence it is often referred to as the tree of life. All its components, such as bark, leaves, seeds and fruit, are used extensively. It is a valuable nutritional and healing material.

Properties and nutritional value of baobab fruit

Baobab produces oblong fruit, 20-30 cm long and 10 cm in diameter, which grow individually on long stems. Baobab fruits are composed of a woody outer shell, which makes up 45% of their weight, flesh (15%) and seeds (40%). Fresh fruit has a yellowish-white and slightly sour flesh inside, which in highly ripe fruit is naturally dehydrated, becomes loose and has the consistency of dense lumps of powder. The flesh surrounds numerous seeds and is broken down into its components by red, filamentous fibers.

In Poland, you can buy packaged baobab in the form of a powder. Its nutritional value is the same as that of the whole fruit.

The baobab fruits provide mainly carbohydrates. They contain almost no water and no fat. They are a source of calcium, a large amount of potassium, thiamine, nicotinic acid and vitamin C in a very high concentration. Baobab is one of the best sources of it among fruit, but researchers have noticed a large variation in vitamin C content even among trees representing the same variety. The daily requirement for ascorbic acid can be covered by eating 23 g of powdered baobab.

The amount of calcium in baobab makes it a valuable part of the diet of people who do not consume milk and dairy products. The polyphenolic compounds present in the pulp are responsible for the high antioxidant potential of the baobab. Simple sugars constitute approx. 36% of all carbohydrates in the fruit, hence its clearly sweet taste. The flesh contains large amounts of pectin, mucilage as well as tartrates and tartaric acid, which are responsible for the sour taste. Baobab pectins have the ability to thicken liquid food, but they create irregular structures, which is why they are not used in industry.

Whole baobab fruits are not available in Poland. In stores, you can buy packaged baobab in the form of a powder. Its nutritional value is the same as that of the whole fruit, as no heat treatment is used to make the powder, and the baobab flesh naturally dehydrates as it ripens.

Content of selected nutrients in 100 g of powdered baobab fruit
Energy240 kcal
Protein3 g
Fat0.5 g
Starch39.2 g
Glucose7.9 g
Fructose7 g
Sucrose1.7 g
fiber25.25 g
Polyphenols1085 mg
Antioxidant activity109 μmol TE / g
Phosphorus80 mg
Potassium1528 mg
Calcium345 mg
Magnesium199 mg
Sodium2.3 mg
Copper1.5 mg
Iron10 mg
Manganese2.1 mg
Vitamin C60-300 mg

Healing properties of baobab

Antioxidant activity

Baobab contains a lot of vitamin C (10 times more than oranges) and has a high antioxidant potential (nearly 40 times higher than oranges and 6 times higher than blueberries). Antioxidant compounds reduce the risk of damage to cellular structures and DNA, thus helping to prevent many diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Anti-inflammatory activity

Baobab fruits reduce inflammation with comparable effectiveness to classic anti-inflammatory drugs. This activity is due to the presence of sterols, saponins and triterpenes. Therefore, baobab can be part of the dietanti-inflammatory.

Antipyretic effect

Baobab fruit has been traditionally used to reduce malaria fever in people in Africa, India and Sri Lanka. This effect was confirmed by studies on rats. Animals with elevated temperature were given aqueous extracts of baobab flesh, which resulted in a reduction of body temperature by 1.94 ° C in the study group compared to 0.42 ° C in the control group. The antipyretic effect of baobab is comparable to that of acetylsalicylic acid, i.e. aspirin. The research also confirmed the analgesic effect of the fruit, which may result from the presence of sterols, saponins and triterpenes in the flesh.

Liver protection

In studies on rats, the protective properties of baobab fruits for liver cells were demonstrated. The fruit showed both a protective and regenerative effect on the damaged livers of animals. Hepatoprotective properties are attributed to the triterpenoid, β-sitosterol, β-amirine palmitate, terpenoids and ursolic acid present in the fruit. The anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activity of baobab also results in supporting the liver.

Antibacterial and antiviral activity

Extracts from baobab leaves, fruit pulp and seeds are active against influenza virus, herpes, and RSV, which is the leading cause of respiratory infections in infants and children.

