Carob
Scientific names: Ceratonia siliqua
Family: Fabaceae/Leguminosae
Alternate names: Algarrobo, Carob Flour, Carob Gum, Carob Pods, Carob Syrup, Caroube, Carouge, Charoupomelo, Fève de Pythagore, Figuier d'Égypte, Garrofero, Koumpota, Kountourka, Locust Bean, Locust Bean Gum, Locust Pods, Pain de Saint Jean-Baptiste, St. John's Bread, Sugar Pods, Tylliria
Actions: Anticancer, Antidiabetes, Antidiarrheal, Antioxidant (free radical scavenging), Antiviral, Digestive, Gastroesophageal reflux (in infants), Gastrointestinal, Hyperlipidemia, Weight loss
Background
Carob is a tree. Don't confuse carob with Jacaranda caroba, which is also known as carob tree. People use the carob fruit (pods and seeds) for medicine and in foods.
Carob is used for diarrhea, diabetes, prediabetes, persistent heartburn, obesity, athletic performance, and high cholesterol, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
In foods and beverages, carob is used as a flavoring agent and as a chocolate substitute. Carob flour and extracts are also used as ingredients in food products.
Carob is used for diarrhea, diabetes, prediabetes, persistent heartburn, obesity, athletic performance, and high cholesterol, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
In foods and beverages, carob is used as a flavoring agent and as a chocolate substitute. Carob flour and extracts are also used as ingredients in food products.
Safety Safety definitions
When taken by mouth: Carob is LIKELY SAFE for most people when taken in food amounts or as a medicine. Some people are allergic to carob.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if carob is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid amounts greater than those found in foods.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Children: Carob gum is POSSIBLY SAFE when used as a thickener for regular healthy term infants who have problems with vomiting after feeding. It is POSSIBLY UNSAFE to use carob-based milk thickening agents in preterm infants. There have been two deaths thought to be related to the use of this thickener.Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if carob is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid amounts greater than those found in foods.
Effectiveness
NatMed Pro rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate.
Possibly effective Effectiveness definitions
- Diarrhea. Some research suggests that drinking juice extracted from raw carob bean or taking carob pod powder before taking standard oral rehydration solution (ORS) reduces the duration of symptoms in children and infants with acute diarrhea.
- High cholesterol. Most research suggests that taking carob pulp or specific carob products (Caromax, Nutrinova; Exxenterol, Puleva Biotech SA) by mouth daily for up to 6 weeks reduces total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol in people with moderately high cholesterol.
Insufficient evidence Effectiveness definitions
- Athletic performance . Early research in trained athletes suggests that taking carob pod powder by mouth for 6 weeks improves elements of athletic performance.
- Conditions in a man that prevent him from getting a woman pregnant within a year of trying to conceive (male infertility). Early research suggests that taking syrup made of ground carob pods can improve sperm function in men with infertility. But it may not increase the number of babies born.
- Inherited tendency towards high cholesterol (familial hypercholesterolemia). Early research suggests that taking carob gum by mouth for 4-8 weeks reduces total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol levels in children and adults with familial hypercholesterolemia.
- Obesity. Early research shows that carob might lower cholesterol levels in overweight adults.
- Prediabetes. Some research suggests that taking carob by mouth in a beverage helps to improve blood sugar in people at risk of diabetes.
- Celiac disease.
- Sprue.
- Heartburn.
- Vomiting during pregnancy.
- Other conditions.
Dosing & administration
The following doses have been studied in scientific research:
ADULTS
BY MOUTH:
BY MOUTH:
ADULTS
BY MOUTH:
- High cholesterol: 4 grams twice daily of a carob fiber containing 80% polyphenols (Exxenterol, Puleva Biotech SA) for 4 weeks. 15 grams daily of a specific carob product (Caromax, Nutrinova) for 6 weeks. 15 grams daily of carob pulp in prepared food products.
BY MOUTH:
- Diarrhea: In children, 20 mL/kg of juice extracted from raw carob bean, followed by standard oral rehydration solution (ORS) over 4-6 hours. In infants, 1.5 grams/kg of carob pod powder, up to a maximum dose of 15 grams each day, along with ORS for up to 6 days..
Interactions with pharmaceuticals
Medications taken by mouth (Oral drugs)
Interaction Rating=Minor Be watchful with this combination.
Carob is a type of fiber. Fiber can change how much medicine the body absorbs. Taking carob along with medicine you take by mouth can change the effectiveness of the medicine. To prevent this interaction take carob 30-60 minutes after medications you take by mouth.
