Baobab pod, seeds and seed oil. The dry pulp inside the pod is the part studied most in people.

Herbs & Botanicals · Herbs · African tree, vitamin C-rich fruit pulp, evidence mostly small or from animals

Baobab

Adansonia digitata L. · also called African baobab, monkey bread, pain de singe (French), baobab fruit pulp (the EU food label name)

Baobab is the large African tree whose dry, tart fruit pulp is eaten as a vitamin C-rich food and drink, whose leaves are eaten as a vegetable and whose seed oil is used on skin. Most human research is on the fruit pulp, and it is small: a few short trials in healthy adults on blood sugar after a meal, and one 12-week trial in anaemic children that found no significant effect on iron. Evidence for blood pressure, cholesterol, gut health, the leaf and the oil is from animals, lab work or observation. Take care with crude seed oil, and tell your prescriber if you use diabetes medicines.

General information, not medical advice. Last substantive update October 25, 2026 · Not medically reviewed. A named clinician has not signed off on this page. How this page is made

About Baobab

Baobab (Adansonia digitata) is a large African tree. Its dry fruit pulp is a tart, vitamin C-rich food, its leaves are eaten as a vegetable and its seed oil is used on skin; these parts are not interchangeable. Human research is small. In healthy adults, a fruit extract lowered the blood sugar rise after a meal in two small trials but not in a third, and one 12-week trial in anaemic children found no significant iron effect. Blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, gut health and the leaf rest on animal, lab or observational data. The fruit pulp has EU and US food-ingredient clearance; leaf and seed oil do not. Safety points: crude seed oil contains cyclopropene fatty acids that harmed rats; diabetes medicines may add to baobab's sugar-lowering effect in theory; oxalate content is unknown so people with kidney stones should ask a doctor; no pregnancy data exist; one anaphylaxis case is reported; and some products had moulds or were cut with cereal flour. Ask a doctor or pharmacist about amounts.

What it is

Baobab (Adansonia digitata) is the large African baobab tree, in the mallow family. Three parts are used in different ways: the dry, tart fruit pulp (eaten or stirred into drinks), the leaves (eaten as a vegetable) and the oil pressed from the seeds (used on skin).

These parts are not interchangeable. Almost all the human research is on the fruit pulp. Leaf and seed oil have little or no human research, and the seed oil has a safety issue the pulp does not.

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What makes it distinctive

Baobab pulp is unusually rich in vitamin C and fibre, and it is high in polyphenols. The richest of 20 Angolan pulp samples measured nearly 300 milligrams of vitamin C per 100 grams, though amounts vary a lot by origin.

The fibre is mostly pectin-type fibre that gut bacteria ferment in lab models. The pulp also has formal food-ingredient clearance in the EU and US.

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Historical and current uses

Baobab has been used across Africa for hydration, fever, cough and in diarrhoea and dysentery, and baobab oil has long been used on skin and scalp. In Senegal a drink made from the fruit ('pain de singe') is used at home for children's diarrhoea.

Today the pulp is sold as a powder for drinks, smoothies and cereal bars, and the oil is sold for cosmetics.

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What the research shows

The research is thin and mostly small. In healthy adults, a pulp extract lowered the blood-sugar rise after one meal in two small trials; in a third, the extract baked into bread lowered insulin but not glucose. A 12-week trial in anaemic children found no significant change in iron markers.

For blood pressure, blood fats, weight, gut health and the leaf, the evidence is animal or lab work, or one observational comparison. A trial of baobab powder in people with obesity is planned but has no results. The best rating any use reaches here is low; the vitamin C content is the best-supported fact about baobab, and that is a nutrient measurement, not a treatment effect.

The Rita 2022 and Silva 2023 papers share authors, and two gut-model studies have industry-linked authors.

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At a glance

Traditional uses history, not proof

Fruit pulp as a food and drink across Africa; drink for children's diarrhoea in Senegal
Leaves eaten as a vegetable
Traditional use for hydration, fever, cough, parasites and dysentery in many African countries
Seed oil for skin and scalp care

Studied for research

Blood sugar after a meal, low certainty (two small trials in healthy adults, one with no glucose effect)
Insulin after a meal, very low certainty (one 13-person study)
Iron status, very low certainty (one null trial in children; lab data support vitamin C action)
Cholesterol and blood fats, very low certainty (one observational study)
Blood pressure, weight, leaf and blood sugar, gut health: animal or lab data only

Main compounds

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and citric acid in the pulp
Polyphenols including proanthocyanidins and tannins in the pulp
Pectin-type fibre in the pulp
Cyclopropene fatty acids (malvalic and sterculic acid) in the seed oil

Common forms

Fruit pulp powder or extract, used in drinks (the form in nearly all trials)
Leaves eaten as a vegetable
Seed oil: crude oil contains cyclopropene fatty acids; refining by heat reduces them
Foods fortified with baobab pulp; results for one product cannot be assumed for another

Research links: FDA GRAS Notice No. 273: baobab dried fruit pulp · Irish food safety authority (FSAI): baobab fruit pulp substantial equivalence opinion · Commission Decision 2008/575/EC (EUR-Lex) · Research Library · Genes & Biomarkers Library

The plant and its history

Accepted scientific name: Adansonia digitata L. (African baobab)
Naming authority: L. (Linnaeus), as returned by the GBIF Backbone (usageKey 5406695).
Common names: Baobab (English); Monkey bread (English (fruit; not verified in a source read)); Pain de singe (French (as used in Tal-Dia 1997))
Botanical family: Malvaceae (mallow family), which also includes cotton, hibiscus and okra; seed oils of this family characteristically contain cyclopropene fatty acids (Razafimamonjison 2017).
Classification: Plantae > Tracheophyta > Magnoliopsida > Malvales > Malvaceae > Adansonia > Adansonia digitata
Native range: Associated with savannah drylands of sub-Saharan Africa (Muthai 2017 abstract); pulp and leaf studies used samples from Kenya, Sudan, Malawi, Mali and Angola.
Habitat: Not verified beyond savannah drylands.
What the plant looks like: Roots: Root tubers have been analysed for minerals (Kamanula 2018, not read); not a main medicinal part here.; Stems: Large trunk with high water content (Chapotin 2006 title; not read for this file).; Leaves: Edible leaves, eaten as a vegetable; rich in calcium and protein (Chadare 2009).; Flowers: Not described in sources read.; Fruit: Large pod with dry, acidic, powdery pulp around seeds; pulp is the part authorised as a food ingredient (EU 2008; FDA GRN 273). Seeds and kernels contain oil (Chadare 2009).
Cultivation: Not verified from a source read.
Harvest and processing: Fruits are sun-dried; harvesting immature fruit and open-air drying were linked with contamination in Kenya (James 2022). Pulp is separated mechanically (FSAI).
Look-alikes and adulterants: Name: Other Adansonia species; Note: GBIF lists seven other accepted species (A. perrieri, A. gregorii, A. madagascariensis, A. grandidieri, A. suarezensis, A. za, A. rubrostipa). Most are Madagascan; seed fatty acid profiles differ by species group (Razafimamonjison 2017). Labels reading just 'baobab' may not name the species.; Name: Pulp powder adulterated with cereal flour; Note: Rice, maize or wheat flour is sometimes added to baobab powder (Chepngeno 2022).
Sustainability and conservation: Not verified. No IUCN assessment was retrieved.

The plant and the parts used

Baobab fruit pod, seeds and golden seed oil in a small glass dish — Baobab pod, seeds and seed oil.

Traditional use and history history, not clinical proof

Tradition or era	Documented use	Source
Africa, traditional use	Various plant parts have been used for hydration, fever, parasites, cough, sweating and in diarrhoea and dysentery in many African countries (Silva 2023, a narrative review).	p37432337
Senegal, community use	The fruit ('pain de singe') is used in a local drink for diarrhoea, tested against the WHO solution in 1997.	p9827122
Skin and scalp care, Nigeria and other African countries	Plant oils including baobab oil have been used for skin and scalp care for centuries (Ayanlowo 2022).	p33928725
Regulatory history, European Union	Baobab dried fruit pulp was authorised as a novel food ingredient (Commission Decision 2008/575/EC, as cited by the FSAI).	s-fsai-baobab-se
Regulatory history, United States	FDA replied 'no questions' to GRAS notice 273 for baobab dried fruit pulp (closed 25 July 2009).	s-fda-grn273
EMA/HMPC and NCCIH	No monograph or page found: NOT verified.	s-ema-hmpc-baobab

Traditional use shows how a plant was used. It does not show that a supplement works or is safe today.

What is inside, and how it may work

What the plant contains and how those compounds act in cells and animals. Laboratory and animal mechanisms are not proven effects in people.

Main compounds

Compound	Family	Where it is concentrated	Activity studied	Level of evidence
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) PubChem 54670067	vitamin	Fruit pulp Up to 288.9 mg/100 g in the richest Angolan pulp samples (Monteiro 2022); 40 g can cover 84 to over 100% of the reference intake of pregnant women (Chadare 2009)	Helps non-haem iron absorption; lab effect of baobab on iron similar to added ascorbic and citric acid. ^{22 8 1}	Laboratory research
Citric acid PubChem 311	organic acid	Fruit pulp Not given	Named with ascorbic acid as a mineral absorption enhancer in baobab. ¹	Laboratory research
Proanthocyanidins and hydrolysable tannins	polyphenols	Fruit pulp Reported as high in the aqueous extract; values not in the abstract	Radical scavenging in the lab. ^{28 29}	Laboratory research
Catechin PubChem 9064	flavan-3-ol	Fruit pulp Not given	Listed among baobab catechins in a review. ²⁹	Laboratory research
Pectic polysaccharides (low-methoxylated homogalacturonan)	dietary fibre	Fruit pulp High fibre: up to 56.62 g/100 g in one sample set (Monteiro 2022)	Fermented to short-chain fatty acids in lab gut models. ^{17 22}	Laboratory research
Malvalic acid PubChem 10416	cyclopropene fatty acid	Seed oil Not given; heating at 200 C breaks most down	Inhibited fat desaturation in rat liver. ^{7 23}	Animal research
Sterculic acid PubChem 12921	cyclopropene fatty acid	Seed oil Not given	Same effect as malvalic acid in rat liver. ^{7 26}	Animal research
Oleic acid PubChem 445639	fatty acid	Seed oil Major fatty acid	Main fat in the oil. ²⁶	Laboratory research
Linoleic acid PubChem 5280450	fatty acid	Seed oil Major fatty acid	Main fat in the oil. ²⁶	Laboratory research
Palmitic acid PubChem 985	fatty acid	Seed oil Major fatty acid	Main fat in the oil. ²⁶	Laboratory research
Oxalic acid (antinutrient in leaves and seeds) PubChem 971	organic acid	Leaf; seed Not reported for baobab in the abstracts read	Antinutrient class: oxalates and phytates dominated antinutrients across eight leafy vegetables including baobab leaf. ^{6 25}	Laboratory research

Mechanisms, receptors and pathways

Target or pathway	Gene or receptor	What was found	Level
Starch and sugar digestion enzymes	alpha-amylase, alpha-glucosidase	Pulp and leaf extracts inhibited both enzymes in the test tube; baobab extract baked into bread cut rapidly digestible starch in vitro. ^{10 11}	Laboratory research
Blood pressure control (renin-angiotensin)	ACE	Pulp and leaf extracts inhibited ACE in vitro; a pulp extract lowered ACE activity and blood pressure in hypertensive rats. ^{10 19}	Animal research
Cholesterol synthesis and fat digestion	HMG-CoA reductase; pancreatic lipase	Inhibited by pulp and leaf extracts in vitro; no effect on triglyceride build-up in a human fat-cell line. ¹⁰	Laboratory research
Gut fermentation	Gut microbiome	Pulp fibre fermented to acetate, propionate and butyrate in a lab model with stool from 3 donors. ^{17 14}	Laboratory research
Mineral uptake	Dietary iron and zinc (bioaccessibility)	Baobab raised bioaccessible iron and zinc in a lab porridge model, like added vitamin C and citric acid. ¹	Laboratory research
Fatty acid desaturation	delta-6 and delta-5 desaturases	Cyclopropene fatty acids in fresh seed oil depressed both desaturations in rat liver and lowered arachidonic acid in membrane fats. ⁷	Animal research

Absorption, metabolism and elimination

Absorption: No human blood-level data for baobab compounds were found. In lab models, baobab raised the amount of iron and zinc available for absorption, and 25% baobab lowered carotenoid bioaccessibility without changing uptake into Caco-2 gut cells.
Distribution: No data found.
Metabolism: Pectic fibre is fermented by gut bacteria in lab models. Cyclopropene fatty acids changed liver enzymes in rats.
Elimination: No data found.
Bioavailability: Not established in humans for any baobab compound.

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Isolated compounds versus whole extracts

Baobab's effect on iron in a lab model was about the same as adding pure ascorbic and citric acid, suggesting the pulp acts mainly through its acids rather than a unique compound. For blood sugar, the trials used whole-fruit extracts, so no single compound is established as the cause. Pulp, leaf and seed oil are different materials with different compounds and risks and should not be treated as interchangeable.

Nutritional composition

Composition varies widely by origin and sample. Reported figures: pulp vitamin C up to 288.9 mg/100 g and fibre up to 56.62 g/100 g in the richest Angolan samples (Monteiro 2022); 40 g of pulp covers 84 to over 100% of the vitamin C reference intake of pregnant women aged 19 to 30 (Chadare 2009); pulp iron ranged from 13.1 ug/g (Mali) to 57.4 ug/g (Kenya) (Muthai 2017); leaf calcium 307 to 2640 mg/100 g dry weight; seed lipid 11.6 to 33.3 g/100 g dry weight. Oxalate in baobab was not found in the sources read. About 80% of the pulp's nutritional value is carbohydrate (FSAI).

