Sobolo(or bissap drink), a national drink of the people of Senegal and also one of the popular street foods in Ghana is a beverage often obtained by boiling the dried calyces of the Roselle plant. The drink is often flavoured with fruit juices and sometimes, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves as it is preferred in Trinidad and Tobago. It is common not only in Ghana and Senegal but also in other parts of Africa.
A lot of people love it so much to the point that some of them have written songs about this beverage; part of one of the songs says “…drink your red wine I’ll drink my sobolo, take your slim girl I like my obolo…”
BENEFITS OF SOBOLO
The calyces of the roselle plant are exported to the US and parts of Europe mainly for the manufacture of food colour because of the strong red colour of the extract of the calyces. Sobolo has a very strong red colour because of the anthocyanins present in it. The anthocyanins are potent antioxidants. Generally, antioxidants are chemicals which bind to free radicals (chemicals which have been linked to heart diseases, liver diseases and cancer) and prevent them from harming the cells of the body. The anthocyanins in sobolo have been linked to lower blood cholesterol levels and lower risk of heart disease. The anthocyanins and other chemicals like the polyphenols in sobolo have been found to be able to prevent the oxidation of the bad cholesterol which is associated with heart disease. Some scientists have described the drink to be just as effective as some chemical compounds in red wine and tea in reducing blood cholesterol levels.
It has also been proven that drinking sobolo lowers blood pressure. The risk of hypertension could be reduced significantly by the consumption of sobolo because sobolo contains compounds which inhibits angiotensin converting enzymes (ACE, enzymes which play a role in raising blood pressure) thereby reducing blood pressure. In fact, another survey shows that when people with mild to moderate hypertension drink 500mls of sobolo, the drink is effective in reducing blood pressure just as if they were taking Captopril (a drug for reducing blood pressure). It is recommended that adults with pre-hypertension and mild-hypertension make sobolo part of their daily diet as it may prove an effective way of putting their blood pressure under control.
Other studies have shown that sobolo contains an enzyme inhibitor which blocks the production of amylase (an enzyme responsible for breaking down complex sugars and starches). Hence, sobolo could assist in weight loss since it may reduce absorption of carbohydrates. Research conducted in Mexico reveals that the components of sobolo could be considered as possible anti-obesity agents.
Aside all the health benefits mentioned above, the drink is a good source of calcium, niacin, riboflavin and iron. So the next time you’re drinking sobolo, remember that you’re doing yourself no harm at all.
References
"Roselle" Encyclopædia Britannica
Peter, K.V (2007). Underutilized and Underexploited Horticultural Crops, Volume 2. Kerala, India: New India Publishing Agency. p. 204. ISBN 8189422693.
