Goro fruit

Introduction to the Quru fruit

The goro fruit (in English: Cola) is a type of large fruit that grows on a type of tree in tropical regions. Africa is its original homeland, but it has become grown in different regions around the world.^[XNUMX]

The goro tree belongs to the cocoa family (Malvaceae), and it grows in several countries on the African continent, such as: Liberia and Sierra Leone, and there are 140 species available, but the most consumed species are the small or bitter goro, known as wild cola, and the cultivated goro nitida, which It is known as the big goro.^[XNUMX]

It should be noted that this tree bears fruit twice a year, the first time between the months of May and June, and the second time between the months of November and January.^[XNUMX]

Types of goro fruit 

There are two types of goro fruit, which are as follows:^[XNUMX]

Dicotyledons

The Goro Nitida fruit is a dicotyledon fruit, and is divided into two parts: Alba, whose fruits are white, and the second type is Rubra, whose fruits are red. Trees of this type grow in the northern part of Nigeria, and are preferred by the Hausa-Fulani tribes who live in those areas.^[XNUMX]

Polycotyledonous

The Cola Accuminata fruit is a polycot fruit. These trees are found in central and eastern Nigeria, and are popular with the Igbo and Igede tribes who live in those areas.^[XNUMX]

The shape of the goro fruit 

The goro fruit and tree are distinguished by a set of formal characteristics, the most prominent of which are as follows:^[XNUMX]

• The color of the goro fruit varies from one type to another. For example, goro acuminata is brown, while the color of goro nitida ranges from yellow to pink or red, and when dried, its color ranges from dark red to brown.
• When opened to extract the nuts, each fruit contains about 8-10 nuts, each of which is covered with a yellow peel.
• Goro fruits appear in the shape of a star. The fruits contain a seed in the middle. The length of each fruit ranges between 2.5-4 cm. They are white in color speckled with brown spots, or they are gray in color tending to red.^[XNUMX]
• Goro trees are evergreen trees, characterized by their rectangular leaves and yellow flowers.^[XNUMX]
• The height of the Guru tree ranges between 12-20 metres, and it grows best in clay soil.^[XNUMX]

How to use goro fruit  

The goro fruit is usually chewed during celebrations and gives its taster a sweet flavour. It is also used as a flavoring for soft drinks, and is sometimes sold in the form of a powder, or an extract that can be added to energy drinks to enhance their flavour.^[XNUMX] As for how to use it, it is as follows:

• Place the goro nuts on a floor covered with mango or banana leaves, soak them in water, and leave them for a week until the skin rots, to enable the skin to be easily removed. Then the nuts are washed with clean water.^[XNUMX]
• Boil the goro nut with water, or grind it into a fine powder, then use it directly.^[XNUMX]
• Goro fruits are stored in baskets lined with wet mango leaves, to protect them from drying out, and they can be kept for 6 months.^[XNUMX]

Benefits of goro fruit 

Here are the most important benefits of eating goro fruit:^[XNUMX]

• Increase the rate of metabolism

Guru fruit contains caffeine, which increases metabolic rates.

• Helping digestion

Guru fruit contains substances that enhance the production of stomach acid, which aids digestion.

• Increase blood circulation

The goro fruit contains several substances that help accelerate the heart rate, which increases blood circulation. These substances are: Caffeine and theobromine.

• Increase energy levels

Guru fruit strengthens the central nervous system, increasing energy levels and alertness.

• Antibacterial

Using guru fruit extract helps stop the growth of harmful bacteria.

• Weight loss

A mixture of goro fruit with ephedra and willow bark can be used for 6 months to enable people who suffer from obesity to lose weight, but this research is uncertain and needs more study.^[XNUMX]

Harms and warnings of using goro fruit   

The goro fruit is generally safe to use for most people if it is eaten in reasonable quantities and for a short period of time, but it may have some harms and warnings, the most prominent of which are the following:^[XNUMX]

• The goro fruit contains a large amount of caffeine, which may cause nervousness, stomach irritation, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, and increased breathing and heart rate.
• Long-term consumption of goro fruit, in large quantities, is associated with an increased risk of oral cancer and gastrointestinal cancer.
• Eating large quantities of goro fruit causes headaches, anxiety, and ringing in the ears.
• Stopping taking guru suddenly sometimes causes dizziness, anxiety, nervousness and irritability, and this is due to the cessation of caffeine.
• Eating large quantities of goro is unsafe, due to its high caffeine content, which may cause death when consuming 10-14 grams of caffeine.