Baobab is native plants from Africa and Australia especially Madagascar , which belong to genus Adansonia. The Adansonia plants are unique and interesting that they make up a tall and big trunk. Unlike other tree which covered by the leaves, the plant looks so dry from any branch which attached to the tree. You can easily recognize this plant by just looking it’s bottle shape and the leaves branches just look like root shape. As the myth and story told about this tree, God plant this tree in upside-down position which the root comes at above.
The Benefits and Uses of Baobab Fruit
The popularity of Adansonia plant which the name honours to Michel Adanson has been rise since 2008 especially in Europe and US. It is also claimed that baobab fruit is safe to be consumed. The baobab fruit has velvety shell and the size almost as big as coconut, which about 1.5 kilograms. It also has an sour taste like sherbet and just like combination of several fruits such as apple, pear, grape and vanilla. People in Angola used to boiled the dry baobab fruit and use the broth to make an ice cream which called, gelado de múcu while in Zimbabwe the fruit is used to be included in their food such as porridge and several types of drink. It is also reported that other parts of baobab tree, such as roots, usually used to make string and other types of handy craft.
The Health Benefits of Baobab Fruit
You may not know this fruit or even you never heard about it before but who know if this fruit contains a lot of nutrients which bring the health benefits of baobab fruit. According to medicalnewstoday.com, a 4.5 gram of baobab fruit powder contain 12 cal and 2 grams of fiber. Other than that, it is also rich in Vitamin C, Calcium, potassium, magnesium, thiamin, Vitamin A, bioflavonoids, and antioxidant. A research reported that this fruit has higher level of Vitamin C rather than oranges, higher level calcium than milk, and more antioxidant than acai berries. If you are curious about the health benefits of baobab fruit , you can read the explanation below.
1. Strengthen Immune System
Human body needs vitamin C daily as we don’t produce vitamin C unlike animal. To complete the daily requirement of vitamin C, you must consume any food which contain vitamin C. Baobab fruit is very high in antioxidant and vitamin C which know as a factor that can enhance our immune system. It is mentioned that the vitamin C in Baobab fruit is six times higher than the vitamin C content of orange. Consuming a portion of baobab fruit or at least 4.5 gram a day can provides you with 33% vitamin C to fulfill the daily needs. The vitamin C along with other antioxidant will strengthen the immune reaction and make it able to fight again any pathogen such as virus and bacteria.
2. Lower Blood Sugar Level
The next health benefits of baobab fruit will be very useful for patient with diabetes. A study which conducted by researchers from Monash University in Australia and Oxford Brookes University, US found that Baobab fruit contains high polyphenols which effective to reduce sugar level in the body. The baobab fruit from any species extract also able to break down the content of starch of food at certain doses. Another study by Coe SA, Clegg M, et al in 2013 reported that at 18,5 gram and 37 gram doses of baobab fruit, it can reduce the sugar level very significantly. This is why the potential health benefits of baobab fruit for diabetes patient needs more research in order to improve the quality and ability of the fruit to reduce the high blood sugar level.
3. Prevent Anemia
World Health Organization (WHO) reported that more than 30% population in the world is lack of iron consumption which leads to several health problems such as anemia. Iron is a mineral which required in the red blood cell formation especially the hemoglobin in the body that has important function to deliver the oxygen, nutrient and other material toward all the body organs. Baobab fruit contains high vitamin C that can significantly increase the iron absorption which derived from food consumption. It is even better than any artificial mineral supplement to prevent anemia. To get this health benefits of baobab fruit, you can simply sprinkle the baobab fruit powder on your food which contain high iron such as fish, vegetable or other iron-rich food.
4. Improve Digestive Health
Do not hesitate the health benefits of baobab fruit in improving your digestion function. Baobab fruit contains both types of fiber, soluble and insoluble which aid in human digestion. Dietary fiber which found in baobab fruit can help to optimize the digestion and help the intestine to form the feces smoothly. It is also able to keep healthy sugar level in the body and slow down the sugar absorption. The fiber content of baobab fruit also can promote the growth of good bacteria in the gut which help the digestion system function as well as keep the body from any harmful bacteria in the digestion tract.
5. Maintain Healthy Skin
Having healthy and clear skin is what most people want nowadays especially women. To get a healthy skin you must consume food which contains high nutrients especially Vitamin C and antioxidant. The vitamin C content of food can trigger the collagen formation in the skin which required in keeping skin elasticity and also make it possible to young anti-wrinkle skin. While the antioxidant also play important role in fighting free radicals, harmful substances that can damage the skin cell structure and even worse, skin cancer. Baobab fruit contains both nutrients which can keep your skin healthy and free from the free radicals. This is why the baobab fruit deserve to be called as super food.
6. Support Weight Lost
You will be amaze with the effect and the health benefits of baobab fruit in supporting weight lost. According to a research, vitamin C which also mostly found in baobab fruit is beneficial to burn the fat which stored in the body. People who consume adequate amount of vitamin C are likely to burn 30% more fat during their workout session rather than those who didn’t provide the body with some amount of vitamin C. Another study from Arizona University also revealed that people who consume lack of vitamin C are 25% less to burn fat during 60 minutes workout. In other words vitamin C is a factor that able to support your body to burn fat and calories since the vitamin C is a substance which required in the formation of carnitine, a compound in the body which turn the fat into energy. To burn more fats and get the health benefits of baobab fruit, you can add fresh baobab fruit or the powder to your salad and other healthy food.