Interactions with herbs & supplements
Calcium: Carob seems to reduce the amount of calcium that the body absorbs.
Iron: Carob seems to reduce the amount of iron that the body absorbs.
Zinc: Carob seems to reduce the amount of zinc that the body absorbs
Iron: Carob seems to reduce the amount of iron that the body absorbs.
Zinc: Carob seems to reduce the amount of zinc that the body absorbs
Interactions with foods
There are no known interactions with foods.
Action
Carob contains chemicals and fiber. These compounds might cause weight loss, reduce blood sugar and insulin levels, and lower cholesterol levels.
Products
View all products
Per 5 g:
- Ceratonia siliqua (pod) powder (Carob) 0.9 g
- Taraxacum officinale 1 g
- Hordeum vulgare (Barley) 0.9 g
- Natural flavours
- Siraitia grosvenorii (Monk fruit)
- Xanthan gum
- Phoenix dactylifera (Date)
- Ficus carica (fruit) (Fig fruit)
- Eleutherococcus senticosus ext. 50 mg
- Panax ginseng ext. 50 mg
- Glycyrrhiza spp. ext. 50 mg
- Zingiber officinale ext.
- Piper nigrum ext.
RRP: $16.95$13.22Save: 22%
Per 15 g:
- Ceratonia siliqua (pod) powder (Carob)
- Cocoa powder
- Theobroma cacao (seed) powder
- Pouteria lucuma (fruit) powder
- Melissa officinalis ext.
- Ginkgo biloba ext.
- Eleutherococcus senticosus ext.
- Bacopa monnieri ext.
- Lepidium meyenii (root) powder
- L-glutamine
- Inulin (Dietary fibre)
- Magnesium citrate
- Coconut milk powder
- Fragaria ananassa (Strawberry)
- Natural chocolate flavour
- Pink Himalayan crystal salt
- Natural vanilla flavour
- Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (Guar gum)
- Xylitol
- Stevia rebaubiana
RRP: $19.95$15.56Save: 22%
Discontinued by Morlife
Per 6 g:
- Ceratonia siliqua (pod) powder (Carob)
- Theobroma cacao
- Lepidium meyenii
- Coconut medium-chain triglyceride (Coconut MCT)
- Vanilla planifolia (bean) extract
- Pink Himalayan crystal salt
- Luo Han Guo (fruit) ext. (Monk fruit)
- Tribulus terrestris
- Epimedium sagittatum
- Turnera diffusa
- Sunflower lecithin
RRP: $22.95$19.05Save: 17%
Per 7 g:
- Ceratonia siliqua (pod) powder (Carob)
- Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (Partially hydrolysed guar gum (PHGG))
- Plantago ovata (husk) (Psyllium)
- Ulmus rubra (bark)
- Ficus carica (fruit) (Fig fruit)
- Sugarcane fibre
- Green banana
- Cinnamon zeylanicum
- Oryza sativa (Rice bran)
- Natural flavours
- Opuntia ficus indica (cladode) (Prickly pear)
- Althaea officinalis (root)
- Luo Han Guo (fruit) ext. (Monk fruit)
- Foeniculum vulgare (seed)
- Glycyrrhiza glabra (root)
- Zingiber officinale (root)
- Aloe barbadensis
- Amorphophallus konjac (root) (Konjac root)
- Yucca schidegera
- Acacia sp. (gum)
RRP: $49.95$42.46Save: 15%
Per 8 g:
- Ceratonia siliqua (pod) powder (Carob)
- Plantago ovata (husk) (Psyllium)
- Yucca schidegera 1.04 g
- Ulmus rubra (bark)
- Artichoke inulin
- Oryza sativa (Rice bran)
- Sunflower lecithin
- Luo Han Guo (fruit) ext. (Monk fruit)
- Natural flavours
- Oryza sativa (Brown rice protein)
Discontinued by NPM
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This monograph was last reviewed on 23/11/2022 18:07:41 and last updated on 19/09/2020 01:00:15. Monographs are reviewed and/or updated multiple times per month and at least once per year.
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Natural Medicines rates safety based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Likely Safe, Possibly Safe, Possibly Unsafe, Likely Unsafe, Unsafe, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate. For more information about Natural Medicines’ Safety Rating System, click here.
The Natural Medicines Effectiveness Ratings are assigned for specific indications. A product might be rated "Possibly Effective" for one condition, but be rated "Likely Ineffective" for another condition, depending on the evidence. For more info click here.
