Baobab Frequently Asked Questions

Baobab is the fruit of the iconic African baobab tree (you may recognise it from The Lion King), also known as The Tree of Life. It is pronounced ba-u-bab or bay-o-bab depending where abouts in Africa you are.

Baobab trees grow in 32 African countries as well as some parts of Australia and Asia. Baobab is the only fruit in the world that dries while it is still hanging on the branch. It bakes for months in the African sunshine so when its hard shell is opened, the fruit pulp within is completely dry. Baobab fruit is prized for its high vitamin C and fibre content and its exceptional levels of antioxidants. It has been used by women in Africa as a source of health and wellbeing since ancient times. Read the full health benefits of Baobab Powder here.

Baobab fruits are collected by hand by women producers in rural Africa. They are harvested either while they are still hanging on the tree or once they have fallen to the ground. The hard coconut-like shells are then cracked open and the fruit pulp within is separated from the seeds and shell. As the fruit pulp naturally dries while it is still hanging on the branch, there is no heat necessary to make baobab powder. The dry pieces of fruit pulp are simply ground down into a powder and then sieved. Remarkably, the fruit has a natural shelf life of 3 years - so there are no preservatives added to Aduna Baobab Powder.

Unlike many other superfoods and supplements, baobab is completely delicious! It has a sweet, citrussy flavour - and is often described as a healthy sherbet. Aduna Baobab Powder is the first superfood to win a prestigious UK Great Taste Award (2015). Check out our article on 5 easy ways to use baobab for some of our favourite ways to feel the #baobablove!.

A single serving of Aduna Baobab Powder (2-4 teaspoons or 10g) contains 33% of your daily requirement of vitamin C, supporting a wide range of health benefits ranging from energy release to immunity and healthy, glowing skin. It is almost 50% fibre (two thirds soluble and one third insoluble) supporting a slow release of the natural sugars into your bloodstream and helping keep you fuller for longer. Soluble fibre is also a prebiotic, helping improve digestive health. Baobab also has the highest antioxidant content of any fruit, according to The Journal of Nutrition, supporting younger looking skin. Read our article on baobab benefits to learn more.

Thanks to its delicious, sweet and citrussy flavour, it is easy to incorporate baobab powder into your daily routine. Mix 2-4 teaspoons into your favourite smoothie or juice, stir into yoghurt or porridge or sprinkle onto granola or fresh fruit. One of the simplest ways to take baobab is with water for a refreshing and hydrating drink. As it's so fibre rich, make a paste with a little liquid before topping up your glass or shake into your water bottle and any lumps will magically disappear! If you are feeling under the weather, mix baobab with hot water and a slice of lemon and ginger or try our Vitality Super-Tea - made with lemon, ginger and baobab.  

To enjoy the benefits of baobab on-the-go, try our Aduna Banana Boost Energy Bar. Made from cold-pressed fruit and nuts, each bar is free from gluten, dairy and wheat containing ingredients and has no added sugar. That's snack time sorted!

However you take baobab, we recommend enjoying it as part of a varied, balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. Check out our baobab recipe page for more inspiration (both sweet and savoury).

We recommend taking two to four teaspoons (10g) of Aduna Baobab Powder per day to enjoy maximum health benefits. Just like any fruit, however, its really up to you how much you take. There’s no danger of having too much baobab as any excess vitamin C will simply pass through the body. It’s easy to add to your daily routine, check out some of our favourite ways to use baobab.

There are no known side effects or allergenic effects caused by direct consumption of baobab powder. You can’t have too much baobab as once the body has got its fill of vitamin C, any excess you consumer simply passes through the system. However, as with any dietary changes, it is worth contacting your doctor or dietician for individual recommendations if you are concerned.

Aduna Baobab Powder is 100% fruit, and like all fruits, it naturally contains sugar (31.1g fruit sugar per 100g). A serving of baobab is only 10g so you are only ingesting a small amount of sugar at a time. It’s also important to remember that our body responds to natural sugars differently to refined sugars. The high fibre content of baobab (nearly 50%) means that it promotes the slow release of sugars into the bloodstream, ensuring steady levels of energy throughout the day. This makes baobab suitable for people suffering from blood glucose control issues such as type 2 diabetes.

As baobab is a pure fruit powder, it does not contain cholesterol and is less than 1% fat. High-fibre foods and specifically those with soluble fibre (like baobab) are very effective in lowering levels of “bad cholesterol” i.e. LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein). Cholesterol is usually reabsorbed in the gut but soluble fibre prevents the reabsorption of cholesterol; therefore more cholesterol must be drawn from the blood and subsequently the level of bad cholesterol in the blood decreases. Baobab is nearly 50% fibre, two thirds of which is soluble, so it is likely to have a positive impact on cholesterol levels.

