Baobab Fruit Powder – Organic

Baobab Fruit Powder comes from the baobab tree, native to many regions of Africa and often called the “upside-down tree” for its unique appearance. The fruit has a naturally tart, citrus-like flavor and can be enjoyed in both sweet and savory recipes. In powdered form, baobab is easy to add to smoothies, juices, baked goods, and sauces, offering a convenient way to incorporate its distinctive taste into modern cooking and functional foods.

Fun Facts about Baobab trees and their fruit

1. Baobab is grown in 32 African countries, can live up to 5000 years, and can reach 100 ft in height and 165 ft in circumference.
2. Baobab trees are believed to be prehistoric, dating back over 200 million years.
3. Baobabs are known as the Tree of Life because they provide animals and humans shelter, food, and water.
4. The trunk of a baobab tree can store up to 26,000 gallons of water.
5. The pulp, seeds, leaves, flowers, roots, and bark of the baobab fruit and tree are all edible.
6. Bats pollinate Baobab’s flowers.
7. Cream of Tatar was initially produced from baobab seed pulp.
8. There are nine species of baobab.
9. Baobab fruit contains six times more vitamin C than oranges and six times more potassium than bananas.
10. Baobab trees are unique because they contain false cavities, allowing them to grow multiple fused stems continually.
11. Baobab trees are so large you can live in them. They reach heights greater than ten-story buildings.
12. Fruit only begins to bear on the baobab tree when it reaches 200 years of age. WOW, talk about an investment in time….

Elephants and Baobab: A Special Relationship

Many animals, like monkeys and warthogs, rely on the nourishing qualities of baobab. However, African elephants are the only animals with a special relationship with the baobab tree and fruit.

While elephants rely on the water that collects in the massive trunk of the baobab tree, the spongy soft bark when water is scarce, and its highly nourishing fruit, elephants actually give back to the baobab tree. When elephants eat the baobab fruit, they swallow everything, including the seeds.

As it moves through the digestive system, the juices soften the hard coat of the seeds. The seeds and other digestive components are disposed of in a large pile of dung, creating ideal conditions for germination. Elephants are known to cover long distances during migration and don’t drop dung next to parent generations of baobab trees, thereby contributing to baobab distribution.

Resistant Starch

Baobab fruit (along with green bananas and unripe papayas) are part of a unique group of foods known as resistant starches. Resistant starches are a type of dietary starch that does not break down into sugar and resists digestion in the small intestines.

They pass through most of the digestive system unchanged, ending up in the colon, fermenting, and feeding the microbiota. This unique property of resistant starches specifically benefits gut health, creating a cascade of incredible effects on overall well-being.

Resistant starches are typically formed when starch-containing foods are cooked and cooled. This occurs due to a process known as retrogradation, which happens when amylose and amylopectin chains in cooked gelatinized starch realign themselves as they cool down.

Cooling these foods in the refrigerator overnight or for several days has been said to increase starch-resistant content. While not explicitly confirmed, it is generally accepted that reheating resistant starches under 140 degrees F is believed not to destroy their prebiotic qualities. However, foods in their unripened stages also contain these resistant starches.

It is generally agreed upon that three types of resistant starches exist:

Resistant Starch Type 1: Seeds, legumes, and grains fall into this category. Your small intestines have trouble digesting the starches within them.

Resistant Starch Type 2: These are non-gelatinized particles that the small intestines can slowly digest, but not before much of it escapes into the large intestines. This category includes green bananas, raw potatoes, and high-amylose corn.

Resistant Starch Type 3: This type is cooked in water until fully hydrated, and the starch moves to the water and reform into structures that are difficult to digest after they have been cooled down. This category includes bread, cooked potatoes, and processed foods.