13benefits and uses looked at

39studies and sources checked

Moderate certaintybest evidence rating found

9lab markers tracked in trials

1 moderate certainty1 low certainty4 very low certainty7 not enough evidence

What is Baobab good for?

The main proposed uses and how strong the human evidence is for each. "Low" is the best rating any baobab use reached here. "Very low" and "insufficient" mean one small or observational study, or only animal and lab work, and none of these is a proven treatment for you. Almost all the human research is on the fruit pulp; leaf and seed oil are separate and far less studied. Ratings are this profile's own reading of the studies, not formal grades. Ask a doctor or pharmacist about amounts.

Blood sugar after a mealLow certaintyIn two small trials in healthy adults, a baobab fruit-pulp extract drink lowered the blood sugar rise after a glucose drink or white bread. A third small trial, with the extract baked into bread, did not lower glucose. All were single meals in people without diabetes, so this is not a diabetes treatment and nothing is known for people on diabetes medicines. Insulin after a mealVery low certaintyOne very small crossover study (13 healthy people) found less insulin was needed after bread with baobab fruit extract, even though blood sugar was the same. The authors call it preliminary and it has not been repeated. Cholesterol and blood fatsVery low certaintyOne observational study found lower total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides in 70 regular baobab juice users than in 70 non-users. Because the groups were not randomised, this cannot show baobab caused the difference. No controlled trial in people was found. Blood pressureNot enough evidenceNo human trial was found. A baobab fruit-pulp extract lowered blood pressure in rats, and extracts blocked ACE (the enzyme targeted by ACE-inhibitor drugs) in the test tube. These are early signals only. Weight and metabolic syndromeNot enough evidenceIn rats fed a high-sugar high-fat diet, baobab fruit improved blood fats and blood sugar and lowered body weight by 4 to 11%. No human weight or metabolic syndrome trial was found. Leaf and blood sugarNot enough evidenceA methanol baobab leaf extract lowered blood sugar by about 47% in diabetic rats. Nothing is known in people, and leaf is a different plant part from the fruit. Iron and anaemiaVery low certaintyBaobab pulp is rich in vitamin C, which helps iron absorption. In a 12-week trial in 58 anaemic Kenyan schoolchildren, a pulp drink did not significantly change haemoglobin or iron stores. In lab models, baobab raised the iron and zinc available from porridge, like added vitamin C and citric acid. A Sudan trial used a three-ingredient blend, so baobab's own effect cannot be separated. Vitamin C and minerals as a foodModerate certaintyMeasured nutrient data show baobab pulp is a very rich vitamin C food and also provides fibre and minerals; leaves are rich in calcium and protein. Amounts vary widely by origin, and eating a nutrient is not proof of a health benefit. Gut health and prebiotic fibreNot enough evidenceThe pulp is high in fermentable fibre. In lab gut models using stool samples it raised short-chain fatty acids made by gut bacteria. No human trial of baobab on gut health has reported results yet, and two of the lab studies have industry-linked authors. Diarrhoea in childrenVery low certaintyIn Senegal, a rehydration drink made with baobab fruit was compared with the WHO solution in 161 children. The WHO solution did a little better, though not by a statistically significant amount. Baobab does not replace proper rehydration treatment. Leaf as a foodNot enough evidenceBaobab leaves are eaten as a vegetable and are rich in calcium and protein. No trial has fed leaf to people and measured health outcomes, and oxalate in baobab leaf has not been measured in the sources read. Seed oil on skin and hairNot enough evidenceBaobab oil is used on skin and hair, but no baobab-specific skin trial was found. It appears only as one of seven oils in a general review. Crude seed oil also contains cyclopropene fatty acids that harmed rats, so it should not be swallowed. Antioxidant activityNot enough evidenceBaobab pulp extract scored high in lab antioxidant tests. Lab scores do not show a health benefit in people.

Benefits, one by one

Each card is a research question, not a promise. Tap a goal to filter. Open a card to see the studies, doses and limits.

Blood sugar after a meal (baobab fruit pulp extract)

Low certainty

In two small trials in healthy adults, a drink made from baobab fruit pulp extract lowered the blood sugar rise after a glucose drink or white bread. This is a short-term effect in people without diabetes. It has not been tested over weeks or in people who take diabetes medicines, so it is not a treatment for diabetes.

6 studiesAqueous extract of fruit pulp drunk with a glucose load (Rita) or wit…

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Rita 2022 (NCT05140629): 31 healthy adults had a standard glucose drink (control, n=16) or the glucose drink followed by 250 mL of baobab fruit aqueous extract (n=15). The blood-sugar area under the curve was lower in the baobab group (p=0.012) and so was the peak glucose (p=0.029). Coe 2013: baobab fruit extract drunk in 250 mL water at 18.5 g or 37 g along with white bread reduced the blood-sugar response at both doses (P<.05); fullness and energy use did not change (the number of volunteers is not in the abstract). Coe 2016: 13 healthy volunteers ate white bread with 1.88% baobab fruit extract: the blood-sugar response was NOT lower in that study (see the insulin benefit). The 2023 narrative review (Silva) covers these and animal studies but is not a graded systematic review. The 2025 Riedel trial protocol (50 adults with obesity, 45 days) confirms little long-term human data exist.

Results

Two small positive trials in healthy adults, one null result for glucose in bread, no trials in people with diabetes.

Effect sizes as reported

Rita 2022: glucose AUC p=0.012, peak p=0.029 (differences not in abstract); Coe 2013: lower response at both doses (P<.05); Coe 2016: glucose response not lower

Why this rating

Two small, short trials in healthy people point the same way, but a third small trial found no glucose effect, the extracts and amounts differ between trials and no trial lasted more than one meal. Rated low, with the caveat that it is small trials only.

Form and dose studied

Aqueous extract of fruit pulp drunk with a glucose load (Rita) or with bread (Coe 2013); extract baked into bread (Coe 2016). Products and amounts differ and are not interchangeable.

Who was studied

Healthy adults

Limits

Healthy people only, single sessions, tiny trials, no long-term or diabetes data; Coe 2013 volunteer numbers not in the abstract; the two Coe trials come from the same group.

Why researchers looked

Baobab fruit pulp is rich in polyphenols and fibre, and test-tube work shows these slow the digestion of starch, so researchers tested whether it blunts the sugar peak after eating.

Traditional use

The fruit pulp is eaten and drunk in many African countries; the studies here test modern aqueous or pulp extracts, not home recipes.

Proposed mechanism Laboratory research

In the lab, baobab extract reduced the quickly digestible starch in bread (Coe 2013) and pulp and leaf extracts blocked the sugar-digesting enzymes alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase (Cicolari 2020). These are test-tube findings and have not been shown to explain the human results.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

People taking insulin or other blood-sugar medicines should ask their doctor or pharmacist before using baobab regularly, because an added sugar-lowering effect is possible in theory (no study tested it).

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Insulin response after a meal (baobab fruit extract in bread)

Very low certainty

In one very small crossover study, white bread with a baobab fruit extract needed less insulin for the same blood sugar. The authors call this preliminary. It has not been repeated.

1 studiesBaobab fruit extract added to white bread at 1.88% (fruit pulp).

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Coe 2016: 13 healthy volunteers (9 women, 4 men) ate three test meals on separate days: plain white bread, white bread with 0.4% green tea extract, and white bread with 1.88% baobab fruit extract. Neither enriched bread lowered the blood-sugar response or hunger, but the baobab bread lowered the insulin area under the curve for the whole 0 to 180 minutes and for several segments (P<.05). The authors say this is preliminary research.

Results

One small crossover study found lower insulin but not lower glucose.

Effect sizes as reported

Insulin AUC lower with baobab bread (P<.05; values not in abstract)

Why this rating

One 13-person study in healthy people, no repeat, single meals, no clinical outcome.

Form and dose studied

Baobab fruit extract added to white bread at 1.88% (fruit pulp).

Who was studied

Healthy adults

Limits

Very small; healthy people; one result; insulin is a lab measure, not a clinical outcome.

Why researchers looked

If the same blood sugar can be kept with less insulin, that may be easier on the body. Researchers measured insulin as well as glucose.

Traditional use

No traditional use relates to insulin.

Proposed mechanism Preliminary mechanism

Not established. The authors suggest the polyphenols slow starch digestion.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

No safety signal reported in the abstract.

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Cholesterol and blood fats (baobab juice, observational)

Very low certainty

One observational study found lower total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides in 70 regular users of baobab juice than in 70 non-users. Because the groups were not randomised, this cannot show that baobab caused the difference. No controlled trial of blood fats in people was found.

3 studiesHabitual A. digitata juice (plant part not stated); essential oil onl…

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Ahmed 2022 (Malawi Med J): 70 A. digitata juice users and 70 non-users were compared. Users had significantly lower total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL (p<0.01). Fasting glucose, HbA1c, HDL, kidney function and liver enzymes did not differ. The abstract does not say which plant part, how much or how long. Animal and lab studies (Suliman 2020; Cicolari 2020) point the same way but cannot be applied to people.

Results

One observational study in humans; the rest is lab and rat data.

Effect sizes as reported

Total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL lower in users (p<0.01, values not in abstract)

Why this rating

Observational design (users may eat and live differently); the juice, amount and duration are not stated; no randomised trial found.

Form and dose studied

Habitual A. digitata juice (plant part not stated); essential oil only in the lab.

Who was studied

70 users and 70 non-users (setting not stated in the abstract)

Limits

Cannot show cause; no dose or product details; other diet differences possible.

Why researchers looked

Baobab contains fibre and polyphenols, so researchers compared blood fats in people who use baobab juice with people who do not.

Traditional use

Not specifically traditional for cholesterol in the sources read.

Proposed mechanism Laboratory research

In test tubes, baobab pulp and leaf extracts inhibited HMG-CoA reductase (the enzyme statin drugs target) and pancreatic lipase (Cicolari 2020); the essential oil reduced LDL oxidation (Ahmed 2022, lab). In rats on a high-sugar high-fat diet, aqueous fruit lowered lipids (Suliman 2020). None of this shows an effect in people.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

Liver and kidney tests were the same in users and non-users in this one study, which does not prove long-term safety.

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Blood pressure (animal and lab data only)

Not enough evidence

No human trial of baobab on blood pressure was found. In rats made hypertensive by a drug, a methanol extract of baobab fruit pulp lowered blood pressure, and in test tubes baobab extracts blocked ACE, the enzyme targeted by ACE-inhibitor drugs. These are early signals only.

3 studiesMethanol extract of fruit pulp in rats; hydromethanolic extracts of p…

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Liman 2021: 48 rats with L-NAME-induced hypertension were treated with a methanol extract of baobab fruit pulp (200 or 400 mg/kg) or ramipril (10 mg/kg). The extract lowered systolic, diastolic and mean pressure and heart rate dose-dependently and, at 400 mg/kg, lowered ACE activity, lipids, CRP, IL-1 beta, oxidative stress and heart-injury markers. Cicolari 2020 found pulp and leaf extracts inhibit ACE in the test tube. The Riedel 2025 protocol will measure blood pressure as a secondary outcome in people; no results exist yet.

Results

No human data; animal and lab results only.

Effect sizes as reported

Rats: dose-dependent fall in blood pressure (numbers not in abstract)

Why this rating

No human trial. Rat doses and a methanol extract are not comparable to eating baobab.

Form and dose studied

Methanol extract of fruit pulp in rats; hydromethanolic extracts of pulp and leaf in the test tube.

Who was studied

Rats; enzymes in the lab

Limits

No people studied.

Why researchers looked

Baobab pulp contains potassium and polyphenols, and lab tests suggested ACE inhibition, so a blood-pressure effect was tested in rats.

Traditional use

Not found in the sources read.

Proposed mechanism Animal research

Methanol fruit-pulp extract lowered ACE activity, blood pressure and heart rate in L-NAME hypertensive rats; pulp and leaf extracts inhibited ACE in vitro.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

People taking blood-pressure medicines should tell their prescriber if they add concentrated baobab products; an added effect is theoretical.

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Weight and metabolic syndrome (fruit pulp, rats only)

Not enough evidence

In rats fed a high-sugar high-fat diet, aqueous baobab fruit improved blood fats and blood sugar and lowered body weight by 4 to 11%. No human weight-loss or metabolic-syndrome trial was found.

2 studiesAqueous fruit pulp in rats.

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Suliman 2020: 42 male Wistar rats; after 6 weeks of high-sugar high-fat diet, treatment with 200, 400 or 800 mg/kg/day aqueous baobab fruit (or simvastatin 10 mg/kg) for 3 weeks. 200 mg/kg lowered dyslipidaemia and high glucose significantly and the fruit normalised raised liver enzymes, creatinine and urea; weight fell by 4 to 11%. Cicolari 2020 found baobab pulp and leaf extracts did not change triglyceride build-up in a human fat-cell line (a neutral result).

Results

Animal data only; one neutral fat-cell result.

Effect sizes as reported

Weight -4 to -11% in rats (Suliman 2020)

Why this rating

Rat study only, no people tested.

Form and dose studied

Aqueous fruit pulp in rats.

Who was studied

Rats

Limits

No human data.

Why researchers looked

Because baobab pulp is rich in fibre and antioxidants, rats with a diet-induced metabolic syndrome were treated to see whether the signs reversed.

Traditional use

None found.

Proposed mechanism Animal research

Reported antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and fat- and sugar-lowering effects in rats; mechanism not established in people.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

None reported in the abstract.

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Blood sugar and blood fats (baobab leaf, rats only)

Not enough evidence

Baobab leaf is a separate plant part from the fruit. In diabetic rats, a methanol leaf extract cut blood sugar by about 47%. No study of baobab leaf on blood sugar in people was found, so this is an early lab signal only.

2 studiesMethanol leaf extract in rats.

