Kola nut

Kola Nut

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Kola nut

Kola nut (Cola) is a genus of about 125 species of tree

TREE

TREE was a Boston hardcore punk band formed in the summer of 1990. They were active in the Boston music scene until disbanding in 2002....
s native to the tropical rainforest

Rainforest

Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750?2000 mm . The monsoon trough, alternately known as the intertropical convergence zone, plays a significant role in creating Earth's tropical rain forests....
s of Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area....
, classified in the family Malvaceae

Malvaceae

Malvaceae, or the mallow family, is a family of flowering plants containing over 200 genera with close to 2,300 species. Judd & al. The largest genera in terms of number of species include Hibiscus , Sterculia , Dombeya , Pavonia and Sida ....
, subfamily Sterculioideae (or treated in the separate family Sterculiaceae

Sterculiaceae

Sterculiaceae is a botanical name for a group of flowering plants at the rank of family, which is now widely considered obsolete. As is true for any botanical name, the circumscription, status and placement of the taxon has varied with taxonomic point of view....
). It is related to the South America

South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
n genus Theobroma (Cacao

Cacao

Cacao , or the cocoa plant, is a small evergreen tree in the family Sterculiaceae , native to the deep tropical region of the Americas. There are two prominent competing hypotheses about the origins of the original wild Theobroma cacao tree....
). They are evergreen

Evergreen

In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant having leaf all year round. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage for part of the year....
trees, growing to 20 m tall, with glossy ovoid leaves

Leaf

In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant Organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin, to expose the cells containing chloroplast to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate fully into the tissues....
up to 30 cm long.
kola nut has a bitter flavor and contains caffeine

Caffeine

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Uses

The kola nut has a bitter flavor and contains caffeine

Caffeine

Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a psychoactive stimulant drug and a mild diuretic. Caffeine was discovered by a German chemist, Friedrich Ferdinand Runge, in 1819....
. It is chewed in many West African cultures, individually or in a group setting. It is often used ceremonially, presented to tribal chiefs or presented to guests. It is preferred among African Muslims, who are forbidden to drink alcohol. Chewing kola nut can ease hunger pangs. Frequent chewing of the kola nut can also lead to stained teeth. Among the urban youth of West Africa

West Africa

West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the United Nations subregion of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries distributed over an area of approximately 5 million square km:...
, kola nut is becoming less popular.

Kola was used to make cola

Cola

Cola is a beverage usually with caramel coloring and containing caffeine.Originally invented by the druggist John Pemberton, it has become popular worldwide....
soft drink

Soft drink

A soft drink is a beverage that does not contain alcohol. Carbonated soft drinks are commonly known as soda, soda pop, pop, coke or tonic in various parts of the United States, pop in Canada, fizzy drinks in the United Kingdom and Australia and sometimes minerals in Ireland....
s, though today most of these mass-produced beverages use artificial flavourings. Some exceptions are Barr's Red Kola

Red Kola

Red Kola is a carbonated soft drink made from fruit extracts, and may include flavouring from the kola nut. The main manufacturer and supplier is A.G....
, Red Bull

Red Bull

Red Bull is an energy drink that is sold by Red Bull GmbH. In 2006, more than 3 1000000000 cans were sold in over 130 countries.Red Bull was inspired by Krating Daeng, an energy drink produced in Thailand that had been used for years by long-distance truckers, kick-boxers, students and others who wanted a boost....
's new Simply Cola

Red Bull Cola

Red Bull Cola is a cola beverage from Red Bull GmbH, makers of the energy drink Red Bull. The cola, which contains natural flavoring and caffeine, was introduced in 2008 in several countries....
, Harboe Original Taste Cola, Foxon Park Kola

Foxon Park

Foxon Park is a soft drink brand produced by Foxon Park Beverage Company. The company is located in East Haven, Connecticut and has been in business for more than 80 years....
, Blue Sky Organic Cola, Whole Foods Market

Whole Foods Market

Whole Foods Market is an Austin, Texas, Texas-based foods grocer. , the company operates over 270 locations in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom....
365 Cola, Sprecher's

Sprecher Brewery

Sprecher Brewery is a brewery founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, by Randal Sprecher in 1985. Sprecher produces an assortment of beers and sodas....
Puma Kola, Virgil's Real Cola, and Cricket Cola

Cricket Cola

Cricket Natural Beverages are green tea enhanced sparkling beverages. With 2 cups of green tea in every bottle Cricket is sweetened with pure cane sugar and has no HFCS, preservatives, artificial colors or flavors....
, the latter being made from kola nuts and green tea

Green tea

'Green tea' is a type of tea made solely with the leaves of Camellia sinensis, that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures in Asia from Japan to the Middle East....
. In 2007, United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
supermarket

Supermarket

A supermarket is a self-service Retailing#Retail types offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments....
Tesco

Tesco

Tesco Public limited company is a British-based international grocery and general merchandising retail chain. It is the largest British retailer by both global sales and domestic market share with profits exceeding ?2 billion....
introduced an American Premium Cola that uses kola nuts, spices and vanilla

Vanilla

Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla native to Mexico. Etymologically, vanilla derives from the Spanish language word "", little pod....
.

