February 2022 - The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy

What is Carob?

Carob (Ceratonia siliqua) is a flowering evergreen tree in the legume family. It is also sometimes referred to as St. John's Bread. There’s a biblical story story which shares that St. John the Baptist subsisted on carob beans mixed with honey while he crossed the desert.

Carob was traditionally eaten in the Middle East as a source of sugar before sugar cane and beets were used for that purpose. The seeds are also referred to as “locust beans.” Locust bean gum, a thickening agent found in alternative dairy and other products, comes from these seeds.

Benefits of Carob

Naturally sweeter than cacao (the base ingredient for chocolate), carob is more than a sweetener. There are a wide range of health benefits from it and many of the studies being done indicate positive outcomes from the use of carob:

Many people prefer carob to chocolate because, unlike chocolate, it does not contain the stimulants caffeine or theobromine. It also does not have any oxalic acid which can cause calcium oxalate kidney stones in some individuals.
It is rich in tannins creating a binding effect which can be helpful when given to someone with diarrhea. Tip: I have found documentation suggesting 15 g. of carob in applesauce (for flavor and ease of ingestion) is an acceptable dose for children.
Carob is currently being examined as a protein source. Research indicates that the flour made from the germ of carob has a high protein content, as much as 46%. according to studies currently being done at the Universidad de Sevilla, Instituta de la Grassia, by isolating the germ further, protein content percentages, in a laboratory setting, have reached as high as 95%. This isolate is of interest because it would offer an alternative to soy or dairy proteins for protein shake formulas created for athletes and for diabetics.
The germ flour of carob also yields higher levels of arginine, an essential amino acid that is important for healing wounds, for immune function, and for hormone release among other physiological functions.
For people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance carob flour and carob bean gum can be a good choice as carob contains no gluten.
There appears to be a cholesterol lowering effect of carob fiber which is taken from the pulp of the fruit. According to a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition “Daily consumption of food products enriched with carob fibre shows beneficial effects on human blood lipid profile and may be effective in prevention and treatment of hypercholesterolemia.”
Carob fiber is also high in phenolic antioxidant substances, and there are studies underway looking into the chemo preventive qualities of carob.
Carob is rich in polyphenols which can reduce oxidative stress scavenging free radicals. These phenols have been shown to reduce the risk of some chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
The tannins and polyphenols found in carob fiber may have the potential to be helpful with those who suffer from type 2 diabetes. These compounds can reduce the blood glucose response by inhibiting enzyme activity; therefore, slowing the rate of starch digestion.

Carob usually comes in a powder form although it is possible to also buy it in blocks. It is not currently available in gum or liquid form, these tend to be only used for commercial applications.

Is it like chocolate?

Carob does not have the same taste/flavor as chocolate, but many people like it. Especially because, as mentioned above, it’s naturally sweet. As well as being sweeter, carob provides good nutrient density when compared to cocoa. The comparison below is for one cup:

Carob can be substituted for cocoa in a recipe by replacing each part of cocoa powder with 2-1/2 parts carob powder by weight.

To substitute for baking chocolate, use 3 Tablespoons carob powder plus 2 Tablespoons water for one square baking chocolate.

You can also purchase carob chips, a healthier option is to choose the unsweetened ones.

If you are monitoring calories and/or carbohydrates, here is a comparison of unsweetened carob and unsweetened cocoa powder:

1 Tbsp unsweetened carob = 25 calories and 6 grams of carbohydrates

1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder = 12 calories and 3 grams of carbohydrates

In conclusion, carob is great as a sweetener substitute, it is high in protein and will probably be coming soon to a protein supplement near you. Useful for people who cannot ingest gluten, it is also showing promise as a functional food that may help lower cholesterol and help prevent oxidative cell damage. It may also be effective in the prevention of colon cancer and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Consider adding carob to your diet but please remember to read the labels. If you start seeing wonderful health claims on the front of a package that's fine but always check what other ingredients are in your food before you unthinkingly purchase something because of the marketing language.

I like carob, and we do use it sometimes in baking. I don't consider it to be a “substitute” for chocolate, but instead another ingredient with its own unique flavor. Give it a try, you may discover a new flavor to use plus some health benefits too.

