Description

The kola nut has a bitter flavor and contains caffeine. Kola nuts are often used to treat whooping cough and asthma. The caffeine present acts as a bronchodilator, expanding the bronchial air passages.

Kola nuts are perhaps best known to Western culture as a flavouring ingredient and one of the sources of caffeine in cola and other similarly flavoured beverages, although the use of kola (or kola flavoring) in commercial cola drinks has become uncommon.

Kola nuts contain about 2 percent to 3.5 percent caffeine, are of bitter flavor, and are commonly used in cola soft drinks, such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Blue Sky. They have effects similar to other xanthine-containing plant products such as chocolate, tea, coffee, guarana and yerba mate. They have stimulant effects on the central nervous system and heart. Animal experiments indicate that kola nuts have analeptic and lipolytic (fat-burning) properties, and stimulate the secretion of gastric juices. Human studies show kola nuts have positive chronotropic and weak diuretic 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. In medicine the refined extract is used as a cardiac and central-nervous-system stimulant.

African Kola Nut is a stimulant.  It contains more caffeine than a coffee bean and is taken in the same way, as a caffeine stimulant, to prevent and fight fatigue.  In the past it was used by armies on the march, because the stimulating effects allowed for long distances to be traveled while carrying a minimum of food.  It has been said that the African Kola Nut possesses a physiological property of enabling persons ingesting it to undergo prolonged exertion without fatigue, undoubtedly due to its high caffeine content.