Carob
Other Names: Algarrobo, Caroube, Carouge, Ceratonia siliqua, Fève de Pythagore, Figuier d’Égypte, Garrofero, Locust Bean, Locust Bean Gum, Locust Pods, Pain de Saint Jean-Baptiste, St. John's Bread, Sugar Pods.
Carob is a tree. Don’t confuse carob with Jacaranda caroba which is also known as carob tree. People use the carob fruit for medicine and in foods.
Special Precautions of Carob
Although carob is generally considered safe when consumed in the amounts normally found in food, little is known about the safety of long-term consumption of carob-enriched products.
Benefits and uses of Carob are
Carob contains chemicals called tannins, which decrease the effectiveness of certain substances (enzymes) that help with digestion. Carob might cause weight loss, reduce blood sugar and insulin levels, and lower cholesterol levels.
- Medicinally, carob is used for digestion problems including diarrhea, heartburn, and the intestine’s inability to properly absorb certain nutrients from food. These absorption disorders include celiac disease and sprue.
- Other uses of carob include treatment of obesity, vomiting during pregnancy, and high cholesterol.
- source of EGCG
- In infants, carob is used for vomiting, retching cough, and diarrhea.
- In foods and beverages, carob is used as a flavoring agent and as a chocolate substitute. Carob flour and extracts are also used as ingredients in food products.
