Katunkuma, or bitterberries, or African eggplants (Solanum anguivi) are indigenous to non-Arid regions of Africa. They grow in shrubs expanding up to 3 metres tall, with prickly stems and edible fruits.
In India, katunkuma are also traditionally used for medicinal purposes, while in Africa, particularly in Ivory Coast and Uganda, katunkuma are semi-cultivated and are also available in markets. Now, it’s time to find out what are some katunkuma health benefits!
What are its Health Benefits?
High blood pressure or hypertension is a permanent medical condition wherein the blood pressure inside the arteries elevate persistently.
This becomes possible thanks to the polyphenols of the berries that aid the muscle layer of blood vessels to relax and automatically regulate blood pressure.
Certain serious skin conditions, such as ringworm and rashes could easily be taken care of with katunkuma. All one needs is to pound the leaves and fruit together and apply the mixture onto the affected area.
Katunkuma is an organic fruit that can be used for treating cancer. It delays the proliferation of human cancer cells and aids the overall recovery of patients, with minimum side effects.
Wounds also turn out to be efficient in being taken care of by katunkuma, the same way it works in dealing with rashes and ringworm.
It has long been known that katunkuma fruits also help in contributing to weight loss over time, thanks to the ability of the components contained inside to interfere with the digestion of lipids.
Interestingly, katunkuma is health risks of consuming too much sugar free, yet very high in energy in return! This has made it to be suitable to diabetic patients, who have to take strict yet careful measures in controlling their glucose intakes.
Katunkuma is popular for mothers who have just gone through labour because they are said to boost milk production and also increase fertility rate. This could perhaps be the main reason why rural African women could bear so many children.
Analgesic is the scientific term for the word “painkiller,” and is essentially any group of drugs used to achieve analgesia, or relief from pain. Analgesics deal directly with the central and peripheral nervous systems.
Anthelmintics are a group of antiparasitic drugs that are used to repel agains parasitic worms and other parasites through the least-damaging ways.
And finally, antibacterials are agents that fight, interfere and halts the growth and distribution of bacteria. Natural forms of antibacterial substances are heat and also chlorine.
Cautions and Recommendations
Despite in providing many core food items for people, such as potatoes, tomato health benefits, pepper and also aubergine, most plants in the family of Solanaceae, which also includes katunkumacontains poisonous alkaloids.
This is ironic because alkaloids also happen to be one of the main benefits of katunkuma!
And then, there is also alkaloid poisoning, which is an illness associated with excess consumption of any type of green vegetable over an extended period of time. Alkaloid poisoning may occur thanks to excess consumption of katunkuma.