Kola Nut Caffeine

Kola nut, kola nut caffeine-containing nut of Cola acuminata and Cola nitida, trees of the cocoa family (Sterculiaceae) native to tropical Africa and cultivated extensively  in the American tropics. The evergreen tree grows to 18.3 metres (60 feet) and  resembles the chestnut. The 5-centimetre- (2-inch-) long brown nut is hand-collected  and dried in the sun for commercial use, mainly as an ingredient of soft drinks and medicine. American and European soft-drink manufacturers, however, do not use the kola nut;  instead, they manufacture synthetic chemicals that resemble the flavour of the kola nut.
Kola nuts are used locally as a medium of exchange. They are also commonly chewed by local  labourers as a stimulant to diminish sensations of hunger and fatigue. Small pieces of kola nut chewed before meals act as an aid to digestion. In Brazil and the West Indies, the astringent-tasting  nuts are used as a botanical drug to combat intoxication, hangover, and diarrhea. The Igbo of  southeastern Nigeria employ the nut in various social rituals. The presentation of a plate of kola nuts is the central aspect of the visitation rituals practiced by the tribes.The main sources of caffeine are tea, coffee, cola (kola), cocoa (chocolate), guarana, yerba mate and their relatives. All were discovered and used by primitive man. Kola nut also contains tannins, phenolics, phlobaphens, kola red, betaine, protein, starch, fat, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. The Journal of the American Medical Association advocates the use of kola over other stimulants, because it is not addictive and does not lead to depression. Because it is also a diuretic, its use has been suggested for those with renal diseases, cardiac or renal edema and rheumatic and rheumatoid conditions. Most people around the world are familiar with kola; many have tasted it and do not even know it.

Health Benefit of Kola Nuts

• Kola is widely used as a treatment for whooping cough and asthma, as the caffeine acts as a  bronchodilator, expanding the bronchial air passages.

A Journal of American Medicine cites a study of kola nut's effects on asthma that showed "the attack being cut short and the child's condition rapidly improved."

• Gastrointestinal disorders

In Africa, the fresh nuts are chewed as a ceremonial greeting, as a stimulant, and to help aid digestion, as kola nut stimulates gastric acid production.

• Kola nuts are also known to improve the taste of food and act as an appetite suppressant. Ideal if you are trying to diet.

• The kola nut is also used to treat migraine headaches, because the caffeine and theobromine act as cerebral vasodilators (increase blood flow in the head) and, when used in a poultice, can be applied to external cuts and scrapes.

• More recently, an ephedra/caffeine preparation made from kola nut extract and a Chinese medication known as Ma Huang was tested for safety and efficacy as part of a weight reduction program. The study indicated that the preparation improved the subjects' rate of weight loss and reduction in body fat without undesirable side effects.

The flavour of kola nut in cola beverages appears to be more effective than other flavours in disguising the taste of activated charcoal when the charcoal must be given as an antidote for accidental poisoning.
The part of the seed known as the kola nut is the cotyledon, which is also called the seed leaf. The cotyledons are white and bitter when they are fresh, but they turn reddish with almost no taste when they are dried. Fresh nuts are difficult to find outside of the tropical areas where they are grown.