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Ebaid 2019: methanol extract of baobab leaf (200 and 400 mg/kg) for six weeks in streptozotocin diabetic rats lowered blood glucose by 46.7%, HbA1c by 46.15%, cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, IL-6, TNF-alpha and MDA compared with untreated diabetic rats, and improved red cell counts. Cicolari 2020 found leaf extracts among the most active against sugar- and fat-digesting enzymes in vitro.

Results

Rat and lab data only.

Effect sizes as reported

Rats: glucose -46.7%, HbA1c -46.15% vs untreated diabetic rats

Why this rating

No human data; methanol extract in rats.

Form and dose studied

Methanol leaf extract in rats.

Who was studied

Rats

Limits

No human trial found; leaf and fruit must not be treated as equal.

Why researchers looked

Leaves are eaten as a vegetable and used in traditional medicine; rats were used to test sugar-lowering action.

Traditional use

Leaves are traditionally eaten and used for ailments in Africa (Silva 2023 review, narrative).

Proposed mechanism Animal research

Reduced oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in rats; leaf extracts blocked sugar-digesting enzymes in the test tube.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

Leaf mineral and oxalate content: see the safety file.

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Iron status and iron absorption (fruit pulp, vitamin C)

Very low certainty

Baobab pulp is rich in vitamin C, which helps the body take up iron from plant foods. In a 12-week trial in anaemic Kenyan schoolchildren, a pulp drink did not significantly change haemoglobin or iron stores. In lab models, adding baobab to porridge raised the amount of iron and zinc available for absorption, an effect similar to adding vitamin C and citric acid. Whether this helps real people is not shown.

4 studiesPulp drink (Evang), blend with carrots and Grewia (Mohamed Ali), pulp…

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Evang 2021 (Eur J Nutr): 58 Kenyan schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 with haemoglobin below 12.2 g/dl (29 per group) received a baobab fruit-pulp drink or an isoenergy drink without pulp for 12 weeks. Haemoglobin, ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor did not differ significantly between groups; haemoglobin rose 2.2% on baobab and fell 1.2% on control. The authors say no significant effect could be detected. Mohamed Ali 2016: children with iron-deficiency anaemia in Sudan given a carrot, baobab and Grewia tenax blend (Carboadeim) or iron syrup plus folic acid improved in haemoglobin and ferritin in both groups; baobab cannot be separated from the other ingredients. Adetola 2022 (lab): baobab raised iron and zinc bioaccessibility in maize porridge. Debelo 2020 (lab): 25% baobab lowered carotenoid bioaccessibility from millet porridge, though uptake into gut cells was not significantly changed.

Results

The one placebo-type trial in people was null; other evidence is a mixed product or lab models.

Effect sizes as reported

Evang 2021: no significant difference in Hb, ferritin or sTfR; ferritin fell 17.3% (baobab) vs 26.0% (control); lab: up to +111% iron and +60% zinc bioaccessibility

Why this rating

The only controlled trial in children found no significant effect; the Sudan study used a blend and compared it with iron syrup; lab models measure bioaccessibility, not absorption by people.

Form and dose studied

Pulp drink (Evang), blend with carrots and Grewia (Mohamed Ali), pulp in porridge (lab).

Who was studied

Schoolchildren with low haemoglobin; children with iron-deficiency anaemia (blend)

Limits

Small trial (58); amount not given in the abstract; no adult trial; lab results are not absorption.

Why researchers looked

Many people in rural Africa eat plant-based meals with poorly absorbed iron, and baobab pulp is a vitamin C-rich local food.

Traditional use

The pulp is a traditional food and drink across Africa.

Proposed mechanism Laboratory research

Vitamin C and citric acid in the pulp keep iron in a form the gut can absorb. In the lab, baobab increased bioaccessible iron and zinc up to 111% and 60% in porridge with a carotene source and iron fortification, similar to added ascorbic and citric acids (Adetola 2022).

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

Vitamin C raises non-haem iron absorption in theory, so people with iron-overload conditions (such as haemochromatosis) should ask their doctor before using concentrated pulp products regularly (theory, not a documented case).

^{16 21 1 13}

Vitamin C and mineral content of the fruit pulp (and leaf) as food

Moderate certainty

Baobab pulp is a rich vitamin C food and also provides fibre and minerals such as potassium and calcium. Leaves are rich in calcium and protein. Amounts vary widely between samples and origins, and eating a nutrient is not the same as proving a health benefit.

4 studiesFruit pulp (powder); leaves as a cooked vegetable.

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Chadare 2009 review: pulp is particularly rich in vitamin C; 40 g covers 84% to more than 100% of the recommended daily intake of pregnant women aged 19 to 30. Leaves hold 307 to 2640 mg calcium per 100 g dry weight and good-quality protein. Monteiro 2022: 20 Angolan pulp samples varied; the highest had 288.9 mg vitamin C and 56.62 g fibre per 100 g. Muthai 2017: pulp iron ranged from 13.1 ug/g (Mali) to 57.4 ug/g (Kenya). Ahmed 2024 calculated how many grams of leaf could supply reference amounts of minerals, but did not test absorption or oxalate and phytate.

Results

Measured nutrient contents, no health outcomes.

Effect sizes as reported

40 g pulp covers 84 to >100% of vitamin C reference intake of pregnant women 19-30 (Chadare 2009); vitamin C up to 288.9 mg/100 g (Angolan samples)

Why this rating

The nutrient content itself is consistent across measurement studies, but values vary widely by origin and sample and no study shows a health outcome from it. Rating applies to composition only.

Form and dose studied

Fruit pulp (powder); leaves as a cooked vegetable.

Who was studied

Composition data

Limits

Variable analytical methods; absorption of minerals from leaf not tested.

Why researchers looked

Baobab is widely promoted as a nutrient-dense wild food for places where deficiencies are common.

Traditional use

Pulp, leaves and seeds are traditional foods across sub-Saharan Africa.

Proposed mechanism Pharmacological theory

Not a mechanism claim; the content is measured chemistry.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

Leaf and seed contain antinutrients (oxalate, phytate); see the safety file.

^{8 22 24 3}

Gut health and prebiotic fibre (fruit pulp and fibre; lab models)

Not enough evidence

Baobab pulp is high in fibre, mostly pectin-type fibre. In lab gut models using stool samples, it fed gut bacteria and raised short-chain fatty acids. No human trial of baobab on the gut has reported results.

3 studiesBaobab fruit pulp powder or baobab fibre in lab models.

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Foltz 2021: baobab fruit pulp powder fermented for 48 hours with stool from three adult donors raised acetate (+18.4 mM), propionate (+5.5 mM) and a little butyrate (+0.9 mM) and lowered branched-chain fatty acids; Bacteroidetes rose in all donors; other groups varied by donor. Duysburgh 2024 (SHIME gut model): baobab fibre, Arabic gum and the combination changed microbiome activity and composition, with a combination synergy. Two of the lab studies involve industry authors. Riedel 2025 is a planned trial of 16 g baobab powder for 45 days on gut permeability in 50 adults with obesity; no results yet.

Results

Lab gut-model data only; no published human result.

Effect sizes as reported

Acetate +18.4 mM, propionate +5.5 mM, butyrate +0.9 mM (Foltz 2021, 48 h, lab)

Why this rating

Lab models with three donors or a simulator, industry-linked authors, no people fed.

Form and dose studied

Baobab fruit pulp powder or baobab fibre in lab models.

Who was studied

Stool samples; simulated colon

Limits

No human result; interindividual differences.

Why researchers looked

The pulp's fibre is fermentable, so researchers tested whether it behaves like a prebiotic.

Traditional use

The pulp has been used traditionally in diarrhoea and dysentery in several African countries (Silva 2023, narrative).

Proposed mechanism Laboratory research

Gut bacteria ferment the pectic fibre into acetate, propionate and butyrate; changes in Bifidobacteria and other groups varied by donor (Foltz 2021, lab).

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

Fermentable fibre can cause gas or bloating in some people in general; this was not counted in baobab trials.

^{17 14 27}

Diarrhoea in children (baobab-based rehydration drink)

Very low certainty

In Senegal a rehydration drink made with baobab fruit ('monkey bread') was compared with the WHO solution in 161 children with diarrhoea. The WHO solution did a little better, though not by a statistically significant amount. Baobab is not a replacement for proper rehydration treatment.

2 studiesLocal baobab fruit solution compared with the WHO oral rehydration so…

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Tal-Dia 1997 (French abstract): 161 children aged 6 months or older (mean 16.6 months) with acute diarrhoea and mild to moderate dehydration: 79 received the WHO standard solution and 82 the local baobab-based solution, followed for 4 to 48 hours. The WHO solution was superior for duration of diarrhoea and weight gain, but the difference was not statistically significant. The authors recommended the baobab solution for home use for nutritional, economic and cultural reasons.

Results

One older trial: WHO solution a little better, not significantly.

Effect sizes as reported

WHO solution superior, not statistically significant (values not in the abstract)

Why this rating

One old trial, not clearly blinded, standard solution slightly better.

Form and dose studied

Local baobab fruit solution compared with the WHO oral rehydration solution.

Who was studied

Children 6 months and older, Senegal

Limits

Old abstract with few numbers.

Why researchers looked

Baobab is used traditionally against diarrhoea and dysentery, and home-made baobab drinks were tested as a low-cost rehydration option.

Traditional use

Traditional use for diarrhoea and dysentery in many African countries (Silva 2023, narrative).

Proposed mechanism Pharmacological theory

Not established; likely sugars, salts and fluid in the drink.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

A child with diarrhoea who cannot drink, is very sleepy, or has dry mouth and no urine needs medical care at once.

^{31 29}

Baobab leaf as a food (protein and minerals)

Not enough evidence

Baobab leaves are eaten as a vegetable. Analyses show they are rich in calcium and protein, but no trial has fed leaf to people and measured health outcomes. Calcium-rich leaf also contains oxalate-type antinutrients that were not measured in baobab specifically.

3 studiesLeaf as a vegetable (cooked or dried).

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Chadare 2009: leaves hold 307 to 2640 mg calcium per 100 g dry weight and protein with a chemical score of 0.81. Ahmed 2024 (Sudan): leaves from six areas were analysed and the number of grams a day needed to reach reference minerals was modelled; the authors say interventional studies of leaf are lacking and absorption, phytates and oxalates still need study. Begouabe 2026: across eight Congo Basin leafy vegetables including baobab leaf, antinutrients were mainly oxalates and phytates and varied widely.

Results

No trial; composition and modelling only.

Effect sizes as reported

Calcium 307 to 2640 mg/100 g dry weight (Chadare 2009)

Why this rating

Chemistry and modelling only; no health outcome and no absorption data.

Form and dose studied

Leaf as a vegetable (cooked or dried).

Who was studied

Composition data

Limits

Antinutrients unmeasured for baobab; wide variation.

Why researchers looked

Leaves are a traditional food, so researchers calculated whether they could help close nutrient gaps.

Traditional use

Eaten as a leafy vegetable in West and Southern Africa.

Proposed mechanism Pharmacological theory

Not a mechanism claim.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

Oxalate and phytate in leaves may reduce mineral uptake and matter for people prone to kidney stones; baobab-specific amounts were not found.

^{8 3 6}

Seed oil on skin and hair (baobab oil)

Not enough evidence

Baobab seed oil is used in skin and hair care. No baobab-specific skin trial was found; it appears only as one of seven oils in a general review of African oils. The oil also contains special fatty acids that raise a safety question when it is eaten.

2 studiesCold-pressed or refined seed oil (not specified); topical.

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Ayanlowo 2022 reviewed seven oils for skin use in Nigeria including baobab oil; the abstract reports benefits for skin barrier function, wound healing and anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects for plant oils as a group and says adverse effects may be mainly due to processing and storage hygiene. It gives no separate baobab results. Razafimamonjison 2017 confirmed baobab seed oil has palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids as main fatty acids plus cyclopropenic acids.

Results

No baobab-specific human trial.

Effect sizes as reported

None reported for baobab alone

Why this rating

General review with no baobab-specific outcome; no controlled trial.

Form and dose studied

Cold-pressed or refined seed oil (not specified); topical.

Who was studied

Adults

Limits

No trial found.

Why researchers looked

Pressed seed oil is traditional in Africa and sold in cosmetics.

Traditional use

Plant oils including baobab oil have been used for centuries in Nigeria and other African countries for skin and scalp care (Ayanlowo 2022).

Proposed mechanism Pharmacological theory

Fatty acids (palmitic, oleic, linoleic) and vitamins in the oil are proposed to support the skin barrier; this has not been shown for baobab oil in people.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

Do not swallow crude seed oil: it contains cyclopropene fatty acids (see the safety file).

^{5 26}

Antioxidant activity (lab measurements)

Not enough evidence

Baobab pulp extracts score high in antioxidant tests in the lab. Lab antioxidant scores do not prove a health benefit in people.

2 studiesFruit pulp extracts.

Studies, doses and limits

What the trials found

Rita 2022 measured total phenols, proanthocyanins and hydrolyzable tannins and a strong superoxide and nitric-oxide radical scavenging capacity in the baobab aqueous extract used in the trial. The 2023 narrative review (Silva) lists antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antimicrobial activities attributed to baobab, mostly from lab and animal work.

Results

Lab measurements only; no clinical outcome.

Effect sizes as reported

Not reported in the abstract

Why this rating

Test-tube scores do not show a benefit in people.

Form and dose studied

Fruit pulp extracts.

Who was studied

Lab

Limits

Not a clinical outcome.

Why researchers looked

The pulp has many polyphenols and vitamin C, so antioxidant tests were run.

Traditional use

None.

Proposed mechanism Laboratory research

Free-radical scavenging by phenols, proanthocyanins and tannins in test-tube assays.

A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.

None.