Outside Africa

Africa

Madagascar

Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the List of islands by area, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are Endemism to Madagascar....
, Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the List of countries by population country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world....
, Jamaica

Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. It is about south of Cuba, and west of the island of Hispaniola, on which Haiti and the Dominican Republic are situated....
and elsewhere in the humid tropics.

Kola nuts are often used to treat whooping cough

Pertussis

Pertussis, also known as the whooping cough, is a highly contagious disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis; it derived its name from the"whooping" sound made from the exhalation of air during a cough.; a similar, milder disease is caused by Bordetella parapertussis....
and asthma

Asthma

Asthma is a common chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, in which the Lung constrict, become inflammation, and are lined with excessive amounts of thickened mucus, often in response to one or more triggers....
. The caffeine present acts as a bronchodilator

Bronchodilator

A bronchodilator is a substance that Wiktionary:dilate#Verb the Bronchus and bronchioles, decreasing airway resistance and thereby facilitating airflow....
, expanding the bronchial air passages.

Pharmacological effects

Kola nuts are used mainly for their stimulant

Stimulant

Stimulant drugs are drugs that temporarily increase alertness and awareness. They usually have increased side-effects with increased effectiveness, and the more powerful variants are therefore often prescription medicines or illegal drugs....
and euphoriant

Euphoria (emotion)

Euphoria is medically recognized as an emotional and mental state defined as a sense of great happiness and quality_of_life. Technically, euphoria is an affect , but the term is often colloquially used to define emotion as an intense, Wiktionary:transcendent happiness combined with an overwhelming sense of well-being....
qualities. They have effects similar to other xanthine

Xanthine

Xanthine , , is a purine base found in most body tissues and fluids and in other organisms. A number of mild stimulants are derived from xanthine, including caffeine and theobromine....
-containing herbs like cocoa

Cocoa

Cocoa is the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of the cacao from which chocolate is made. "Cocoa" can often also refer to the drink commonly known as hot chocolate; Cocoa solids, the dry powder made by grinding cocoa seeds and removing the cocoa butter from the dark, bitter cocoa solids; or it may refer to the combination of both cocoa p...
, tea

Tea

Tea refers to the agricultural products of the leaves, leaf buds, and internodes of the Camellia sinensis plant, prepared and cured by various methods....
, coffee

Coffee

Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the Coffea. Caffeinated coffee has a stimulating effect in humans....
, guarana

Guarana

Guarana from the Portuguese language: guaran? , Paullinia cupana , is a climbing plant in the maple family, Sapindaceae, native to the Amazon basin and especially common in Brazil....
and yerba mate

Yerba mate

Yerba mate , Ilex paraguariensis, is a species of holly native to subtropical South America in Argentina, southern Chile, eastern Paraguay, western Uruguay and southern Brazil....
. However, the effects are distinctively different, producing a stronger state of euphoria and well being. They have stimulant effects on the central nervous system and heart. Animal experiments indicate that kola nuts have analeptic

Analeptic

An analeptic, in medicine, is a restorative, or remedies proper to restore the body, when wasted or emaciated by disease or hunger. An example is Pimadin, an anticurare analeptic drug....
and lipolytic (fat-burning) properties, and stimulate the secretion of gastric juices. Human studies show kola nuts have positive chronotropic

Chronotropic

Chronotropic effects are those that change the heart rate.Chronotropic drugs may change the heart rate by affecting the nerves controlling the heart, or by changing the rhythm produced by the sinoatrial node....
and weak diuretic

Diuretic

A diuretic is any drug that elevates the rate of urination and thus provides a means of forced diuresis. There are several categories of diuretics....
effects. In humans it enhances alertness and physical energy, elevates mood, increases tactile sensitivity and suppresses the appetite. Autonomic changes include increased body temperature, increased blood pressure and increased respiratory rate. Effects may last up to 6 hours after ingestion.

Chemical composition

caffeine
Caffeine

Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a psychoactive stimulant drug and a mild diuretic. Caffeine was discovered by a German chemist, Friedrich Ferdinand Runge, in 1819....
(2- 3.5 %)
theobromine
Theobromine

Theobromine, also known as xantheose, is a bitter alkaloid of the cacao plant, found in chocolate, as well as in a number of chocolate-free foods made from theobromine sources including the leaves of the tea plant, the kola or cola nut, and acai berries....
(1.0-2.5%)
theophylline
Theophylline

Theophylline, also known as dimethylxanthine, is a methylxanthine drug used in therapy for respiratory diseases such as COPD or asthma under a variety of brand names....
catechine
epicatechine
D-catechine
phenolics
phlobaphens
betaine
protein
Protein

Proteins are organic compounds made of amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of adjacent amino acid Residue ....
starch
Starch

File:Amylose2.svgFile:Amylopektin Sessel.svgStarch or amylum is a polysaccharide carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds....
fat
Fat

Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. Chemistry, fats are generally ester of glycerol and fatty acids....
thiamine
Thiamine

'Thiamine', or 'thiamin', sometimes called aneurin, is a water-soluble vitamin of the B complex , whose phosphate derivatives are involved in many cellular processes....
riboflavin
Riboflavin

