Herb library · Herb · Cola nitida, C. acuminata
Kola nut
The caffeine-rich seed of a West African tree, chewed for centuries and later used to flavor cola drinks. Its effects are expected to be those of its caffeine; kola itself has hardly been studied in people.
Traditional use
Chewed in West Africa to allay hunger and sustain strength, and central to social and religious life: offered to guests, and shared at marriages and agreements. The tree was carried to Jamaica by the slave trade; in the West Indies the nut is known as bissy, and in Trinidad and Tobago it is used for high blood pressure. Kola extract has flavored cola-type drinks in the US since the late 1800s.
What studies show
No studies in people of this herb on its own yet. What is known of it comes from the traditions that use it.
- Insufficient
Energy and alertness: kola nuts contain caffeine and theobromine, and a safety review concluded that kola extract's effects should parallel those of a roughly equal dose of caffeine. There is little research on kola nut itself in people.
- Insufficient
Blood pressure and other traditional uses: no clinical trials of kola nut.
Be careful of
Cautions
- AmountCount kola toward your caffeine. The FDA cites 400 mg of caffeine a day (about two to three 12-ounce cups of coffee) as an amount not generally associated with negative effects for most adults; too much can cause insomnia, jitters, anxiety and a fast heartbeat.
- ConditionSome medical conditions and medicines make people more sensitive to caffeine. Medical experts advise against energy drinks for children and teens, and caffeinated drinks should be avoided under age 2.
- PregnancyIf you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding, the FDA recommends asking your clinician whether to limit caffeine.
- Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using kola supplements if you take prescription medicines, have a heart condition, high blood pressure or anxiety, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.
From the old books
What herbals and dispensaries of the past printed. History, in their words.
“The fruit is constantly chewed by the Ashantees, especially on a journey; it is said to prevent hunger and strengthen the stomach and bowels; has a slight bitter aromatic astringent taste, and causes an increase of the saliva while chewed.”
“It was used as a declaration of war (red nut), and as a symbol of peace (white nut). It figured in courtship and marriage, compacts of friendship, as a mark of hospitality, and was put into the graves of the dead to nourish them on their long journey.”
“O. Dapper, in his description of Africa (Amsterdam, 1670), states that the kola nut, “as experience teacheth, eaten in the evening, hindereth sleep””
Sources
- Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much? (opens in a new tab) · FDA · read September 25, 2026
- Safety assessment of kola nut extract as a food ingredient (Food Chem Toxicol, 2009) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
- Ethnomedicines used in Trinidad and Tobago for urinary problems and diabetes mellitus (J Ethnobiol Ethnomed, 2006) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
- Characterization of Bizzy Nut extracts in estrogen-responsive MCF-7 breast cancer cells (Toxicol Appl Pharmacol, 2007) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
Reviewed September 25, 2026.