^{28 29}

Connections to the rest of health

How Baobab connects to the rest of our health knowledge graph. Every link says what kind of connection it is. A safety link (for example to the liver) is a warning, not a benefit. A study that merely mentions a topic never creates a benefit link.

Explore every connection: goals, body systems, organs, symptoms, genes

Kind of connection Connected to Search

A. Wellness goals

Connected to	Kind of connection	Evidence status	Context	Studies
Blood pressure	Drug or supplement interaction	Not enough evidence	Rat and lab ACE effects; no human data. Preparation or compound: Fruit pulp extract	^{19 10}
Blood pressure	Preliminary mechanism	Not enough evidence	Rat and lab data only. Preparation or compound: Fruit pulp extract	^{19 10}
Gut health	Preliminary mechanism	Not enough evidence	Lab gut models only. Gut health and prebiotic fibre (fruit pulp and fibre; lab models): Baobab pulp is high in fibre, mostly pectin-type fibre. In lab gut models using stool samples, it fed gut bacteria and raised short-chain fatty acids. No human trial of baobab on the gut has reported results. Preparation or compound: Fruit pulp fibre	^{17 14 27}
Blood Sugar Balance	Potential benefit	Low certainty	Blood sugar after a meal (baobab fruit pulp extract): In two small trials in healthy adults, a drink made from baobab fruit pulp extract lowered the blood sugar rise after a glucose drink or white bread. This is a short-term effect in people without diabetes. It has not been tested over weeks or in people who take diabetes medicines, so it is not a treatment for diabetes.	^{28 11 12 29 10 27}
Metabolic Health	Potential benefit	Low certainty	Blood sugar after a meal (baobab fruit pulp extract): In two small trials in healthy adults, a drink made from baobab fruit pulp extract lowered the blood sugar rise after a glucose drink or white bread. This is a short-term effect in people without diabetes. It has not been tested over weeks or in people who take diabetes medicines, so it is not a treatment for diabetes.	^{28 11 12 29 10 27}
Blood Sugar Balance	Preliminary mechanism	Very low certainty	Insulin response after a meal (baobab fruit extract in bread): In one very small crossover study, white bread with a baobab fruit extract needed less insulin for the same blood sugar. The authors call this preliminary. It has not been repeated. Blood sugar and blood fats (baobab leaf, rats only): Baobab leaf is a separate plant part from the fruit. In diabetic rats, a methanol leaf extract cut blood sugar by about 47%. No study of baobab leaf on blood sugar in people was found, so this is an early lab signal only.	^{12 15 10}
Metabolic Health	Preliminary mechanism	Very low certainty	Insulin response after a meal (baobab fruit extract in bread): In one very small crossover study, white bread with a baobab fruit extract needed less insulin for the same blood sugar. The authors call this preliminary. It has not been repeated. Weight and metabolic syndrome (fruit pulp, rats only): In rats fed a high-sugar high-fat diet, aqueous baobab fruit improved blood fats and blood sugar and lowered body weight by 4 to 11%. No human weight-loss or metabolic-syndrome trial was found.	^{12 30 10}
Cholesterol Balance	Biological association	Very low certainty	Cholesterol and blood fats (baobab juice, observational): One observational study found lower total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides in 70 regular users of baobab juice than in 70 non-users. Because the groups were not randomised, this cannot show that baobab caused the difference. No controlled trial of blood fats in people was found.	^{2 10 30}
Heart Health	Biological association	Very low certainty	Cholesterol and blood fats (baobab juice, observational): One observational study found lower total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides in 70 regular users of baobab juice than in 70 non-users. Because the groups were not randomised, this cannot show that baobab caused the difference. No controlled trial of blood fats in people was found.	^{2 10 30}
Blood Pressure Support	Preliminary mechanism	Not enough evidence	Blood pressure (animal and lab data only): No human trial of baobab on blood pressure was found. In rats made hypertensive by a drug, a methanol extract of baobab fruit pulp lowered blood pressure, and in test tubes baobab extracts blocked ACE, the enzyme targeted by ACE-inhibitor drugs. These are early signals only.	^{19 10 27}
Heart Health	Preliminary mechanism	Not enough evidence	Blood pressure (animal and lab data only): No human trial of baobab on blood pressure was found. In rats made hypertensive by a drug, a methanol extract of baobab fruit pulp lowered blood pressure, and in test tubes baobab extracts blocked ACE, the enzyme targeted by ACE-inhibitor drugs. These are early signals only.	^{19 10 27}
Weight Management	Preliminary mechanism	Not enough evidence	Weight and metabolic syndrome (fruit pulp, rats only): In rats fed a high-sugar high-fat diet, aqueous baobab fruit improved blood fats and blood sugar and lowered body weight by 4 to 11%. No human weight-loss or metabolic-syndrome trial was found.	^{30 10}
Cholesterol Balance	Preliminary mechanism	Not enough evidence	Blood sugar and blood fats (baobab leaf, rats only): Baobab leaf is a separate plant part from the fruit. In diabetic rats, a methanol leaf extract cut blood sugar by about 47%. No study of baobab leaf on blood sugar in people was found, so this is an early lab signal only.	^{15 10}
Reduce Fatigue	Potential benefit	Very low certainty	Iron status and iron absorption (fruit pulp, vitamin C): Baobab pulp is rich in vitamin C, which helps the body take up iron from plant foods. In a 12-week trial in anaemic Kenyan schoolchildren, a pulp drink did not significantly change haemoglobin or iron stores. In lab models, adding baobab to porridge raised the amount of iron and zinc available for absorption, an effect similar to adding vitamin C and citric acid. Whether this helps real people is not shown.	^{16 21 1 13}
Immune Support	Potential benefit	Very low certainty	Iron status and iron absorption (fruit pulp, vitamin C): Baobab pulp is rich in vitamin C, which helps the body take up iron from plant foods. In a 12-week trial in anaemic Kenyan schoolchildren, a pulp drink did not significantly change haemoglobin or iron stores. In lab models, adding baobab to porridge raised the amount of iron and zinc available for absorption, an effect similar to adding vitamin C and citric acid. Whether this helps real people is not shown.	^{16 21 1 13}
Immune Support	Biological association	Moderate certainty	Vitamin C and mineral content of the fruit pulp (and leaf) as food: Baobab pulp is a rich vitamin C food and also provides fibre and minerals such as potassium and calcium. Leaves are rich in calcium and protein. Amounts vary widely between samples and origins, and eating a nutrient is not the same as proving a health benefit.	^{8 22 24 3}
Healthy Aging	Biological association	Moderate certainty	Vitamin C and mineral content of the fruit pulp (and leaf) as food: Baobab pulp is a rich vitamin C food and also provides fibre and minerals such as potassium and calcium. Leaves are rich in calcium and protein. Amounts vary widely between samples and origins, and eating a nutrient is not the same as proving a health benefit. Baobab leaf as a food (protein and minerals): Baobab leaves are eaten as a vegetable. Analyses show they are rich in calcium and protein, but no trial has fed leaf to people and measured health outcomes. Calcium-rich leaf also contains oxalate-type antinutrients that were not measured in baobab specifically.	^{8 22 24 3 6}
Digestive Support	Preliminary mechanism	Not enough evidence	Gut health and prebiotic fibre (fruit pulp and fibre; lab models): Baobab pulp is high in fibre, mostly pectin-type fibre. In lab gut models using stool samples, it fed gut bacteria and raised short-chain fatty acids. No human trial of baobab on the gut has reported results.	^{17 14 27}
Digestive Support	Traditional use	Very low certainty	Diarrhoea in children (baobab-based rehydration drink): In Senegal a rehydration drink made with baobab fruit ('monkey bread') was compared with the WHO solution in 161 children with diarrhoea. The WHO solution did a little better, though not by a statistically significant amount. Baobab is not a replacement for proper rehydration treatment.	^{31 29}
Healthy Skin	Traditional use	Not enough evidence	Seed oil on skin and hair (baobab oil): Baobab seed oil is used in skin and hair care. No baobab-specific skin trial was found; it appears only as one of seven oils in a general review of African oils. The oil also contains special fatty acids that raise a safety question when it is eaten.	^{5 26}
Hair Support	Traditional use	Not enough evidence	Seed oil on skin and hair (baobab oil): Baobab seed oil is used in skin and hair care. No baobab-specific skin trial was found; it appears only as one of seven oils in a general review of African oils. The oil also contains special fatty acids that raise a safety question when it is eaten.	^{5 26}
Healthy Aging	Preliminary mechanism	Not enough evidence	Antioxidant activity (lab measurements): Baobab pulp extracts score high in antioxidant tests in the lab. Lab antioxidant scores do not prove a health benefit in people.	^{28 29}
Inflammation Balance	Preliminary mechanism	Not enough evidence	Antioxidant activity (lab measurements): Baobab pulp extracts score high in antioxidant tests in the lab. Lab antioxidant scores do not prove a health benefit in people.	^{28 29}

B. Body systems

Connected to	Kind of connection	Evidence status	Context	Studies
Allergy	Adverse effect or risk	Very low certainty	One anaphylaxis case report. Preparation or compound: Fruit	²⁰
Metabolism Weight	Biological association	Low certainty	Studied for: Blood sugar after a meal (baobab fruit pulp extract) Studied for: Insulin response after a meal (baobab fruit extract in bread)	^{28 11 12 29 10 27 30 15}
Endocrine System	Biological association	Low certainty	Studied for: Blood sugar after a meal (baobab fruit pulp extract) Studied for: Insulin response after a meal (baobab fruit extract in bread)	^{28 11 12 29 10 27 15}
Cardiovascular System	Biological association	Very low certainty	Studied for: Cholesterol and blood fats (baobab juice, observational) Studied for: Blood pressure (animal and lab data only)	^{2 10 30 19 27}
Digestive System	Biological association	Very low certainty	Studied for: Iron status and iron absorption (fruit pulp, vitamin C) Studied for: Vitamin C and mineral content of the fruit pulp (and leaf) as food	^{16 21 1 13 8 22 24 3 17 14 27 31 29}
Immune System	Biological association	Very low certainty	Studied for: Iron status and iron absorption (fruit pulp, vitamin C) Studied for: Vitamin C and mineral content of the fruit pulp (and leaf) as food	^{16 21 1 13 8 22 24 3 28 29}
Musculoskeletal System	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Studied for: Baobab leaf as a food (protein and minerals)	^{8 3 6}
Integumentary System	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Studied for: Seed oil on skin and hair (baobab oil)	^{5 26}

C. Body parts and organs

Connected to	Kind of connection	Evidence status	Context	Studies
Kidneys	Contraindication	Not enough evidence	Oxalate content not established; ask your doctor if you form stones. Oxalate not established; ask a doctor if you form stones. Preparation or compound: Leaf; concentrated products	^{6 3}
Liver	Adverse effect or risk	Not enough evidence	Rats on crude oil had larger livers and altered drug-metabolising enzymes. Rat liver changes. Preparation or compound: Crude seed oil	⁴
Gut	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Fermentable fibre may cause gas in some people (theory). Preparation or compound: Fruit pulp fibre	¹⁷

D. Symptoms

Connected to	Kind of connection	Evidence status	Context	Studies
Allergy	Adverse effect or risk	Very low certainty	One anaphylaxis case report. Preparation or compound: Fruit	²⁰

I. Biomarkers

Connected to	Kind of connection	Evidence status	Context	Studies
Blood glucose	Drug or supplement interaction	Very low certainty	May lower post-meal glucose in healthy adults; unknown with diabetes drugs. Preparation or compound: Fruit pulp extract	^{28 11}
Haemoglobin and iron	Drug or supplement interaction	Very low certainty	Vitamin C raises iron uptake in lab models; trial in children was null. Preparation or compound: Fruit pulp (vitamin C)	^{16 1}
Blood sugar after a meal	Potential benefit	Low certainty	Lower post-meal sugar rise in two small trials in healthy adults; not in a third. Preparation or compound: Fruit pulp extract	^{28 11 12}
Insulin	Potential benefit	Very low certainty	One 13-person study. Preparation or compound: Fruit extract in bread	¹²
Haemoglobin	Potential benefit	Very low certainty	No significant change in 58 children. Preparation or compound: Fruit pulp drink	¹⁶
LDL cholesterol	Biological association	Very low certainty	Lower in users than non-users; not a trial. Preparation or compound: Juice (observational)	²
Blood sugar rise after a glucose load or bread	Biological association	Low certainty	Measured in trials: lowered. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	^{28 11 12}
Insulin after a meal	Biological association	Very low certainty	Measured in trials: lowered. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	¹²
LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglycerides	Biological association	Very low certainty	Measured in trials: lowered. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	^{2 30}
HbA1c and fasting glucose	Biological association	Very low certainty	Measured in trials: no-change. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	²
Blood pressure and ACE activity (rats)	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Measured in trials: lowered. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	¹⁹
Haemoglobin	Biological association	Very low certainty	Measured in trials: no-change. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	^{16 21}
Ferritin (iron stores)	Biological association	Very low certainty	Measured in trials: mixed. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	^{16 21}
Bioaccessible iron and zinc (lab)	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Measured in trials: raised. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	^{1 13}
Short-chain fatty acids in a lab gut model	Biological association	Not enough evidence	Measured in trials: raised. A lab change is not the same as a health benefit.	¹⁷

J. Genes, receptors and enzymes

Connected to	Kind of connection	Evidence status	Context	Studies
ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme)	Preliminary mechanism	Animal	Inhibited by baobab extracts in vitro and lowered in rats; the gene symbol was added by the compiler for the enzyme named in the studies.	^{10 19}
HMGCR (HMG-CoA reductase)	Preliminary mechanism	In vitro	Inhibited in vitro by pulp and leaf extracts.	¹⁰
AMY2A (pancreatic alpha-amylase)	Preliminary mechanism	In vitro	Alpha-amylase inhibited in vitro; the specific gene symbol is the compiler's mapping.	¹⁰
FADS2 and FADS1 (delta-6 and delta-5 desaturases)	Preliminary mechanism	Animal	Activity depressed in rat liver by cyclopropene fatty acids from baobab seed oil; gene symbols added by the compiler.	⁷
PNLIP (pancreatic lipase)	Preliminary mechanism	In vitro	Pancreatic lipase inhibited in vitro by pulp and leaf extracts; gene mapping by the compiler.	¹⁰

