For The Love Of Ugba

 

   
All for the love of Ugba. Oil bean seed or rather Ugba as it is fondly called by the easteners, is a staple food in Nigeria predominately among the igbo speaking part of the country
.Even though there are several staple foods such as rice, maize, beans etcUgba  which is the Ibo name of the fermented African Oilbean seeds. It is a traditional food condiment generally produced by natural (local) fermentation in homes as a small family business. It is an important and cheap source of protein for people whose staple foods are deficient in proteins. It is also eaten as a delicacy and used as flavouring for soup, yet there are still great needs to supplement these food products with certain unpopular food that are equally packed with loads of essential nutrients and vitamins needed for the healthy functioning of the body. One of such unpopular but yet essential food is the African oil bean seed. African oil bean seed is a nutrient packed natural food that has remained untapped and underused thus calls for immediate attention to be widely exploited. I love me some ugba, especially when mixed with African salads or used in eating my Roasted Yam and fish here in Rivers State.

Nutritional Values of the African Oil Bean Seeds (Ukpaka)

African oil bean seeds is an excellent source of energy, protein, amino acids, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, vitamins, calcium, manganese and copper. It is also an excellent source of phytonutrients such as tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, sterols, glycosides and saponins. Notwithstanding the high nutritional content of the African oil bean seeds, studies reveal that the fermentation process which they undergo before consumption usually eradicates most of these minerals and vitamins such as phosphorus.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF OIL BEANS

The consumption of good amount of African Oil beans lowers the chances of developing cataracts. A cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light. Not only can African Oil beans help to relieve the impaired vision that one suffers through as a result of cataracts, but it can help in the prevention as well.
The rich mineral composition of fermented seed makes it a good, low-cost source of protein. Increased intake of the seed as food increases haemoglobin values in test animals according to the Journal of Nutrition and Wellness. Increased oxygenation of tissue enhances specific hormones that stimulate the production of red blood cells important in proper cardiac function.
Insomnia, the inability to sleep, is all too common in our society. Insomnia is a symptom and not a disease. The most common causes of it are medications, psychological conditions (for example, depression, anxiety), environmental changes (for example, travel, jet lag, or altitude changes), and stressful events. From the little research conducted, it was discovered that 87% of working class people are suffering from insomnia. Insomnia can cause excessive daytime sleepiness and lack of energy. It also can make one feel anxious, depressed, or irritable. One can easily solve this problem by mixing the liquid of the fermented seed with honey; take one spoon every day for two weeks and  sleep like a baby.
Heart disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart such as Coronary heart disease, Cardiomyopathy,Cardiovascular disease, Ischemic heart disease, Heart failure, Hypertensive heart disease, Inflammatory heart disease,Valvular heart disease. African researchers discovered that the fermented seed known as Ugba in Eastern part of Nigeria could be used to prevent and cure heart failure.So,it has both preventive and curative ability.
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder marked by sudden recurrent episodes of sensory disturbance, loss of consciousness, or convulsions, associated with abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Some people call this fowl sickness because of the similarity with neurological disorder in fowls but whatever be the case. This African oil bean corrects such neurological disorder not immediately but with two or three years.