An ophthalmologist with the Lagos University Teaching
Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Prof. Adebukola Oshintelu, has said that regular
intake of African native nut, bitter kola, helps to treat and manage glaucoma.
Oshintelu who disclosed this in an interview in Lagos on Friday said through her research, bitter kola was discovered to be ‘wonderfully efficacious’ for the treatment of the ailment.
Glaucoma, it should be noted, is a condition of increased pressure within the eyeball, causing gradual loss of sight.
“The African native nut, also known as bitter kola, has antibiotics, antiviral and anti-fungal in different conceptions.
“The joy of the discovery is that the regular intake of the nut was introduced to me by an octogenarian patient in LUTH.
“The patient claimed that his eye problem was hereditary; he usually came for check up but would not use the drugs prescribed for him.
“The man eye’s was improving with the intake of the nut. That was how I got introduced to the native nut and decided to research on it,” she said.
The ophthalmologist noted that the content of most of the effective drugs in the markets, including orthodox medicine, was from plants.
“If Nigeria can develop this aspect of nature’s gift, it will help the health system by boosting our economy and create more jobs for our people.
“There are some peculiar things that God endowed Africa with, which is our plants and vegetations,” said Oshintelu.
Similarly, a researcher at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba Dr Oluwagbemiga Aina, said the health benefits of herbal products are rewarding to the health sector.
“That is why we have a centre for research for traditional medicine in NIMR to truly seek cover for herbal products.
“Before the manufacturers produce any herbal drugs, we research on it to know whether they are good for consumption and check their contents to know what they do.
“Most of the herbal medicine or drugs are gradually being accepted by people and they have started using them for their health,” he said.
