Introduction

           Do you know the treatment of illnesses such as, liver diseases, laryngitis, cough, hoarseness of voice, and diabetes, liver disorders, malaria, as well as being aphrodisiac and fertility-issues can be cured by just eaten bitter kola?

To start with, bitter kola has been used in traditional African medicine for centuries. Kola is generally utilized by African society healers who accept that it has anti parasitic and antimicrobial properties.

Bitter kola is found in Benin, Cameroon, Congo, ivory coast, Mali, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and sierra Leone. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. Bitter kola also known as Garcinia kola, is a specie of flowering plant in the clusiaceae or guttiferae family. Bitter kola demands a lot of patience from the farmer because it takes a minimum of 7-10 years before harvesting while 4-5 years with access to enhance and modern farming. Due to this factor, there is shortage of farmers getting more involved in it compared to the high breed kola nut which is ready for harvest between 3-4 years. 

A farmer would certainly be making a lot of fortune investing in this type of high-end lucrative farming as bitter kola is widely sought after in the international market due to its various health benefits while it is also heavily consumed in the local market with cultural values attached to this plant. The fruit turns yellow or orange when ripe and mature for harvest. The harvesting can be done by plucking the pods or allowing them to fall, burst, and spills their content on the soil on their own. Transplanted bitter kola can grow at 10-12m height depending on the soil. After the first harvest year, bitter kola is available from the April-October for harvest every year.

Health Benefits of Bitter kola

Bitter kola seeds have a sharp, bitter flavour that ease in to a slight sweetness as you chew, and they are typically eaten raw. Although bitter kola has been eaten in African for years, scientists are just beginning to study the health benefits of this flowering plant. Bitter kola is able to help health problems including; 

Infections: Bitter kola has been used over the years to fight infections from the common cold to hepatitis. A 2018 study shows that bitter kola can help combat coughs, bacterial infections, and viral infections. Eating bitter kola when an infection starts may help fight the infection and make you feel better more quickly.

Bitter kola helps to improves your immune system:

Bitter kola provides the immune system with all the needed support in order to protect one from attacks of harmful toxins and effective immune response against strange particles. This high number of antioxidants found in bitter kola does not only help fight bacteria and other illnesses, it also helps the body to increase its immunity levels. And when the immunity level of the body is increased, it becomes strong enough to fight against any foreign contaminant.

Inflammation: bitter kola seeds have commonly been chewed in Africa to fight against inflammation conditions like arthritis. 

Diabetes: Early studies suggest that bitter kola may protect against hypoglycaemia in people with type2 diabetes.

Composition of bitter cola; Vitamin C, calcium, potassium, iron and caffeine.

Bitter kola preparation; bitter cola can be eaten on its own, uncooked, like many other nuts. Keep in mind, however, that, it’s   called “bitter” for a reason. Bitter kola can be an acquired taste. 

Conclusion

Consumption of bitter kola nuts is completely safe and is why almost every Africa likes to eat bitter kola. I personally haven’t experienced any sort of side effects or anything like that with eating bitter kola.  As with any form of natural supplement or remedy however, you should definitely consult with your family doctor before use. Bitter kola can be eaten on its own, uncooked, like many other nuts. Keep in mind, however, that it’s called “bitter” for a reason. Bitter kola can be an acquired taste. You can sometimes find drinks made or flavoured with bitter kola at African markets and online stores. If you don’t like the taste but want to introduce bitter kola to your diet, these drinks may be a good option.