HEALTH BENEFITS OF OGBONO SEEDS

Irvingia is a genus of African and Southeast Asian trees in the family Irvingiaceae, sometimes known by the common names wild mango, African mango, bush mango, dika, mbukpap uyo or ogbono. The subtly aromatic nuts are typically dried in the sun for preservation, and are sold whole or in powder form. They may be ground to a paste known variously as dika bread or Gabon chocolate. Their high content of mucilage enables them to be used as thickening agents for dishes such as ogbono soup. The nuts may also be pressed for vegetable oil. Despite the nutritional importance of I. gabonensis, there are no large scale plantations of the species for seed and fruit yield data collection. The seeds also have some huge benefits on humans’ health when consumed such as fruit or used in cooking soup.