HEALTH BENEFITS OF BITTER KOLA

Bitter kola is known in Yoruba land as Orogbo, in Hausaland as Miji-goro, and in Igboland as Akiilu. Learn about its health benefits.

Bitter Kola, also known as Garcinia kola, is a fruit from a tree that grows in the rain forests of west Africa. The health benefits of eating this fruit are numerous.

From the name, bitter kola is a bitter traditional fruit common in rural areas of Nigeria and West Africa. Traditionally, the fruit, seeds, nuts and bark of the bitter kola plant have been used for centuries in herbal medicine to treat several ailments.

Here are the health benefits of Bitter Kola:

1. Treating Malaria

Traditional healers use bitter kola to treat malaria. Kolaviron is an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory phytochemical. Kolaviron is a major constituent of garcinia seed which helps in treating malaria. Check out why you should also start drinking coconut water.

2. Respiratory health

The considerate amount of consumption of bitter kola helps in strengthening and stabilising lung tissue and maintain respiratory tract. Healers use the kola to treat chest colds. It also has a favourably high antioxidant content for a healthy body.

3. Remedy for osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, which comes with inhibited movement of the joints and inflammation. Researchers at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria tested the effects of Garcinia kola against arthritis symptoms and the results of the study, written by Onifade Victor.J and published in the July 2008 issue of the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research, show that the Garcinia kola reduced inflammation and pain and increased joint movement in subjects that had osteoarthritis symptoms. See the health benefits of African bush pear.