Kola Nuts: Another Common Source of Caffeine

As mentioned in another blog entry belonging to Canada's Cafe Chronicles' distant past, caffeine is a surprisingly common substance found in a number of plants, some with esoteric-sounding names like Yaupon Holly and yerba mate. There is one plant however that many of us are more familiar with: the kola nut, which grows on the kola tree.

According to Wikipedia, the kola tree is native to the tropical rain forests of Africa, and is related to cocoa, which itself is native to South America. The kola tree is an evergreen tree, growing up to 60 feet in height. It is thought that the caffeine found in the kola nut acts as a natural pesticide that kills a number of insects feeding off the tree.

Wikipedia tells us that the kola nut has a bitter flavour and is known to suppress hunger. It is often used to treat whooping cough and asthma. The caffeine present in the kola nut acts as a bronchodilator, and expands the bronchial air passages. Kola nuts contain 2.5 to 3.5 per cent caffeine and are commonly used in soft drinks such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Studies have shown that kola nuts enhance alertness and physical energy, elevate mood and increase tactile sensitivity. In medicine the refined extract of the kola nut is used as a cardiac and central-nervous-system stimulant.