L. Active compounds

Connected to	Kind of connection	Evidence status	Context	Studies
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C)	Biological association	In vitro	Helps non-haem iron absorption; lab effect of baobab on iron similar to added ascorbic and citric acid. Preparation or compound: Fruit pulp	^{22 8 1}
Citric acid	Biological association	In vitro	Named with ascorbic acid as a mineral absorption enhancer in baobab. Preparation or compound: Fruit pulp	¹
Proanthocyanidins and hydrolysable tannins	Biological association	In vitro	Radical scavenging in the lab. Preparation or compound: Fruit pulp	^{28 29}
Catechin	Biological association	In vitro	Listed among baobab catechins in a review. Preparation or compound: Fruit pulp	²⁹
Pectic polysaccharides (low-methoxylated homogalacturonan)	Biological association	In vitro	Fermented to short-chain fatty acids in lab gut models. Preparation or compound: Fruit pulp	^{17 22}
Malvalic acid	Biological association	Animal	Inhibited fat desaturation in rat liver. Preparation or compound: Seed oil	^{7 23}
Sterculic acid	Biological association	Animal	Same effect as malvalic acid in rat liver. Preparation or compound: Seed oil	^{7 26}
Oleic acid	Biological association	In vitro	Main fat in the oil. Preparation or compound: Seed oil	²⁶
Linoleic acid	Biological association	In vitro	Main fat in the oil. Preparation or compound: Seed oil	²⁶
Palmitic acid	Biological association	In vitro	Main fat in the oil. Preparation or compound: Seed oil	²⁶
Oxalic acid (antinutrient in leaves and seeds)	Biological association	In vitro	Antinutrient class: oxalates and phytates dominated antinutrients across eight leafy vegetables including baobab leaf. Preparation or compound: Leaf; seed	^{6 25}

Each connection is stored with the ingredient, the connected record, the kind of connection, the evidence status, the supporting studies, the preparation or compound involved, and a review date (last reviewed October 25, 2026).

Evidence at a glance: what changed in 9 lab markers

Tap a number to show only those markers. Counts are markers, not people.

Metabolic31 Organ function1 Other121

The evidence

The research centre for Baobab. Every record here was checked against PubMed or the publisher's page; we never list a study we have not verified.

Evidence by outcome

Blood sugar after a meal (baobab fruit pulp extract) 6 studies · 44 people in trials Low certainty Insulin response after a meal (baobab fruit extract in bread) 1 studies · 13 people in trials Very low certainty Cholesterol and blood fats (baobab juice, observational) 3 studies · 140 people in trials Very low certainty Blood pressure (animal and lab data only) 3 studies Not enough evidence Weight and metabolic syndrome (fruit pulp, rats only) 2 studies Not enough evidence Blood sugar and blood fats (baobab leaf, rats only) 2 studies Not enough evidence Iron status and iron absorption (fruit pulp, vitamin C) 4 studies · 58 people in trials Very low certainty Vitamin C and mineral content of the fruit pulp (and leaf) as food 4 studies Moderate certainty Gut health and prebiotic fibre (fruit pulp and fibre; lab models) 3 studies Not enough evidence Diarrhoea in children (baobab-based rehydration drink) 2 studies · 161 people in trials Very low certainty Baobab leaf as a food (protein and minerals) 3 studies Not enough evidence Seed oil on skin and hair (baobab oil) 2 studies Not enough evidence Antioxidant activity (lab measurements) 2 studies · 31 people in trials Not enough evidence

Bars show how many studies we found for each outcome, not how well it works. People are added up across trials only (reviews are not added, to avoid double counting).

How we rate evidence

High certainty

Several well-run trials or reviews agree; further research is unlikely to change the picture much.

Moderate certainty

Good trials point the same way, but some doubt remains.

Low certainty

Small, short or inconsistent trials. The finding could change with better research.

Very low certainty

Very little or very weak human data. Treat as a possibility only.

Mixed findings

Trials or reviews disagree with each other.

Not enough evidence

Not enough human research to say either way.

Evidence against

Good research found no benefit, or found harm.

We take the reviewers' own risk-of-bias and GRADE statements where they exist, and otherwise judge from study size, design, consistency, directness and whether a product matches what is sold. Many publications do not make evidence high. Method note: We searched PubMed, the FDA GRAS inventory, the Irish food safety authority's opinion on baobab pulp and other regulators' pages, and recorded each study's design, people, product and result as reported. Only abstracts were read for most studies. The text of the 2008 EU decision could not be opened, and EMA, EFSA and NCCIH pages on baobab were not found; those are marked not verified. One case report was read by title only. Certainty ratings are the compiler's own reading, not formal grades. No study is cited that we could not verify.

