The Formular For Eating Right

Vegetables and fruits form the foundation of a healthy diet. But you can’t live on produce alone. To get all your essential nutrients, you’ll also need to eat whole grains, lean protein (fish, lean meat, beans or low-fat dairy foods) and healthy fats, including nuts and olive oil. How much do you need? Balance your diet in three easy steps.

1. Divide your plate

Whatever you answered, you should aim to model (or keep modeling) your plate after B. Low-calorie—yet satisfying—vegetables fill half the plate. The other half is divided into two equal portions (quarters). One is filled with a lean protein, the other with a whole-grain or starchy vegetable.

2. Calculate your calories

Eating a balanced diet means not only getting enough of specific nutrients, such as vitamin C and beta carotene, but also eating the right number of calories for your size.
The following equation will help you determine the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight.
Your body weight X 12 = __________
Subtract 500 calories from this number to lose 1 pound per week. To lose 2 pounds per week, subtract 1,000. If you calculate a calorie target that’s less than 1,200, set your calorie goal at 1,200.

3. Eat by the Pyramid

To get even more accurate about ensuring nutritional balance in your diet, eat by the USDA’s MyPyramid recommended intakes for all the major food groups. Simply follow the guide below that’s closest to the calorie level you calculated in Step 2.
Recommended daily intakes by Pyramid group for a range of calorie levels:

Calorie level	1,600	1,800	2,000	2,200	2,400	2,600	2,800	3,000
Grains*	5 oz.-eq.	6 oz.-eq.	6 oz.-eq.	7 oz.-eq.	8 oz.-eq.	9 oz.-eq.	10 oz.-eq.	10 oz.-eq.
Vegetables**	2 cups	2.5 cups	2.5 cups	3 cups	3 cups	3.5 cups	3.5 cups	4 cups
Fruits***	1.5 cups	1.5 cups	2 cups	2 cups	2 cups	2 cups	2.5 cups	2.5 cups
Milk (or dairy)	3 cups	3 cups	3 cups	3 cups	3 cups	3 cups	3 cups	3 cups
Meat, Beans†	5 oz.-eq.	5 oz.-eq.	5.5 oz.-eq.	6 oz.-eq.	6.5 oz.-eq.	6.5 oz.-eq.	7 oz.-eq.	7 oz.-eq.
Oils	5 tsp.	5 tsp.	6 tsp.	6 tsp.	7 tsp.	8 tsp.	8 tsp.	10 tsp.
Discretionary calories††	132	195	267	290	362	410	426	512

Note: These suggested food amounts are calculated to meet USDA recommended nutrient intakes. The contributions from each group are based on the “nutrient-dense” form of the food, without added fats or sugars (for example, lean meats, fat-free dairy products, grains with no added sugars).
*A 1-oz. grain equivalent = 1⁄2 cup of pasta, rice or oatmeal, 1 cup of whole-grain cold cereal, 1 slice of bread, 1⁄2 of an English muffin.
**A 1⁄2 cup of vegetables or 1 cup of raw leafy greens = 1 vegetable serving.
***1 cup of cut fruit or 1 medium whole fruit (orange, apple, banana) = 1 fruit serving.
† A 1-oz. equivalent = 1 oz. lean meat, poultry or fish, 1⁄4 cup cooked beans or tofu.
†† “Discretionary calories” are those remaining in the calorie total when all the food-group portions and nutrients are consumed. You can “spend” them on whatever you want, such as a piece of chocolate or a glass of wine.

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KIMEKWU COMMUNICATIONS: New Dimensions To Your Life

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Malnutrition Kills 500, 000 Nigerian Children Every Year - UNICEF

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has alerted Nigerians on the danger posed by high rate of infant malnutrition in the country. According to the world body, Nigeria is losing no fewer than 500,000 infants to malnutrition annually, which it described as silent health crisis.

UNICEF wants Nigerians to pay more attention to this situation, which poses dire consequences to the present and future development of the country. Officials of the international humanitarian agency spoke at a two-day workshop in Calabar, capital of Cross River state for media executives and health correspondents of many Nigerian media organisations.

The workshop, tagged: #Stop Child Malnutrition In Nigeria, was coordinated by the UNICEF’s Communication Specialist, Mr. Geoffrey Njoku with top officials of the federal and Cross River ministries of health in attendance.

Speaking on the nutritional situation in Nigeria and its impact on children, the Chief Nutritionist of the UNICEF, Mr. Arjan de Wagt said that most of the children die of malnutrition within their first 1000 days on earth.

According to Mr. Wagt, the first 1000 days of a child are so important that they determine not only the child’s growth but also his entire health status throughout the life, up to old age.

