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← La BoticaMalvaceaeseeds (kola nuts), fresh or driedVerificado el 24 de octubre de 2026

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Kola nut

Cola nitida

También llamadaCola · Colae semen

En monografías antiguasCola vera

The caffeine-rich seed of a West African tree, chewed as a stimulant and offered as a sign of hospitality across Nigeria and West Africa, and used to flavour cola drinks. The EMA registers it as a traditional medicine for temporary fatigue; its effects are essentially those of caffeine.

Para qué se usa

  • EMA traditional use for temporary fatigue and a sensation of weakness; Commission E approved it for mental and physical fatigue. There are no clinical trials of the seed, but the maximum daily dose (9 g) contains at least 135 mg caffeine, which EMA judged makes the effect plausible.1,2

  • Used in African folk medicine as an antiemetic, and in Nigeria commonly for vomiting in pregnancy, although EMA does not recommend it in pregnancy.2

  • Migraña
    Tradicional

    Used in Nigeria and formerly in Europe for migraine; the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia (1974) listed migraine among its indications.2

  • Diarrea
    Tradicional

    Used in African folk medicine for dysentery and listed in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia for atonic diarrhoea; untested.2

  • The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia listed it for depressive states and melancholia with muscular weakness; untested.2

Cómo se prepara

decoction

Powdered seed simmered in water.

EMA monograph (2011): 1–3 g powdered seed in 150 ml water as a decoction, 3 times daily (adults).

Fatiga y convalecencia

powder

Powdered seed in capsules or tablets.

EMA monograph: 1–3 g, 3 times daily.

Fatiga y convalecencia

tincture

Tincture 1:5 in 60% ethanol.

EMA monograph: 1–4 ml, 3 times daily.

Fatiga y convalecencia

Las cantidades son las que registra la fuente citada, no una recomendación.

Seguridad

Embarazo
Evitar
Lactancia
Evitar
Niños
EMA: not recommended under 18.

Interacciones con medicamentos

  • MAO inhibitors (e.g. phenelzine, selegiline, procarbazine)GraveLarge amounts of caffeine can cause dangerous arrhythmias or severe hypertension; smaller amounts may cause a fast heart rate and raised blood pressure.
  • sedatives (e.g. benzodiazepines)ModeradaCaffeine reduces their effect.
  • sympathomimetics (e.g. ephedrine, phenylpropanolamine)ModeradaIncreased side effects.
  • clozapine, quinolone antibiotics, adenosine, beta-blockersLevePotential pharmacological interactions noted by EMA's assessors.
Comprobador de interacciones →

No usar si

  • Gastric and duodenal ulcers
  • Heart disorders such as hypertension and arrhythmia
  • Hyperthyroidism

Efectos secundarios

  • Sleep disturbance (EMA advises against taking it before bedtime)
  • Over-excitability and nervous restlessness
  • Stomach irritation

Toxicidad

Effects match those of caffeine; for healthy adults up to 400 mg caffeine a day is not associated with adverse effects. Heavy chewing has been linked to a high rate of mouth and gut cancers in northern Nigeria, an association noted by EMA without proof of cause.

En las tradiciones curativas

  • African traditional medicine

    Kola / cola

    Chewed as a stimulant said to suppress hunger, thirst and sleep, strengthen the gums and ward off gout; taken as a tonic, antiemetic and appetite suppressant and for dysentery; powdered seeds applied to cuts to stop bleeding. Without kola, hospitality, cultural and social ceremonies are considered incomplete in Nigeria and much of West Africa.

  • Western herbalism

    Colae semen

    Used in Europe as a strong stimulant and cardiotonic and for migraine, neuralgia, diarrhoea, poor appetite and melancholy; Commission E (1991) approved it for mental and physical fatigue.

    British Herbal Pharmacopoeia 1974; British Herbal Compendium 1992; Commission E 1991

Compuestos activos

caffeine
1.5–3.8% of the seed (Ph. Eur. requires at least 1.5%); partly bound to catechins, which may explain why fresh and dried seeds differ in stimulant effect
theobromine
traces (0.02–0.08%)
(+)-catechin, (−)-epicatechin and proanthocyanidins
polyphenols; in drying seeds a catechin–caffeine complex breaks down to 'cola red' and free caffeine

Historia

Trade in kola within Africa dates back at least to the 14th century, and exports to England and the United States are recorded from the mid-19th century. In 1886 the druggist John S. Pemberton combined coca and kola extracts in Coca-Cola, sold as a headache and hangover remedy.

Fuentes

  1. 1.EMA/HMPC: Community herbal monograph on Cola nitida (Vent.) Schott et Endl. and its varieties and Cola acuminata (P. Beauv.) Schott et Endl., semen (2011)
  2. 2.EMA/HMPC: Assessment report on Cola nitida and its varieties and Cola acuminata, semen (EMA/HMPC/722365/2010)
  3. 3.GBIF: Cola nitida (Vent.) Schott & Endl. (IUCN Least Concern)

Referencia, no receta. Nada de esto es consejo médico. Las hierbas pueden interactuar con medicamentos y ser peligrosas en el embarazo; informa a tu médico o farmacéutico de todo lo que tomes.