Study library: every study we checked 39

Design Research type Plant part Year from Search

Study	Design	People	Product, dose, length	Result
Adetola 2022 Potential of moringa leaf and baobab fruit food-to-food fortification of wholegrain maize porridge to improve iron and zinc bioaccessibility. Int J Food Sci Nutr · PMID 33858271 · DOI	Laboratory research in-vitro	Lab digestion model (dialysability)	Baobab fruit (13 to 15 g/100 g porridge) in wholegrain maize porridge; moringa leaf compared fruit pulp 13 to 15 g per 100 g porridge (dry basis) lab test · vs Porridge without baobab	Baobab increased the share and total amount of iron and zinc available for absorption, by up to 111% (iron) and 60% (zinc) especially with carrot, mango and iron-fortified porridge; effects were similar to adding ascorbic and citric acids. Moringa leaf lowered bioaccessible iron and zinc. Up to +111% iron, up to +60% zinc bioaccessibility Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Iron and zinc bioaccessibility Limitations: Lab model only: bioaccessible is not the same as absorbed by a person. Read: abstract
Ahmed 2022 The beneficial effect of Adansonia digitata products success to modulate lipid profiles and inhibit LDL oxidation in-vitro: An associational study. Malawi Med J · PMID 37265822 · DOI	Cohort study	140 70 users and 70 non-users	Habitual A. digitata juice (users) vs non-users; essential oil tested on LDL in the lab unspecified (juice); essential oil not stated in the abstract not stated (habitual use) · vs Non-users	Users had lower total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL (p<0.01). No difference in fasting glucose, HbA1c, HDL, kidney or liver tests. The essential oil reduced LDL oxidation in the test tube. TC, TG, LDL lower in users (p<0.01); other tests no difference Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Blood fats, HbA1c, glucose, liver and kidney tests; LDL oxidation in the lab Limitations: Observational comparison, not a trial: users may differ from non-users in diet and lifestyle. The abstract does not say which plant part or how much. Funding and conflicts: Authors declared none Read: abstract
Ahmed 2024 Evaluation of the Nutritional Impact of Baobab Leaves (Adansonia digitata L.) as a Dietary Intervention to Combat Nutrient Deficiencies and Poverty-Related Health Problems. Nutrients · PMID 39770961 · DOI	Other	Leaves from six areas of Sudan	Baobab leaves (food composition and intake modelling) leaf modelled grams a day to reach reference intakes n/a (not a trial) · vs n/a	Calculates how many grams of leaf per day would supply reference amounts of potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, manganese and protein. It is a calculation, not an intervention. The authors say phytates and oxalates and mineral absorption still need study. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Dry matter, protein, minerals, phenols; modelled intake needed to meet EFSA reference values Limitations: No people were fed or measured; absorption not tested; oxalate and phytate not measured. Funding and conflicts: Authors declared none Read: abstract
Andrianaivo-Rafehivola 1995 Modifications of hepatic drug metabolizing enzyme activities in rats fed baobab seed oil containing cyclopropenoid fatty acids. Food Chem Toxicol · PMID 7759021 · DOI	Animal research animal	Rats	Baobab seed oil with cyclopropenoid fatty acids (CPFAs) vs heated baobab oil, in the diet seed oil Diet with 1.27% CPFA (fresh oil) or 0.046% CPFA (heated oil) not stated in the abstract · vs Rats on oils with no CPFAs	Rats fed fresh baobab oil grew less, had larger relative liver weight and lower cytochrome P-450 and some other enzymes. Heating the oil, which cut CPFAs, partly reversed these changes. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Growth, liver weight, liver drug-metabolising enzymes Limitations: Rat feeding study at a high CPFA level in the diet; doses are not comparable to human use. Read: abstract
Ayanlowo 2022 African oils in dermatology. Dermatol Ther · PMID 33928725 · DOI	Narrative review	Literature review plus interviews with traditional healers	Seven oils used on skin in Nigeria, including baobab oil seed oil n/a n/a · vs n/a	Plant oils used for skin care are said to support the skin barrier and wound healing and to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. The oils are not without adverse effects, which may be mainly due to processing and storage hygiene. The abstract gives no separate baobab results. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Traditional and reported skin uses and possible adverse effects Limitations: Review mixes seven oils; no baobab-specific trial data in the abstract. Read: abstract
Begouabe 2026 Nutritional, mineral, and bioactive composition of indigenous leafy vegetables from the Congo Basin: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Food Res Int · PMID 42215083 · DOI	Meta-analysis	Published composition data 2009 to 2025	Eight indigenous leafy vegetables from the Congo Basin, including baobab (A. digitata) leaf leaf n/a n/a · vs n/a	Across the eight species, antinutrients were mostly oxalates and phytates and varied widely between species. Baobab leaf was grouped with the species with a marked bioactive profile. The abstract gives no baobab-only oxalate figure. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Protein, minerals, vitamin C, antinutrients, bioactive compounds Limitations: Pooled composition across species, not a baobab-specific oxalate value; no health outcomes. Read: abstract
Cao 1993 Inhibition of fatty acid delta 6- and delta 5-desaturation by cyclopropene fatty acids in rat liver microsomes. Biochim Biophys Acta · PMID 7903050 · DOI	Animal research animal	Rat liver microsomes	Fresh baobab seed oil (cyclopropene fatty acids: malvalic and sterculic acid) vs heated oil seed oil not stated in the abstract not stated · vs Control oil	Cyclopropene fatty acids in fresh baobab oil strongly reduced delta-6 and delta-5 desaturation and lowered arachidonic acid in liver membrane fats; the free acids did the same in the test tube. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Fatty acid desaturation Limitations: Rat and test-tube work. Read: abstract
Chadare 2009 Baobab food products: a review on their composition and nutritional value. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr · PMID 19093269 · DOI	Narrative review	Literature data on composition	Baobab pulp, leaves, seeds and kernels (food composition) pulp; leaf; seed; kernel n/a n/a · vs n/a	Pulp is particularly rich in vitamin C: 40 g covers 84 to more than 100% of the recommended daily intake of pregnant women aged 19 to 30. Leaves are rich in calcium (307 to 2640 mg/100 g dry weight). Seeds and kernels contain 11.6 to 33.3 and 18.9 to 34.7 g lipid per 100 g dry weight. Values vary widely between samples. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Macronutrients, micronutrients, fatty acids, antioxidant activity Limitations: Composition review from 2009; reported contents vary a lot; no health outcomes; the authors ask for work on digestibility and bioavailability. Read: abstract
Chepngeno 2022 Baobab pulp authenticity and quality control by multi-imaging high-performance thin-layer chromatography. Food Chem · PMID 35567968 · DOI	Other n/a	135 135 authentic samples plus lab-made adulterated samples	Baobab pulp powder checked by HPTLC for added cereal flours fruit pulp 10 to 30% rice, maize or wheat flour added n/a · vs 135 reference samples (Kenya and Sudan)	Raffinose was identified as a marker of cereal adulteration; the method detected 10 to 30% added flour with 95% recovery. The paper exists because adulteration of baobab powder with similar-looking cereal flours has been increasing as demand grows. Detection from 10 to 30% added flour Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Detection of cereal flour adulteration Limitations: Lab method paper; does not say how often shop products are adulterated. Read: abstract
Cicolari 2020 Hydromethanolic Extracts from Adansonia digitata L. Edible Parts Positively Modulate Pathophysiological Mechanisms Related to the Metabolic Syndrome. Molecules · PMID 32575811 · DOI	Laboratory research in-vitro	Enzyme tests and human fat-cell line	Hydromethanolic extracts of baobab fruit pulp, leaves, raw and toasted seeds pulp; leaf; seed lab concentrations lab test · vs Compared between parts	Pulp and leaf extracts were the most active against these enzymes. They did not change triglyceride build-up in the fat-cell line (neutral). Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Inhibition of alpha-amylase, alpha-glucosidase, ACE, HMG-CoA reductase, pancreatic lipase; fat cell development Limitations: Test-tube study; enzyme inhibition does not show an effect in people. Funding and conflicts: Authors declared none Read: abstract
Coe 2013 The polyphenol-rich baobab fruit (Adansonia digitata L.) reduces starch digestion and glycemic response in humans. Nutr Res · PMID 24176228 · DOI	Controlled trial	Healthy volunteers (number not given in the abstract)	Baobab fruit extract (from 6 African locations) in water, with white bread; also baked into bread in lab tests fruit pulp 18.5 g (low) or 37 g (high) in 250 mL water single meals · vs White bread with water	Extract baked into bread at 1.88% cut rapidly digestible starch in the lab. In people, both doses lowered the blood sugar response to white bread; fullness and energy use did not change. Glucose response lower at both doses (P<.05); no effect on satiety or energy expenditure Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Starch digestion in the lab; blood sugar response, fullness and energy use after bread Limitations: Number of volunteers is not in the abstract. Healthy people, single meals only. Read: abstract
Coe 2016 White bread enriched with polyphenol extracts shows no effect on glycemic response or satiety, yet may increase postprandial insulin economy in healthy participants. Nutr Res · PMID 26612114 · DOI	Controlled trial	13 13 healthy volunteers (9 women, 4 men)	White bread with baobab fruit extract 1.88% (and a green tea extract bread for comparison) fruit pulp 1.88% of bread single meals, crossover · vs Plain white bread	Neither enriched bread lowered the blood sugar response or hunger. Baobab bread lowered the insulin area under the curve (total and several time windows). Insulin AUC lower (P<.05) with baobab bread; glucose response not lower Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Blood sugar, insulin and hunger for 3 hours after eating Limitations: Very small crossover study in healthy people; described by the authors as preliminary. Read: abstract
Debelo 2020 African Adansonia digitata fruit pulp (baobab) modifies provitamin A carotenoid bioaccessibility from composite pearl millet porridges. J Food Sci Technol · PMID 32180634 · DOI	Laboratory research in-vitro	Lab digestion model and Caco-2 gut cells	Baobab fruit pulp 0 to 25% in pearl millet porridge fruit pulp 0 to 25% of dry weight lab test · vs Porridge without baobab	25% baobab lowered carotenoid bioaccessibility (13.3% vs 23.8% in control), but uptake into Caco-2 cells over 6 hours was not significantly changed. 5% and 15% made no difference. Bioaccessibility 13.3% vs 23.8% at 25% baobab Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Provitamin A carotenoid bioaccessibility and uptake Limitations: Lab only. Read: abstract
Duysburgh 2024 Co-Supplementation of Baobab Fiber and Arabic Gum Synergistically Modulates the In Vitro Human Gut Microbiome Revealing Complementary and Promising Prebiotic Properties. Nutrients · PMID 38892504 · DOI	Laboratory research in-vitro	SHIME lab model of the human gut	Baobab fibre alone, Arabic gum alone, or both fruit (baobab fibre) 2.5 g a day (combined dosage strategy in the model) long-term lab simulation · vs Model run without supplement	Baobab fibre, Arabic gum and both changed the gut bacteria in the simulated colon, with effects on Bifidobacteriaceae and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii; the combination had some synergy (including propionate). The effect of baobab alone is not separated in the abstract. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Gut microbial activity and composition Limitations: Lab model, not people. One author works for Nexira (which sells Arabic gum products) and others for ProDigest, which ran the model. Funding and conflicts: Authors are employees of Nexira and ProDigest Read: abstract
Ebaid 2019 Efficacy of a Methanolic Extract of Adansonia digitata Leaf in Alleviating Hyperglycemia, Hyperlipidemia, and Oxidative Stress of Diabetic Rats. Biomed Res Int · PMID 30984778 · DOI	Animal research animal	Streptozotocin diabetic rats	Methanol extract of baobab leaf leaf 200 and 400 mg/kg 6 weeks · vs Untreated diabetic rats	Leaf extract lowered blood glucose by 46.7% and HbA1c by 46.15% compared with the untreated diabetic rats at week six, with lower cholesterol and triglycerides and better red blood cell counts. Glucose -46.7%, HbA1c -46.15% vs diabetic rats Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Blood glucose, HbA1c, lipids, inflammation, blood counts Limitations: Rats given a methanol extract; says nothing about people eating leaf. Read: abstract
Evang 2021 Can the supplementary consumption of baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) fruit pulp improve the hemoglobin levels and iron status of schoolchildren in Kenya? Findings of a randomized controlled intervention trial. Eur J Nutr · PMID 33355689 · DOI	Controlled trial	58 58 Kenyan schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 with haemoglobin below 12.2 g/dl (29 per group)	Drink containing baobab fruit pulp (BFP) fruit pulp not given in the abstract 12 weeks, daily · vs Isoenergy drink without baobab	Changes in haemoglobin, ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor did not differ significantly between groups. Haemoglobin rose 2.2% on baobab and fell 1.2% on control; ferritin fell 17.3% on baobab and 26.0% on control. No significant difference in any iron marker (not reported in the abstract) Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Haemoglobin, ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor Limitations: Small, single-blind, 12 weeks. The authors say no significant effect could be detected. Funding and conflicts: Authors declared no conflict of interest Read: abstract
Foltz 2021 A Pectin-Rich, Baobab Fruit Pulp Powder Exerts Prebiotic Potential on the Human Gut Microbiome In Vitro. Microorganisms · PMID 34576876 · DOI	Laboratory research in-vitro	3 Stool samples from 3 adult donors, in a lab gut model	Baobab fruit pulp powder fermented with human stool samples fruit pulp not stated 48 hours in the lab · vs Compared in the abstract with inulin	Fermentation raised acetate (+18.4 mM at 48 h), propionate (+5.5 mM) and a little butyrate (+0.9 mM). Bacteroidetes rose in all donors; Bifidobacteria, Lactobacilli and Firmicutes rose in a donor-dependent way. The authors call the prebiotic potential promising and exploratory. Acetate +18.4 mM, propionate +5.5 mM, butyrate +0.9 mM at 48 h Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Acids made by gut bacteria (short-chain fatty acids), bacterial groups Limitations: Three donors, lab model, no people fed. Two authors work for the company Döhler (a food ingredients maker). Funding and conflicts: Two authors are employees of Döhler Read: abstract
James 2022 Microbial Contamination and Occurrence of Aflatoxins in Processed Baobab Products in Kenya. Int J Food Sci · PMID 35252436 · DOI	Other	Samples sold in Kenya	Processed baobab products from formal and informal processors in Kenya (pulp, candies) fruit pulp n/a n/a · vs Formal vs informal processors	Pulp from informal processors had more Enterobacteriaceae and yeasts and moulds than formal-processor pulp. Fungal and aflatoxin contamination was found in 25% of pulp from formal and 5% from informal processors and in 5% of candies from informal processors, as the abstract states. Aflatoxin ranged from 3.93 to 11.09 x 10^3 (units as printed in the abstract). Enterobacteriaceae 3.1 vs 0.7 log CFU/g; yeasts and moulds 5.3 vs 3.1 log CFU/g (informal vs formal) Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Bacteria, yeasts and moulds, aflatoxin, moisture Limitations: The abstract's contamination percentages look reversed compared with the microbe counts and its aflatoxin units are unusual; the full paper was not read. Samples came from selected Kenyan counties only. Funding and conflicts: Authors declared no conflict Read: abstract
Liman 2021 Effect of Methanol Extract of Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) Fruit Pulp on N(G)-Nitro-L-Arginine Methyl Ester (L-NAME) Induced Hypertension in Rats. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev · PMID 33826116 · DOI	Animal research animal	48 48 rats with high blood pressure caused by L-NAME	Methanol extract of baobab fruit pulp fruit pulp 200 and 400 mg/kg in rats not stated in the abstract · vs Untreated hypertensive rats; ramipril 10 mg/kg	The extract lowered blood pressure and heart rate dose-dependently and lowered ACE activity, lipids, CRP, IL-1 beta and oxidative stress markers at 400 mg/kg. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Blood pressure, ACE activity, blood fats, inflammation markers Limitations: Rat study with a methanol extract. This is not how baobab is eaten, so no human blood pressure effect can be inferred. Read: abstract
Martini 2019 Anaphylaxis to baobab fruit: the paradox of "natural healthy food". Eur Ann Allergy Clin Immunol · PMID 31686469 · DOI	Case report	1 One reported patient (Italy)	Baobab fruit eaten fruit pulp unknown single event · vs none	The report is titled 'Anaphylaxis to baobab fruit', so a severe allergic reaction after eating baobab fruit has been documented. Only the title and citation were read; this letter has no abstract. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Allergic reaction Limitations: Details were not read: no abstract was available. Read: summary-only
Mohamed Ali 2016 Treatment of iron deficiency anaemia with the natural hematinic Carbaodeim. Sudan J Paediatr · PMID 27651552	Controlled trial	Children with iron-deficiency anaemia, Gezira State, Sudan (numbers not given in the abstract)	Mixed natural product 'Carboadeim': carrots + baobab + Grewia tenax (godeim) fruit pulp not given in the abstract 3 months · vs Iron syrup plus folic acid	Mean haemoglobin rose from 7.38 to 11.67 g/dL (blend) and from 7.35 to 11.384 g/dL (iron syrup). Ferritin rose from 10.30 to 44.34 ng/mL (blend) and from 10.87 to 75.7 ng/mL (iron). Baobab's own contribution cannot be separated. Both groups improved; ferritin rose less on the blend than on iron syrup Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Haemoglobin, ferritin Limitations: A three-ingredient blend, not baobab alone; no baobab-only or placebo arm; group sizes not in the abstract; the comparison is with iron treatment, so it cannot show baobab works by itself. Read: abstract
Monteiro 2022 Nutritional Properties of Baobab Pulp from Different Angolan Origins. Plants (Basel) · PMID 36079651 · DOI	Other n/a	20 20 samples	Baobab pulp from 20 market samples in Namibe, Angola fruit pulp n/a n/a · vs n/a	Composition depended on origin. The best municipality for fibre had 56.62 g fibre and 288.9 mg vitamin C per 100 g; another had the highest phenols (972 mg GAE/100 g) and calcium (3.80 mg/g). Fibre up to 56.62 g/100 g; vitamin C up to 288.9 mg/100 g Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Fibre, vitamin C, minerals, phenols, antioxidant activity Limitations: Market samples from one Angolan province; values are not typical of all products. Funding and conflicts: Authors declared none Read: abstract
Msalilwa 2020 Physicochemical Properties, Fatty Acid Composition, and the Effect of Heating on the Reduction of Cyclopropenoid Fatty Acids on Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) Crude Seed Oil. J Lipids · PMID 33510911 · DOI	Other n/a	Oil samples from semi-arid areas of Tanzania	Crude baobab seed oil from Tanzania, heated at 150, 200 and 250 C seed oil n/a n/a · vs n/a	Baobab seed oil contains two cyclopropenoid fatty acids, which communities perceive as a health risk and which the authors describe as carcinogenic ingredients. The main breakdown of CPFAs occurs at 200 C, so refining at 200 to 250 C is recommended to reduce them. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Fatty acids; cyclopropenoid fatty acids (CPFAs) Limitations: Oil analysis, no animal or human outcomes; the label 'carcinogenic' is the authors' description and no cancer data are given. Funding and conflicts: Authors declared none Read: abstract
Muthai 2017 Nutritional variation in baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) fruit pulp and seeds based on Africa geographical regions. Food Sci Nutr · PMID 29188039 · DOI	Other n/a	Samples from Kenya, Malawi, Mali and others	Baobab pulp and seeds from east, west and southern Africa (composition) pulp; seed n/a n/a · vs n/a	Pulp and seed nutrient and mineral content varied significantly by country. Mean pulp iron was highest in Kenya (57.4 ug/g) and lowest in Mali (13.1 ug/g); crude fibre highest in Kenya (8.68 g/100 g dry weight). The abstract says baobab is associated with savannah drylands of sub-Saharan Africa. Pulp iron 13.1 to 57.4 ug/g Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Protein, fibre, ash and minerals Limitations: Composition only. Read: abstract
Proll 1998 Low nutritional quality of unconventional tropical crop seeds in rats. J Nutr · PMID 9808658 · DOI	Animal research animal	Growing rats	Milled, heat-treated baobab seed as the only protein source in rat diets seed only protein source growth and balance study · vs Casein plus methionine	Baobab seed protein was of lower quality than casein (true digestibility 74.5% vs 98.5%; biological value 70.0 vs 90.4; lysine limiting). The authors said safety studies and processing to remove antinutritional factors and possible toxic constituents were needed. The abstract gives no oxalate value. True digestibility 74.5% vs 98.5% casein Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Protein quality; antinutrients (trypsin inhibitors, phytic acid, oxalate, tannin, alkaloids) Limitations: Rat study of whole seed as the only protein; the abstract does not give the antinutrient values. Read: abstract
Razafimamonjison 2017 Fatty Acid Composition of Baobab Seed and Its Relationship with the Genus Adansonia Taxonomy. Chem Biodivers · PMID 28212461 · DOI	Other n/a	Seed lots of each Adansonia species	Seed oils of Adansonia species (GC analysis) seed oil n/a n/a · vs n/a	All baobab species' oils have palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids as the main fatty acids and also contain cyclopropenic and cyclopropanic acids, which are characteristic of Malvaceae seed oils. Fatty acid profile differs between species groups. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Fatty acid profile Limitations: Composition only. Read: abstract
Riedel 2025 Effects of Baobab fruit powder on gut and cardiometabolic health in obesity-Protocol for a randomised placebo-controlled trial. PLoS One · PMID 40802664 · DOI	Trial protocol	50 50 people with obesity (planned)	Baobab fruit powder (planned) fruit pulp 16 g a day (planned) 45 days (planned) · vs Isocaloric placebo (planned)	This is a plan, not a result. It confirms there are few human studies of baobab powder on gut and heart-and-metabolic health. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Intestinal permeability; blood markers; microbiome; glucose, lipids, blood pressure; liver and kidney tests as safety Limitations: No results yet. Funding and conflicts: Authors list a South African and a Pan African trial registry Registration: PACTR202308727853680; SANCTR DOH-27-062024-8061 Read: abstract
Rita 2022 Adansonia digitata L. (Baobab Fruit) Effect on Postprandial Glycemia in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients · PMID 35057579 · DOI	Controlled trial	31 31 healthy adults (16 control, 15 baobab)	Baobab fruit aqueous extract (250 mL drink) after a glucose drink fruit pulp 250 mL of extract (grams of powder not given in the abstract) single session (acute) · vs Glucose drink only	Blood-sugar area under the curve and peak were lower in the baobab group. The extract was rich in phenols, proanthocyanins and tannins and scavenged free radicals in lab tests. Incremental glucose AUC p=0.012; maximum glucose p=0.029 (actual values not in abstract) Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Blood sugar after a glucose drink (incremental area under the curve, peak); phenols and antioxidant activity of the extract Limitations: Healthy adults only; one session; no people with diabetes; small; the abstract gives no mean differences. Funding and conflicts: Authors declared no conflict of interest Registration: NCT05140629 Read: abstract
Silva 2023 Adansonia digitata L. (Baobab) Bioactive Compounds, Biological Activities, and the Potential Effect on Glycemia: A Narrative Review. Nutrients · PMID 37432337 · DOI	Narrative review	Narrative review of animal and human studies on blood glucose	Baobab fruit and its compounds, mostly pulp fruit pulp various various · vs various	Describes phenols, flavonoids, proanthocyanins, tannins, catechins and carotenoids, and vitamin C and minerals; reviews animal and human glucose studies. A narrative review, not a graded systematic review. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Bioactive compounds, biological activities and effects on glycaemia Limitations: Narrative, not systematic; no pooled result; some authors also wrote the Rita 2022 trial. Funding and conflicts: Authors declared none Read: abstract
Suliman 2020 Ameliorative activity of Adansonia digitata fruit on high sugar/high fat diet-simulated Metabolic Syndrome model in male Wistar rats. Biomed Pharmacother · PMID 32066041 · DOI	Animal research animal	42 42 male Wistar rats	Aqueous baobab fruit fruit pulp 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg a day in rats 3 weeks of treatment after 6 weeks of high-sugar high-fat diet · vs Untreated rats; simvastatin 10 mg/kg	The fruit improved blood fats, blood sugar, liver tests, creatinine and urea in rats, reduced weight by 4 to 11% and eased organ tissue damage. Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Blood fats, blood sugar, weight, liver and kidney tests, tissue changes Limitations: Rat study; no human equivalent dose; no conclusion for people. Funding and conflicts: Authors declared none Read: abstract
Tal-Dia 1997 [A baobab solution for the prevention and treatment of acute dehydration in infantile diarrhea]. Dakar Med · PMID 9827122	Controlled trial	161 161 children aged 6 months or older with acute diarrhoea and mild to moderate dehydration, Senegal (79 WHO, 82 baobab)	Local oral rehydration solution made with baobab fruit ('pain de singe') vs WHO standard solution fruit pulp not given in the abstract 4 to 48 hours · vs WHO oral rehydration solution	The WHO solution did better on both outcomes, but the difference was not statistically significant. The authors recommended the baobab solution for home use for nutritional, economic and cultural reasons. WHO solution superior, not statistically significant Methods, limits and funding Outcomes: Duration of diarrhoea, weight gain Limitations: Old French-language abstract; not clearly blinded; numbers beyond group sizes not in the abstract. Read: abstract
s-efsa-baobab EFSA scientific opinion on baobab · Source	Authoritative guidance n/a			Methods, limits and funding Read: not-found
s-ema-hmpc-baobab EMA / HMPC: baobab herbal monograph · Source	Authoritative guidance n/a			Methods, limits and funding Read: not-found
s-eu-decision-2008-575 Commission Decision 2008/575/EC of 27 June 2008 authorising baobab dried fruit pulp as a novel food ingredient (Regulation (EC) 258/97) · Source	Authoritative guidance n/a			Methods, limits and funding Read: summary-only
s-fda-grn273 FDA GRAS Notice No. 273: Baobab (Adansonia digitata) dried fruit pulp · Source	Authoritative guidance n/a			Methods, limits and funding Read: full-text
s-fsai-baobab-se Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Substantial equivalence opinion, Baobab (Adansonia digitata) fruit pulp (Kupanda, Cyprus; application June 2016) · Source	Authoritative guidance n/a			Methods, limits and funding Read: full-text
s-gbif-adansonia-digitata GBIF Backbone: Adansonia digitata L. (usageKey 5406695) · Source	Reference database n/a			Methods, limits and funding Read: full-text
s-ncbi-taxonomy-adansonia-digitata NCBI Taxonomy: Adansonia digitata (taxid 69109) · Source	Reference database n/a			Methods, limits and funding Read: summary-only
s-nccih-baobab NIH NCCIH: baobab · Source	Authoritative guidance n/a			Methods, limits and funding Read: not-found