A review titled Resistant Starches for the Management of Metabolic Diseases looked at preliminary animal studies and human clinical trials, discussing the effects of resistant starches on metabolic conditions. The following was summarized: Data from both models support the role of resistant starches in improving various metabolic issues, although more research is needed regarding specific effects. Therefore, it was concluded that “the studies presented in this review offer new insights into the potential pathways by which resistant starches enhance metabolic health, including modulation of the gut microbiota, gut peptides, circulating inflammatory mediators, innate immune cells, and the bile acid cycle.”

The following was stated in a randomized controlled study examining the effects of baobab fruit on reducing starch digestion and glycemic response in humans. “All extracts in this study were good sources of polyphenols. Baobab fruit extract added to white bread at 1.88 % significantly (P < .05) reduced rapidly digestible starch from white bread samples.”

Prebiotics

We can’t speak about resistant starches and gut health without delving into prebiotics and the potential that baobab has shown in preliminary studies. This area of study is consistently evolving as the list of foods containing these various fibers grows. Furthermore, what was once believed to be a component of insoluble fiber is now also seen in soluble fibers.

The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics defines a prebiotic as “A substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit.” In simple terms, they are selected fermented carbohydrates that bring specific changes in composition and activity to the GI micro-flora, resulting in health benefits for the host. Baobab contains around 50% fiber, of which 75% is soluble and considered a prebiotic food.

To be considered prebiotic, dietary carbohydrates must

1. Resist gastric acidity, gastrointestinal enzymes, and absorption
2. Get fermented by intestinal probiotic microflora
3. Selectively stimulate the growth and activity of probiotics.

The human gut microbiome contains more than ten trillion microorganisms with more than 1000 species of known bacteria. Prebiotics are identified based on the composition of their fiber content. Some types of bacteria that feed on inulin fiber turn into butyrate (the primary fuel source for the gut lining). In contrast, other probiotic microbes like bifidobacteria feeding on inulin-rich foods are known to perform many valuable jobs for your gut.

1. Maintaining a healthy gut pH through the production of lactate and acetate
2. Feeding other bacteria
3. Deterring pathogens
4. Supporting a healthy immune response
5. Making the B vitamins and vitamin K

Strong preliminary research is beginning to show the potential of baobab’s prebiotic effects. The following was stated in an in vitro study examining the potential prebiotic effects of baobab fruit pulp powder.

• This exploratory in vitro study allowed for the attribution of an interesting prebiotic potential to baobab fruit pulp powder.
• Changes in both fermentation products and specific taxonomic groups suggested selective fermentation by host microorganisms.
• Baobab fruit pulp powder constituently stimulated the production of health-related acetate, propionate, and, to a lesser extent, butyrate.
• These effects were seemingly distinctly different from those exerted by the ‘gold standard’ prebiotic inulin, which increases butyrate production.
• To our knowledge, this is the first evidence demonstrating the potential of baobab fruit pulp powder to modulate the human gut microbiota.

Therefore, the following was concluded:

Overall, our findings strongly support further research on the potential of baobab fruit pulp powder as a prebiotic substrate. This study also supports additional research on the prebiotic potential of baobab fruit pulp powder and other pectin-based products and their potential health-promoting effects.

However, Baobab can also potentially create new and exciting textures due to its soluble fiber and, specifically, pectin content. Pectin is a naturally occurring polysaccharide starch from plant cell walls, and vegans believe it is an excellent alternative to gelatin as a thickening agent.

Like many other foods we discuss, baobab is also a powerful source and superstar of several of the most potent polyphenolic compounds being researched in food science.

Polyphenols are a term used to describe a general category of compounds found in a broad spectrum of fruits, vegetables, and tea that work as “reducing agents” along with other compounds known as antioxidants to support a healthy inflammation response and the body’s ability to protect and repair damaged tissue caused by oxidative stress. While over 8,000 polyphenols have been identified, some of the most common are flavonoids, flavonols, and anthocyanins. The importance of discussing these various compounds allows you to more clearly understand the wide range and complexity of nourishment you are getting from these powerful foods. They represent the pigments that exhibit the bright red, purple, and blue colors found in fruits and vegetables. The six most common are Cyanidins, Delphinidins, Malvidins, Peonidins, Petunidins, and Pelargonidins.

