By Blessing Odimayo
What health benefits and side effects of bitter kola everyone should know about? Did you know that eating too much bitter kola is not good for you? Many Nigerians are adding cola nuts to their daily ration on a regular basis. They mention that thanks to all the useful components of this amazing nut, the significance and use of this nut for one’s health are hard to overestimate despite side effects of bitter kola nut. However, despite its many health benefits, you need to remember when eaten in the excessive amount; it can also be bad for your health. However, let’s first explore bitter kola nut benefits and then proceed to its side effects.
Health benefits of bitter kola nut
For years people inhabiting areas where bitter kola nuts grow, knew that this nut is useful when it comes to diseases prevention, immunity improvement, etc. The previous generation used to have it on a regular basis and so should we only in moderation.
Here is how exactly this nut can boost your health and improve the general condition of a person.
It’s useful for weight loss- People claim that when eating kola nuts, you feel fewer cravings. Thus, if you know that you often feel hungry in the middle of the day, have a few kola nuts to decrease your hunger. So, this way, you won’t feel hungry and lose weight naturally after some time.
It can cure infertility- Some people say that when eaten on a regular basis, this nut can help cure infertility. This only works for men, allegedly. However, as other people say it might also imply for those men who have impotence, as its components improve this function.
It can heal glaucoma- What we mean here is that it can decrease the eye pressure which results in glaucoma if not treated timely. That’s why people who have problems with their eye pressure as well as those spending too much time in the dark areas, should consider adding this nut to their diet.
It helps cure diseases in lungs- Thanks to another useful component in it, this nut helps improve the function of your lungs. So, if you seem to catch colds very frequently during the cold seasons, then eating bitter kola nuts is something you should consider.
It prevents malaria- Given the studies performed in the area, people who ate bitter cola nut were less likely to get malaria. The bitter kola nut benefits are in the protection of people eating them from developing this health condition.
Now, as you know how you can benefit from eating this nut, make sure you do not consume too much of it. That’s the reason why we have crafted a list of possible side effect bitter kola can have on you, especially for women during pregnancy as they are more vulnerable during this time.
What are side effects of bitter kola?
It can lead to mouth cancer – Not all people know that chewing bitter kola nuts can lead to developing cancer of the mouth or gastrointestinal cancer.
Too much caffeine can cause death- As you know the excessive amount of caffeine can lead to death. Thus, eating too much kola nuts can be dangerous. So, one should be very careful with the doses he chooses.
It can damage the heart- Again, the caffeine which can be found in the bitter kola nuts can lead to severe heart issues. So, people with the cardio problem should keep this side effect of eating bitter kola in mind all the time.
It can lead to glaucoma – Even though when in moderation, these nuts can prevent glaucoma, they can also develop it when eaten in an excessive amount. So, one has to be very careful with these nuts.
It is not good for people with diabetes- Individuals who suffer from diabetes state that when too much caffeine gets into their body, it starts behaving in a different way. Thus, the sugar is not digested as usually. So, the problems can lead to incorrect sugar levels in one’s body which is not good for diabetes.
It can worsen diarrhoea – When eaten in excessive amounts these nuts can worsen one’s diarrhoea and turn into a real problem. So, be careful with it and don’t underestimate the possible disaster which can come out of it.
It slows blood clotting – When eaten in excessive amounts, kola nuts can lead to another trouble: the blood clotting will be worse than ever. Therefore, if you had bleedings, this nuts can worsen them and make them bigger than ever.
It can cause anxiety- People who had problems with the level of stress they experience as well as with the anxiety attacks should stay away from this nut, as it can make everything even worse given the number of components which promote such an effect.
It’s not healthy to have it after surgeries – Since this nuts can worsen blood clotting processes, people who underwent some surgeries or other operations should stay away from bitter kola nuts not to add up such of their side effects to the general health condition. So, as you see, this nut can be a real treasure to all of you for many reasons. It can help you lose weight or improve respiratory functions. However, you should better consult your doctor first to make sure that you can have it as well as in what amount having it is okay.
Discussion about this post