Traditionally used in foods in Africa, Baobab fruit pulp has been gaining popularity recently, appearing as a food ingredient and as a supplement. Its tangy taste, high fiber content and antioxidant properties have made it an attractive new superfruit, according to ConsumerLab.com, White Plains, NY, which has issued a review article on the fruit. However, specific health benefits have not been established. Although generally safe, consuming moderate to large amounts has a potential laxative effect.

Baobab (Adansonia digitata) is a tree native to West Africa that produces a large, gourd-shaped fruit, which contains a soft powdery pulp and kidney shaped seeds.

Baobab fruit pulp has many traditional uses: it is eaten as a sweet, used to make ice cream, consumed as a refreshing drink, or used as an alternative to cream of tartar in baking recipes. Traditional uses of the whole fruit outside of Africa are rare, as it is typically dried and processed for export into a fine powder to be used as a food or dietary ingredient.

Dried baobab fruit pulp was approved for use as a food additive in Europe in 2008. In 2009, FDA determined that dried baobab fruit pulp was Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) for use as an ingredient in blended fruit drinks at a level of up to 10% and up to 15% in fruit cereal bars. Oil from baobab seed is used in various cosmetic products.

Baobab fruit pulp is rich in fiber and sugar, vitamin C, calcium, potassium and magnesium. It has a tangy taste that is both tart and sweet.

Based on information submitted to FDA, 10 grams of baobab fruit pulp powder (the maximum amount permitted in a 100 gram smoothie and about two-thirds of the maximum amount permitted in a cereal bar, for example) contains the following approximate amounts of nutrients: 5 grams of fiber, 200 mg of potassium, 30 mg of calcium, 7.5 mg of vitamin C.

Baobab fruit pulp demonstrates significant antioxidant activity in the laboratory and is being touted as a new, exotic “superfruit.” Marketers claim its ORAC value is double that of pomegranate and cranberries and significantly greater than fruits such as blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. As with many other fruits that have been marketed as “superfruits,” there is no data on its antioxidant activity in the body, ConsumerLab.com noted. There is also little clinical scientific information available for baobab fruit pulp in the treatment or prevention of diseases.