Know2eat

Carob

Ceratonia siliqua

What carob has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 2 with at least some human evidence behind them. Strongest first.

  • 2 Limited
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About carob

The dried, roasted and milled pod of a Mediterranean legume tree, naturally sweet and caffeine-free, sold mainly as a cocoa substitute. The USDA reference entry is the flour, which here is the whole ground pod rather than a refined extract.

Also known as Carob flour, Locust bean, St John's bread, Algarroba

Heart HealthGut & Digestive Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Limited evidence

A few small trials report lower LDL cholesterol with carob pulp fibre added to the diet. The studies are small, several are industry-funded and the finding has not been reliably reproduced.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Digestive comfort

Gut & Digestive Health
Limited evidence

Carob bean preparations have been studied in acute infant diarrhoea, where a small number of trials report shorter episodes. The trials are old, small and heterogeneous, and this is a clinical use rather than an argument for eating carob powder generally.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Carob

Ask about Carob

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories222 kcal11%
Protein4.62 g9%
Total fat0.65 g1%
Carbohydrate88.9 g32%
Fibre39.8 g142%
Total sugars49.1 g—
Water3.58 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.09 g0%
Monounsaturated fat0.197 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.216 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.212 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A1 µg0%
Vitamin C0.2 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.63 mg4%
Vitamin K0 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.053 mg4%
Riboflavin (B2)0.461 mg35%
Niacin (B3)1.9 mg12%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.047 mg1%
Vitamin B60.366 mg22%
Folate29 µg7%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline11.9 mg2%
Minerals
Calcium348 mg27%
Iron2.94 mg16%
Magnesium54 mg13%
Phosphorus79 mg6%
Potassium827 mg18%
Sodium35 mg2%
Zinc0.92 mg8%
Copper0.571 mg63%
Manganese0.508 mg22%
Selenium5.3 µg10%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene8 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash2.27 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Carob flour (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 173755).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • roastedChanges polyphenols and flavour

    Roasting develops the cocoa-like aroma and darkens the powder, and it reduces the total polyphenol content relative to raw carob powder.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    Not a nutritional match for cocoa

    Carob is often sold as an equivalent of cocoa. It contains no caffeine or theobromine and a quite different polyphenol profile, and most carob confectionery is sweetened as heavily as chocolate. The comparison is culinary, not nutritional.

  • Worth knowing

    Tannins and iron absorption

    The high condensed tannin content binds non-heme iron in the same meal and reduces absorption, which matters for people who depend on plant iron.

  • Worth knowing

    Naturally high in sugar

    Roughly half the weight of carob pod flour is sugar, mostly sucrose. It is a sweetener as much as it is a flour.