What we do not know yet

What the evidence supports: small, short trials in healthy adults show a lower post-meal sugar rise from a fruit-pulp extract, and the pulp is a rich vitamin C food.
No trial has tested baobab for weeks in people with diabetes or prediabetes; a 45-day trial in obesity is planned with no results.
No human trial of blood pressure or cholesterol; only one observational comparison and animal data.
No adult trial on iron; the one children's trial was null.
No human trial of baobab leaf or seed oil, and no oxalate figures for baobab.
No pregnancy, breastfeeding or child safety studies; no interaction studies with medicines in people.
Several trial abstracts do not state the extract amount or volunteer numbers.

How new research is added

New studies are found by a saved PubMed search and are placed in a review queue. A person reads each one before it changes any evidence rating or safety wording. New publications never change ratings automatically.

Lab markers

What changed in blood or saliva tests during trials. A changed number is not the same as feeling or being healthier, and we give no "normal ranges".

Metabolic 4

▼

Blood sugar rise after a glucose load or bread

Lowered in trials

How high blood sugar goes and how much total sugar reaches the blood in the hours after eating, shown as peak and area under the curve.

Low certainty

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

Main outcome of the baobab sugar trials.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

A statistically lower sugar peak in healthy people after one meal is not a clinical benefit; long-term effects and effects in diabetes are unknown.

Safety implication

Sugar-lowering might add to diabetes medicines (theory).

Study	Result	People	Product
²⁸	Incremental AUC lower (p=0.012) and maximum glucose lower (p=0.029) in baobab group vs control; values not in the abstract	31 healthy adults	250 mL baobab fruit aqueous extract after oral glucose
¹¹	Glucose response significantly lower at 18.5 g and 37 g extract with white bread (P<.05)	healthy volunteers (n not given)	Baobab fruit extract in 250 mL water with bread
¹²	Glucose response not lower with 1.88% baobab extract in bread	13 healthy adults	Baobab extract in white bread

^{28 11 12}

▼

Insulin after a meal

Lowered in trials

Insulin released after eating, shown as area under the curve.

Very low certainty

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

Used to judge how much insulin a meal needs.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

Less insulin for the same glucose could be good, but this is one very small study and not a health outcome.

Safety implication

None specific.

Study	Result	People	Product
¹²	Total (0-180 min) and segmental insulin AUC lower with baobab-extract bread (P<.05)	13 healthy adults	1.88% baobab fruit extract in white bread

¹²

▼

LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglycerides

Lowered in trials

Blood fats linked to heart disease risk.

Very low certainty

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

Compared between baobab juice users and non-users.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

Observational difference only in people; rat results not transferable. LDL and triglycerides are surrogate markers, not heart events.

Safety implication

None specific.

Study	Result	People	Product
²	Total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL lower in users (p<0.01); HDL no difference	70 users vs 70 non-users	Habitual A. digitata juice (observational)
³⁰	Dyslipidaemia improved in rats on high-sugar high-fat diet	42 rats	Aqueous baobab fruit 200-800 mg/kg

^{2 30}

●

HbA1c and fasting glucose

No clear change in trials

Average blood sugar over about three months (HbA1c) and sugar after an overnight fast.

Very low certainty

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

Checked in the user/non-user comparison.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

A single observational study; shows no long-term sugar difference in these users.

Safety implication

None.

Study	Result	People	Product
²	No significant difference in fasting glucose or HbA1c (P>0.05)	70 users vs 70 non-users	Habitual A. digitata juice

Organ function 1

●

Haemoglobin

No clear change in trials

Oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells; low levels signal anaemia.

Very low certainty

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

Primary iron outcome.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

The controlled baobab trial was null; the Sudan study used a blend.

Safety implication

None.

Study	Result	People	Product
¹⁶	No significant between-group difference; Hb +2.2% baobab vs -1.2% control	58 Kenyan schoolchildren, 12 weeks	Baobab fruit-pulp drink
²¹	Hb 7.38 to 11.67 g/dL (blend) and 7.35 to 11.384 g/dL (iron syrup) over 3 months	children with iron-deficiency anaemia	Carrot + baobab + Grewia blend

^{16 21}

Other 4

▼

Blood pressure and ACE activity (rats)

Lowered in trials

Pressure of blood in the arteries; ACE is an enzyme that raises it.

Not enough evidence

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

Tested in hypertensive rats.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

Animal result; no human blood-pressure data found.

Safety implication

None specific.

Study	Result	People	Product
¹⁹	Dose-dependent fall in systolic, diastolic and mean pressure; lower ACE activity at 400 mg/kg	48 L-NAME hypertensive rats	Methanol baobab fruit-pulp extract

¹⁹

↕

Ferritin (iron stores)

Mixed results in trials

A blood marker of stored iron.

Very low certainty

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

Used to show iron stores.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

Neither study shows a baobab-only effect.

Safety implication

None.

Study	Result	People	Product
¹⁶	Ferritin fell 17.3% on baobab and 26.0% on control; difference not significant	58 Kenyan schoolchildren	Baobab fruit-pulp drink
²¹	Ferritin 10.30 to 44.34 ng/mL (blend) vs 10.87 to 75.7 ng/mL (iron syrup)	children with IDA	Carboadeim blend

^{16 21}

▲

Bioaccessible iron and zinc (lab)

Raised in trials

The share of iron or zinc in a food that is released in a lab digestion model and could be absorbed.

Not enough evidence

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

Lab way to compare meals.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

Lab model only; bioaccessible is not absorbed.

Safety implication

None.

Study	Result	People	Product
¹	Baobab raised bioaccessible iron up to 111% and zinc up to 60%	lab digestion model	13-15 g baobab per 100 g maize porridge
¹³	25% baobab lowered carotenoid bioaccessibility (13.3% vs 23.8%) but not Caco-2 uptake	lab model and Caco-2 cells	Baobab 0-25% in millet porridge

^{1 13}

▲

Short-chain fatty acids in a lab gut model

Raised in trials

Acids made when gut bacteria ferment fibre.

Not enough evidence

Results and what it means

Why it was measured

Marker of fibre fermentation.

Statistical vs. clinical meaning

Lab result; not a measure in people.

Safety implication

None.

Study	Result	People	Product
¹⁷	Acetate +18.4 mM, propionate +5.5 mM, butyrate +0.9 mM at 48 h	stool from 3 donors, lab	Baobab fruit-pulp powder

¹⁷

Safety

What studies and official sources say about side effects, medicines and who should check first. Each point shows what kind of evidence it comes from.

Main points to know 7

Baobab fruit pulp as a food has regulatory clearance; concentrated extracts, seed oil and leaf do not. In the European Union, baobab dried fruit pulp was authorised as a novel food ingredient (Commission Decision 2008/575/EC, as cited by the Irish food safety authority), and in the United States the FDA replied 'no questions' to a 2008 GRAS notice for dried fruit pulp (GRN 273, closed 25 July 2009). Both cover the pulp as a food ingredient. We found no equivalent clearance for baobab seed oil taken by mouth, for leaf products or for concentrated extracts. That is a different thing from proven safe at any amount in every person. Authoritative guidance ^{35 36 34}
Crude baobab seed oil contains cyclopropene fatty acids that harmed rats. Baobab seed oil contains cyclopropenoid fatty acids (CPFAs: malvalic and sterculic acid). In rats, a diet with fresh baobab oil (1.27% CPFA) slowed growth, enlarged the liver and lowered liver drug-metabolising enzymes, and these changes were partly reversed with heated oil that had far less CPFA (0.046%). Heating at about 200 C breaks most CPFAs down. No human study of eating baobab seed oil was found, so the human risk is unknown. This is animal evidence. Animal research ^{4 7 23 26}
If you take diabetes medicines, tell your prescriber before using baobab regularly. In healthy adults, baobab fruit extract lowered the blood sugar rise after a glucose drink or bread. No study tested baobab in people taking insulin, sulfonylureas or other blood sugar medicines, so the effect when combined is unknown. A bigger sugar-lowering effect is possible in theory. Pharmacological theory ^{28 11 29}
Kidney stones: oxalate content of baobab is not known from the sources read. Oxalate is the main compound in the most common kidney stones. A review of eight African leafy vegetables including baobab leaf says antinutrients in these leaves were mostly oxalates and phytates and varied widely, but gave no baobab-only figure; a 2024 study of baobab leaf recommends that oxalates and phytates be measured. We found no figure for baobab pulp and no case report of stones linked to baobab. People who have had kidney stones should ask their doctor before eating large amounts of leaf or concentrated baobab products. Authoritative guidance ^{6 3 25}
Allergy is possible: a case of anaphylaxis to baobab fruit has been published. A published letter titled 'Anaphylaxis to baobab fruit' describes a severe allergic reaction. Only the title was available to read, so the details are unknown, and there is no way to judge how common this is. Case report ²⁰
Pregnancy and breastfeeding: no safety studies of baobab products were found. We found no study of baobab fruit, leaf or seed oil in pregnancy or breastfeeding. A review notes that 40 g of pulp can supply 84 to over 100% of the vitamin C reference intake for pregnant women, which describes the food's vitamin C content, not its safety. Food amounts of the authorised pulp are probably acceptable, but concentrated extracts, leaf preparations and seed oil by mouth have no safety data. LactMed was not checked. Authoritative guidance ^{8 29}
Buy from clean sources: moulds and flour adulteration were found. Baobab pulp and candies from informal processors in Kenya had more bacteria, yeasts and moulds, and aflatoxin was found in some products. Baobab powder has also been adulterated with cereal flours. Choose products with a named species and part and testing information. Other ^{18 9}

Side effects 5

Effect	How often	Severity and recovery	Evidence
Allergic reaction including anaphylaxis One published case report (title only read). Frequency unknown.	Not established	severe Unknown; needs emergency treatment	Case report ²⁰
Stomach and bowel upset (gas, bloating, loose stools) Baobab pulp is high in fermentable fibre (lab fermentation made acetate, propionate and butyrate). The trial abstracts read did not report adverse-event counts, so no rate can be given.	Not established	mild Presumed reversible	Pharmacological theory ^{17 16}
Low blood sugar when combined with blood-sugar medicines Theoretical. Trials were in healthy adults without drugs.	Not established	moderate Reversible with treatment	Pharmacological theory ^{28 11}
Slower growth and liver enlargement in rats fed crude seed oil Applies to crude seed oil, not pulp.	Rat diet with 1.27% cyclopropenoid fatty acids; no human data	unknown in people Partly reversed with heated oil in rats	Animal research ⁴
Illness from contaminated product (bacteria, mould toxins) Contamination was found in sampled products; no illness reports were read.	Not established	variable Depends on contaminant	Other ¹⁸

Liver

We found no published human case of liver injury from baobab fruit, leaf or seed oil. In one observational comparison of 70 baobab juice users and 70 non-users, liver enzymes did not differ. In rats, a diet rich in crude baobab seed oil enlarged the liver and changed liver drug-metabolising enzymes (cytochrome P-450 and glutathione transferase fell), and rats given fruit or leaf extracts in other studies had improved liver tests. This does not show safety in people. LiverTox was not checked. ^{2 4 30}

How often. No frequency of human liver injury was found. Not finding reports is not proof that none exist.

