Remember those funky looking trees in the movie The Lion King? Many people recognize this tall tree with sparse leaves reaching towards the sky and associate it immediately with Africa, but most could not name the tree, nor the vast amount of benefits this tree provides.
The Baobab Tree is a prehistoric tree commonly referred to as the “Tree of Life" because of its ability to produce nutrient filled superfruit. But this is only a small part of the uses for the tree.There are actually more than 300 documented traditional uses for the entire tree throughout Africa! From an immune stimulant to an anti-inflammatory, to an insect repellent, Baobab is constantly used in the daily lives of African people.
The Baobab tree, commonly referred to as the upside-down tree or monkey bread tree has an incredibly unique growing style. They are easily recognizable because of their appearance. Some are tall and skinny and others are shorter with fat trunks. Many of the trucks can grow to over 30 feet in diameter because of the need to store vast amounts of water during the arid dry seasons in Africa.
The word “baobab” is derived from the Arabic buhibab, meaning “fruit with many seeds.” It takes the Baobab tree around eight to twenty-three years to produce seeds, but once they do, the tree can produce anywhere from 150-250 pieces of fruit per year. The pulp of the Baobab fruit matures throughout the dry season and becomes a powder inside the fruit. The pulp part of the fruit is what Tiiga Nature’s Hydration uses to make our baobab electrolyte drink mix.
A Ripe Baobab Fruit with its Dried Pulp PowderWhat is it Used For?
The Baobab fruit has many uses. The fruit is used for medicinal purposes and making everyday products. In African traditional medicine, baobab fruit pulp is used to treat fever, diarrhea, dysentery, smallpox, measles, hemoptysis (the coughing up of blood), and as a painkiller. Many women in Africa eat Baobab during pregnancy because of the high level of nutrients the fruit offers. Baobab is also used for the treatment of infant diarrhea, women combine the floury pulp with millet flour and give it to the child until they are cured.
With 7g of Baobab in every serving Tiiga Nature’s Hydration is a great way to obtain the benefits that the Baobab fruit holds.
