The Baobab fruit derives from a tree that is native to mainland Africa, Madagascar, Australia and the Arabian peninsula.The Baobab tree is often referred to as the “Tree Of Life” as its bark, leaves, fruit, seeds and even roots have all been used for generations, either as a valuable source of food or as a traditional medicine.The leaves, especially when young, are used in a similar way to spinach, or can be dried, powdered and used in soups. However, the pulp of the Baobab fruit is the most important resource. In Africa the Baobab fruit has been used medicinally for centuries to treat everything from fevers, malaria and gastrointestinal problems to vitamin C deficiency. Most of the health benefits of Baobab Fruit Powder and its fresh counterpart largely attributed to the unusually high levels of vitamin C this exotic superfood contains. A 100-gram serving of Baobab fruit pulp contain up to 500 milligrams of vitamin C – that’s nearly 10 times the amount of vitamin C found in an equivalent serving of fresh oranges. In fact, the Baobab fruit is considered one of the very best food sources of vitamin C in the world, with only a handful of foods – including kakadu plums, camu camu, acerola, and rosehips – beating this super fruit in terms of Vitamin C content.
Vitamin C, whether derived from foods or dietary supplements, helps your body form collagen and elastin, two structural proteins that give your skin support and elasticity. In addition to being a natural source of Vitamin C, the Baobab fruit has been shown to possess strong antioxidant properties, which may further boost the benefits of this super fruit for the skin.
Adding Vitamin C rich foods such as Baobab Fruit Powder to your diet might also enhance your body’s fat burning capabilities during a workout – especially if your current diet does not contain enough Vitamin C.
Foods that supply your body with plenty of Vitamin C also help keep your heart and overall cardiovascular system healthy. A study from University of California found that study participants who took a Vitamin C supplement (providing 500 milligrams of Vitamin C) daily for two months experienced a 24 percent drop in their plasma C-reactive protein levels. New research suggests that C-reactive protein levels, or CRP levels for short, are an excellent measure of a person’s heart disease risk, potentially even better than cholesterol levels.
Varicose veins and venous insufficiency are further examples of cardiovascular problems that may be alleviated by adding Vitamin C rich foods, such as Baobab Fruit Powder, into the diet. Vitamin C is needed for the manufacturing of collagen and elastin, connective tissues that help keep veins strong and toned, plus it can help boost circulation within the body. Therefore, it is not surprising that low levels of vitamin C have been associated with varicose veins.
If your liver is not healthy, it will not efficiently do one of its most important jobs – detoxifying toxic substances, including metabolic wastes, and excreting them from your body. A high exposure to toxins such as cigarette smoke, chemicals, alcohol and many other substances can cause damage to the liver and limit its detoxifying capabilities. The Baobab Fruit Powder was found to have significant protective effects against liver damage.The hepatoprotective properties of the Baobab Powder is linked to the presence of triterpenoids, beta-sitosterol, beta-amyrin palmitate and ursolic acid in Baobab pulp.
Watch this amazing documentary ‘Superfood: The Real Story” about Baobab Fruit Powder on Channel 4*
Adding Baobab Powder to your favourite dishes can also supply your body with a slew of beneficial minerals including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. Minerals act both individually and synergistically to perform hundreds of tasks in the human body. The following Nutrition Facts table shows the approximate concentrations of the most important minerals found in 100 grams (3.5 oz) of fresh Baobab pulp:
- Calcium: 295 mg (or 30% of the Daily Value)
- Copper: 1.6 mg (or 80% of the Daily Value)
- Iron: 9.3 mg (or 52% of the Daily Value
- Magnesium: 90 mg (or 23% of the Daily Value)
- Potassium: 1240 mg (or 35% of the Daily Value)
- Sodium: 27.9 (or 1% of the Daily Value)
- Zinc: 1.8 mg (or 12% of the Daily Value)
Preparation of the Baobab Powder is a simple process. The pods are cracked open, and the pulp mechanically separated from seeds and shell. The pulp is then milled to produce a fine powder. The lack of moisture is key to this minimal production process – drying with high temperature is not required, making the Baobab Powder a ‘raw’ product. Baobab is “wild-harvested” – taken from its natural environment – and, therefore, cannot be certified organic, although in essence, it is. Baobab trees are grown without the application of petrochemical fertilizers or chemical pesticides, and are non-GMO and non-irradiated. The absence of all these elements speaks to the purity of the product.
Tribe Skincare Baobab Fruit Powder is organic, vegan, raw and naturally gluten- and dairy-free. It contains no artificial colours, preservatives, sweeteners or fillers.
Baobab Powder has a subtle tangy citrus flavour. The combination of citrus and the powder-like texture make it a little reminiscent of sherbet – but without the added sugar. Use Baobab Powder to add body and flavour to your smoothies, desserts and cereals.
* The permission to create a link to ‘Superfood: The Real Story’ program was obtained from Channel 4.