What are the Health Benefits of fermented African oil bean seed (Ukpaka/Ugba)? Nutrition Facts, Side Effects, How to preserve?

10 minutes read.   

Fermented African oil bean seed popularly known as ukpaka or ugba in the Igbo land part of Africa is  loaded with high amounts of essential nutrients such as protein, iron, zinc, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and copper, and vital phytochemicals like saponin, alkaloids, and flavonoids

Fermented African oil bean seeds (ukpaka/akpaka/ugba) had been processed and eaten right from the ancient in Igbo land and another part of Nigeria.

Fermented African oil bean seeds have been underused and left for only a few local productions because many people are unaware of the amazing health benefits hiding in this unique food.

Today I am going to review to you the nutrition facts and health benefits of ukpaka you’ve been missing.

Feel free to skip ahead.

• What’s African oil been?
• Nutrition Facts
• Health benefits
• Side effect
• How to preserve
• Recipe Tip
• Conclusion

What’s African oil bean?

African oil bean botanically known as Pentaclethra macrophylla is a tropical tree crop that belongs to the leguminoseae family and the Mimosoideae sub-family, which are normally inedible when it’s raw.

However, the ancient people of Igbo land part of Nigeria designed a method of processing it to reduce its anti-nutrition factors and made it very much edible, preservable, and useful as a special condiment in soup, pepper soup, porridge yam, nkwobi, ugba and  okporoko and abacha- African salad (tapioca).

Scientific studies have shown that the anti-nutritional factors in the ukpaka which included cyanide, phytate, tannin, and oxalate, can be reduced by the same method of Igbo ancient processing which involves deep cooking and days fermentation.(1, 2)

Different Nigerian tribes have different names for the African oil bean for example; it is known as ukpaka/akpaka or ugba in Igbo, the Yorubas call it Apara while the Efik tribe call it Ukana.  Its aromatic flavor becomes pronounced after cooking and fermenting.

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts of fermented African oil bean seed (ukpaka/ugba).

Fermented African oil bean seeds contain all the 20 amino acids that make up protein. For example, it contains 36.2-43 percent total protein.  

It’s a good source of sodium and potassium through calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin were found in lower amounts no phosphorus was found. It also contains unsaturated fatty acids such as omega-3 but also contains unsaturated fatty acid which is normally reduced after fermentation.

Health benefits

What are the health benefits of fermentable African oil bean (ukpaka/ugba)?

Here I will tell you eight scientifically proven health benefits of ukpaka.

Eight scientifically proven health benefits of fermented African oil bean seed include:

1. Lowers Cholesterol Levels

2. Reduces the Risk of Cancer

3. Reduces the Risk of Cataracts

4. Remedy skin-related diseases

5. Solution to Insomnia

6. Promotes healthy heart and prevents cardiovascular diseases

7. Promotes weight loss

8. Prevent Anemia (lack of blood)

1. Lowers Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in human blood. It plays a significant role in the building of healthy cells in the body.

However, if the level of cholesterol in your body is higher than required, it may trigger excess fatty deposits in your blood vessels, which may further increase your risk of serious diseases like chest pain, heart attack, and stroke, among others.

Some of the common causes of high cholesterol levels include unhealthy diet, hereditary factors, obesity, lack of exercise, smoking, aging, and diabetes.

African oil bean seed is a good source of saponins, phytochemicals that have been proven severally to be effective in keeping cholesterol levels in check.

Part of the ways saponins reduce cholesterol levels is by increasing the excretion of bile acids and forming an insoluble complex with cholesterol so as to prevent it from being absorbed in the intestine.

In addition, African oil bean seed contains unsaturated fatty acids (omega-3) and Manganese, both of which regulate cholesterol levels in the body. The Manganese, for instance, helps in lowering cholesterol levels simply by enlarging the veins so as to ensure adequate and efficient blood flow in the body. (3,4,5, 6)

My grandma has been fermenting and selling oil bean seed (ukpaka/ugba) for over 40 years now. In fact, she eats it every day. Any time I visit her she must give me one package of ukpaka as cola.

To date, my grandma had never suffered from any cholesterol or even diabetic-related health issues. She is in her early 70s now but is always healthy and running her business.

2. Reduces the Risk of Cancer

Cancer is considered one of the leading causes of death worldwide. It is an umbrella term for diseases accompanied by abnormal cell growth with the potential of spreading to other parts of the body.

One thing about this disease is that it can invade almost anywhere on the body, including the skin, breast, lungs, mouth, colon, and prostate.

