La noix de Kola

Kola nut

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Many foods or plants can provide a beneficial fat-burning effect as part of a slimming diet.

Focus today on the kola nut!

WHAT IS KOLA NUT?

The kola nut (or cola) is the seed of trees of the Cola genus, generically named cola tree (or kola tree), represented mainly by Cola nitida and Cola acuminata .

The size of a chestnut, it weighs 20 to 25 g .

Originally from the tropical forests of West and Central Africa, it has long been appreciated by local populations for its stimulating properties, due to its high caffeine content (1 to 4%).

Consumed fresh and free of its integuments pulpy, it is chewed for a long time in the mouth where it first develops an astringent and bitter flavor, then sweet.

Produced in the tropical forests stretching from Guinea-Bissau to Ghana , it has been exported north for centuries, by caravans of porters, to the region of the western Sudanian savannah . Long-distance trade then spread eastward, into what is now Nigeria .

A LITTLE HISTORY

In the 19th century , it was used in Europe and the United States, therapeutically in the form of powder, fluid extract, tincture and even wine. It was found mixed with cocoa, cinchona, coca, or even sodas.

The kola nut was also used to make colas, the tonic and restorative drinks that we know well today: thus, it was used, among others, by the pharmacist John Pemberton from 1885, during the creation of what would become much later Coca-Cola .

According to pharmacist's notes dating from 1910 (and which was banned at that date), the recipe combined coca extracts, citric acid, sugar, caffeine extracted from kola nuts, water and aromas (consisting of plant extracts, essential oils and spices). Currently, under the same evocative name, we no longer find the two original ingredients.

WHAT BENEFITS?

It is used in particular for its stimulating properties but it also has anti-depressive properties. Known to facilitate digestion and have aphrodisiac properties, it has a bitter taste due to its high xanthine content (especially caffeine, but also kolatine and kolatéin). which soften the action of caffeine ).

Its caffeine content also gives it lipolytic properties to accelerate the burning of fat in order to produce energy.

Other studies have shown that consuming kola nuts can increase the body's metabolic rate by up to 118%, meaning it can therefore help "burn" calories faster.

HOW TO USE IT ?

The nut is prepared by removing its integuments , then it is left to dry, which gives it a mahogany color. In Africa, it is consumed by chewing either by a single person (during a long journey or for difficult work) or in a group (as a sign of conviviality).
Presented in Europe in the form of powder, infusion, or even in liquid form, it will ideally supplement the diet of adults wanting a boost to help them lose weight.
For an even more pleasant daily intake, it can be presented in the form of tasty gummies, accompanied by other slimming active ingredients such as carnitine for example.
Sources https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noix_de_kola