UNICEF The Chief Nutritionist stressed that malnutrition affects not only the poor but also some wealthy ones, adding that obesity is part of the effects of the malnutrition.

“Whenever we talk about malnutrition, the only thing that comes to the mind is that it is for the poor uneducated rural people who have less to eat. But malnutrition also includes eating wrong food or unbalanced diet. It is about lack of knowledge of the food we eat and not lack of food,” he said.

Wagt said that the chief cause of malnutrition is lack of exclusive breast feeding of the child in the first six months of his birth, insisting that breast milk is made strictly for the babies and they must not be denied of it.

For him, children that are not well-fed and properly cared for usually experience stunted growth, over weight, micro nutrient deficiency and are generally prone to life threatening diseases.

Other speakers at the workshop, including. Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Coordinator of African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, Chido Onuma called on the media to be in the forefront for advocacy on behavioural change amongst Nigeria to reverse the trend.

Though, UNICEF announced that through its numerous interventions, about 208,000 lives of mal-nourished children have been saved in the last 12 months, the speakers stressed the need for more financial assistance from donor agencies to increase the number of those it could save from the dangerous effect of malnutrition to one million per annum.

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has alerted Nigerians on the danger posed by high rate of infant malnutrition in the country.

According to the world body, Nigeria is losing no fewer than 500,000 infants to malnutrition annually, which it described as silent health crisis.

UNICEF wants Nigerians to pay more attention to this situation, which poses dire consequences to the present and future development of the country.

Officials of the international humanitarian agency spoke at a two-day workshop in Calabar, capital of Cross River state for media executives and health correspondents of many Nigerian media organisations.

The workshop, tagged: #Stop Child Malnutrition In Nigeria, was coordinated by the UNICEF’s Communication Specialist, Mr. Geoffrey Njoku with top officials of the federal and Cross River ministries of health in attendance.

Speaking on the nutritional situation in Nigeria and its impact on children, the Chief Nutritionist of the UNICEF, Mr. Arjan de Wagt said that most of the children die of malnutrition within their first 1000 days on earth.

According to Mr. Wagt, the first 1000 days of a child are so important that they determine not only the child’s growth but also his entire health status throughout the life, up to old age.

UNICEF The Chief Nutritionist stressed that malnutrition affects not only the poor but also some wealthy ones, adding that obesity is part of the effects of the malnutrition.

“Whenever we talk about malnutrition, the only thing that comes to the mind is that it is for the poor uneducated rural people who have less to eat. But malnutrition also includes eating wrong food or unbalanced diet. It is about lack of knowledge of the food we eat and not lack of food,” he said.

Wagt said that the chief cause of malnutrition is lack of exclusive breast feeding of the child in the first six months of his birth, insisting that breast milk is made strictly for the babies and they must not be denied of it.

For him, children that are not well-fed and properly cared for usually experience stunted growth, over weight, micro nutrient deficiency and are generally prone to life threatening diseases.

Other speakers at the workshop, including. Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Coordinator of African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, Chido Onuma called on the media to be in the forefront for advocacy on behavioural change amongst Nigeria to reverse the trend.

Though, UNICEF announced that through its numerous interventions, about 208,000 lives of mal-nourished children have been saved in the last 12 months, the speakers stressed the need for more financial assistance from donor agencies to increase the number of those it could save from the dangerous effect of malnutrition to one million per annum.

The speakers stressed the importance of people regularly going for de-worming and for them to observe behavioural change as well as take other positive measures to stem the tide of death from malnutrition.

They appealed to media organisations to join in the crusade against malnutrition so that more lives could be saved and to bring a new way of dieting to ensure proper nutrition into the lives of Nigerians.

The workshop, which drew no fewer than 50 journalists, including online publishers, editors, senior correspondents from newspapers, television and radio stations, ends tomorrow, Thursday.

The post UNICEF: Malnutrition kills 500,000 children annually in Nigeria appeared first on THE RAINBOW NEWS ONLINE .

Read more at: http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/188979/1/unicef-malnutrition-kills-500000-children-annually.html

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has alerted Nigerians on the danger posed by high rate of infant malnutrition in the country.

According to the world body, Nigeria is losing no fewer than 500,000 infants to malnutrition annually, which it described as silent health crisis.

UNICEF wants Nigerians to pay more attention to this situation, which poses dire consequences to the present and future development of the country.

Officials of the international humanitarian agency spoke at a two-day workshop in Calabar, capital of Cross River state for media executives and health correspondents of many Nigerian media organisations.

The workshop, tagged: #Stop Child Malnutrition In Nigeria, was coordinated by the UNICEF’s Communication Specialist, Mr. Geoffrey Njoku with top officials of the federal and Cross River ministries of health in attendance.

