The fruit and seeds of the Ceratonia siliqua are used to prepare dry carob extracts. Carob is believed to act as a dietary binding drug and antidiarrheal; the exaqrnechanism of action is unknown. It’s rich in dietary fiber and polyphenols. Because carob increases the viscosity of GI contents, it may have hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects.

Benefits And Uses of Carob

Carob is used orally to treat actue nutritional disorders, diarrhea, obesity, dyspepsia, enterocolitis, sprue, and celiac disease. It’s also used for vomiting and gastroesophageal reflux in infants and during pregnancy .

Carob can be found in health food products for weights loss and energy and as a chocolate substitue. Carob flour and extracts are used as flavoring agents in foods and beverages.

Administration

Oral use: 20 to 30 g of carob added to water, tea, or milk and consumed throughout the day.

Side Effects of Carob

Inhaled carob powder can cause allergic rhinitis and asthma. There are no known interactions with carob. Pregnant and breast-feeding patients should consult their health care provider before use.

Clinical considerations

• Warn patient not to treat a vomiting infant with carob before seeking appropriate medical evaluation because doing so may delay diagnosis of a potentially serious medical condition.
• Discuss with patient other options for treating diarrhea or GI complaints.
• Instruct patient to promptly report adverse reactions and new signs and symptoms.
• Tell patient to remind prescriber and pharmacist of any herbal or dietary supplement that he’s taking when obtaining a new prescription.
• Advise patient to consult his health care provider before using an herbal preparation because a treatment with proven efficacy may be available.

Research summary

Carob has been studied as an ingredient in pediatric formula for the treatment of symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux with some positive results. One study demonstrated that a mixture of Gaviscon (aluminum hydroxide 80 mg and magnesium trisilicate 20 mg) plus a carob seed powder (Carobel) was more effective than the prescription medication cisapride. Another Swiss trial studied carob as a treatment for traveler’s diarrhea and concluded that although carob treatment showed some positive results, they weren’t clinically significant.

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