Read This Article To Know About Kola Nut Benefits

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Health benefits of kola nut
With its beautiful brown colored shell and resembling a
chestnut, kola nut ﴾Cola acuminate﴿ is actually a fruit of
the Kola tree. A native to Africa and grown widely in
South America and Central America, kola nut is a health
benefitting fruit belonging to the cocoa family. It is a
caffeine‐rich fruit that is sometimes used as a flavoring
agent in beverages. It is more popular in the western
world as one of the flavoring agents and source of
caffeine in cola and other similar drinks and beverages.
The first cola soft drink, Coca cola was invented in 1800
by mixing the extracts of kola and coca with sugar,
carbonated water and other ingredients. However, coca
cola no longer uses kola nut extracts in their drinks since
caffeine is banned in soft drinks in the US. Kola nut has a
bitter taste but is immensely rich in compounds that
have medicinal properties. In some places like West

have medicinal properties. In some places like West
Indies and Brazil, these nuts are chewed before meals to
ease hunger pangs and to promote digestion.
Table of Contents
Chemical constituents of kola nut
Health benefits of kola nut
Antioxidant activity of kola nut
Kola nut helps in lowering weight
Kola nut boosts your metabolism
Kola nut offers protection against infections and
certain diseases
Kola nut against cancer
Kola nut promotes healthy digestion
Kola nut for treating migraines and headaches
Kola nut can reduce high blood pressure
Kola nut is beneficial for people suffering from
asthma
Kola nut as a nerve tonic
Kola nut has aphrodisiac properties
Kola nut prevents water retention
Kola nut is good for the liver
Side effects of overconsumption of kola nuts
Chemical constituents of kola nut
The main constituents of kola nut include caffeine,
theophylline, theobromine, sugar, water and phenolic
compounds such as phlobaphens, tannic acid, D‐
catechin and epicatechin.
Health benefits of kola nut
kola nut
Kola nut and its
extracts offer
several health
benefits mainly
because of the
presence of
caffeine and
other active
chemical

chemical
constituents that have medicinal effects.
Antioxidant activity of kola nut
Kola nut contains polyphenols that have strong
antioxidant properties. These compounds helps in
scavenging the harmful free radicals thus helping to
reduce the oxidative stress they bring about on the cells
and DNA. By protecting the cells from damage, kola nut
helps in preventing many diseases like cancer and also
in slowing down the process of aging. Because of the
high antioxidant effect of kola nut, it has been used in
many cosmetic products that help in protecting the skin
and hair from oxidative damage.
Kola nut helps in lowering weight
According to an animal study issued in the “Nigerian
Journal of Physiological Sciences”, mice that were fed a
kola nut diet happened to eat less and they weighed
less as well at the end of the study. From the results of
this study, it was concluded that a kola nut diet may be
helpful in lowering body weight. The caffeine in kola nut
acts as an appetite suppressant and a metabolism
booster, both of which are also helpful in promoting
weight loss.
See also 11 benefits of almonds you ought to
know
Kola nut boosts your metabolism
The “African Journal of Biotechnology,” published a
study in 2006 which stated that the liquid extracts
obtained from the kola nut helped in boosting the
metabolic rate and the heart rate. It was found that
when taken in low concentrations, kola nut improved
metabolism and the heart rate but when taken in high
doses, the kola nut extract increased the risk of heart
failure in the animals used for the study. The results

