Carob – a friend of children’s digestion and one of our grandmothers’ favourite spices |
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With the holidays fast approaching, many of you are enjoying in preparing and tasting holiday sweets. If you’re opting for healthy ones, let carob be one of your main ingredients.
Carob is a Mediterranean evergreen with the Latin name of Ceratonia silique, which bears profusely brown edible pods. The pods contain seeds which, regardless of their size and how they are stored, always have an equal mass of precisely 0.18 grams.
In ancient times carob seeds were used to weigh gold, and the name used for that 0.18-gram unit of gold is still used to this day – carat.
A favourite ingredient of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers, it has been in use for a full 4000 years. The Egyptians used it as a medicine, the Greeks and Romans as a natural dessert.
In the German language it is called Johannisbrot, which means John’s bread, according to the legend the even John the Baptist fed on carob.
Health benefits and properties of carob
Even though, economically speaking, carob is not worth its weight in gold today, it could be invaluable to you for its health benefits.
Carob is rich in calcium, potassium and copper as well as riboflavin.
It contains smaller doses of vitamin E and B group vitamins, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese and selenium.
It also features tannins and gallic acid, which has analgesic, antiseptic, antibacterial, antioxidant and antiviral properties.
It helps in strengthening the immune system and preventing allergies, as well as in preventing polio.
Due to high quantities of phosphorus and calcium, carob supports the health of teeth and bones and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
Studies have shown it prevents uterine cancer and it is recommended in the prevention of lung cancer as well.
Carob – a friend to children
Carob is rich in tannins, which inhibit the growth of bacteria and offer protection from certain toxins and free radicals.
It has been popular in paediatric care since 1941, when Spanish physician Ramos observed that hungry children in Spain who fed on carob experienced less digestive problems than other children.
That was also confirmed by a study in which infants were cured of diarrhoea with carob and conventional medicines.
The group of infants which was treated with carob began to recover after two days, while the group which was treated using conventional medicines took twice as long to recover.
The first group also experienced a more rapid return to normal body temperature and weight.
You can make a safe medicine for diarrhoea in infants by mixing 15 grams of ground carob with mashed sweet potatoes. It also helps in enteritis and dyspepsia, other frequent digestive problems in babies and small children.
Because of its valuable and curative properties carob is also an appropriate ingredient for infants six months old or older.
Dried carob is a healthy, sweet alternative for babies to chew on when their teeth are growing.
It reduces cholesterol and blood-sugar levels
Carob is rich in polyphenols, which have a strong antioxidant activity. Because of specific biological activities they protect the heart and blood vessels.
Consuming foods rich in complex carbohydrates such as carob significantly help in reducing cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
In one study, subjects who consumed carob on a daily basis had an 18% drop in overall cholesterol levels and a 23% drop in LDL cholesterol levels.
Tea to fight gout
Ingredients:
- 2 carobs
- 3 dcl water
Preparation: Break up the carobs and boil in 3 dcl of water. It's best to cook the tea at night and let it sit until morning. Drain and drink on an empty stomach.
Repeat over the course of 20-25 days. It’s proven to reduce urates in the blood by over 100 units.
Tea to fight diarrhoea and strengthen the digestive system
Ingredients:
- 5 grams of carob
- 1 dcl water
Preparation:
Gently boil five grams of carob in water and let it sit for an hour. Do not drain the tea, let bits of carob stay in it so they continue releasing curative properties.
Drink before a meal 2-3 times a day, 1 dcl at a time.
Medicinal properties of carob:
- prevents digestive problems
- lowers bad cholesterol and blood sugar
- expectorant which helps with asthma
- strengthens the immune system
- acts against allergies
- protects the health of the heart and blood vessels
- strengthens the bones
Carob in gastronomy
The most well-known culinary use of carob is dried carob powder, which serves as an excellent substitute for cocoa.
In the food industry carob products are used as thickeners and stabilizers.
Carob is an excellent ingredient for anyone avoiding ingredients with caffeine, oxalates and purines.
The pods and seeds can be eaten raw, and fried ground seeds can be served as a substitute for coffee.
Because of its binding properties it is excellent when preparing various sweets and products made of dough.
It is very sweet and should be used in small amounts, which makes the sweets prepared with it nutritionally acceptable.
It is recommended for vegans, raw food practitioners and diabetics.
Ground carob can be bought in most stores, and carob pods can be bought in supermarkets, markets and health food stores.
Carob cake
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup of olive oil
- ¾ cup of muscovado sugar or honey
- cup of integral flower
- ½ cup of oat milk
- 100 g ground carob
- 100 g raisins
- 2 bananas
- 3-4 grated apple
- ½ teaspoon of baking soda
- 50 g dark chocolate for the frosting
Preparation:
Mix together all the above ingredients and bake in a greased baking tin/pan for 25 minutes at 180°C.
Take out the cake and pour the dark chocolate glaze over the top.
Carob and banana vegan pudding
Ingredients:
- 2 small bananas
- 1 tablespoon of ground carob
- 2 spoons of fresh orange juice
- 1 spoon of finely chopped nuts
Preparation:
Mash bananas, add carob, fresh orange juice and nuts, mix well, and the tasty vegan pudding is finished.
You can find high-quality carob powder in the Alternativa Webshop.
http://www.realrawfood.com
http://www.iscjeljivanje.net
http://www.coolinarika.com
http://www.bodyenlightenment.me
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