Speaking on the nutritional situation in Nigeria and its impact on children, the Chief Nutritionist of the UNICEF, Mr. Arjan de Wagt said that most of the children die of malnutrition within their first 1000 days on earth.

According to Mr. Wagt, the first 1000 days of a child are so important that they determine not only the child’s growth but also his entire health status throughout the life, up to old age.

UNICEF The Chief Nutritionist stressed that malnutrition affects not only the poor but also some wealthy ones, adding that obesity is part of the effects of the malnutrition.

“Whenever we talk about malnutrition, the only thing that comes to the mind is that it is for the poor uneducated rural people who have less to eat. But malnutrition also includes eating wrong food or unbalanced diet. It is about lack of knowledge of the food we eat and not lack of food,” he said.

Wagt said that the chief cause of malnutrition is lack of exclusive breast feeding of the child in the first six months of his birth, insisting that breast milk is made strictly for the babies and they must not be denied of it.

For him, children that are not well-fed and properly cared for usually experience stunted growth, over weight, micro nutrient deficiency and are generally prone to life threatening diseases.

Other speakers at the workshop, including. Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Coordinator of African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, Chido Onuma called on the media to be in the forefront for advocacy on behavioural change amongst Nigeria to reverse the trend.

Though, UNICEF announced that through its numerous interventions, about 208,000 lives of mal-nourished children have been saved in the last 12 months, the speakers stressed the need for more financial assistance from donor agencies to increase the number of those it could save from the dangerous effect of malnutrition to one million per annum.

The speakers stressed the importance of people regularly going for de-worming and for them to observe behavioural change as well as take other positive measures to stem the tide of death from malnutrition.

They appealed to media organisations to join in the crusade against malnutrition so that more lives could be saved and to bring a new way of dieting to ensure proper nutrition into the lives of Nigerians.

The workshop, which drew no fewer than 50 journalists, including online publishers, editors, senior correspondents from newspapers, television and radio stations, ends tomorrow, Thursday.

The post UNICEF: Malnutrition kills 500,000 children annually in Nigeria appeared first on THE RAINBOW NEWS ONLINE .

Read more at: http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/188979/1/unicef-malnutrition-kills-500000-children-annually.html

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has alerted Nigerians on the danger posed by high rate of infant malnutrition in the country.

According to the world body, Nigeria is losing no fewer than 500,000 infants to malnutrition annually, which it described as silent health crisis.

UNICEF wants Nigerians to pay more attention to this situation, which poses dire consequences to the present and future development of the country.

Officials of the international humanitarian agency spoke at a two-day workshop in Calabar, capital of Cross River state for media executives and health correspondents of many Nigerian media organisations.

The workshop, tagged: #Stop Child Malnutrition In Nigeria, was coordinated by the UNICEF’s Communication Specialist, Mr. Geoffrey Njoku with top officials of the federal and Cross River ministries of health in attendance.

Speaking on the nutritional situation in Nigeria and its impact on children, the Chief Nutritionist of the UNICEF, Mr. Arjan de Wagt said that most of the children die of malnutrition within their first 1000 days on earth.

According to Mr. Wagt, the first 1000 days of a child are so important that they determine not only the child’s growth but also his entire health status throughout the life, up to old age.

UNICEF The Chief Nutritionist stressed that malnutrition affects not only the poor but also some wealthy ones, adding that obesity is part of the effects of the malnutrition.

“Whenever we talk about malnutrition, the only thing that comes to the mind is that it is for the poor uneducated rural people who have less to eat. But malnutrition also includes eating wrong food or unbalanced diet. It is about lack of knowledge of the food we eat and not lack of food,” he said.

Wagt said that the chief cause of malnutrition is lack of exclusive breast feeding of the child in the first six months of his birth, insisting that breast milk is made strictly for the babies and they must not be denied of it.

For him, children that are not well-fed and properly cared for usually experience stunted growth, over weight, micro nutrient deficiency and are generally prone to life threatening diseases.

Other speakers at the workshop, including. Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Coordinator of African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, Chido Onuma called on the media to be in the forefront for advocacy on behavioural change amongst Nigeria to reverse the trend.

Though, UNICEF announced that through its numerous interventions, about 208,000 lives of mal-nourished children have been saved in the last 12 months, the speakers stressed the need for more financial assistance from donor agencies to increase the number of those it could save from the dangerous effect of malnutrition to one million per annum.

The speakers stressed the importance of people regularly going for de-worming and for them to observe behavioural change as well as take other positive measures to stem the tide of death from malnutrition.

They appealed to media organisations to join in the crusade against malnutrition so that more lives could be saved and to bring a new way of dieting to ensure proper nutrition into the lives of Nigerians.

