Kola and its seed leaves are a stimulant. It is recommended for relief of diarrhea, pneumonia, typhoid fever, migraine headache and seasickness. It was used medicinally. Now Kola is known all over the world. It is known to contain decocainized coca leaf extract and a small amount of kola.
Kola produces chocolate colored seed pods in Spring and Fall.
The nut refers to the whole seed, but the kola nut is only part of the seed, specifically the embryonic leaves inside the seed coat. They are dried and powdered for commercial use. Water retention often becomes visible in the legs first. It is the result of gravity and is made worse by standing or sitting with your legs pressed against a chair for more than an hour. Swollen ankles, though, raise a red flag of caution.