Carob: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews

Overview

Carob (Ceratonia siliqua) is a tree native to Mediterranean regions. Its fruit are broad pods that are eaten as food and also used in medicine.

The carob fruit contains dietary fiber and antioxidants. Chemicals in carob might have weight loss effects, reduce blood sugar and insulin levels, and lower cholesterol levels.

People use carob for diarrhea and high cholesterol. It is also used for athletic performance, diabetes, prediabetes, nausea and vomiting, obesity, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these uses.

Uses & Effectiveness

Possibly Effective for

Diarrhea. Drinking juice from raw carob bean or taking carob pod powder by mouth before taking standard oral rehydration solution (ORS) seems to reduce how long diarrhea lasts in children and infants.
High cholesterol. Taking carob by mouth seems to reduces total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol in people with moderately high cholesterol.

There is interest in using carob for a number of other purposes, but there isn't enough reliable information to say whether it might be helpful.

Side Effects

When taken by mouth: Carob is commonly consumed in foods. It is possibly safe when used in larger amounts as medicine, short-term. It's generally well-tolerated, but some people might be allergic to carob.

Special Precautions and Warnings

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 stick to food amounts.

Children: Carob is possibly safe when used as a thickener in formula for full-term, healthy infants. But it is possibly unsafe to use carob-based milk thickener in preterm infants. There have been two deaths thought to be related to the use of this thickener in preterm infants.

Interactions

Minor Interaction

Be watchful with this combination

Medications taken by mouth (Oral drugs) interacts with Carob
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.

Dosing

Carob is commonly consumed in foods. Carob fiber, flour, gum, pod extract, pod powder, and pulp have all be used as medicine in varying doses. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what type of product and dose might be best for a specific condition.

View References

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