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Fruits are essential as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Without going to excess, it is recommended to consume at least three different portions per day. While some are already known and appreciated, such as apples, kiwis or bananas, others are still confidential, such as mucua, which is generally called monkey bread in French.
This fruit from the baobab tree, a tree native to Africa, contains 10 times more fiber than kiwi, 7 times more vitamin C than orange and twice more calcium than milk. It is also rich in iron, potassium and antioxidants!
This fruit closely resembles a coconut, although it has a more oval shape, weighing up to one and a half kilograms. Like her, what is interesting about this fruit is not its hard and rough exterior, but its pulp, dry and powdery. It has a bittersweet flavor, which can be sour or sweet, depending on the point of ripeness. If its taste or texture is nothing exceptional, its nutritional profile and the various benefits make monkey bread a very interesting fruit for health.
Consumption of this fruit provides high amounts of vitamin C, fiber, calcium and other essential nutrients. Its concentration is quite extraordinary, reaching 400 milligrams per 100 g of pulp. That’s seven times more than an orange.
For fiber, 100 g of baobab pulp provides approximately 50 g of this nutrient (both soluble and insoluble). This intake is significantly higher than that of most fruits and even exceeds the daily fiber needs of an average adult (between 25 and 30 g per day).
But that’s not all: monkey bread is also rich in minerals. 100 g of pulp provides 300 mg of calcium (that’s much more than cow’s milk!), 2,000 mg of potassium, 200 mg of magnesium and 8 mg of iron.
To all this, we must add that mucua is a low-calorie fruit that contains a large quantity of antioxidants (notably flavonoids and polyphenols).
Mucua may support healthier digestion thanks to its high amount of fiber. Another advantage is that it strengthens the immune system thanks to its high vitamin C content, it can help fight certain viral diseases. The antioxidants it contains combat oxidative stress and promote the production of collagen, thus preventing premature aging. Mucua is also rich in calcium, which results in better bone and dental health. Regular consumption can help strengthen bones and prevent diseases such as osteoporosis.
Its richness in fiber, combined with its low calorie profile, makes baobab fruit a powerful ally for controlling blood sugar levels. And finally, baobab helps control blood cholesterol levels, so its regular consumption can be very positive for those who suffer from diseases related to blood pressure.
Unfortunately, it is not common to find mucua on our shelves. If you want to include monkey bread in your diet, you can get it quite easily in the form of powder to dilute in juices or smoothies in organic stores or on the Internet. If you are looking for fresh pulp, you may be lucky enough to find it in some African grocery stores.
