Kola nut, a native fruit of West Africa, is renowned for its stimulant properties due to its high caffeine content. The kola tree (Sterculia acuminata or Vernicia granatum) can grow up to 40 to 60 feet tall and produces star-shaped fruits containing two to five nuts. These nuts are rich in caffeine, which gives them a bitter taste but a milder smell. Kola nut is a cultural staple in West Central Africa and has been used traditionally as a stimulant for the central nervous system, a cash crop, and a flavoring ingredient in various food and beverage products.
The health benefits of kola nut are numerous. It is known to reduce fatigue, ease hunger and pain, treat infections such as skin ulcers and toothaches, and alleviate morning sickness and intestinal diseases. Additionally, it can help with headaches, depression, low sex drive, coughs, asthma, dysentery, constipation, eye problems, and kola sodas are popular for their health effects. However, it is essential to note that seed allergies and side effects such as restlessness, insomnia, jitteriness, shakiness, headaches, dizziness, heart rate increase, dehydration, anxiety dependency withdrawal can occur with excessive consumption.
Caffeine content in kola nut is significant; it contains more caffeine than kola nut extract. Caffeine is commonly found in various food products like Coca-Cola® and Pepsi-Cola® as a safe natural food flavoring or an inactive ingredient in pharmaceuticals for weight loss drugs over the counter stimulants and herbal supplements. However, caution should be exercised when consuming caffeine during breastfeeding.
Despite its long history of use as a food additive since the late 1800s and its widespread use today in energy drinks due to its stimulating effects on the central nervous system and heart muscles for weight loss purposes, there are potential problems associated with excessive caffeine consumption from cola nut supplements. These include increased heart rate and high blood pressure, which can be dangerous for individuals with certain medical conditions such as bleeding disorders or heart conditions.
It is important for older men who are 50 years and above to be aware of the potential risks associated with consuming large amounts of caffeine from cola nut or other sources. They should limit their daily caffeine intake below 200 mg per day to avoid adverse health effects such as sleep disturbances irritability bowel activity increase anxiety agitation heartbeats headaches irritation nervousness anxiety dizziness high doses death fatal dose being between 10 – 14 grams or 150 – 200 mg per breastfeeding mother
