Cola Nut

June 16th, 2007

Botanical: Cola nitida
Family: Sterculiaceae (Sterculia)
Other common names: Cola Nut, African Cola (or Kola) Nut, Goora Nut, Gooroo Nut, Guru Nut, Bissy Nut, Gourou, OmbÃ©nÃ©, NangouÃ©, Kokkorokou

The Cola Plant is a Tropical Evergreen tree, growing to 20 m tall, with glossy ovoid leaves up to 30 cm long.Kola nut (Cola) is a genus of about 125 species of trees native to the tropical rainforests of Africa, classified in the family Malvaceae, subfamily Sterculioideae (or treated in the separate family Sterculiaceae). It is related to the South American genus Theobroma (Cacao).Kola nuts (or cola nuts) are the seed pods of various evergreen trees that are native to Africa; Sterculiaceae cola vera is the scientific name of the most common species.

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Uses:
Cola nut trees have been important in Africa for centuries. Africans used the pods to ease labor pains; seeds to relieve diarrhea, nausea, and hangover; bark to heal wounds; and wood to build houses, boats, and images. They chewed the nuts as a stimulant and used the roots to clean teeth and sweeten breath.
Kola nuts are important in many African societies, particularly in Western Africa. Besides the fact that Kola nuts contain caffeine and act as a stimulant and anti-depressant, they are also thought to reduce fatigue and hunger, aid digestion, and work as an aphrodisiac. In some parts of Africa, kola nuts are given as gifts to visitors entering a home, usually with some formal ceremony. Offering the kola nut is a gesture of friendship and hospitality. The kola nut ceremony is similar to the traditional American Indian peace pipe or breaking bread in a religious context. Elsewhere, before a marriage, a bag of kola nuts are often given by a groom to the parents of the bride. Kola nuts are a used in rituals performed by religious healers. Besides the ceremonial uses, many Africans consume kola nuts regularly, even daily, for the medicial effects described above. Kola nuts are a common sight in African markets in cities and villages. They are often sold by street vendors at bus and train depots. On a train or bus, a traveler with a kola nut will often offer a piece to the others nearby, whether he knows them or not.

It has a bitter flavor and caffeine content, and is chewed in many West African cultures, individually or in a group setting. It is often used ceremonially, presented to tribal chiefs or presented to guests. Chewing kola nut can ease hunger pangs. Frequent chewing of the kola nut can also lead to stained teeth. Among the urban youth of West Africa, kola nut is becoming less popular.

Beneficial Uses:
Kola Nut is a stimulant. It contains more caffeine than a coffee bean and is taken in the same way, as a stimulant, to prevent fatigue. In the past it was used by armies on the march, because the stimulating effects allowed for long distances to be traveled while carrying a minimum of food. It has been said that the Kola Nut possesses a physiological property of enabling persons ingesting it to undergo prolonged exertion without fatigue, undoubtedly due to its high caffeine content.

The caffeine content in Kola Nut may also be helpful in easing migraine headaches. Conventional wisdom has always said that all caffeine will cause headaches, but some modern research claims that judicious use of caffeine may actually help migraines, and it is even included in several over-the-counter migraine preparations. Kola Nut is also thought to relieve the pain of neuralgia (the severe, throbbing or stabbing pain along the course of a nerve).

Kola Nut is also believed to be a fine “nervine” or nerve tonic that has a soothing and quieting influence on the nerves without numbing them. In addition, the tonic effect stimulates and tones up the nervous system and imparts an overall feeling of healthy well-being. It has been used to alleviate nervous debility, depression, despondency, weakness, nervous diarrhea, anxiety and lack of emotion.

Kola Nut is said to be a cardiotonic that stimulates and strengthens a weak heart.

In traditional herbal medicine and lore, Kola Nut was taken before a meal to improve digestion, and it has been reported that in Africa, its use exercised a favorable influence upon the digestive organs - particularly the liver - and most notably in the non-native populations who appeared to escape the constitutional changes due to affections of that organ; however, there are no clinical trials to prove this claim. Further tradition stated that Kola Nut rendered the most foul and putrid waters clean, made tainted meat edible; and when taken internally, helped prevent dysentery. Again, there is no scientific evidence to prove any of these claims.

Recommended Dosage:
Take one (1) capsule, one (1) time each day with water at an early to mid-day mealtime.

Contraindications:
Pregnant and nursing women should not use Kola Nut, and excessive use (many times the recommended dosage) may cause nervousness and/or insomnia. If symptoms of dizziness, anxiety or nervousness occur, discontinue using Kola Nut

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein by Herbal Extracts Plus is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Present Use
Cola nuts are an essential ingredient of cola drinks, a multi-million dollar industry. Traditional uses for the tree continue in Africa. In some cultures, a host who fails to give cola nuts to departing guests commits a serious social blunder.

Kola was originally used to make cola soft drinks, though today most of these mass-produced beverages use artificial flavourings. Some exceptions are Barr’s Red Kola, Harboe Original Taste Cola, Foxon Park Kola, Blue Sky Organic Cola, Sprecher’s Puma Kola, and Cricket Cola, the latter being made from kola nuts and green tea. In 2007, UK supermarket Tesco introduced an American Premium Cola in that uses kola nuts, spices and vanilla.

Outside of Africa, some species are cultivated for their nuts in Indonesia, Brazil, Jamaica and elsewhere in the humid tropics.

Safety issues
Kola nuts contain high amounts of N-nitroso which is carcinogenic. In Nigeria, where the chewing of Kola nuts is a common practice, there is a high incidence of oral and gastrointestinal cancer which may be related to this habit.

Resources:

http://www.congocookbook.com/snack_recipes/kola_nut.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kola_nut
http://www.herbalextractsplus.com/kola-nut.cfm?gclid=CN-lnoa12YwCFQyIPgodb36KMw