Carob: An Economic Product Supporting Agricultural and Industrial Development| Sudanow Magazine

**Port Sudan (Sudanow)**

Carob, that autumn fruit, is the yield of the massive *Haras* tree, well-known in Sudan for its vast, beautiful, and evergreen shade. This tree thrives on riverbanks and in valleys, growing abundantly in the Nuba Mountains, Blue Nile, Kordofan, and Darfur regions. To discuss the nutritional, medicinal, and economic value of the Carob tree, *Sudanow* met with **Dr. Mohamed Osman Maysara**, Consultant in Community Medicine, Expert in Alternative Medicine, and a member of the Permanent Committee for Aromatic Medicinal Plants, as well as the head of the founding committee for Integrated Medicine Schools at the Ministry of Health in Khartoum.

Dr. Maysara stated that Sudan has known Carob trees since ancient times, with their history dating back over 4,000 years. Evidence of their use has been found in the tombs of ancient Nubian civilization kings, where they were used in the manufacture of embalming perfumes for the deceased, in addition to being used as a food and medicinal component, a source of energy, and a treatment for diarrhea.

Every part of this tree is beneficial. The bark is used in the manufacture of ropes and ties, and its leaves are used in rural or traditional communities to treat snake bites. Its fruit, however, is called **"Black Gold"** due to its immense importance to therapeutic nutrition specialists and alternative medicine practitioners, owing to its numerous benefits. It is also known as the "Famine Food" and "Honey of the Poor."

Remarkably, the seeds of the Carob fruit are uniform in weight, approximately 200 mg, which historically led to their use as a unit of measurement for jewelry, gold, precious metals, and gemstones (the **Carat**). Dr. Maysara described the Carob as an "undiscovered treasure." The Carob seed is the primary source for manufacturing **Locust Bean Gum (LBG)**, a natural ingredient used in the food industry as an alternative to gelatin extracted from pigs. (Pig gelatin is widely used in various food and pharmaceutical industries for different purposes, including sweets, sauces, hard and soft drug capsules, cosmetic products, ointments, and creams, where it acts as a thickening and stabilizing agent in packaging.)

Health and Nutritional Benefits

Dr. Mohamed Osman highlights the astonishing benefits of Carob, which stem from its high content of natural plant compounds, chemicals, and highly effective minerals that reduce the risks of gastrointestinal ulcers, including peptic ulcers and ulcerative colitis, as well as anemia.

Carob can be consumed in several ways:
* It can be ground and consumed as a juice.
* Carob honey can be made from it.
* It can be eaten as a fruit.
* It can be added to wheat flour to enhance the nutritional value of bread.

Carob is considered the "Master of Dietary Fiber," as its fiber content exceeds 44%. This high fiber content aids and facilitates the digestive process, absorbs gases from the body, helps lower high blood pressure, and treats heart diseases, skin diseases, and gout due to its high content of carotenoids and Vitamin A. It is a body cleanser that relieves constipation and curbs hunger, as it contains the hormone ghrelin. Carob is therefore recommended for the *Suhoor* meal during long fasting periods in cold regions.

Furthermore, Carob improves blood sugar levels because of its low glycemic index, preventing a post-meal sugar spike if consumed afterward. It is one of the most powerful antioxidants due to its content of **flavonoids** and **gallic acid**, which inhibit cancers, eliminate free radicals, and act as a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory agent, especially for respiratory tract inflammations and chest problems such as asthma and allergies.

It is highly beneficial for patients with sinus problems, coughs, and hoarseness, and helps with throat inflammations in children. It also works to address problems and weakness of the vocal cords by strengthening them. European singers in the eighteenth century used it to improve their voices. Therefore, Dr. Maysara recommends that Carob be an essential part of the diet for teachers, imams, muezzins, religious chanters, and artists.

Carob also heals wounds at the colon level, especially for patients with Crohn's disease and digestive ulcers, and is a soothing agent for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Due to its content of **Selenium, Magnesium, Vitamins B, D, C, and Copper**, it increases thyroid activity and regulates hormonal imbalances in women suffering from irregular menstrual cycles. It is also recommended for women experiencing lactation issues, as it increases and improves the quality of breast milk production.

With its rich composition of **Vitamin A, Zinc, Copper, Vitamins B and C, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Barium, Nickel, and Phosphorus**, Carob plays a major role in alternative medicine and therapeutic nutrition for children with autism and the elderly. It strengthens memory, prevents Alzheimer's, acts as a nerve tonic and sedative, and reduces premature aging. It plays a significant role in strengthening the self-immunity of individuals with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, and improves vision problems associated with immunodeficiency. It also helps improve and maintain bone health, protecting it from damage, in addition to lowering high blood pressure, acting as a very good scavenger of harmful cholesterol, and a powerful liver cleanser.

Carob is essential for reducing the suffering and inflammation of hemorrhoids, as it relieves chronic constipation, which exacerbates hemorrhoid inflammation, by virtue of its properties as an antiseptic, protective, and anti-inflammatory agent.

Finally, Carob is a fruit of great beauty due to its content of **Vitamin E**, which imparts freshness to the skin, protects the skin, and increases hair length by strengthening hair follicles and protecting them from falling out by nourishing the scalp. Its **Vitamin A** content increases testosterone in men, thereby increasing fertility, and also strengthens the muscles of athletes. It helps in weight gain and combating emaciation.

Other Applications and Economic Future

The Carob seed can be roasted to produce one of the finest and most delicious types of coffee. Carob's uses have recently increased as a substitute for cocoa because it is **caffeine-free** and **oxalic acid-free** (the element that leads to kidney stone formation if accumulated in the body). It is also free of theobromine, which is similar to caffeine.

Its applications have recently expanded in the food industry, baked goods, chocolates, beverages, cosmetics, paper manufacturing, and the pharmaceutical industry. Due to its property of having strong fixing and binding power, it is now used in the finest perfumes worldwide. This comes as the role of pig gelatin in food products begins to diminish.

Therefore, the Carob tree is the **"Tree of the Future."** The latest studies confirm that the annual yield per feddan exceeds 400 quintals, and this yield increases with the age of the tree.

In conclusion of his interview with *Sudanow*, Dr. Maysara emphasized that this fruit must be widely utilized within agricultural and industrial development programs because it combines **economic value, nutritional benefits, and sustainability.**

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