The workshop, which drew no fewer than 50 journalists, including online publishers, editors, senior correspondents from newspapers, television and radio stations, ends tomorrow, Thursday.

The post UNICEF: Malnutrition kills 500,000 children annually in Nigeria appeared first on THE RAINBOW NEWS ONLINE .

Read more at: http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/188979/1/unicef-malnutrition-kills-500000-children-annually.html

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has alerted Nigerians on the danger posed by high rate of infant malnutrition in the country.

According to the world body, Nigeria is losing no fewer than 500,000 infants to malnutrition annually, which it described as silent health crisis.

UNICEF wants Nigerians to pay more attention to this situation, which poses dire consequences to the present and future development of the country.

Officials of the international humanitarian agency spoke at a two-day workshop in Calabar, capital of Cross River state for media executives and health correspondents of many Nigerian media organisations.

The workshop, tagged: #Stop Child Malnutrition In Nigeria, was coordinated by the UNICEF’s Communication Specialist, Mr. Geoffrey Njoku with top officials of the federal and Cross River ministries of health in attendance.

Speaking on the nutritional situation in Nigeria and its impact on children, the Chief Nutritionist of the UNICEF, Mr. Arjan de Wagt said that most of the children die of malnutrition within their first 1000 days on earth.

According to Mr. Wagt, the first 1000 days of a child are so important that they determine not only the child’s growth but also his entire health status throughout the life, up to old age.

UNICEF The Chief Nutritionist stressed that malnutrition affects not only the poor but also some wealthy ones, adding that obesity is part of the effects of the malnutrition.

“Whenever we talk about malnutrition, the only thing that comes to the mind is that it is for the poor uneducated rural people who have less to eat. But malnutrition also includes eating wrong food or unbalanced diet. It is about lack of knowledge of the food we eat and not lack of food,” he said.

Wagt said that the chief cause of malnutrition is lack of exclusive breast feeding of the child in the first six months of his birth, insisting that breast milk is made strictly for the babies and they must not be denied of it.

For him, children that are not well-fed and properly cared for usually experience stunted growth, over weight, micro nutrient deficiency and are generally prone to life threatening diseases.

Other speakers at the workshop, including. Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Coordinator of African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, Chido Onuma called on the media to be in the forefront for advocacy on behavioural change amongst Nigeria to reverse the trend.

Though, UNICEF announced that through its numerous interventions, about 208,000 lives of mal-nourished children have been saved in the last 12 months, the speakers stressed the need for more financial assistance from donor agencies to increase the number of those it could save from the dangerous effect of malnutrition to one million per annum.

The speakers stressed the importance of people regularly going for de-worming and for them to observe behavioural change as well as take other positive measures to stem the tide of death from malnutrition.

They appealed to media organisations to join in the crusade against malnutrition so that more lives could be saved and to bring a new way of dieting to ensure proper nutrition into the lives of Nigerians.

The workshop, which drew no fewer than 50 journalists, including online publishers, editors, senior correspondents from newspapers, television and radio stations, ends tomorrow, Thursday.

The post UNICEF: Malnutrition kills 500,000 children annually in Nigeria appeared first on THE RAINBOW NEWS ONLINE .

Read more at: http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/188979/1/unicef-malnutrition-kills-500000-children-annually.html

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has alerted Nigerians on the danger posed by high rate of infant malnutrition in the country.

According to the world body, Nigeria is losing no fewer than 500,000 infants to malnutrition annually, which it described as silent health crisis.

UNICEF wants Nigerians to pay more attention to this situation, which poses dire consequences to the present and future development of the country.

Officials of the international humanitarian agency spoke at a two-day workshop in Calabar, capital of Cross River state for media executives and health correspondents of many Nigerian media organisations.

The workshop, tagged: #Stop Child Malnutrition In Nigeria, was coordinated by the UNICEF’s Communication Specialist, Mr. Geoffrey Njoku with top officials of the federal and Cross River ministries of health in attendance.

Speaking on the nutritional situation in Nigeria and its impact on children, the Chief Nutritionist of the UNICEF, Mr. Arjan de Wagt said that most of the children die of malnutrition within their first 1000 days on earth.

According to Mr. Wagt, the first 1000 days of a child are so important that they determine not only the child’s growth but also his entire health status throughout the life, up to old age.

UNICEF The Chief Nutritionist stressed that malnutrition affects not only the poor but also some wealthy ones, adding that obesity is part of the effects of the malnutrition.

“Whenever we talk about malnutrition, the only thing that comes to the mind is that it is for the poor uneducated rural people who have less to eat. But malnutrition also includes eating wrong food or unbalanced diet. It is about lack of knowledge of the food we eat and not lack of food,” he said.