failure in the animals used for the study. The results
were comparable with the effects caused by too much
intake of caffeine.
Kola nut offers protection against
infections and certain diseases
Studies reveal that kola nut extracts made from the root,
leaves and stem of the kola nut plant are effective in
preventing the growth and proliferation of certain
bacteria. The root extracts caused considerable
reduction in the growth and development of bacteria
belonging to the mycobacterium species that are
responsible for causing conditions such as tuberculosis
and meningitis.
Kola nut against cancer
According to an article in the published in the 2009
issue of “Journal of Toxicology”, kola nut contains certain
nonsteroidal compounds such as phytoandrogens or
phytoestrogens that were found to be beneficial in
stopping the development of prostate cancer. The study
states that these compounds in kola nut may be capable
of stimulating a chain reaction that ultimately leads to
the death of the prostate cancer cells.
Kola nut promotes healthy digestion
Consumption of kola nut in moderate amounts is found
to help in promoting digestion by increasing the
production of gastric juice in the stomach. It is also
beneficial for many gastrointestinal problems like
dysentery and diarrhea.
Kola nut for treating migraines and
headaches
Kola nut contains several stimulants that cause dilation
of blood vessels, thereby increasing the flow of blood.
Increased blood circulation to the head can help in
relieving headaches and migraines.

Kola nut can reduce high blood
pressure
The high amounts of theobromine in kola nut acts as a
vasodilator that helps in widening the blood vessels,
which in turn helps in lowering high blood pressure.
Kola nut is beneficial for people
suffering from asthma
The caffeine in kola nut functions as an effective
bronchodilator and helps in opening up the air
passages. Because of this property, kola nut is often
used in the treatment of asthma, whooping cough and
other respiratory ailments. A study published in the
“Journal of American Medicine” states that kola nut may
help in decreasing the length of an asthma attack.
See also Advantage Antioxidants
Kola nut as a nerve tonic
Kola nut is considered to be an effective nerve tonic that
helps in relaxing and soothing the nerves without
numbing them. This nerve tonic effect is useful in
stimulating the activities of the nervous system and in
giving you a general feeling of happiness and healthy
well‐being. Because of its ability to calm the nerves, Kola
nut has long been used in the treatment of many
nervous disorders including depression, weakness,
anxiety, and lack of emotion. In fact, according to the
Journal of American Medical Association, Kola nut is far
better than many other stimulants as it does not cause
dependency or addiction. The caffeine in kola nut helps
in combating fatigue, promoting alertness and in
promoting good mental function.
Kola nut has aphrodisiac properties
Kola nut is used to increase sex drive as it has been

found to have libido enhancing or aphrodisiac
properties.
Kola nut prevents water retention
Kola nut has diuretic properties and is useful in treating
urinary tract infections. It helps in increasing the
frequency of urinations, thereby preventing fluid
retention. This effect is useful for flushing out toxins
from your body, in promoting weight loss and also in
reducing high blood pressure.
Kola nut is good for the liver
Kola nut contains chemical compounds that are found
to help in breaking down glycogen in the liver. The
antioxidant properties of this fruit make it a great tonic
for the liver and also the gall bladder, which helps in
detoxifying your whole body by eliminating the harmful
substances and toxins in your body.
Side effects of overconsumption of kola
nuts
Just like any other stimulant that contains caffeine, kola
nuts can also cause certain physical side effects if
consumed in excess quantities. Headaches, irregular
heartbeat, jitteriness, and lack of sleep are some of the
common side effects caused by taking too much of kola
nuts. This fruit is also known to stimulate the production
of gastric acid in the stomach and hence people
suffering from ulcers should be cautious while taking
kola nuts. Pregnant and nursing women, and people
having anxiety disorders, heart conditions, bleeding
disorders, glaucoma, diabetes, and osteoporosis should
avoid kola nuts or should consult a physician before
taking them.
Kola nut, which was once used as a flavoring ingredient
in cola and other beverages, is nowadays recommended
for its various health benefitting properties. It can be
taken as such or consumed in the powder or liquid form.

taken as such or consumed in the powder or liquid form.
Kola nut is now used mainly as a dietary supplement in
many energy formulas and weight loss solutions. This
fruit is highly valued by the Africans and they use it in
many religious, social, ritual and ceremonial functions
such as marriage, childbirth, funeral etc.
[image‐credits]
Author: Priya Nair
Published: August 9, 2014
Categories: Nuts
Tags: antioxidant, kola nut, tonic
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