Baobab is a rich source of vitamin C. As it is 100% natural, our bodies can absorb the nutrients more easily than with manufactured supplements, which need to be broken down by the body before the nutrients can be utilised. Aduna Baobab is pure fruit powder so it is easily recognised by the body and its nutrients are readily absorbed. It also tastes delicious so it is easy to incorporate into your daily diet. As a single serving of baobab powder contains 33% of your daily recommended amount of vitamin C, it is a good replacement for vitamin C tablets. It also works well with most iron supplements (we recommend Moringa powder as a natural alternative) as its high vitamin C content supports the absorption of iron.

Aduna baobab is safe for pregnant women and for women who have just given birth. In fact, it is recommended that pregnant women increase their vitamin C intake by 10mg a day and by 30mg a day during lactation (read more about baobab and pregnancy here). As Aduna Baobab Powder is a naturally rich source of vitamin C it is easier for the body to absorb than manufactured vitamin C tablets. Furthermore, it is pure fruit powder, so is completely safe for pregnant women and children. The fact that it tastes good (a proud winner of a Great Taste Award!) means that it is easy to incorporate into a child’s diet, e.g. in smoothies or porridge. Check out our baobab recipes for inspiration.

Yes! Aduna Baobab Powder contains almost 50% fibre, two thirds of which is soluble. Soluble fibre is a prebiotic. It ferments in the gut and stimulates the growth and activity of beneficial probiotic bacteria in the colon, helping to improve digestive health.

Mixing baobab with water is an easy way to keep your vitamin C levels topped up and to stay nice and energised throughout the day. Because baobab powder is high in fibre and has not been processed, it does not dissolve instantly when mixed with water. The best way to take baobab and water is simply to shake it into your water bottle - the act of shaking makes any fibrous lumps magically disappear! If you don’t have a bottle handy, mix the powder with a little water into a paste before topping up your glass. Check out our list of 5 easy ways to use baobab or our recipes page for lots more ideas.

It is perfectly safe to take baobab with other superfoods. Most of us at Aduna take all three of our superfood powders every day - as do hundreds of our customers!

Baobab is traditionally used for baking in Africa and is known as a good raising and gelling agent. However, vitamin C is susceptible to heat and so it is likely that exposing baobab to heat, particularly over 70°C will reduce its vitamin C content. We recommend adding it to hot dishes after cooking where possible - stirring it into sauces or sprinkling onto porridge before serving.

Baobab has the highest antioxidant content of any whole fruit in the world, according to The Journal of Nutrition. It has an ORAC value of 24,000 umol/100g, providing 20x more antioxidants than green tea and more than blueberries and pomegranates combined.

Aduna is one of the pioneers of the global baobab industry. We have our own baobab fruit supply-chain in Northern Ghana, which we hold to rigorous control standards, ensuring our baobab is the highest quality powder in the market for purity, taste and nutritional content. All of our fruit is organically-certified and independently laboratory tested at multiple stages of processing.

As baobab is a fruit, the flavour varies depending on where it is grown so not all baobab powders on the market taste the same. Aduna Baobab Powder is made from sweet and citrussy West African baobab fruits and is the only baobab powder to have won a Great Taste Award (2015).

Any producer providing baobab into the EU must have what is known as Novel Foods authorisation from the European Commission. This is to safeguard consumers to ensure that the product is safe and correctly labeled. All Aduna baobab products have Novel Foods authorisation. Our powder is also packed in BRC6 approved facilities. This is the global standard for food safety and is the international benchmark for product safety and quality certification.

We are also a social business so rather than buying through a third party, we work directly with small-scale producers to harvest and process their fruits. We are currently working with 700 women in Upper East Ghana who are benefiting from life-changing, sustainable income streams, enabling them to provide basic needs for their families. Every time your purchase an Aduna product you are directly supporting the creation of sustainable livelihoods for rural households.

Unlike most superfood powders, baobab does not need to be spray-dried, freeze-dried or transformed in any way. It is 100% pure fruit in its natural form and there are no additives or preservatives added. We simply harvest the fruits, remove the seeds and sieve, to create a natural fruit powder. This means it is safe for most people, including young children and pregnant women.

Aduna Baobab also has a delicious sweet and citrussy flavour. It is the first superfood to win a Great Taste Award and is easy to add into your diet. Check our some our favourite ways to use baobab powder.