Wagt said that the chief cause of malnutrition is lack of exclusive breast feeding of the child in the first six months of his birth, insisting that breast milk is made strictly for the babies and they must not be denied of it.

For him, children that are not well-fed and properly cared for usually experience stunted growth, over weight, micro nutrient deficiency and are generally prone to life threatening diseases.

Other speakers at the workshop, including. Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Coordinator of African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, Chido Onuma called on the media to be in the forefront for advocacy on behavioural change amongst Nigeria to reverse the trend.

Though, UNICEF announced that through its numerous interventions, about 208,000 lives of mal-nourished children have been saved in the last 12 months, the speakers stressed the need for more financial assistance from donor agencies to increase the number of those it could save from the dangerous effect of malnutrition to one million per annum.

The speakers stressed the importance of people regularly going for de-worming and for them to observe behavioural change as well as take other positive measures to stem the tide of death from malnutrition.

They appealed to media organisations to join in the crusade against malnutrition so that more lives could be saved and to bring a new way of dieting to ensure proper nutrition into the lives of Nigerians.

The workshop, which drew no fewer than 50 journalists, including online publishers, editors, senior correspondents from newspapers, television and radio stations, ends tomorrow, Thursday.

The post UNICEF: Malnutrition kills 500,000 children annually in Nigeria appeared first on THE RAINBOW NEWS ONLINE .

Read more at: http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/188979/1/unicef-malnutrition-kills-500000-children-annually.html

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Facts On Plaintain Plus Amazing Health Benefits

Plantains, also known as plátanos, are closely related cultivars of fruit or dessert banana. In general, they treated as vegetables in the kitchen much like fellow tropical produces such as potatoes, taro, breadfruit, yam, sweet potatoes, etc. Indeed, plátano are one of the staple sources of carbohydrates for larger populations in Asia, Oceania, Africa, and Central Americas for centuries, served in main courses.
As in bananas, plantain too belong to the Musaceae family. In the nature, it was thought to have developed by hybridization of two wild species of Muscaceae, Musa acuminata Colla (AA) and M. balbsiana Colla (BB), and consist of chromosomal triploid AAB genome.

Plantain is quite different from dessert banana, being taller and larger and more drought tolerant. It is a perennial herbaceous plant that develops from the underground rhizome. Like bananas, it too flourishes well under tropical moisture-rich, humid low-lying farmlands.
At maturity, the rhizome gives rise to flower (inflorescence) that is carried up along its smooth, elongated, un-branched stem, piercing through the center of pseudo-stem, finally emerging out at the top in between its leafy clusters. The flower eventually develops into bunch, consisting of 3 to 20 hands, with each bunch holding at least 5-10 fingers (fruits).

Raw green plantains can only eaten after cooking. Each fruit measures about 3 to 10 inches or more in length depending upon the cultivar type. They tend to have coarser external features with prominent edges and flat surfaces unlike smooth, rounded contour of dessert bananas. The flesh inside is rich in starch, with tiny edible black seeds concentrated at its core. Ripening process, however, enhances flavor and sweetness since much of its starch converts to sugar, similar to as in the case of fruit bananas but to a lesser extent.
Plantain flower (inflorescence) as well as its interior stem (true-stem) too are eaten in various kinds of recipes in South-Asian and African regions.

Plantain relatively has more calories weight for weight than that in the table bananas. 100 g plantain holds about 122 calories, while dessert banana has only 89 calories. Indeed, they are very reliable sources of starch and energy; ensuring food security for millions of inhabitants worldwide.

It contains 2.3 g of dietary fiber per 100 g (6% of DRA per 100 g). Adequate amount of dietary-fiber in the food helps normal bowel movements, thereby reducing constipation problems.

Fresh plátanos have more vitamin C than bananas. 100 g provide 18.4 mg or 31% of daily required levels of this vitamin. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals. However, boiling and cooking destroys much of this vitamin in plantains.

Plantains carry more vitamin A than bananas. 100 g fresh ripe plantains contain 1127 IU or 37.5% of daily required levels of this vitamin. Besides being a powerful antioxidant, vitamin A plays a vital role in the visual cycle, maintaining healthy mucus membranes, and enhancing skin complexion.

As in bananas, they too are rich sources of B-complex vitamins, particularly high in vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine). Pyridoxine is an important B-complex vitamin that has a beneficial role in the treatment of neuritis, anemia, and to decrease homocystine (one of the causative factors for coronary artery disease (CHD) and stroke episodes) levels in the body. In addition, the fruit contains moderate levels of folates, niacin, riboflavin and thiamin.

They also provide adequate levels of minerals such as iron, magnesium, and phosphorous. Magnesium is essential for bone strengthening and has a cardiac-protective role as well.

