Africa is predominantly known for using conventional medicines to treat ailments. One of the common ailments seen within the region is ‘Cough and fever’ which comes as a few of the symptoms of the notable sickness, malaria. However, modern medicines in the form of syrups, tablets, etc have come to displace the traditional remedies. The essence of this article is to emphasize the need to embrace traditional herbs because most of its contents are used for modern medicine, such as the use of bitter kola for cough and lemon grass for fever.
Bitter Kola: A Natural Remedy for Cough
In my locality, somewhere in Nigeria, bitter kola is a native plant used to serve many health-related purposes. One of its common uses is the treatment of cough. During the cold weather, especially in the rural area, people who suffer from cough tends to eat the seeds of the bitter kola. It is believed that the more bitter it is, the more nutritional value it has to mitigate health issues. This is why planting such crops is encouraged.
How Bitter Kola Works
Bitter kola's nutritional value helps in the clearing of the throat when it is being chewed; its has some active compounds that fight the germs which tends to cause the cough. Traditionally, people see it as effective when it is taken in the morning, but I cannot tell the chemistry behind such a philosophy.
Aside from the medicinal value, bitter kola is served to an elder indicating a form of respect. This cultural symbol is practiced in traditional marriages, burials, naming ceremonies, etc. For elders to be served this fruit shows how important it is in relieving health issues.
Lemon Grass: An Effective Fever Remedy
In African homes even to date, parent boil the lemon grass and give their kids the juice to drink. The boiled juice is believed to cure fever and other malaria-related symptoms. In some Asian countries, lemon grass is used as a tea for breakfast; drinking it as tea indicates that it has some medicinal value and fever-relief is one of them.
Conclusion
As clearly explained above, traditional herbs have nutritional value to our human body. To mitigate cough and fever, the use of bitter cola and lemon grass solves the problem respectively. Also, the amount spent in getting these herbs is cheaper compared to modern medicines. Even though we appreciate the innovations in health, we mustn't sideline natural remedies. Let us keep embracing and preserving these traditions, we can continue to benefit from the natural healing properties of plants and enhance our well-being.
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