As children, we must have wondered if palm wine was locally produced by mixing various ingredients or if it was just collected from somewhere. Palm wine is tapped from palm trees and there are two species of palm tree in Nigeria.
In this article, we’ll discuss if it’s advisable for female to drink palm wine or now.
Source: DINMA OKIKE
Nutrients contains in Palm Wine
- Potassium which helps to combat heart diseases and hypertension
- Vitamin B12 which is also known as riboflavin, fights free radicals that cause cancer
- Yeast which is good for eyesight
- B complex which helps to maintain a healthy skin glow and iron which helps with healthy hair and nails
- Vitamin c, protein, amino acids, Zinc which the body needs
It has also been known to be used to combat erectile dysfunction in men and aid sleep.
Do you remember a song about palm wine by Beautiful Nubia (an African artist) in early 2007, he sang that palm wine has been known to fight malaria by local healers for a long time in Africa and this has been confirmed by traditional medicine practitioners. They mix other herbs with it for the same purpose.
The question is- “Is it safe and healthy for women to consume Palm wine? Are there nutritional value of palm wine?
Benefits of palm wine to a woman
- Palm Wine help improve the health of the Hair and skin
Th various vitamins contains in Palm Wine help to nourish the human skin, the hair and even the nails.
It also helps promote new body cells by removing the dead cells in the body and replacing them, thereby giving the skin a soft, smooth and better appearance. Also, palm wine has proven to be used traditionally for skin rashes in children
2. It may help promote lactation.
It is believed that taking palm wine help increase breast milk in lactating mothers, but it hasn’t gotten scientific backup, which does not actually mean that drinking palm wine does not help lactating mothers.
Palm wine is majorly cultivate in African countries; Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, etc where its served a beverages for most lactating mothers, because it has been locally proven to help mothers whose breast milk is low by increasing the flow for adequate breastfeeding.
In folklore medicine, palm wine is primarily believed to induce lactation in poorly lactating mothers. Most rural dwellers strongly believe that drinking freshly-tapped palm wine increases breast milk flow for newborn babies. They understand that freshly tapped wine contains high amounts of nutrients that are good for the baby and mother.
3. Rich in antioxidants and probiotics
Antioxidants are known to be substances that may protect cells against free radicals, which may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Free radicals are molecules produced when the body breaks down food or when exposed to tobacco smoke or radiation.
Palm wine, especially fresh wine, is rich in phenols and vitamin C that help prevent oxidative damage and repair body cells. To get the full antioxidant benefits, drink freshly tapped wine that has not been diluted.
Also, Palm wine is rich in acetic acid bacteria and lactic acid bacteria; Lactobacillus spp, which both exhibit great probiotic activity.
Probiotics which promote a healthy balance of gut bacteria and have been linked to a wide range of health benefits which include weight loss, digestive health, immune function, may help prevent bowel diseases, heart disease, and diarrhoea. Also, probiotic bacteria prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in the human gut.
Palm wine and fertility. What you should know
While the correlation of palm wine and fertility has no basic scientifically background in human, the saying or believe that palm wine has a positive or negative effect on fertility cannot be substantiated. Although according to a study performed on albino rate, it was proven that palm wine has a deleterious effect on the specimen used.
It has been reported to cause a decline in testicular function by decreasing testosterone levels, sperm motility, and sperm viability, but without a significant change in the morphology, according to a finding published in January 2013 IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences.
While it’s believed palm wine is not beneficiary for male trying to get their wife pregnant due to the effect palm wine has on sperm motility, viability and sperm counts, it’s advisable male avoid palm wine for the period they are thinking of making babies to increase chances.
Effect of palm wine on menstruation
Many health professionals recommend increasing your water intake during your period. The abdominal muscles and uterus will cramp less if it’s well-hydrated. Water also thins the blood and mucus, making it easier for your blood to pass. If you’re dehydrated, you’re likely to have worse cramps.
Many believes that alcohol can dampen the feeling of cramps, however, alcohol is a diuretic, which increases urination and can cause dehydration. And being dehydrated can make cramps worse. (Think about it)
Since palm wine contain some amount of alcohol which can increase the production of estrogen and testosterone in the body. Too much of either can exacerbate PMS symptoms, especially mood swings and irritability. It also impacts the balance of prostaglandins, which can worsen cramps.
Do you love palm wine and still want to maintain a healthy lifestyle as a woman? It is advised that you take only fresh palm wine when it’s required and advised. Everything that has an advantage has its disadvantages.