Fresh plantains have more potassium than bananas. 100 g fruit provides 499 mg of potassium (358 mg per 100 g for bananas). Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure, countering negative effects of sodium.

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Why Aloe Vera Is Excellent For The Skin

Aloe vera has been used for a host of purposes since the ancient Egyptians called it the “plant of immortality.” 

Since then, its uses have become more targeted and medicinal, and it's one of the leading therapies for sunburns. 

 

Aloe vera is a cactus plant that belongs to the Liliaceae family. It grows in dry climates such as those found in parts of Africa and India and has been used medicinally for centuries. 

Aloe leaves secrete a clear gel that when broken off from the rest of the plant that can be applied topically to heal wounds and soothe skin.

 

Various studies have been conducted to examine the benefits of the aloe vera plant and it was found out that aloe vera does in fact have several properties that are effective in treating a variety of skin conditions, from flaky or dry skin, cosmetic ailments, hair and scalp problems to many more. 

It is also said to be useful in treating wounds and burns, minor skin infections, cysts, diabetes, and elevated blood lipids in humans, and shows some promise in treating more serious and persistent conditions such as eczema, genital herpes, dandruff, psoriasis, canker sores, skin ulcers and others, according to the Mayo Clinic.

It treats sunburn. 

Aloe Vera helps with sunburn through its powerful healing activity at the epithelial level of the skin, a layer of cells that cover the body. It acts as a protective layer on the skin and helps replenish its moisture. Because of its nutritional qualities and antioxidant properties, the skin heals quicker.

 

It acts as a moisturizer. 

Aloe moisturizes the skin without giving it a greasy feel, so it`s perfect for anyone with an oily skin complexion. For women who use mineral-based make-up, aloe vera acts as a moisturizer and is great for the face prior to the application to prevents skin drying. For men: Aloe vera gel can be used as an aftershave treatment as its healing properties can treat small cuts caused by shaving.

 

It treats acne. 

Aloe vera gel contains two hormones: Auxin and Gibberellins. These two hormones provide wound healing and anti-inflammatory properties that reduce skin inflammation. Giberellin in aloe vera acts as a growth hormone stimulating the growth of new cells. It allows the skin to heal quickly and naturally with minimal scarring. 

Aloe is soothing and can reduce skin inflammations, blistering and itchiness, while helping the skin to heal more rapidly. Additionally, in Ayurvedic medicine, Aloe is used to effectively heal chronic skin problems, such as psoriasis, acne and eczema.

  

It fights aging. 

As we age, everyone begins to worry about the appearance of fine lines and the loss of elasticity in their skin. Aloe leaves contain a plethora of antioxidants including, beta carotene, vitamin C and E that can help improve the skin's natural firmness and keep the skin hydrated.

It lessens the visibility of stretch marks. 

The skin is like one big piece of elastic that’ll expand and contract as needed to accommodate growth. But if the skin stretches too far, too fast (due to pregnancy, rapid weight gain or loss) the elasticity of the skin can be damaged. That’s what leaves those unsightly stretch marks. These marks appear due to minor tears in the layers of the skin caused by sudden and excessive stretching. Aloe vera gel can help hide these stretch marks by healing these wounds.

  

It's nutrient rich for good health. 

This solid material contains over 75 different nutrients including vitamins, minerals, enzymes, sugars, anthraquinones or phenolic compounds, lignin, saponins, sterols, amino acids and salicylic acid. 

  

It soothes in periodontal disease. 

According to a study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, it's extremely helpful in the treatment of gum diseases like gingivitis, periodontitis. It reduces bleeding, inflammation and swelling of the gums. It is a powerful antiseptic in pockets where normal cleaning is difficult, and its antifungal properties help greatly in the problem of denture stomatitis, apthous ulcers, cracked and split corners of the mouth.

  

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How Harmful Are Microtoxins In Plants To Human And Animal Health?

Most Africans, especially Nigerians, belong to the lower rung of the society. These often buy there agricultural foods in market that are not well standardized thereby leading to the fear of contracting harmful toxins from crops.

Mycotoxins are chemicals produced by fungi that are harmful to humans and domestic animals. These chemicals may contaminate staple foods and feeds worldwide, posing a number of significant food safety concerns. Mycotoxins may be fatal or cause severe illness at very small concentrations, often measured in parts per million (ppm) or parts per billion (ppb). There may be thousands of mycotoxins on the planet earth, but only a small fraction of these toxic chemicals have the potential to cause plant and animal diseases. In nature, mycotoxins may act to disable host defense responses or to defend the fungus against other microorganisms.

