Baobab Fibre: Why Africa's Tree of Life Is Your Gut's Best Friend

There has been a lot of talk lately about Fibre. Absolutely crucial for maintaining digestive health, balancing blood sugar and lowering cholesterol. Fibre feeds your good bacteria and keeps you feeling fuller for longer. As we've personally have been trying to incorporate more fibre into our diet, we wanted to introduce you to UNROOTED. A super easy way to incorporate more fibre into your lifestyle - not only that but using the tree of life to do so. We speak with UNROOTED's Founder to hear more about what we can expect.

Q: Welcome to JOMO! To kick us off, who are UNROOTED? 

I launched UNROOTED in 2020. I'd lived in South Africa and grown up seeing baobab trees on safari, and I got hooked on the stories that surround them. Locally they're called the Tree of Life, and once you hear the myths and see how much they're loved, it's easy to understand why. A tree that survives for thousands of years and keeps feeding generation after generation is a pretty remarkable thing. 

Once I looked into the nutrition behind the fruit, I knew it deserved a wider audience. That's what became UNROOTED. Products that make baobab easy to use every day. We started with functional wellness shots and have since expanded into new formats, all aimed at making baobab simpler to build into a routine. Impact matters just as much to us as the product. We source from communities across Southern Africa who harvest baobab, and we've put extra funds towards getting the children of our baobab collectors into school, since education isn't free in Zimbabwe, where we source. That programme has grown alongside the business, and in 2026 we're supporting 258 children through it.

Q: Can you tell us a bit about fibre? What is it, do we all need it, why do we need it, where can we find it?

Fibre's an essential macronutrient, and most people underestimate just how much it does. It drives your digestion and gut health, but it's also tied to your immune system, your hormones and your metabolism. Look after your gut and you're looking after most of the rest of your body too. You'll find fibre in most grains, beans, fruit and vegetables. 

Our hero ingredient, baobab fruit, is fairly unique in containing both soluble and insoluble fibre. The soluble fibre feeds the good bacteria that keep your microbiome thriving and diverse, which helps you absorb nutrients better. The insoluble fibre keeps things moving, supporting healthy digestion. Right now, 96% of the UK doesn't hit the 30g RDA for fibre. Closing that gap, and making it as easy as possible for people to get there, is what we're set up to do.

Q: What is African baobab fruit and why did you decide to use this ingredient in your drinks?

Gram for gram, baobab fruit is one of the most nutrient-dense fruits in the world: seven times more fibre than oats, six times more vitamin C than oranges, six times more potassium than bananas, and twice the antioxidants of açai. All from one ingredient. It grows wild across 32 African countries. We source ours from Zimbabwe, Ghana and Senegal. The trees can take up to 200 years before they first fruit, then live for 2,000 years, so they're never commercially farmed. They only grow wild, which makes the ingredient genuinely unique. We built the range around baobab because it's both incredibly nutritious and sustainable to source. Buying from the communities we work with brings jobs and income into rural areas, so the business does some good as it grows.

Q: Can you tell us what is in front of us today and what we should be doing with them to enjoy in the best way?

Everyone in this month's JOMO box is getting our brand new Good Fibre baobab sachets. It's one ingredient: 100% wild baobab fruit, in a natural dry powder, ready to stir or blend into:
- smoothies
- porridge
- yoghurt
- overnight oats
Or whatever you fancy, really, to turn it into a high-fibre dish.
Each sachet has 3.2g of fibre, around 11% of your RDA, and it's a complete source of fibre. The taste is only mildly citrusy, so it works with pretty much anything.

Q: What is your favourite smoothie recipe using your sachets?

I love anything tropical, so mine's the mango and pineapple smoothie bowl. Tastes like a holiday, and packs in nearly half your RDA of fibre.

Q: Your sachets are a great way to bring good fibre to our everyday rituals. You do however have a few other products in your range. Can you tell us about these and when we might enjoy them?

We've got three shots across two ranges.
Two sit in our Good Energy range: Punchy Turmeric, Ginger & Baobab, and Mighty Ginger, Chilli & Baobab. Both are strong but balanced in flavour.

Each delivers around 25% of your vitamin C RDA, so they're good for everyday energy and a lift to your immune system. Best first thing, with breakfast, or to beat the mid-afternoon slump. The third, and the team's favourite, is Super Greens, Lemon & Baobab from our Good Gut range. It's a zesty little shot with 4.2g of fibre per bottle, around 14% of your RDA, thanks to the baobab. That makes it a good after-lunch digestion aid or a general boost for gut health. Every shot comes in single-serve bottles and larger dosing bottles, so there's an option whether you're a creature of routine or you like to mix things up. And every shot in the range has won a Great Taste Award, so the flavour's genuinely there.

Q: Baobab trees take a long time to fruit! What are your top tips to slowing down and being more present and mindful?
- Cutting back on screen time
- Taking up running. Regent's Park is my local, so it's hard to say no
- Making time for friends and family, usually while working through a list of new restaurants

If you enjoyed UNROOTED, we are stocked in 2,500+ outlets, including Sainsbury's, Selfridges, Planet Organic, Ocado, Boots, Holland & Barrett, Amazon, Tesco Northern Ireland and Tesco Republic of Ireland, plus across the on-trade at BENUGO cafes, on board British Airways, and in gyms and hotels including The Ned. Also online at unrooteddrinks.com. 

Here’s to a new daily ritual.