Monitoring. No agency monitoring advice was found. Stop and seek care for yellow skin or eyes, dark urine or pale stools.

This is a safety connection. It is not evidence that Baobab supports liver health.

Medicines and supplements 6

With	Why it matters	Importance	Evidence	What to do
Diabetes medicines (insulin, sulfonylureas, metformin and others) prescription	Baobab extracts blocked starch-digesting enzymes in the lab and lowered the post-meal glucose rise in healthy adults; an additive effect with drugs is theory.	No study tested baobab in people taking diabetes medicines.	Pharmacological theory Very low certainty ^{28 11 10}	Tell your prescriber and watch for low blood sugar if you begin regular use of concentrated baobab.
Blood-pressure medicines (ACE inhibitors and others) prescription	Baobab pulp and leaf extracts inhibited ACE in the test tube, and a pulp extract lowered pressure in rats.	No human blood-pressure data; an added effect is unproven.	Animal research Not enough evidence ^{19 10}	Tell your prescriber if you use concentrated baobab products and have low blood pressure or dizziness.
Cholesterol-lowering medicines (statins) prescription	In the test tube, pulp and leaf extracts inhibited HMG-CoA reductase, the enzyme statins block.	No human interaction study; the lab finding does not show an effect in people.	Laboratory research Not enough evidence ¹⁰	No specific action is known; mention baobab supplements to your pharmacist.
Iron supplements and iron-rich meals (vitamin C effect) nutrient	Baobab is rich in vitamin C and citric acid; in lab digestion, baobab raised iron and zinc bioaccessibility by up to 111% and 60%.	The one 12-week trial in anaemic children found no significant change in iron status. People with iron-overload disease may absorb too much in theory.	Laboratory research Very low certainty ^{1 16 8}	People with haemochromatosis or told to avoid extra iron should ask their doctor before using concentrated pulp products.
Drugs processed by the liver's cytochrome P-450 enzymes (with crude seed oil) prescription	In rats, crude baobab seed oil lowered liver cytochrome P-450 content and changed several drug-metabolising enzyme activities.	Rat result only; no human data.	Animal research Not enough evidence ⁴	Avoid swallowing crude seed oil, and tell your pharmacist if you do.
Provitamin A foods (carotenoids) eaten in the same porridge nutrient	25% baobab pulp lowered carotenoid bioaccessibility in a lab digestion model but did not change uptake in gut cells.	Lab only; not shown in people.	Laboratory research Not enough evidence ¹³	No action needed from this single lab study.

Who should check first 6

Situation	Advice	Evidence
Known allergy to baobab or a past reaction to it	Do not use; seek emergency care for breathing trouble or throat swelling.	Case report ²⁰
Taking medicines for diabetes	Not forbidden, but ask your prescriber first; watch for low blood sugar.	Pharmacological theory ^{28 11}
Previous kidney stones or kidney disease (large amounts of leaf or concentrated products)	Ask your doctor; the oxalate content of baobab is not established in the sources read.	Authoritative guidance ^{6 3}
Iron overload (for example haemochromatosis)	Ask your doctor before regular concentrated pulp products, because vitamin C increases iron absorption.	Pharmacological theory ^{1 8}
Pregnancy or breastfeeding: concentrated extracts, leaf preparations and seed oil by mouth	Avoid unless a clinician agrees; no safety data were found. Food amounts of authorised pulp are a separate question for your doctor or midwife.	Authoritative guidance ⁸
Swallowing crude (unrefined) baobab seed oil	Avoid; contains cyclopropene fatty acids that harmed rats.	Animal research ^{4 23}

Overdose, product quality and regulators

Summary. Baobab fruit pulp has regulatory clearance as a food ingredient; the Irish food safety authority recorded contaminants (heavy metals, mycotoxins, bacteria) within limits for one supplier. For the seed oil the concern is cyclopropene fatty acids (animal data). No human overdose data were found for any part.

Animal. Rats on a diet with 1.27% cyclopropenoid fatty acids from fresh seed oil had retarded growth and larger livers; heated oil with 0.046% CPFA was less harmful (Andrianaivo-Rafehivola 1995). Fresh oil's CPFAs strongly reduced fatty acid desaturation in rat liver (Cao 1993). Whole seed fed as the only protein was poorly digested and the authors asked for safety studies (Proll 1998).

Human doses studied. Pulp drink for 12 weeks in 58 children (Evang 2021; amount not in the abstract); single extract drinks of 250 mL or 18.5 and 37 g in healthy adults; a planned trial of 16 g a day for 45 days (no results).

High dose or long term signals. No long-term human safety data beyond 12 weeks were found.

Overdose response. No overdose case was found.

Genotoxicity. Not found in the sources read. The authors of the oil analysis call CPFAs carcinogenic ingredients without giving cancer data in the abstract.

Toxic plant parts. Crude seed oil (cyclopropene fatty acids). No toxic part of the pulp was identified in the sources read. Seeds contain antinutrients (including oxalate and phytic acid, no values in the abstract) and poor-quality protein.

Quality problems found were mould, aflatoxin and bacteria in informally processed products, and adulteration of baobab powder with cereal flours.

Microbes and aflatoxin in Kenyan baobab products. Pulp from informal processors had more Enterobacteriaceae (3.1 vs 0.7 log CFU/g) and yeasts and moulds (5.3 vs 3.1) than from formal processors. Fungal and aflatoxin contamination was found in some pulp and candy samples (the abstract's percentages look reversed against the microbe counts and its aflatoxin units are unusual; full paper not read). ¹⁸

Adulteration with cereal flour. With rising demand, baobab pulp powder is being adulterated with similar-looking sifted rice, maize and wheat flours; a lab method detected 10 to 30% added flour using raffinose as a marker. ⁹

Authorised pulp specifications. Heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury), mycotoxins and bacteria were within regulatory or guideline limits for one pulp supplier reviewed by the Irish food safety authority. ³⁶

Seed oil refining. Heating crude seed oil to about 200 C breaks down most cyclopropenoid fatty acids. ²³

Body	Action	Date
US Food and Drug Administration (GRAS notice program) (United States)	GRN 273, baobab (Adansonia digitata) dried fruit pulp: filed 19 Dec 2008, closed 25 Jul 2009; FDA 'no questions'. Intended uses: blended fruit drinks and fruit cereal bars (up to 10% and 15%), and grain products, juices, milk products, beverages and sugar candies (0.5 to 3.8%). A no-questions letter is not an FDA approval. source	2009-07-25

When to get medical help

Swelling of lips, tongue or throat, wheeze, hives or trouble breathing after eating baobab: call emergency services now.
A child with diarrhoea who cannot drink, is very sleepy, has a dry mouth or has passed no urine: get medical care at once; do not rely on a home drink.
Shaky hands, sweating, confusion or fainting while on diabetes medicines (possible low blood sugar).
Severe one-sided back or side pain with blood in the urine (possible kidney stone).
Yellow skin or eyes, dark urine or pale stools: stop the product and seek care.

Stop the supplement and contact a clinician or emergency service. In the US, Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222.

General information only, not medical advice. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before use, especially with medicines, in pregnancy or with a health condition. See the Natural Remedy Safety guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is baobab?

Baobab (Adansonia digitata) is the large African tree. People use its dry fruit pulp as a tart, vitamin C-rich food, its leaves as a vegetable and its seed oil on skin. Most human research is on the fruit pulp only.

^{37 8}

Does baobab lower blood sugar?

In two small trials in healthy adults, a baobab fruit extract drink lowered the sugar rise after a glucose drink or bread, but a third small trial with the extract baked into bread did not. None tested people with diabetes or long-term use, so it is not a diabetes treatment. Rated low certainty.

^{28 11 12}

Is it safe with diabetes medicines?

Nobody has tested that. Because baobab lowered post-meal sugar in healthy people, an added effect with diabetes medicines is possible in theory. Tell your prescriber before using it regularly.

^{28 11}

Can baobab fix iron deficiency or anaemia?

Not proven. Baobab is rich in vitamin C, which helps iron absorption, and in the lab it raised the iron available from porridge. But a 12-week trial in 58 anaemic Kenyan schoolchildren found no significant change in haemoglobin or iron stores.

^{16 1}

Is baobab good for the gut?

The pulp is a fermentable fibre, and in lab gut models it raised short-chain fatty acids made by gut bacteria. No human trial of baobab on gut health has reported results, so this is an early idea only.

^{17 14 27}

Does baobab lower blood pressure or cholesterol?

Not shown in people. One observational study found lower cholesterol in baobab juice users than non-users, which cannot show cause. Blood pressure results come from rats and test tubes only.

^{2 19 10}

Is it safe in pregnancy or while breastfeeding?

No safety studies were found. The pulp is a vitamin C-rich food, but concentrated extracts, leaf preparations and seed oil by mouth have no safety data. Ask your doctor or midwife.

⁸

Does baobab contain oxalate? Is it a problem for kidney stones?

Baobab's oxalate content was not found in the sources read. A review of eight African leafy vegetables, including baobab leaf, says their antinutrients were mostly oxalates and phytates. If you have had kidney stones, ask your doctor before eating large amounts of leaf or concentrated products.

^{6 3}

What side effects can it cause?

Fermentable fibre can cause gas or bloating in some people in general, though baobab trials did not report rates. One published case describes anaphylaxis to baobab fruit. Stop and seek care for swelling or trouble breathing.

^{17 20}

Is baobab approved in the EU and US?

The dried fruit pulp was authorised as a novel food ingredient in the EU (2008) and got an FDA 'no questions' letter on a company GRAS notice (2009). We found no EMA herbal monograph or NCCIH page for baobab, and no clearance for seed oil as a food.

^{35 36 33 39}

Is baobab seed oil safe to eat?

Not enough is known. Crude seed oil contains cyclopropene fatty acids that slowed growth and enlarged the liver in rats; heating the oil at about 200 C breaks most of them down. No human study of eating the oil was found. On skin, no baobab-specific trial exists.

^{4 23 5}

How can I tell if baobab powder is poor quality?

Look for a label naming Adansonia digitata and the part (fruit pulp), where it was dried and testing information. Moulds and aflatoxin were found in some Kenyan products, and powders have been cut with rice, maize or wheat flour. For amounts, ask a doctor or pharmacist.

^{18 9}

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Editorial transparency

Written by: AlternativeMed editorial team. Research compiled with AI assistance, then checked against PubMed records.
Medical review: None. This page has not been reviewed by a physician or pharmacist.
First published: 2026-10-25
Last substantive update: 2026-10-25
How we research: We searched PubMed, the FDA GRAS inventory, the Irish food safety authority's opinion on baobab pulp and other regulators' pages, and recorded each study's design, people, product and result as reported. Only abstracts were read for most studies. The text of the 2008 EU decision could not be opened, and EMA, EFSA and NCCIH pages on baobab were not found; those are marked not verified. One case report was read by title only. Certainty ratings are the compiler's own reading, not formal grades. No study is cited that we could not verify.
How we rate evidence: See "How we rate evidence" in the Evidence tab.
Independence: No product is promoted on this page. No affiliate links are shown. If one is added later it will be labelled and kept apart from the evidence.

Sources 39

Each source was opened and checked. Where we read only the abstract, it says so. The small numbers in the text point here.

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Tal-Dia A, Toure K, Sarr O et al.. [A baobab solution for the prevention and treatment of acute dehydration in infantile diarrhea].. Dakar Med. 1997. PMID 9827122. (abstract)
. EFSA scientific opinion on baobab. . . (not-found)
. EMA / HMPC: baobab herbal monograph. . . (not-found)
. Commission Decision 2008/575/EC of 27 June 2008 authorising baobab dried fruit pulp as a novel food ingredient (Regulation (EC) 258/97). . . (summary-only)
. FDA GRAS Notice No. 273: Baobab (Adansonia digitata) dried fruit pulp. . . (full-text)
. Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Substantial equivalence opinion, Baobab (Adansonia digitata) fruit pulp (Kupanda, Cyprus; application June 2016). . . (full-text)
. GBIF Backbone: Adansonia digitata L. (usageKey 5406695). . . (full-text)
. NCBI Taxonomy: Adansonia digitata (taxid 69109). . . (summary-only)
. NIH NCCIH: baobab. . . (not-found)

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