Riboflavin , also known as vitamin B2, is an easily absorbed micronutrient with a key role in maintaining health in humans and animals....
niacin
Niacin

Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, is a water-soluble vitamin which prevents the Nutrition disorder pellagra. It is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5NO2....
ascorbic acid
Ascorbic acid

Ascorbic acid is a sugar acid with antioxidant properties. Its appearance is white to light-yellow crystals or powder. It is water-soluble. The L-enantiomer of ascorbic acid is commonly known as vitamin C....
betaine
sugar
Sugar

Sugar is a class of edible crystalline substances, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose. Human taste buds interpret its flavor as sweet. Sugar as a basic food carbohydrate primarily comes from sugar cane and from sugar beet, but also appears in fruit, honey, sorghum, sugar maple , and in many other sources....
gum
GUM

#REDIRECT Gum...
cellulose
Cellulose

File:Cellulose Sessel.svgCellulose is an organic compound with the chemical formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to over ten thousand ? linked D-glucose units....
water
Water

Water is a common chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of life. In typical usage, water refers only to its liquid form or States of matter, but the substance also has a solid state, ice, and a gaseous state, water vapor or steam....
calcium
Calcium

Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft grey alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth most abundant element by mass in the earth's Crust ....
potassium
Potassium

Potassium is a chemical element. It has the symbol K , atomic number 19, and atomic mass 39.0983. Potassium was first isolated from potash, hence the name....
iron
Iron

Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. Iron is a Group 8 element and period 4 element. Iron is lustrous and silvery in color....
beta-carotene
Beta-carotene

?-Carotene is an organic compound - a terpenoid, a red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruits. As a carotene with ?-rings at both ends, it is the most common form of carotene....
tannic acid
Tannic acid

Tannic acid , a commercial form of tannin, is a polyphenol. Its weak acidity is due to these phenol groups in the structure. Tannic acid is a basic ingredient in the chemical staining of wood....

Safety issues

Kola nuts contain high amounts of N-nitroso

Nitroso

Nitroso refers to a functional group in organic chemistry which has the general formula RNO. Nitroso compounds can be prepared by the reduction of nitro compounds or by the oxidation of hydroxylamines....
compounds which are carcinogenic. In Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federation constitutional republic comprising States of Nigeria and one Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria....
, where the chewing of Kola nuts is a common practice, there is a high incidence of oral and gastrointestinal cancer

Cancer

Cancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cell display uncontrolled growth , invasion , and sometimes metastasis . These three malignant properties of cancers differentiate them from benign tumors, which are self-limited, do not invade or metastasize....
which may be related to this habit.

History

The use of the kola nut, like the coffee

Coffee

Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the Coffea. Caffeinated coffee has a stimulating effect in humans....
berry and tea

Tea

Tea refers to the agricultural products of the leaves, leaf buds, and internodes of the Camellia sinensis plant, prepared and cured by various methods....
leaf, appears to have ancient origins. It is chewed in many West African cultures, individually or in a social setting, to restore vitality and ease hunger pangs.

In 1911, kola became the focus of one of the earliest documented health scares when the U.S. government seized 40 barrels and 20 kegs of Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is a carbonation soft drink sold in stores, restaurants and vending machines worldwide . It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke or as Cola or Pop....
syrup in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga, "the Scenic City", is the fourth-largest city in Tennessee , and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, in the United States....
, alleging that the caffeine in its drink was "injurious to health". On March 13, 1911, the government initiated the United States v. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola
United States v. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola

United States v. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola, Case citation , was a case under the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act. At issue was whether the Coca-Cola company had Adulterant the product by adding artificial caffeine, and whether Coca-Cola was misbranded because both coca and Kola nut, originally the two main "medicinal" ingred...
, hoping to force Coca-Cola to remove caffeine from its formula by making exaggerated claims, such as that the excessive use of Coca-Cola at one girls' school led to "wild nocturnal freaks, violations of college rules and female proprieties, and even immoralities." Although the judge ruled in favor of Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as "the House", is one of the bicameralism of the United States Congress; the other is the United States Senate....
in 1912 to amend the Pure Food and Drug Act

Pure Food and Drug Act

The Pure Food and Drug Act of June 30, 1906 is a United States federal law that provided federal inspection of meat products and forbade the manufacture, sale, or transportation of adulterated food products and poisonous patent medicines....
, adding caffeine

Caffeine

Literary and film references

Ceremonial sharing of the kola nut plays an important role in Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe , born Albert Chin?al?m?g? Achebe on 16 November 1930, is a Nigerian novelist, poet, professor and critic. He is best known for his first novel, Things Fall Apart , which is the most widely read book in modern African literature.....
's 1958 novel Things Fall Apart
Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart is a 1958 in literature English-language novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. It is a staple book in schools throughout Africa and widely read and studied in English-speaking countries around the world....
.

In Chris Abani's novel Grace Land, the motif of kola nuts provide an important symbolic message preceding several chapters.

Fans of Southern California oldies radio station KOLA are affectionately known as "Kola Nuts."