Carob - Health Benefits and Side Effects

Botanical Name of Carob: Ceratonia siliqua.

Other Common Names: Locust bean, St. John's bread.

Habitat: The carob tree is native to the Mediterranean region and some parts of Western Asia and the Middle East.

Plant Description: The carob is a dome-shaped evergreen tree that is a member of the pea family. It can reach over thirty feet or ten meters in height when fully grown. The compound leaves are dark green in colour and the tree bears green flowers which blossom in the autumn. The fruit of the carob tree are called pods, brown in colour, and take a year to ripen.

Plant Part Used: Seeds, pods and sometimes the bark.

Carob Tree (Ceratonia siliqua)
(Click on image to enlarge)
Attribution:Giancarlo Dessì

Carob Pods & Powder

Raw Carob Pods by Starwest Botanicals Carob Powder (Medium Roast) by Starwest Botanicals

Therapeutic Benefits and Uses of Carob and Claims

• The carob has been used for human consumption and also as animal feed in the Mediterranean countries for centuries. It is said that the pods of the carob tree sustained the biblical figure John the Baptist while he was praying in the desert. Hence the carob is also known as St. John's bread.

Carob
(Ceratonia siliqua)
Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé
Flora von Deutschland,
Österreich und der Schweiz - 1885,
• Because of the high pectin and tannin content of the carob pods it has been used as an herbal remedy for diarrhea. Pectin is a polysaccharide, a water soluble substance, thought to aid in digestion and bacterial infections. The tannis which are carbohydrates and plant pigments have antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Additionally the tannins retain water and act as a binding agent resulting in firmer stools.
• The fiber of the carob bean, also known by the name locust bean gum, may be helpful in lowering cholesterol and for diabetes as it could regulate blood sugar levels.
• There is some indication that the fiber can be used as a remedy to lose weight and that carob powder can be helpful for prostatitis and prostate infections.
• The lignans, estrogen-like chemicals called phytoestrogens found in the carob plant, are thought to have antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Those lignans could be helpful in the fight against some oestrogen-related cancers, and they might be used as an oestrogen replacement during and after menopause.
• Carob has been used traditionally to remove warts, treat constipation and heartburn and herbal remedies made from the pods have been used for persistent cough.
• Early research made in France indicates that carob could be useful in stimulating inactive kidneys and for chronic kidney failure but more research is needed to confirm this use.
• The powder made from the seedpods is widely used in cosmetic herbal face packs to cleans and tone the skin.
• Further traditional uses of the carob pods include remedies for intestinal worms, poor eyesight and eye infections.
• Carob beans are popular substitute for cocoa. It contains fewer calories, is caffeine-free and non addictive. Also it does not interfere with the body's assimilation of calcium like cocoa and chocolate.

Dosage and Administration

Carob can be taken as a tea, an extract or a capsule. When used as a remedy for diarrhea the usual dosage for adults is around 20 grams per day and children 15 grams per day. Carob should always be taken with plenty of water.

Side Effects and Possible Interactions of Carob

When carob is used as an herbal medicine it is usually considered a save herb. There is a possibility for allergic reaction to remedies made from carob but those are considered very rare and there are no known drug interactions. The use of carob for infants for medical use is thought to be safe but it should always be under supervision of a certified or licensed health care provider.

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