Bitter kola and Diabetes

Bitter Kola and Diabetes- Is it Safe?

Bitter is one of the ingredients of most African medicines. It tastes bitter, which is where the name stems from. Bitter kola is often used in herbal medicine, but most people often prefer to chew on it. 

Could this bitter taste make it the right fruit for diabetes? 

Diabetes results when the body doesn’t produce insulin anymore or the insulin produced cannot be used by the body.

And an increase in the sugar level may lead to more complications. For this reason, diabetic people need meals to keep the body under control.

In this article, we will find out the relationship between bitter kola and diabetes and the overall health benefits of the nut.

Bitter Kola and Diabetes - The Relationship

Wondering what the relationship between bitter kola and diabetes is? According to studies, bitter kola contains a chemical called Kolaviron, which helps to protect people with type 2 diabetes from hypoglycemia.

It also contains carbohydrates, fat, protein, potassium, Iron, Vitamin C, and caffeine.

Although the studies of this result was performed on rats, research is still ongoing regarding humans. 

Report also revealed that with prolonged use, bitter kola could gradually regulate the body's blood sugar.

Benefits of Bitter Kola

Aside from acting against the increase in blood sugar, bitter kola can also do the following:

• Supports the body's immune system as it contains a high concentration of antioxidants which helps to support the body’s immune system.
• Fights against inflammation like arthritis. This could be a result of the high potassium. A study carried out on a patient with osteoarthritis in the knee revealed that the inflammation reduced when eating bitter kola compared to a placebo.
• It fights infections, is another major function of bitter kola. So, eating bitter kola when you have an infection is a great way to make you feel better. Bitter kola extracts can also help to speed up the metabolic process of the body.

Takeaway

In this bitter kola and diabetes article, we have seen that bitter kola is efficient in managing the blood sugar in the body. It also helps to reduce the effect of the discomfort that comes with diabetes.
However, there is no defined dosage of bitter kola that should be taken. So ensure to consult with your doctor first before eating bitter kola.