5 African Superfoods & Their Unmatched Nutrients, From A Nutrition Specialist

Many people add kale, acaí, legumes, and chia seeds to their diets in order to increase their intake of superfoods. While all of those contain powerhouse nutrients, certified nutrition specialist and behavior coach Esosa Edosomwan, M.S., CNS, LDN, says they've got nothing on African superfoods.

My No. 1 is definitely moringa (Moringa oleifera). I was introduced to it when I was in Ghana and met moringa farmers. 

Moringa contains 92 nutrients, 46 antioxidants, and all of the essential amino acids. It has seven times the vitamin C of oranges, three times the potassium of bananas, four times the calcium in milk, and four times the vitamin A in carrots. 

I will add moringa to my smoothies, essentially the same way I would add a greens powder. 

I also make a superfood gluten-free bread with almond flour, tapioca flour, a little bit of salt, a chia egg, chlorella powder, moringa powder, and Everything but the Bagel seasoning from Trader Joe's, because it's lit—that will make everything taste good. 

No. 2 would be baobab. Oh, it's so cool, they call it the tree of life, and these trees can take up to 15 to 20 years to bear fruit. There are baobab trees that have been on this earth for thousands of years, so you're basically getting ancient nutrition. 

The fruit is football-shaped, and when you crack it open, it has an interesting consistency that can be ground into a powder. It contains about 50% prebiotic fiber, which is really important for maintaining the proper balance of good gut flora. It also has vitamin C, potassium, and minerals. 

Yes. No. 3 would be teff, which has vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin K. It contains a ton of iron and calcium—I find I crave it around my cycle because it provides nutrition that's actually really good for a menstruating person. 

It's also rich in minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and all of the essential amino acids. It's 20 to 40% resistant starch, which makes it gut-friendly, and it's gluten-free in its natural state. 

Lately, I've come to enjoy fonio. It's similar to quinoa or couscous, but it tastes more like couscous to me. It only takes about five minutes to cook, which is amazing. 

I would say hibiscus. If you look around the African diaspora and in Africa, you will notice that this hibiscus drink keeps popping up with different names. I learned about it as bissap, but others refer to it as zobo or sobolo. It has different names for different regions, but it's all the same. 

Hibiscus is a diuretic2; it can lower blood pressure3, improve digestion, and it's anti-inflammatory. Sometimes people put a ton of sugar in their hibiscus drink, which is probably not the best way to get all the benefits, but it still has medicinal properties. I find it fascinating that you can find West Indian folks who know about it and people from other regions of African who consider it a staple.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.