Bitter kola is one of the agro products grown in Nigeria and also in some other parts of West Central Africa. This product is used for different things by different people in different parts of the world.   This amazing product is known as “Migin goro” in Hausa,” Orogbo” in Yoruba and “Akilu” in Igbo languages respectively.

Bitter kola has a lot of health benefits and medicinal uses some of which will be discussed in this article.

When chewed with some mint sweets, bitter kola relieves cough. It is also an antidote against poison, a remedy for dysentery, treatment of cold, improves lung function, prevents malaria activity among others.

 Medicinal Uses:

Due to its potent antimicrobial (antiviral, antibacterial, antiphrastic) and anti-inflammatory properties, bitter kola is used as a supportive remedy in the treatments of bacterial infection, all kinds of fever, cold and sneezing, cough, tuberculosis, bronchial and other respiratory problems.

  Chewing bitter kola together with any “mint” product as soon as the symptoms of coughs, chest colds, throat or are noticed will help to allay the problems before it takes a firm root.

   Syrup prepared with a mixture of bitter kola and garlic powder with a little ginger root and pure honey, have been found to be very effective in relieving the symptoms and the treatment of cold, catarrh, cough, asthma, sore throat, measles and mumps, inflammatory reactions, or any irritation along the entire respiratory tract. The syrup is also useful in treating and preventing the high incidence of opportunistic infections associated with a compromised immunity such as HIV and AIDS.

   A mixture of bitter kola, spring onion, African mahogany and sausage tree powder is used as an infusion (tea) twice daily to help reduce high blood sugar in diabetic patients.

  Regular intake of bitter kola masticating 1-2 seeds once and twice daily prevents nausea and vomiting, clears hoarseness (coarse voice), prevents halitosis (bad breath), reduces eye pressure, promotes restful sleep when taken at bed time, may prevent liver disorders and the establishment of malignant growth centres.

    Chewing one seed of bitter kola after taking a glass (250ml) of fluted pumpkin leaves juice and milk mixture (in a 1:1 ratio) once a day will pep-up men with transient erectile dysfunction especially when it is associated with stress.

  An alcohol extract (tincture) made from the mixture of bitter kola seeds and bark, cloves, nutmeg, fresh garlic and maize cob is used as a helpful treatment for premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction.

Health Benefits of Bitter kola

Bitter kola can be used to correct the following health issues:

 

Bitter Kola Improves Lung Functions

Bitter kola (Garcinia kola) has been used for eras to treat chest colds in traditional medicine, but research has taken a look and discovered its effectiveness. 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 many 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 quinine content.

Furthermore, kolaviron, the powerful chemical compound found in bitter kola, was reportedly tested on a malaria parasite and found to inhibit malarial activity.

Also, in 1999, a group of researchers in Kinshasa, Congo, attested to why people should consider feeding more on bitter kola to ward off malaria. Under laboratory settings, they found extracts from bark, stem and seed of bitter kola tree inhibit the growth of malaria parasite (Plasmodium falciparum) by at least 60% at a low concentration of 6 mg/ml.

Bitter Kola Health Benefit for Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, characterized by pain, inflammation and limited movement in the joints, according to the National Institutes of Health. Causes of osteoarthritis can include joint injury, obesity and aging. Since many arthritis sufferers prefer natural herbal medicines to other pain relievers and medications, researchers tested the effects of Garcinia kola against arthritis symptoms. The results of the study showed that Garcinia kola significantly reduced inflammation and pain and increased joint movement in subjects that had osteoarthritis symptoms. It is believed that Garcinia kola works well as a result of its antioxidant properties.

 

Garcinia kola appeared to have clinically significant analgesic/anti-inflammatory effects in knee osteoarthritis patients. Garcinia kola is a potential osteoarthritis disease activity modifier with good mid-term outcome; Olayinka O Adegbehingbe, Saburi A Adesanya, Thomas O Idowu, Oluwakemi C Okimi, Oyesiku A Oyelami and Ezekiel O Iwalewa discovered in their study on the Clinical effects of Garcinia kola in knee osteoarthritis.

The side effects reported from the Garcinia kola use in this study were “weight loss”, “increase in sex drive” and “extended sleep” which many considered helpful to meet their individual and marital demands.

Bitter Kola Health Benefit for Glaucoma (Eye Pressure)

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 results of their study, published in the January 2010 issue of Middle East African Journal of Ophthalmology, showed that the opthamolic solution that contained the Garcinia significantly reduced eye pressure when used twice a day.

Bitter Kola Health Benefit for HIV

 According to researchers, bitter kola is a potent antibiotic which could be efficacious in the treatment of HIV, AIDS and opportunistic infections associated with HIV because of its antibacterial, detoxification, and cleansing properties. The chemical Saponin in bitter kola is responsible for its cleansing effect, this  is mainly used as tonic for the liver, it enhances the functions of the liver and gall bladder.

Bitter Kola Health Benefit for Cold

Bitter kola is often used to treat the symptoms of colds. It is suggested, in particular, for coughs and sneezing.

Bitter Kola Benefit for Male Fertility (Impotence)

Garcinia kola, also called bitter kola is sometimes believed to cure impotence. Frequent taking of bitter kola boosts man performance in bed with a woman.

Bitter Kola Benefit for Immune System

Bitter kola is known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It can be used to prevent infections and viruses, especially in relation to the immune system.

Bitter Kola Benefit for Food Poisoning

In many 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 often recommend the chewing of bitter kola immediately after eating. This usually prevents the development of any infection or poisoning. Herbalists even recommend the seed and the bark of bitter kola should be eaten together in cases where food poisoning is suspected because it helps to cleanse the system.

 It is also believed that bitter kola   has the ability to repel evil spirits according to traditional beliefs.

 

In conclusion, bitter kola (garcinia kola) have for centuries been used in African culture for both traditional and medicinal purposes. Garcinia kola contains saponin, kolaviron (a natural biflavonoid), dimeric flavonoid, and lipase inhibitor all of which is believed to have many healing properties. Further more, it has shown to possess anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antiviral properties for treatment of several ailments.

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REFERENCE

 •Clinical effects of Garcinia kola in knee osteoarthritis – Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research

 • The Guardian Newspaper- The Health Benefits of Bitter kola online                                                

 •Bitter kola: antidote to malaria at no cost? - Eyes on Malaria Online