Bitter kola as it is popularly called is very popular amongst Nigerians, as it is always presented to welcome visitors in most cultures. Some people also enjoy chewing this nut, which is bitter just as the name implies, while most people (mostly women and majority of the young folk) dislike it due to its bitter nature.
INTRODUCTION:
The botanical name of bitter kola is GARCINIA KOLA, and it belongs to the Clusiaceae or Guttiferae family.
The bitter kola tree grows in the tropical rain forest and so is found in WEST-CENTRAL AFRICA, but found majorly in NIGERIA.
ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF BITTER KOLA:
The fruit, seeds, nuts and bark of the tropical tree have been used for centuries in traditional medicines to treat many forms of ailments.
In recent years too, due to medical advance and research, Bitter kola has been discovered to be of great medicinal value, most especially as an antibiotic and this has made this nut to be in very high demand.
In fact, some people make a living in Nigeria from exporting Bitter Kola to countries where they are used in the Pharmaceutical industry, so it is a very viable cash crop.
HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF BITTER KOLA:
Bitter kola an effective anti-malarial treatment:
Experiments have shown that chemical constituents in bitter kola have anti-malaria properties. Little wonder traditional healers have for many years prescribed bitter kola for the treatment of malaria infections.
Researchers in the 2010 issue of Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, reported that bitter kola was found to possess anti-malarial properties from a survey of plants used by traditional healers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and attributed this to its quinones content.
Further more, kolaviron, the powerful chemical compound found in bitter kola, was reportedly tested on a malaria parasite and found to inhibit malarial activity.
They are quoted as follows:
“We extracted its chemical constituents, which is called Kolaviron and when it was tested on malaria parasite, we found it had significant anti-malarial activity,” says Professor Olusegun Ademowo, a researcher at the Institute for Advanced Medical Research and Training, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, South West of Nigeria.
In 1999, a group of researchers in Kinshasa, Congo, advised that people should consider feeding more on bitter kola to ward off malaria. According to their report, under laboratory conditions, extracts from bark, stem and seed of bitter kola tree, were found to inhibit the growth of malaria parasite (Plasmodium falciparum) by at least 60% at a low concentration of 6 mg/ml
Bitter Kola effective for prevention and treatment of Glaucoma (Eye Pressure)
According to reports form The New York Times Health Guide, an increase in eye pressure can lead to glaucoma.
According to the January 2010 issue of Middle East African Journal of Opthamology, **opthamolic solutions that contained the Bitter kola extracts significantly reduced eye pressure when used twice a day. That was the result of a research by the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria, which tested the effectiveness of eye drops that contained 0.5 percent extract of Bitter kola.
Bitter kola a very good fertility/libido booster:
Bitter kola, is believed to cure impotence. Frequent taking of bitter kola boosts male performance in bed with a woman.
Remedy for osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, characterised by pain, inflammation and limited movement in the joints, according to the National Institutes of Health. Causes of osteoarthritis include joint injury, obesity and aging.
Many arthritis patients prefer natural herbal medicines to other pain relievers and medications, as a result of this, researchers at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria tested the effects of Bitter kola against arthritis symptoms.
The results of the study, published by Olayinka O. Adegbehingbe in the July 2008 issue of the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research, concludes that Garcinia kola significantly reduced inflammation and pain and increased joint movement in subjects that had osteoarthritis symptoms. It is believed that this property of Bitter kola is as a result of its antioxidant properties.
The only side effects reported from the use of Bitter kola in this study were weight loss, increase in sex drive and extended sleep which many considered helpful to meet their individual and marital demands.
Improves lung functions:
Bitter kola (Garcinia kola) has been used for centuries to treat chest colds in traditional medicine, and recent research has been able to discover why it is so.
A study in the 2009 issue of The Internet Journal of Pulmonary Medicine, performed on mice, reports that Garcinia kola improved respiratory function after 28 days of use of a Garcinia extract.
According to Simon Adekunle of the Ekiti State University in Nigeria, the study shows that Garcinia kola works by dilating the alveolar ducts and sacs in the lungs by improving the strength of the fibers in the lung tissue. Bitter kola’s beneficial lung properties are attributed to its high antioxidant content.
An effective Immune booster (effective in control of HIV)
Bitter kola is a potent antibiotic which could be effective in the treatment of HIV and AIDS.
A researcher with the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), Mrs. Chinyere Nwokeke told journalists that bitter kola could be used in treating opportunistic infections associated with HIV, this she said is because of its antibacterial, detoxification, and cleansing properties.
According to her, the chemical Saponin found in bitter kola is responsible for its cleansing effect. Saponin is mainly used as tonic for the liver, it enhances the functions of the liver and gall bladder.
Effective for treating of Ebola
Bitter kola has been reported in Africa to be an effective natural treatment for ebola. It should be common among Africans to think that any immune system boosting food, fruits and nuts may be good for alleviating and treating the symptoms of ebola.
Effective treatment of food poisoning:
In rural areas of Nigeria (and other parts of Africa), when food is suspected to be contaminated by bacteria or someone accidentally eats food poison, traditional healers/herbalists often recommend the mastication of bitter kola immediately after eating. This usually prevent the development of any infection or poisoning. These healers even recommend the seed and the bark of bitter kola should be eaten together in cases where food poisoning is suspected, “it helps to detoxify the system“.
SUMMARRY
The Bitter kola or Garcinia kola is a very wonderful plant with economic value and a lot of medical and scientific value.
In the part of Africa where I come from, though it's superstitious, it is widely believed that bitter kola can ward off even spirits, a belief which I do not fully consent to, but I know that bitter kola is a very important plant.
So look beyond the bitter taste and start consuming bitter kola today, it would do you a lot of good.