Diarrhea inhibition

A mixture of dried baobab fruit with water and sugar is a traditional local remedy for diarrhea with the same effectiveness as pharmaceutical preparations. Diarrhea is inhibited by tannins and tannins that bind water, mucilage, cellulose and citric acid. In addition, baobab is a source of electrolytes that decline as a result of dehydration.

Source of fiber

Baobab fruits contain a lot of soluble fiber (22.5% of the dry weight of the fruit) and insoluble (22% of the dry weight of the fruit). Scientific research has shown that Baobab Insoluble Fiber is a great medium for the growth ofLactobacillusandBifidobacteriumhe alth-beneficial probiotic bacteria. Fiber also allows you to lower the glycemic index of dishes. A small addition of powdered baobab to bread reduces the rise in blood sugar, which is important for people with insulin resistance and diabetes who need to control their glycaemia.

The use of baobab fruit in folk medicine

In areas of Africa where baobab grows, various tree raw materials such as leaves, fruit, bark and seeds are used to make traditional medicines. Natural preparations fromBaobab fruits are used in the treatment of malaria, smallpox and measles, as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic and astringent agents in the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery. Due to the hepatoprotective effect, it is considered that the consumption of baobab is responsible for the high resistance to liver damage in societies living in the areas where the tree is present.

Baobab culinary uses

Baobab is a very aromatic fruit. It has a sweet, slightly tart taste similar to citrus. Due to its powdery consistency, it is perfect as an addition to drinks, cocktails, chia puddings, oatmeal, yoghurt, ice cream and baked goods - cheesecakes, muffins, brownies, cookies and bread. Due to its thickening properties, the flesh is also used for making jams and jellies, as well as for soups and sauces. You can add it to fruit desserts or salad dressings.

What can you make with powdered baobab?

  • Carbonated drink - mix a teaspoon of powder with a glass of sparkling water
  • Cocktail - Add 2 teaspoons of powdered baobab to 2 cups of almond milk, add a piece of mango and banana, and then blend
  • Baobab Milk - Mix 2.5 cups of baobab powder with 5 cups of warm water and 1 tablespoon of sugar
  • Smoothie - Mix 2 cups of frozen banana sliced ​​with 1 cup of sliced ​​pineapple, 2 cups coconut milk and 4 cups baobab milk

Indigenous African peoples made use of baobab especially in three ways: to make gruel, fermented sour dough, and drink. The gruel is prepared from corn or millet flour and powdered baobab. Sour dough is a fermented product made from the pulp of baobab fruits. The flesh is mixed with water, the dough is made separately from corn or millet flour and water, and then the ingredients are combined. The mixture is placed in a jar, covered and allowed to ferment for at least 24 hours. The dough will ferment for up to 7 days. After 5-7 days, some can be used as a leaven to combine with the next portion of flour. This technique is typically used during periods of baobab shortage.

The baobab-based drink is prepared by soaking the whole fruit in water. It can be used as a substitute for milk. Baobab milk contains more protein, calcium and iron than cow's and human milk. Baobab seeds are also used, which can be eaten fresh or dried and ground into flour used to thicken soups and stews, roasted and ground into a paste, or boiled for a long time and fermented. The fermented seeds are called maari. After cooking, they are stored intemperature of approx. 30 ° C in a dark room, where fermentation takes place for 4 days, caused by microorganisms living in the seeds. The product is then dried and used as a protein source in the meals of poor families.

Sources:

1. Kabore D et al., A review of baobab (Adansonia digitata) products: Effect of processing techniques, medicinal properties and uses, African Journal of Food Science, 2011, 5 (16), 833-844 2. De Caluwe E. et al ., Adansonia digitala L. - A review of traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology, Afrika Focus, 2010, 23 (1), 11-51 3. Ibrahima C. et al., Biochemical and nutritional properties of baobab pulp from endemic species of Madagascar and African mainland, African Journal of Agricultural Research, 2013, 8 (47), 6046-6054 4. Rahul J. et al., Adansonia digitala L. (baobab): a review of traditional information and taxonomic description, Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 2015, 5 (1), 79-84

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