7. Prevent Heart Disease
Another reason why baobab fruit is regarded as super food, is because their ability to protect the heart and reduce the risk of heart disease. The fiber content of baobab fruit can significantly reduce the cholesterol absorption within the body. Cholesterol itself is a fat compound that can induce the formation of plaque inside the blood vessel wall and causing atherosclerosis. The vitamin C of baobab fruit is also able to keep the cardiovascular normal function. A research from University of California reported that people who consume adequate amount of vitamin C or about 500mg daily during two months had lower risk of heart disease and lower level of cholesterol rather than people who didn’t fulfill the daily requirement of vitamin C.
8. Protect Liver
The effect of baobab fruit to cleans the body from toxin also being an interesting topic for some researcher. A study which conducted by Musab Awad Muhamad et al from University of Gezira, Sudan in 2015 which published in World Journal Of Pharmaceutical Research found that the baobab fruit extract contains some active substances such as beta-sitosterol, ursolic acid, triterpenoid, and beta-amyrin palmitate which posses the hepatoprotective properties. Those properties can protect the liver from any damage which caused by free radicals, toxin or other pathogen. So, if you want to have a healthy liver which on its optimum function, you can try the health benefits of baobab fruit.
9. Keeping Strong Bones and Teeth
Calcium is an important mineral which required to keeps healthy bones and teeth as it also part of both body parts. 100 gram of Baobab fruit contains about 280mg of calcium which is 3.5 times higher than milk. It means that baobab fruit can be very beneficial for your bones and keep it strong while prevent it from osteoporosis in older age. Baobab fruit also contain high magnesium which play important role in the calcium absorption process. Simply add baobab fruit or the powder to enjoy this health benefits of baobab fruit especially if you are a vegan, pregnant, or a post menopausal woman.
10. Fight Free Radicals
Not forget to mention that baobab fruit packed with high antioxidant properties which can certainly fight free radicals, a type of culprit which ready to destroy your immune system and cells. Free radicals, are some compound which found in chemical substance, smokes, food and other pollutant that can cause long term effect such as cancer. Free radicals can also damage your skin cells and makes you looks older than your actual age, since it also cause wrinkle and skin cancer. It is important to consume food with antioxidant such as baobab fruit to fight and prevent the body from any harmful effects of free radicals.
11. Lower Blood Pressure
In the case of lowering blood pressure and prevent hypertension, you can also hold it into the health benefits of baobab fruit. The pulp of baobab fruit contains high level of potassium which can keep normal blood pressure within the body by enhancing the dilation of blood vessel and make the heart pump the blood slower. Potassium is also important to prevent the atherosclerosis, heart attack and other cardiovascular problem. Some research also reported that baobab fruit contains six times higher potassium level than banana.
12. Boost Energy Level
Still not too impressed with the health benefits of baobab fruit? Maybe you can consider that using the baobab fruit, fresh or dried can help you to boost the energy level and your stamina to do daily activities. Baobab fruit contains many nutrients such as iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc, and other mineral like copper that can significantly affects your body metabolism. Those minerals are required by cells to produce energy and lf you face a mineral deficiency, your body will have less energy which resulting a weak stamina. By consuming baobab fruit every day, you should not worry about your energy level and you can leave the artificial mineral supplement behind you.
13. Reduce Constipation
Constipation is a problem which used to be suffered by people who consume lack of fiber. It comes from the colon which hard to form the feces without the presence of fiber. Baobab fruit contains high amount of fiber that can smoothen the digestion process in the digestive tract as well as help the intestines to absorb better nutrients. By consuming enough fiber, you can help the work of your colon and baobab fruit can provide this benefit as well as reduce constipation that makes your body feel not comfort.
14. Reduce Inflammation
Not only strengthen the immune system of human body, baobab fruit can also posses the benefits of reducing any kind of inflammation inside or outside the body. Baobab fruit contains certain number of anti-inflammation properties which aids in treat inflammation and prevent it from getting worse. Inflammation is a condition in the body which caused by an injury or something which caused by virus or bacteria. By reducing inflammation, the baobab fruit can also reduce the pain, aches or other symptoms of the inflammation while the immune system can focus their work to get rid of the inflammation cause and treating the body damage.
15. Treat Fever
Another health benefits of baobab fruit that you should know is it’s ability to treat and cure fever. Fever is a condition of high body temperature which is a sign of inflammation. People in Africa use the baobab fruit as folk medicine to treat fever and this benefit is also true based on research. A study which conducted in 1994 reported that baobab fruit contains antipyretic properties or anti fever properties along with analgesic and anti-inflammation substances. To treat fever, you can dissolve about 15gram of baobab fruit in a glass of water and drink it twice a day until your fever getting better.
Side Effect Of Baobab Fruit
The health benefits of baobab fruit are just surprise and it is a good thing to include the fruit in your diet. it also regarded as safe based on US Food and Drug Administration on 2009. The research has been conducted in recent years and they are still new ones. As it a “newly discovered” fruit, some health risk may comes along the benefits. If you do not get better after regular consumption of baobab fruit, you can contact your doctor immediately.