What Are The Health Benefits Of Carob?

Once referred to as locust, carob pods are mainly found in Mediterranean countries. Evergreen carob trees can generally grow wherever citrus or olive trees are grown, meaning a warm, dry climate. California has a few trees, but because higher-yield crops and fruits grow in the same areas little effort is put into carob production. The pod's fruit is technically a legume and commonly used as a chocolate alternative, but it has many applications in the food industry.

History

Carob was first used thousands of years ago. Even the Bible has references to carob. It was once believed that John the Baptist sustained himself using the carob bean, so carob is also referred to as St. John's bread. The Spanish carried carob to South America and Mexico, while the British took carob to South Africa, India and Australia. It wasn't until the mid-1800s that carob was intentionally brought to the United States.

Antioxidant

Carob is high in antioxidants. A study published in the "Plant Foods for Human Nutrition" journal in March 2011 found carob germ flour showed not only antioxidant but also cytotoxic activities. The flour has capabilities to attack and target specific cervical cancer cells, the study found. The antioxidant activity helps the body repair free radical damage, which is a process of aging.

Fiber

Plants are naturally high in insoluble fibers, which contain polyphenols. Another study published in "Plant Foods for Human Nutrition" in January 2010 compared two groups of people with high cholesterol. One group took a placebo, while the other group consumed approximately 4 g of carob fiber a few times a day. At the end of only four weeks, the group eating the carob fiber had lower total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.

Gastrointestinal Support

The Physical Nutrition website states carob has a binding action within the intestinal tract. This means it helps absorb liquid and aids problems such as diarrhea. Children and infants with diarrhea can be feed 2 tbsp. of carob powder mix with pureed cooked fruit, such as apples. This is a gentle and natural way to help with diarrhea. It works for adults as well, according to the website.

Nutrients

In a 1-oz. serving of unsweetened carob chips, there are 70 calories, 3.5 g of fat and no cholesterol. Unlike chocolate, carob is naturally sweet and contains 8 g of total carbohydrates per ounce of chips, of which 7 g are sugars. Carob is high in fiber, containing 2 g per serving. In addition, carob contains decent amounts of protein at 2 g per serving, according to the SunSpire website. Pound-per-pound comparisons to chocolate show carob has one-third the calories and approximately half the fat content of chocolate, according to the University of California at Los Angeles Botany division.