Can we just travel home (to our hometown) sometime and see our uncles or grandpas tap the palm wine. I mean, see how they climb the palm tree with a rope locally designed for that purpose. The way they hold a cutlass, a knife and a gallon even the calabash and go to the tree top. If you’ve seen how they cut some palm branches to expose the tissue and use the knife to create a hole in the tree and use an empty pipe to direct the sap into a gallon, you would the whole processes.
Palm wine is the sweet tasty sap gotten from wounded palm trees. Anyone who has grown in Nigeria and other parts of Africa and has tasted fresh palm wine would have la couple of things about it. Now what would you say if you haven’t explored its health benefit? Pure Palm wine is good for the health, if consumed within 12 hours otherwise you will experience some disadvantages.
It has to be pure because preservatives and sweeteners added to it to extend its shelf life, sometimes makes it bad for our health. This will also inhibit its natural contents like: Sugar, Protein, Carbohydrate, and Amino acid, Vitamin C, Yeast, Bacteria Potassium, Zinc, Magnesium, Iron, Vitamin B1, B2 B3 and B6 to function effectively.
Palm wine is fresh and sweet once it is tapped and consumed within 12 hours. It can become sharp and sour, and contain more alcohol than some of our alcoholic drinks if consumed after 12hours due fermentation that may have occurred within the period. This doesn’t mean it has lost benefit when fermented but the most benefits are derived when it is fresh. Besides, fermented palm wine will not give all this nutrients on a 100%. Besides, it contains a high percentage of alcohol even higher than that found in some of the alcoholic beverages we consume.
4 HEALTH BENEFITS OF FRESH PALM WINE
Palm wine promotes lactation
This is good news for every new mum. Palm wine helps stimulate the production of breast milk especially if you have limited breast milk production. But pregnant women are advised to stay clear of palm wine. This is probably because of fermentation. Once it because fermented (12 hours after tapping in most cases), the alcohol level increase. Meanwhile alcohol is not good for pregnant women alcohol to avoid birth defect. Zobo drink could be a better option.
Guards against Cardiovascular Diseases
Research have proven that an average consumption/moderate amounts of palm wine can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure due to potassium content. Potassium is a mineral that your body needs to work properly. It helps the heartbeat stay regular.
Good Treatment for the Eye
The yeast and other vital chemical properties like Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and Vit B1 in Palm wine make it suitable for treating eye problems even Optometrists confirm that yeast is very good for the eyes. This is why yeast in palm wine helps boost eyesight. Remember the saying that our grandparents in the village have better eyesight than us? Palm wine is their beverage?
Strengthens hair, skin and nails
The iron and vitamin B complex in Palm wine are the two elements are used for a healthy hair, skin, and nails. These make it ideal for the growth, function, and development of our body. Iron is a useful element that helps to repair our tissues and promotes the growth of healthy cells. Ladies, if you desire a healthy skin as well as healthy hair and stronger nails. Drink palm wine.
CONCLUSION
Do not drink palm wine after 12 hours of tapping to avoid destructions to internal organs like kidney and liver. Beware! If consumed in excess, it weakens heart muscle and ability to pump blood thereby leading to an increase risk of heart attacks
