Sea moss might be the superfood of the moment, but there’s a little-known fruit set to take its place: baobab.
Tucked away in the ingredients list of M&S’s new Nutrient Dense H5O Shot you’ll spot the unusual ingredient, dubbed ‘Africa’s superfruit’.
It comes from the baobab tree (Adansonia digitata), which is native to sub-Saharan Africa and also grows in Madagascar, and can live for more than 3,000 years.
In African culture, parts of the tree are reportedly used to treat malaria, infertility, asthma, and even toothache.
The fruit is found inside hard pods which hang upside down from the branches, but you wouldn’t want to eat baobab like a dragon fruit or pineapple.
Instead, it’s typically consumed as a powder, made from the harvested fruit which is dried and ground up, giving a nice citrus flavour.
But it’s not just M&S which has caught on to the benefits. Health shot brand, UNROOTED, which is stocked in Selfridges, lists baobab as a primary ingredient in every single product.
You can even buy the powder itself from Holland & Barrett if you fancy putting it in smoothies, juices, porridge, or even baking.
With the superfruit expected to boom in popularity in 2026, according to Unrooted, you might want to get ahead of the curve. It was approved for European markets 18 years ago, but we’ve been sleeping on it since.
What’s so good about baobab?
To put it simply, it’s one of the world’s most nutrient-dense fruits, with a whole lot of goodness packed in there.
‘It’s more than 50% fibre,’ nutritionist Kristen Stavridis tells Metro. ‘Fibre is becoming the next supernutrient that people are trying to get more of.
‘Fibre is really good for your gut health, too, and can help reduce your risk of certain cancers like colon cancer.’
In fact, the expert says Baobab powder contains a whopping five times more fibre than oats do.
But the major selling points don’t stop there, Kristen also explains it’s rich in antioxidants and polyphenols – compounds found in plants which help protect our bodies.
‘These have anti-inflammatory properties and help our bodies fight free radicals, which age our skin and body faster,’ she adds.
‘Not to mention it contains five times more vitamin C than oranges.’
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, which Kristen explains helps us ward off diseases and illnesses, aids our digestive health, and reduces constipation.
‘It also stops our skin aging as fast,’ she says.
How can we eat it?
Nutritionist Kristen uses the powder in her daily juices or smoothies for a boost.
‘You can even pop it in oats or even past sauces, it’s very versatile, and it doesn’t really affect the taste of many things, either,’ she says. ‘For the everyday person, treat it kind of like a greens powder, pop it in a juice or a smoothie. You won’t really taste it there, and it will do the world of good.’
If you crave convenience or you’re not one for mucking in and making it yourself, M&S’s Nutrient-Dense H50 Shot is a great example of using Baobab to pack in fibre.
M&S nutritionist, Louise Brunt, tells Metro: ‘We had a whole larder of 250 ingredients, and we went though every one line by line and looked at the micronutrients and fibre content [for this juice].
‘Baobab has this creamy citrussy flavour profile, and it’s high in iron. We use it in drinks because it’s got this soluble fibre combination, which means it’s good in a liquid format. It’s unique.’
The product innovator, Sarah Taylor, adds that it’s an ingredient they’ll ‘definitely be considering with future products’.
So, now you’re in the know, get ahead of the curve when it comes to maxing out your fibre intake because Louise explains ‘lots of people haven’t even discovered it yet’.
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