Bitter kola is a type of nut
mostly found in several parts of
Nigeria and West-Central Africa
as a whole and the tree grows in
the (tropical) rain forests. Its
biological name is “Garcinia
kola” and it belongs to the family
of “Guittiferal”. Bitter Kola has
been identified as a potent
antibiotic which could be
effective in the treatment of
many diseases confronting
people today.
The fruit, seeds, nuts and bark of
the tropical tree have been used
for centuries in traditional
medicines to treat many forms of
ailments. Below are the benefits
of Bitter Kola:
Chewing bitter kola relieves
coughs, hoarseness, bronchial
and throat troubles. Several
studies discovered bitter kola to
be a remedy for dysentery,
osteoarthritis, antidote against
poisoning and considered an
aphrodisiac.
Improves lung functions
Bitter 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. Written by
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.
Bitter Kola health benefit for
malaria
Considerable experimental
studies found the chemical
constituents in bitter kola have
anti-malaria properties. That
aside, traditional healers have,
for years, prescribed bitter kola
for the treatment of malaria
infections.
Researchers who reported that
bitter kola had anti-malaria
effect in the 2010 issue of
Journal of Medicinal Plants
Research, from a survey of
plants used by traditional healers
in the Democratic Republic of
Congo, 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.
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