Introducing Aduna Baobab

AdunaIf you are up on your ‘superfoods’ you may have heard of Baobab, a nutrient-dense raw wholefood from the Baobab tree commonly known as the ‘Tree of Life’ which is an excellent source of vitamin C and dietary fibre.

Our friends at Aduna are the leading suppliers of Baobab powder and capsules. Aduna is an Africa-inspired health and beauty brand, the name meaning ‘life’ or ‘world’ in Wolof, the local language of Senegal and The Gambia. Aduna was set up by Andrew Hunt and Nick Salter, both of whom had travelled extensively around Africa but during a trip to Senegal in 2008 tasted bouye, a West African drink made from the fruit of the baobab tree. The question was, why was this amazing nutrient rich fruit not widely known in the rest of the world? The answer was to set up Aduna!

Aduna work alongside suppliers and their communities to ensure that their business is fair and free from exploitation. Aduna give 10% of their profits to the Aduna Foundation which has set out to ensure fair wages for those who cultivate the unique fruit and help them grow for the long term. Most importantly while helping small scale producers they not only work hard to help them supply their products to the western world, they also work hard to create a demand for them. By promoting and marketing these under-utilised but remarkable natural products from small scale producers in Africa.

So what is Baobab?

Baobab Tree

By Bernard Gagnon (Own work)

The Adansonia tree is commonly known as the baobab tree and can be found in many parts of Africa. Also affectionately known as ‘The Tree of Life’ or ‘Upside Down Tree’, the baobab is an icon of the African savannah, a symbol of positivity and and life in a landscape where little else can grow and thrive.
There is no such thing as a baobab plantation; every tree is community-owned and wild-harvested. The fruit is about the size of a coconut but with a hard outer shell which could probably withstand a whack from a meat cleaver and the fruit inside being a dry and sticky power it is best served as an ingredient to drinks, smoothies or cereal bars. Unlike other fruits, baobab dries naturally on the branch; it is simply harvested, the seeds removed and then sieved. It is a 100% pure and natural product.

What does it contain?

Baobab is often referred to as the most super of ‘superfruits’, having twice the calcium level of milk, 10 times the antioxidant levels and six times more vitamin C than oranges, being high in potassium and phosphorus certainly help it to live up to it’s reputation!
What can it do?

The benefits of baobab are plentiful:

Giving you energy
Baobab is a great source of vitamin B1, vitamin C and vitamin B6 which contribute to the processes that yield energy in the body. Vitamin C also increases iron absorption.

Immune system
A small deficiency of nutrients can affect the immune system. No single food can provide all of the nutrients the body needs so eating a rich variety of fruits and vegetables will help keep your immune system strong. With baobab being such a good source of vitamin C and B6 both of which contribute to the normal function of the immune system it makes a great addition to your balanced diet to stay healthy!

Digestive Health
A healthy digestive system is an efficient digestive system. Digestive health is central to good health and importantly keeps you feeling good from the inside out. Baobab is an excellent source of fibre and calcium both of which contributes to the normal function of digestive systems.

Aging and healthy skin
Modern day life is full of things that don’t help your skin; pollution, air conditioning, chemicals all can have a negative effect on the health of your skin. To fight this a balanced diet containing nutrients important for a healthy skin, having time to relax and being physically active can all help and boost your skin health. Baobab has the highest antioxidant capacities of any fruit in the world. Antioxidants help protect our cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Again being an excellent source of vitamin C, which helps to protect cells from oxidative stress and contributes to the normal function of collagen in skin. It has also developed a cult following amongst health and beauty writers and major celebrities including Livia Firth, Vivienne Westwood and supermodel Lily Cole. It was also the supplement of choice for top models during London Fashion Week for these reasons.

So where can you get baobab?

Baobab PowderYou guessed it, here! Aduna have made it far more accessible to people in the UK and have been selling baobab products since 2012 and promoting their belief that African products are very relevant to the western world.

Aduna Baobab Fruit Pulp Powder – as a powder it is ideal to mix into anything from cereal, smoothies, yogurt, cake mixes and even soup!

Aduna Baobab Fruit Pulp Capsules – Not got time to mix into your foods? Simply take two to three capsules twice a day to boost your health and energy the natural way!

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