Dear Reader,
Most people shouldn’t take any kind of dietary supplement that contains iron.
For one, as I explained last month, a new study shows excess iron may increase your risk of developing liver cancer by more than 200 percent.
Secondly—and most importantly—most people get all the iron they need from food sources alone.
But some people do develop clinical cases of iron-deficient anemia that NEED to be addressed.
Fortunately, according to a new study, a natural fruit extract taken from the legendary “tree of life” helps improve the condition…without having to take a potentially dangerous iron supplement.
Let me explain…
Anemia is a serious nutritional problem in Africa
In many parts of Africa, people—especially children—suffer from iron-deficient anemia caused by low iron in their diet. In fact, in Kenya, 25 percent of children suffer from this condition. And in some other countries, as many as 60 percent suffer from it.
Of course, with anemia, your blood doesn’t contain enough healthy red blood cells. It’s also low on hemoglobin, an important substance within red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body.
So, clearly, it’s important to correct the problem.
The good news is, researchers have begun looking at the role of a natural fruit extract as a potential solution…
This fruit extract comes from the legendary baobab tree, which grows widely in Africa, Arabia, Australia, and Madagascar. In Africa, they call it “the tree of life.”
And the name certainly is fitting…
For centuries, people in Africa have used the tree’s fruit, bark, and leaves medicinally to treat just about anything and everything. Including colds and viruses…stomach upset and diarrhea…even kidney and joint diseases.
Baobab fruit also contains loads of vitamin C. In fact, it has 10 times as much vitamin C as oranges. That’s key when it comes to treating anemia, because vitamin C helps your body absorb the iron naturally present in healthy foods like meat and spinach.
And that point brings us back around to the new study…
“Tree of life” extract helps maximize iron absorption
For this study, researchers selected 430 iron-deficient children, ages six to 12 years, living in Kenya.
At the study’s outset and after 12 weeks of treatment, the researchers took blood samples from the children to analyze their red blood cell count and iron levels. The researchers also measured the children’s arm circumference, height, and weight to assess nutritional status at the start and end of the study.
Next, they divided them into two groups. One group drank a beverage made with baobab extract each day for 12 weeks. The second group took a placebo designed to taste the same as the baobab beverage.
As the researchers had hoped, after 12 weeks, the baobab group experienced improvement in their hemoglobin and iron levels. By comparison, the placebo group experienced a further decline in hemoglobin.
The researchers said the baobab extract seems to work by increasing the uptake of iron from natural foods already in the diet.
How can YOU benefit from these findings?
In the end, if you suffer from iron-deficient anemia, you should always be under a doctor’s care. I also suggest asking your doctor about baobab extract as a possible alternative to iron supplementation.
If you don’t have anemia, you may still want to consider taking a baobab extract. It’s an excellent source of vitamin C and other powerful antioxidants.
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that you’ll find the actual baobab fruit in your local grocery store. It just doesn’t travel well.
Plus, since the optimal quantities of baobab don’t really fit into a pill or capsule, it’s best to take it as a water-soluble powder. I recommend finding a powered formula that contains at least 500 to 1,000 mg of baobab.
You can mix the “tree of life” powder with water, tea, or juice for a tremendous and delicious health boost!
P.S. I plan to report more on the health benefits of baobab in an upcoming issue of my monthly newsletter, Insiders’ Cures. If you’re not yet a subscriber, click here to become one. You won’t want to miss out!