FOOD AS MEDICINE – GARCINIA COLA (BITTER COLA), BY CHINEDU AGU
The first time I heard about the health benefit of bitter cola was way back in my undergraduate days. I am one of those women that combined birthing with studies. One day while I was just weaning my first child, I was commuting to school on a public transport and had him on my laps. He had a cough and a running nose. So as some cold air breezed in through the window, his cough was triggered off. One concerned passenger asked me if I had given him bitter cola water. I drew blank because I never heard of that. When he saw the bewilderment on my face, he proceeded to lecture me on how to use this wonder cola for almost every ailment. And so, the discussion on the benefits of bitter cola took the center stage for the rest of the one-hour journey to my school.
One man swore to the efficacy in countering poison both ingested ones and the one outside of the body. He went ahead to say that if the cola is chewed or made to a poultice and placed at the anus of a goat with running stomach, the goat would recover in hours! I must say that at that time all those testimonies about bitter cola were like moonlight tales to me; yes, I did not take them seriously as I was more interested in getting to my destination as fast as possible so that I could administer my baby’s medication to him.
Fast forward to years later, I was confronted with a difficult situation with my two little children one night. Then I remembered the cure-all cola. My four-year-old came down with a bit of diarrhea and the one-year-old had followed suit. I was at a loss for what to do. For one, we were all alone and transportation was a challenge. I quickly prepared ORT, the way many mothers were taught at most children’s hospitals at that time and administered to them to check the loss of fluid and then I quickly got the bitter cola, chewed it, added some warm water to a portion and soaked for a couple of minutes. Then I gave the solution to the one-year-old, while the remaining paste I fed to the four-year old followed up with sips of water while waiting for daybreak.
After a while both of them slept off, and by morning they were all about the place as if nothing happened and we never went to the hospital!
From then on, bitter cola became a constant on my shopping list.
Garcinia kola, bitter kola, Agbilu, Aki ilu (Igbo),Orogbo (Yoruba),Mijin-goro (Hausa) is a fruit seed of a flowering plant that belongs to the family of Clusiaceae and is native to subtropical/tropical low land forest of Africa. It can be found growing in the wild in countries like Benin Republic, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria. Places like The Gambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leon and Senegal are also favorable habitat to this wonder cola.
One thing common in all these habitats is that the folk/traditional medicine healers believe in its healing efficacies. They believe that the whole of the tree plant ranging from the seeds to the bark, have medicinal values especially for cough and cough related ailments like throat infections, chest colds and bronchitis. Apart from snacking and the use as part of traditional cola presentation welcome gesture to visitors, the seeds are usually chewed to alleviate stomach pains, indigestion, liver disorders and other ailments.
According to the center for International Forestry Research, indigenous Nigerian communities believe that the bitter cola has purgative, antiphrastic, anti-viral and antimicrobial properties. It also contains fiber, antioxidants, minerals, and various vitamins which include A, B,C and D
The bitter nut is reputed to aid weight loss due to the content of caffeine and its ability to increase thirst thus encouraging increased consumption of water which in turn boosts metabolism.
It is claimed to protect the liver from excessive exposure to drugs and toxic materials especially when mixed with honey. It can fight bad breath, glaucoma, aid male fertility and sexual performance, can also alleviate colic symptoms and arthritis’ discomfort.
In most cultures across Africa, this supper plant seed is used as a repellant for all species of snakes. So many stories have been told by folks about its effectiveness in keeping these reptiles at bay, especially the one of a man that built a mansion in his village but each time he comes home, would be forced to rent a room in a hotel because snakes c of all types had invaded his house such that even his dining table had become a favorite resting place for them. When the man eventually got a bag of bitter cola nuts and scattered them all over the place, the ambitious reptiles had no choice but to beat a permanent retreat.
For more effectiveness as a repellent, it is advised a sizeable quantity to be ground with some dry corn, the powdered mixture is then sprinkled in and around the house. It is claimed that this combination can deter snakes from almost a mile.
Some old wife’s tales also have it that its efficacy as anti-poison is next to none and that it has the ability to repel ghosts and evil spirits. They recommend that ladies should place some permanently inside their handbags and men in their pockets, especially when in a place one does not trust. I remember those days; our grandmother would make sure we had them in our mouths whenever we came home for holidays! We were advised to have some strewn in the compound especially the entrance. The idea is to ward off or neutralize any evil harbinger to the compound!
For all the good sides, this super plant has some downsides to it. For instance, it is warned not to take it while on medication as it can water down the efficacy.
Again, if one is scheduled for surgery, consumption of bitter cola is a no, no, at least two weeks before the surgery as well as after as it can interfere with anesthetic medication used during the surgery.
Like in any other things of life it is always desirable not to overindulge, moderation is the key.