The study of mycotoxins, known as mycotoxicology, began in 1960 on a farm in England. Over 100,000 young turkeys died from 'Turkey-X disease' after eating a peanut meal that was contaminated with aflatoxins—a then new group of mycotoxins produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus. In the years since this massive fatality, other important mycotoxins including ergot alkaloids, fumonisins, ochratoxins, trichothecenes, and zearalenone have been discovered and described, many the result of other devastating intoxications.

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Oil Pollution: Otuoke Community Cries Out For Water

Barely three months after leaving office as president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan and his kinsmen in Otuoke community now face serious health implications from lack of portable water.

Elijah Ateki, the Chairman, Community Development Committee (CDC), Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa, has bemoaned the scarcity of potable water in the area.

Ateki said in Otuoke yesterday that lack of drinking water was the major problem in the community.

According to him, the situation is due to the pollution of rivers in the area by oil spilage.

He said the community had suffered inadequate potable water over the years, and urged the State and Federal Governments to provide the people with potable water.

'Otuoke community depends on rivers and now that all the rivers are polluted by oil, it is difficult for us to get potable water here,' Ateki said.

Emmanuel Agede, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving in the area, expressed dissatisfaction with the situation and called for government’s intervention.

'You will not believe it that here in Otuoke, we use water from an unused suck-away pit dug near our lodge, for washing clothes and bathing.

'For cooking and drinking, we buy sachet water; life is very difficult here; we spend the bulk of our monthly allowances on water for survival.'

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Natural Injectable Skin Lightening Solutions: The New Alternative To Bleaching Creams

A more natural therapy of lightening the skin is gradually establishing itself. The beauty of this advanced natural therapy is that it not only lightens the skin naturally from the inside, it also helps to cure some skin related diseases.  The Intravenous Glutathione Skin Whitening Treatment can lighten your skin evenly. Glutathione is administered via IV and is able to deposit evenly throughout the body. Glutathione will swop up the oxidative damaged cells (which cause skin to darken) and lighten your skin naturally, safely, evenly and in a healthy manner.
Glutathione is advertised heavily by naturopaths as a panacea for many conditions. Flourish Natural Medicine in Portland claims:

It’s the most important molecule you need to stay healthy and prevent disease — yet you’ve probably never heard of it. It’s the secret to prevent aging, cancer, heart disease, dementia and more, and necessary to treat everything from autism to Alzheimer’s disease. There are more than 89,000 medical articles about it — but your doctor doesn’t know how address the epidemic deficiency of this critical life-giving molecule. What is it? It is about the mother of all antioxidants, the master detoxifier and maestro of the immune system: GLUTATHIONE

Skin lightening has a controversial background. Ideas equating skin lightness with desirability, beauty and even class/caste are prevalent in some cultures. Shadeism (or colorism) is a term used to describe discrimination based on skin tone within a community, with lightness being perceived as more desirable. The marketing of skin lightening products is widespread, as is their use. Worldwide, this is a billion-dollar industry, one with a lot of critics. The official reaction to the naturopath’s advertisement was quick:

Glutathione is an antioxidant that is naturally synthesized in the body. It is involved with numerous biochemical pathways and may have some role in different diseases, but there is a lack of robust evidence linking supplementation to changes in health outcomes. In spite of this, glutathione seems to be a darling of the alternative medicine industry. Dr. Oz calls glutathione “the superhero of antioxidants.” Mark Hyman calls it “the mother of all antioxidants.” Importantly, while glutathione is also found in food, dietary consumption doesn’t appear to relate to blood levels, suggesting that oral supplementation may not be that effective. And given our bodies synthesize glutathione, the relationship between supplementation, blood levels and disease is not established.
There have been preliminary studies of glutathione for a number of uses, such as Parkinson’s disease. The best scientific evidence for infusions seems to be for its possible use to reduce the side-effects of cancer therapy.

When it comes to skin whitening, glutathione may have anti-melanogenic effects. There have been some studies conducted on the oral version and on a topical lotion. The trials have been small but generally positive...
(To Be Continued)

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Unhealthy Skin Care Practices To Beware Of

Nowadays, they no longer call it bleaching. They call it "Toning" or "Lightening"; but whatever nomenclature you chose to describe it, it is still the same thing. Non-prescription creams that claim to bleach or lighten your skin can be harmful.

A survey recently carried out by expert dermatologists believe lightening creams are completely unsafe, and 80% feel they are only safe when prescribed by a dermatologist.
 