Abnormal bleeding, prolonged cough, sudden weight loss, and change in bowel movements are some of the symptoms of cancer, while the common causes include smoking, alcohol intake, obesity, and poor nutrition, like highly industrially processed foods. 

Fermented oil beans contain Flavonoids.

Flavonoids a curative chemical (phytochemical) found in plants that have been shown by research to possess a wide variety of anticancer effects: they modulate reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging enzyme activities, participate in arresting the cell cycle, induce apoptosis, autophagy, and suppress cancer cell proliferation and invasiveness.

Especially certain cancer types like aerodigestive tract cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, esophageal cancer, and colorectal cancer.

A comparative study conducted in Nigeria showed that cancer patients who consumed fermented African oil bean(ukpaka) during the research period recorded a great reduction in cancer unlike those who didn’t.

This implied that consuming African fermented oil beans as a food supplement is a great way to reduce the risk of cancer growth. (7,8,9, 10)

3. Reduces the Risk of Cataracts

A cataract is a degenerative eye condition that ultimately leads to total loss of vision. It is often characterized by blurred vision, difficulty with seeing at night, high sensitivity to light, double vision in a single eye, and lots more.

Some of the major causes of this vision disease include aging, excessive exposure to sunlight, smoking, genetics, eye injury or inflammation, eyes contact with toxic chemicals, and alcohol intake.

There are various types of cataract – nuclear cataracts (affects the center of the lens), cortical cataracts (affects the edges of the lens), posterior subcapsular cataracts (affects the back of the lens), and congenital cataracts, which is genetically transmitted.

Some studies show that this superfood contains protective phytochemicals that may prevent the development of cataracts.

Therefore eating a minimum amount of fermented oil beans consistently may be a great natural means to prevent cataracts.

4. Remedy skin-related diseases

African oil bean is packed with some potent anti-inflammatory properties, and this is why some countries use both the bark and seeds in producing traditional ointment for treating itches, cuts, wounds and insect bites.

Evidently, there are certain tribes in Nigeria (Yorubas) who use burnt pods of oil bean seed alongside shea butter for treating boils and inflammations in the rural area.

In addition, African oil bean seeds are also an excellent source of anti-bacterial agents for combating bacteria, while their content also helps in promoting the skin’s elasticity and appearance. (11, 12,13, 14)

5. Solution to Insomnia

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder accompanied by difficulty in falling or staying asleep. African oil bean seeds might help you regain your sound sleep.

To use it for insomnia, all you need do is to extract and mix the liquid of the fermented seed with pure honey and ingest one spoon each day for complete two weeks.

You will surely feel the effect provided you consume it moderately. The physiochemical composition of African oil bean seed suggests that it helps in treating insomnia. (15, 16 )

6. Promotes healthy heart and prevents cardiovascular diseases

African oil bean seeds contain a high amount of potassium and some other potent properties that play a significant role in boosting the overall functioning of the heart and shielding it against related diseases.

Part of the benefits of consuming potassium-rich foods like African oil bean seeds is that they are considered to be effective in lowering blood pressure (a leading cause of heart attack, stroke, and hypertension).

What potassium does in the body is to remove excess sodium therein so as to reduce blood pressure and improve heart health.

Not that alone, the potassium content of African oil bean seeds also helps in regulating heartbeats and blood flow, aids digestion, promotes nerve function, and stimulates the contraction and expansion of the lungs, among other intriguing benefits.  (17, 18)

Another reason African oil bean seed is good for your heart health is the fact that it has a low amount of fat, not forgetting that it is also rich in essential vitamins and minerals that promote overall well-being.

7. Promotes weight loss

Are you finding it difficult to shed some fats from your body? Let’s talk about African oil bean seeds!

Research conducted in Nigeria showed that rat feed with fermented ukpaka resulted in weight loss. The fermented African oil bean seed is an excellent source of phytochemicals called phytoestrogen, which contributes largely to weight loss.  

No wonder my grandma who produces it and virtually eats daily always has her body in slime-healthy shape.

To start with, people with excess weight or obesity can use it for weight loss by taking it both as a nutritional and vitamin supplement. It also promotes weight loss by stimulating the production of estrogen in the body.

That’s not all; the phytoestrogens in fermented African oil bean seed are considered ideal for weight loss as it reduces the life cycle of adipocytes and fat accumulation while also increasing fat-free mass in humans.

