Moderate kolanut consumption promotes healthy digestion – Dietician

A Dietician at Wuse General Hospital, Abuja, Hajiya Jummai Abdu, on Wednesday said that moderate consumption of kolanuts could promote healthy digestion.
Abdu made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.
According to her, kolanut increases the production of gastric acid in the body, which is known to promote healthy digestion, though it is considered unsafe during pregnancy.
An Abuja-based Consultant General Surgeon, Dr. Dades Obed, says kolanut is a fruit of the kola tree, which is native to Africa.
It has social, cultural and religious significance.
Obed said kolanut had caffeine, medically known as a bronchodilator, which opens up the air ways.
He said: “So, people with asthma and other diseases that lead to constriction of the air ways might benefit from intake of kola nut to help in opening up the air ways.”
He said that kolanut was also partly a performance enhancer because of its stimulating effect.
As such, labourers used it as a source of energy to keep working.
Obed added: “Kolanut is also known to suppress hunger and takes care of hunger pranks.
“It is not without its implications anyway.
“It enhances or increases acid secretion in the stomach.”
Obed said that kolanuts could worsen peptic ulcer disease because of the acidic effect on the stomach, adding that people with such symptoms should avoid it.