Sources

https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1541-4337.12177

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30110252/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11782210/

http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science-Nutrition/Scientists-study-carob-as-alternative-protein-source

http://cerealchemistry.aaccnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/CCHEM.1998.75.4.488?cookieSet=1&journalCode=cchem

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en-us&defl=en&q=define:arginine&ei=AH70Sd2iH5LAM4qFnMAP&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title

http://www.herbco.com/p-449-carob-bean-pods-cs.aspx

http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Carob-fibre-to-reduce-cholesterol-levels

Ah the organ meats! Or as they have been called - offal, and that word does not mean they are awful! The word offal comes from a combination of the words off and fall. It is believed that “offal” was anything that has “fallen off” the butcher’s block when the carcass was split open. There is a more specific name for the organs that are in the thoracic cavity which include the heart, lungs, and trachea. These can be referred to as pluck as they are “plucked” out of the carcass by the skilled slaughterhouse worker.

The eating of offal has not been as common as in years past, but when we bypass consuming it we are missing out on a whole lot of nutrition.

Benefits

Organ meats are considered extremely nutrient dense including those nutrients that are difficult to get from plants. Organ meat is packed with fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K plus the essential B vitamins, particularly B12 and folate. They are also rich in minerals including copper, zinc, iron, magnesium, and selenium.

A Closer Look At The Nutrients In Organ Meat

Vitamin A: Liver has a lot of vitamin A which does not need to be converted from beta-carotenes the way it does with plants.

Vitamin B12: Organ meat is a good source. Vegetarians and vegans MUST supplement as there is no good plant source.

Vitamin K: Some plants have vitamin K1 which is not well metabolized. K2 is best obtained from animal products, especially organ meat.

Iron: Heme iron meat, found especially in organ meats like spleen and liver, is more bioavailable than non-heme iron which is found in plants.

Choline: This is neither a vitamin nor mineral, however it can be found in organ meats, especially liver. Current studies have shown “optimism that choline may be an avenue to ensure a graceful aging process without cognitive decline.” It has shown to protect the brain from Alzheimer’s Disease.

Amino Acids: Organ meat provides all nine essential amino acids. These are the ones the body requires in order to function well.

Protein: Eating a diet higher in protein has been found to keep you fuller and therefore most often eating less carbohydrates. This can be especially helpful if you are trying to drop some extra pounds. It can also be important for building and retaining muscle mass, especially as we age.

Is Offal Expensive?

With all these great health benefits you might think that organ meats would be more expensive, but in fact they are often very affordable as they are not normally a popular cut of meat.

Having said that, there a few reasons some may want to limit the consumption of organ meats. For some people with certain health conditions consuming high levels of organ meat may not be a healthy choice.

Cholesterol: Organ meats are a source of cholesterol. It’s actually not the cholesterol you eat, but the amount produced in the liver which has a major impact on cholesterol levels. For some people, however, their doctor may recommend reducing the amount of organ meat consumed.

Gout: Organ meat tends to be high in purines. For those who are susceptible to gout, this can increase the risk for an attack. Therefore, should only be eaten in moderation and avoided when you are having an attack.

Pregnant or nursing women: Due to higher levels of vitamin A, pregnant and nursing women should be mindful of how much organ meat they are consuming. Even though vitamin A plays an essential role in fetal growth and development, an excess is not good for the baby's development. Excess intake has been associated with birth defects & abnormalities. It is important to be mindful of your total vitamin A intake from all sources while pregnant and nursing.

How To Add Organ Meat To Your Diet

Adding organ meats to your diet can be a bit challenging at first. They do have a unique taste and texture that many are not used to. Some great ways to introduce them into your diet is to “hide” them. You can grind up a bit of liver and kidney in a food processor and freeze in ice cube trays. Whenever you are using ground meat in such things as burgers, meatballs, or meatloaf, you can thaw one or two offal cubes and mix into the ground meat. You still get a dose of organ meat but often won’t even know it is in the mixture.

One delicious way to add organ meat to your diet is by purchasing it in another form. A couple of my favorite options are:

Beef Liverwurst and/or ground meat with added organ meat. These can be purchased from U.S. Wellness Meats, a company with pastured free-range animals
Using Pluck seasoning in your food. This is a truly delicious way to get some organ meats into your diet

You can learn more about adding organ meats to your diet from this interview I did with Chef James Barry, the founder of Eat Pluck

Our ancestors used the entire animal, nose to tail, to provide healthy meals for their families. We too can reap the benefits of these nutrient-rich parts of the animal with the added benefit of helping our grocery budget go even further. It is a win-win.