Some studies further revealed that this same phytochemical found in African oil bean seed could help reduce a significant amount of inflammation caused by obesity due to its antioxidant properties. (18)

8. Prevent Anemia (lack of blood)

Ukpaka and Pregnancy

For instance, some people ask this question, “is ukpaka/ugba safe for pregnant women?

In this one, I can also relate very well. My mother formed the habit of using fermented oil bean seeds to prepare fresh dark green vegetables when she is pregnant.

Her intention is to obtain enough folate and essential amino acids from this superfood in order to prevent anemia during pregnancy. Evidently, my mother had never lacked blood during child delivery.

Fermented African oil bean seed is an affordable source of protein and minerals for pregnant women and lactating mothers who understand how to creatively combine quality nutritious recipes.

African oil bean leaves and pods also had been used to treat certain sicknesses such as

• Convulsions

In terms of treatment of Convulsion with oil bean leave, I witnessed it when I was much younger. My mother had used it to remedy the convulsion attack from my younger brother.

Here is how she uses it;

She fetched the oil leaves, and dry palm tree flowers (mmumu nku), put them together and light it and make my younger brother receive the smoke coming out from it and within some minutes my brother recovered. It surprise me that very day, how much smoke can do such wonders.

Other benefits of the oil been leaves include:

• Epilepsy
• Anthelminthic.

Side effects

What are the possible side effects of eating fermented African oil bean seed?  

Fermented African oil bean seed is generally safe for human consumption however if consumed in a large quantity at a time it may cause flatulence in some people.

• Flatulence

Fermented African oil bean seed is better consumed in smaller quantities at a time because even after fermenting it, some individuals still experience stomach upset when consume in large amounts especially those with IBS.

For example the best and safe serving quantity is 1 to 2 full tablespoons of fermented African oil bean seen (ukpaka/ugba) is very ok for a person in a day. However, the flatulence effect can be reduced if you mix fermented oil bean with little palm oil.

You can eat it like that straight or add it to any other carbohydrates rich food or Vitamin rich food to introduce protein.

Please don’t mix ukpaka with any protein-rich food such as beans, black beans, or eggs. This can increase the acidic content of the food which may promote stomach upset in some individuals.

To date apart from flatulence, no other side effect has been recorded by any research from consuming fermented African oil bean.

Let me repeat this. Please don’t eat African oil beans unless it’s well cooked and fermented using a proven method.

How to Preserve fermented oil beean

Storage and preservation

Raw African oil bean seed can be stored for up to one year without spoilage when kept in a cool dry room temperature provided it is well matured before harvesting it.

However African oil bean seed pod normally breaks on its own once is well-matured using sunshine while still hanging on the tree stem the seed will just scatter, and people will go hurting for it to make money.

Fermented African oil bean seed can last for seven days at room temperature, however, if your package is in a nylon bag or in an air-tight container and put in the freezer it can last for more than six months.

Just make sure that the one you purchase has not had to last more than one week in the hand of the seller.

Recipe Tip

Fermented African oil bean can be used to prepare many African recipes such as:

• Abacha or tapioca (both dry and wet)
• Vegetable soup, okuru/okra soup, and ogbono soup
• Porridge yam
• Achicha (dry cocoyam)
• Mkwobi and okporoko

Conclusion

Fermented African oil bean seed popularly known as ukpaka or ugba in the Igbo land part of Africa is  loaded with high amount of essential nutrients such as protein, iron, zinc, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and copper, and vital phytochemicals like saponin, alkaloids, and flavonoids

Scientific studies have shown that the anti-nutritional factors in the ukpaka which included cyanide, phytate, tannin, and oxalate, can be reduced by the same method of Igbo ancient processing which involves deep cooking and days fermentation.

Eight scientifically proven health benefits of fermented African oil bean seed include: Lowers Cholesterol Levels, Reduces Risk of Cancer,  Reduces Risk of Cataract, Remedy skin-related diseases, Solution to Insomnia, Promoting a healthy heart and prevents cardiovascular diseases, Promotes weight loss, Prevent Anemia (lack of blood)

The smoke that comes out of the leaves has been locally used in combination with palm fruit pod to cure Convulsions

Fermented African oil bean seed is generally safe for human consumption however if consumed in a large quantity at a time it may cause flatulence in some people.

Storage of the raw African oil bean seed can last for more than one year if kept safely, however, the fermented ones which are edible can last for one week at room temperature and for six months if preserved in the freezer in an airtight container.

 I hope you get the value worth your time. I appreciate the time you spend with me. Leave a comment if you like this post. Do you have any questions as regards the African oil bean seed I didn’t touch here? Feel free to share with me in the comment below.

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