Bitter Kola, which is also known as Garcinia kola is a tropical flowering plant found in Western and Central Africa and it produces brown, nut-like seeds.
The nut which is about 3-5 cm in length has an ellipsoid shape. A brown to deep brown peel covers it. This peel is removed before it is eaten. It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth when it is eaten. It is from this bitterness that its name is derived”, Says Dr. Kola Animashaun, a Lagos Herbal Practitioner in Lagos. Acccording to him, Bitter Kola has been used in African culture for centuries for both traditional and medicinal purposes. It contains dimeric flavonoid, lipase inhibitor which is believed to have many healing benefits. In Yoruba land it is called Orogbo. The Hausas call it Miji-goro, while it is called Akiilu by the Igbos. He noted that Bitter Kola was eaten mostly by the elderly people because of their belief that it could prolong life. But the truth is that researches in modern science have revealed that bitter kola contains chemical compounds that will help the breakdown of glycogen in the liver and has other medicinal uses which account for its longevity property in man.
“Bitter Kola, Garcinia kola, used extensively in West Africa as a social beverage and offered to guests as ‘Kola’ in many of Nigeria’s cultural settings, is valued also for its medicinal properties. It is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of Laryngitis, general inflammation, bronchitis, viral infections and diabetes as well as a rejuvenating agent, adaptation and general antidote. Scientists at our laboratories have performed extensive research and written many books on this wonder plant called ‘Garcinia’. Researchers have identified bitter kola as a potential “Bitter kola is anti-poison too, it has the ability to repel evil men and spirits, it could sound superstitious but it works”.
The naturalist even said that 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, indeed, it really works”. Below are excerpts of his presentation.
BITTER KOLA IMPROVES LUNG FUNCTIONS
Bitter kola (Garcinia kola) has been used for centuries to treat chest colds in traditional medicine, but research has taken a look and found out why it is effective. 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.
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.
IT HELPS IN WEIGHT LOSS
Bitter Kola has been known to be a natural hunger suppressant and also increases the urge to drink more water.
REDUCES EYE PRESSURE (GLAUCOMA)
An increase in eye pressure can lead to glaucoma, according to a report from The New York Times Health Guide. Researchers at Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria tested the effectiveness of eye drops that contained 0.5 percent extract of Garcinia kola. The opthamolic solution that contained the Garcinia significantly reduced eye pressure when used twice a day.
Bitter Kola is a highly exportable commodity, and we have the capacity to export it to any country in the world