Kola Nut Uses

The kola nut originated in western and central Africa and was propagated through the slave trade. It's a tree-borne fruit that grows on 125 species of trees, three of which have the ability to stimulate the nervous system when ingested, according to Healthline. These go by the Latin names Cola vera, acuminata and nitida. The kola nut is an ingredient in one of the North America's--if not the world's--most popular soft drinks. In 1886, Atlanta pharmacist John Stith Pemberton took extracts of the kola nut and cocaine and combined them in a syrup that would become Coca-Cola. Today, only the kola nut ingredient remains. According to The Wise Gardener, the kola nut is revered, as is green tea and chocolate, for its relatively safe stimulant and euphoric effects and its range of legitimate medicinal uses.

General Indications

• The kola nut is high in caffeine. When stimulants are indicated for medicinal purposes, the kola nut is considered a good choice because of its tendency to be nonaddictive. Addiction can be a problem with certain other stimulants, according to the "Journal of the American Medical Association." According to Healthline, its an effective diuretic in cases of fluid retention that can occur in kidney disease and inflammation of joints or muscles.

Respiratory Indications

• Because the kola nut has a very broad effect on the body's autonomic processes, it causes very detectable increases in blood pressure, temperature and rate of respiration, or breathing. The kola nut's impact is often felt up to six hours after consumption. Healthline indicates that the the kola nut has proven useful in the treatment of asthma. It's also been deployed in cases of whooping cough. Not only does the nut help open blood vessels, relieving the pain of headaches, but it acts as a bronchodilator, helping the bronchial airways to expand. The "Journal of the American Medical Association" cites a 1999 study titled "The Therapeutics of Kola," in which childhood asthma attacks were shown to be cut short with the use of the nut, and the course of the disease in general demonstrated improvement.

Gastrointestinal and other indications

• Partaking of kola nuts in Africa is much like sitting down to a cup of coffee with friends in the Western world, according to Healthline. The nuts are enjoyed as a stimulant in a social setting, but they are also indicated as a useful digestive aid. The caffeine in the nut stimulates the production of gastric juices, and the nut has been shown to improve the flavor of food. On the other hand, the kola nut can serve to damp down a person's appetite in much the same way a cup of coffee does. The dried nut can be ground into a powder and taken in doses of no more than 2 to 6 g per day, says Healthline. There are also liquid extract and tincture formulations.

  The kola nut is effective against tension headaches but also has proven useful against the mother of all headaches, the migraine. This is because the caffeine in the nut dilates the blood vessels in the scalp, opening up passageways and decreasing pain. Also, the kola nut, when used in the form of a paste, will speed the healing of cuts and scrapes.