The following was stated in an article in Applied Sciences discussing the bioactive Compounds and Scavenging Capacity of Baobab Fruit Pulp Extracts against ROS and RNS of Physiological Relevance.

• The pulp of baobab fruit is acknowledged to be a valued source of phenolic compounds like rutin, quercetin, catechin, gallic acid, and proanthocyanins.
• Baobab pulp contains more polyphenols and vitamin C than similar commonly eaten fruits (kiwis, strawberries, oranges, and apples).

The following was stated in a study discussing the effects of baobab fruit on postprandial glycemia in healthy adults. “The BAE revealed high total contents of phenols, proanthocyanins, and hydrolyzable tannins, as well as a solid capacity to scavenge superoxide anions and nitric oxide radicals and a high antioxidant activity. In conclusion, this study encourages using this food component as a promising source of natural antioxidants and a hypoglycemic agent under acute glucose load conditions.

Summary of Important Information

Z Natural Foods hand-picks specific ingredients for our customers based on three concepts to provide the best quality product possible to support optimal well-being.

1. Versatility
2. History of safe and effective usage
3. Strong evidence of positive research outcomes in humans

Resistant Starches

1. Baobab fruit (along with green bananas and unripe papayas) are part of a unique group of foods known as resistant starches.
2. Resistant starches are a type of dietary starch that does not break down into sugar and resists digestion in the small intestines.
3. They pass through most of the digestive system unchanged, ending up in the colon, fermenting, and feeding the microbiota.
4. This unique property of resistant starches specifically benefits gut health, creating a cascade of incredible effects on overall well-being.
5. It is generally accepted that reheating resistant starches under 140 degrees F is believed not to destroy their prebiotic qualities.
6. However, foods in their unripened stages also contain these resistant starches.

Prebiotics

1. This area of study is consistently evolving as the list of foods containing these various fibers grows. Furthermore, what was once believed to be a component of insoluble fiber is now also seen in soluble fibers.
2. The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics defines a prebiotic as “A substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit.” In simple terms, they are selected fermented carbohydrates that bring specific changes in composition and activity to the GI micro-flora, resulting in health benefits for the host.
3. Baobab contains around 50% fiber, of which 75% is soluble and considered a prebiotic food.
4. To be considered prebiotic, dietary carbohydrates must 1) Resist gastric acidity, gastrointestinal enzymes, and absorption. 2) Get fermented by intestinal probiotic microflora. 3) Selectively stimulate the growth and activity of probiotics.
5. The human gut microbiome contains more than ten trillion microorganisms with more than 1000 species of known bacteria.
6. Prebiotics are identified based on the composition of their fiber content. Some types of bacteria that feed on inulin fiber turn into butyrate (the primary fuel source for the gut lining).
7. In contrast, other probiotic microbes like bifidobacteria feeding on inulin-rich foods are known to perform many valuable jobs for your gut.1) Maintaining a healthy gut pH by producing lactate and acetate. 2) Feeding other bacteria. 3) Deterring pathogens 4) Supporting a healthy immune response 5) Making the B vitamins and vitamin K

Miscellaneous Facts about our Organic Baobab Fruit Powder

Suggested Use: Mix one tablespoon with juice and yogurt or add to your favorite smoothie.

Mixing suggestion: To increase flavor and nutritional profile, combine with our green papaya powder.

Botanical Name: Adansonia digitata L.

Other Names: Bottle tree, magic tree, cream of tartar tree, king of fruits, Senegal calabash, chemist tree, Ethiopian sour gourd, Symbol of the earth, the top-down tree, baobab, sour gourd, upside-down tree, monkey bread tree, cream of tartar tree, the vitamin tree

Parts Used: Whole Baobab, no seed or rind.

Ingredients: Organic Baobab Fruit.

Origin: Wildcrafted and dried in South Africa. It was packaged with care in Florida, USA.

Certifications: Certified USDA Organic.