THE BENEFITS OF BITTER KOLA



Bitter Kola also known as Garcinia Kola, belongs to the plant family Guttiferae. In Nigeria it is known as Oje in Bokyi, Edun or Efraii in Efik, Gidagoro in Hausa, Efiat in Ibibio, Igoligo in Idoma, Aku-Ilu or Ugolo in Igbo, Akaan in Ijo-Izo, Okain in Itsekiri and Orogbo inYoruba, is one of such food, which when eaten raw, has huge benefits due to its high nutritional content.
   Eating a piece of bitter kola daily, helps in the treatment of low libido, low spermcount, erectile dysfunction, arthritis, reduction of eye pressure, hangover treatment, improving lung function, knee osteoarthritis and others.
   Generally used as a social snack and offered to guests in some cultural settings, bitter kola is effective in the treatment on laryngitis, general inflamation, bronchitis, Viral infection and diabetes.
   Researchers has also gathered that some Igbo medicine men or native doctors prescribe the fruit for arthritic conditions. Its leaves when taken dry is a remedy for dysentery and as an antidote against Strophantus poisoning. The only side effect of bitter kola according to Bartholomew Brai, a nutritional biochemist at the Nigerian institute of medical research,Yaba, Lagos is that it makes drugs ineffective ,so it is advised not to be eaten when taken drugs.
    Bitter Kola also has antioxidant properties. It is used as tonic for the liver and the gall bladder ,helps to detoxify the body system and clears the voice by stimulating the production of the mucous lining  of the voice tube which softens dry throat. Bitter Kola is very effective because of its anti poison ,antiviral and antibacterial  properties.