Il baobab is a tree native to the African lands and known by the scientific name of Adansonia digitata. This tree has been used as a healing remedy since the dawn of time and for the African people this tree is revered for its particular longevity capabilities, so much so that it lives over 5000 years and is called "the tree of life".
It is also respected as green giant since it grows up to 25 meters in height and its trunk can develop up to a diameter of 20 meters.
In Africa the baobab it is used for its healing properties but also as a supplement to the diet. The flowers and leaves of the baobab are used for their therapeutic properties, the seeds as a food supplement and for the production of oil and finally the bark to obtain fibers for the construction of ropes and clothes.
1. Baobab and mineral integration
The baobab fruit contains numerous mineral salts and in particular football, iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, copper, manganese e molybdenum. This high presence and wide range of minerals allows the baobab to become an excellent supplement of mineral salts essential for sportsmen and for those who do a job in which excellent physical performance is required.
It becomes excellent integration in the diet of the baobab for children e for the elderly precisely because of its high content of mineral salts and other nutrients essential to the body's well-being. Finally, the mineral salts as well as being essential for many biological functions are excellent for recovery after seasonal diseases such as flu with fever.
This because every time we sweat a lot we lose mineral salts and the body needs to replenish them, with the baobab this integration is completed effectively.
2. Baobab and vitamin supplementation
Vitamins are also very rich within the baobab fruit and in particular we can find the Vitamin A, many B vitamins (B1, B2, B3 and B6) and finally the Vitamin C.
The presence of ascorbic acid it is very strong in fact in the pulp of the baobab fruit there are more than 300 mg of vitamin C for every 100 grams of pulp. This means that the baobab fruit contains 6 times more vitamin C than common oranges.
Among various properties of vitamin C remember that it serves for the production of collagen and elastin which are essential substances for the elasticity of the skin tissue. Practically Vitamin C is a natural anti-wrinkle. Furthermore, vitamin C becomes essential for supporting the activity of our immune system and even helps to lose weight.
Indeed it helps improve the body's ability to burn fat and, moreover, vitamin C is used for the production of carnitine which is a compound capable of helping the transformation of fat into energy for the body and therefore of using it as fuel instead of accumulating it in the body by gaining weight.
Therefore, there are also many antioxidants in the baobab fruit which neutralize the effect of free radicals. These substances therefore help to keep the body young for longer thanks to the anti-aging effect and the prevention of degenerative diseases.
Read also Baobab for the immune system >>
3. Baobab and supplementation of essential fatty acids
Il baobab contains within the pulp of its fruit a good percentage of fatty acids such as the well known omega 3, 6 e 9. It also contains gallic acid, anthocyanins, flavonoids, phenols and tartaric acid.
- essential fatty acids they are lipid substances that are used by our body to make up cell structures such as the cell membrane.
Our skin also needs these fatty acids to stay flexible, soft e well hydrated. The inflammations of our body are reduced and soothed by the presence of fatty acids in the diet and therefore the baobab pulp is considered a natural anti-inflammatory.
Also in the baobab there are other substances such as organic acids such as ursolic acid, tartaric acid e other compounds such as tripertenoids which have specific functions as hepatoprotectors. In fact, the liver needs these substances when it has to eliminate harmful substances derived from bad habits such as smoking, the use of alcoholic beverages and the abuse of chemicals such as synthetic drugs.
Il liver therefore finds in the baobab fruit an excellent ally to preserve and increase its functional capabilities.
4. Baobab and protein supplementation
The baobab fruit is also very important for the integration of the protein part which is usually less present in fruit. Instead in this fruit we have many proteins or rather we have the primary elements to make up proteins that is, amino acids. In fact, baobab fruit contains the following amino acids glutamic acid, arginine, cystine, glycine, phenylalanine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, proline, methionine, tyrosine, tryptophan, valine and threonine.
A long list of amino acids it already indicates that the integration of baobab pulp in the diet helps to have all the elements in our body to make up our endogenous proteins. Especially when we have states of asthenia or malnutrition or when we need to have a good protein balance, this fruit becomes essential.
Great for vegetarian diets and in particular for those vegans who can thus replace animal-derived products with the pulp of a 100% vegetable fruit.
5. Baobab and fiber integration
The baobab fruit finally it is rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber. This allows to improve intestinal functions and in particular prevents the problems of constipation. The non-soluble fiber on the other hand is not digested in our intestine and passes like a broom inside our gastrointestinal tract, cleaning up the entire mucous membrane. Furthermore this fiber promotes intestinal transit thanks to its ability to stimulate intestinal peristalsis.
The soluble fiber present in the baobab fruit, on the other hand, has a probiotic effect which means it helps our intestinal flora to function at its best. In practice it is capable of nourishing the good bacteria in our intestine and making it grow for the benefit of those that are harmful or not favorable to our body.
The baobab can therefore be used in diets where few calories are needed like slimming ones also because it gives a quick sense of satiety and at the same time helps intestinal emptying. The composition of the baobab is also indicated to improve the glycemic response thanks precisely to the presence of fibers that manage to keep insulin under control.
To conclude we can say that the baobab fruit is very rich in nutrients and active ingredients that also carry many healing properties associated with them. In fact, remember that in addition to integrating many of these nutrients, the baobab increases the immune system, reduces inflammatory states, helps intestinal transit and preserves the well-being of our skin.
So for all of these nutritional and healing properties the integration of the fruit of the “tree of life” into the diet becomes excellent advice for all of us.
Read also Baobab: the intestinal supplement >>
