Bitter Cola

Bitter Kola (Garcinia kola) is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae or Guttiferae family. It is found in Benin, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

The fruit, seeds, nuts and bark of the plant have been used for centuries in folk medicine to treat ailments from coughs to fever. 

It is traditionally used by African folk healers who believe that it has purgative, antiparasitic, and antimicrobial properties. The seeds are used for liver disorders, bronchitis, throat infections, colic, head or chest colds, and cough.

Preparation and Usage

Bitter Kola is best used in its raw state. 

Nutritional information and health benefits 

The extracts of the seed, commonly known as “bitter kola” have been used in African herbal medicine for the treatment of illnesses such as laryngitis, liver diseases, cough, hoarseness of voice, and diabetes and its associated complications. kola (bitter kola) seed is believed to be effective in treating throat infections and cough. Moreover, bitter kola has also been identified to have strong antibiotic activities and found to be very effective against disease causing microorganisms such as E. coli,Staph. aureus, Salmonella spp. 

The bitter plant, which is believed to contain a high source of vitamins and minerals such as Vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B3, fiber, calcium, potassium, and iron, also carry other antioxidants