There are prescription-only lightening creams, which must be used under the supervision of a doctor. A lightening cream obtained without prescription – for example, bought in a shop – may contain banned substances and be on sale illegally. People who use these illegally sold creams might not realise the harm they can cause.
Hermione Lawsone of the British Skin Foundation says: "Unfortunately, many skin-lightening creams contain illegal compounds that can damage your health. The most common compounds are high-dose steroids."
Some creams also contain hydroquinone, a bleaching agent banned from use in cosmetics but can be prescribed by doctors for medical reasons.
The damaging effects of these products are taken seriously by the law. In November 2012, a man pleaded guilty to possessing skin-lightening creams for supply, as well as prescription-only medications. The skin-lightening creams contained hydroquinone. The man was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £1,375.

Although steroids can be useful in treating some skin diseases, such as psoriasis and eczema, this must take place under the supervision of a skin specialist.
"Unmonitored use of high-dose steroids can lead to many problems," says Lawson, a specialist in the field of Dermatology "Patients are often very distressed by the results of skin-lightening creams."
Skin-lightening creams can cause:

• permanent skin bleaching 
• thinning of skin
• uneven colour loss, leading to a blotchy appearance
• redness
• intense irritation

If you've used a skin-lightening cream and are worried about the effect it has had, see a GP. They may be able to refer you to a dermatologist.
 
"Medically approved preparations prescribed by a GP or a dermatologist are not dangerous, within reason," says Lawson.
A cream that you buy over the counter is not necessarily medically approved and could permanently damage your skin.
Depigmentation, a medical treatment that lightens or fades skin, is sometimes used in the treatment of vitiligo (a condition that causes pale patches on the skin).
This treatment uses prescription medication and needs medical supervision. It's not suitable for everybody.

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Stroke, Cancer, Diabetes, Blood Pressure And Others Can Be Lowered With A Daily Intake Of Oranges - Research

We all know the proverb "an apple a day," but equally an orange could be recommended. There are thousands of reasons why eating an orange a day is a good idea; they are low in calories but full of nutrients, they promote clear, healthy skin and can help to lower our risk for many diseases and conditions as part of an overall healthy and varied diet.

Possible health benefits of consuming oranges

Stroke: According to the American Heart Association, eating higher amounts of a compound found in citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit may lower ischemic stroke risk for women. Those who ate the highest amounts of citrus had a 19 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke than women who consumed the least.
Blood pressure: Maintaining a low sodium intake is essential to lowering blood pressure, however increasing potassium intake may be just as important because of its vasodilation effects. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, fewer than 2 percent of US adults meet the daily 4700 mg recommendation.
Also of note, a high potassium intake is associated with a 20 percent decreased risk of dying from all causes.
Cancer: According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, consuming bananas, oranges and orange juice in the first two years of life may reduce the risk of developing childhood leukemia.
As an excellent source of the strong antioxidant vitamin C, oranges can also help combat the formation of free radicals known to cause cancer. While an adequate vitamin C intake is necessary and very beneficial as an antioxidant, the amount necessary to consume for therapeutic purposes for cancer is beyond oral intake. High fiber intakes from fruits and vegetables are associated with a lowered risk of colorectal cancer.
Heart health: The fiber, potassium, vitamin C and choline content in oranges all support heart health. An increase in potassium intake along with a decrease in sodium intake is the most important dietary change that a person can make to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease, according to Mark Houston, M.D, M.S, an associate clinical professor of medicine at Vanderbilt Medical School and director of the Hypertension Institute at St. Thomas Hospital in Tennessee.
In one study, those who consumed 4069 mg of potassium per day had a 49 percent lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease compared with those who consumed less potassium (about 1000 mg per day).
High potassium intakes are also associated with a reduced risk of stroke, protection against loss of muscle mass, preservation of bone mineral density and reduction in the formation of kidney stones.
Diabetes: Studies have shown that type 1 diabetics who consume high-fiber diets have lower blood glucose levels and type 2 diabetics may have improved blood sugar, lipids and insulin levels. One medium banana provides about 3 grams of fiber.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 21-25 g/day for women and 30-38 g/day for men.
Skin: The antioxidant vitamin C, when eaten in its natural form (as in an orange) or applied topically, can help to fight skin damage caused by the sun and pollution, reduce wrinkles and improve overall skin texture. Vitamin C plays a vital role in the formation of collagen, the support system of your skin.

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Is It Healthy To Include Raw Tomatoes In Your Diet?

Raw tomatoes can be a contentious food item when used raw. While some people adore their natural sweetness and use them on everything from sandwiches, suya to casseroles to pizzas, others dislike their relatively slimy texture and acidic nature. Whether you love or hate them, however, raw tomatoes provide essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients that can deliver a number of profound health benefits.

Raw tomatoes naturally contain an assortment of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that have the potential to guard against serious diseases. Eating more tomatoes and vegetables in general can help prevent conditions including bone loss, cancer, diabetes, kidney stones, stroke, heart attack and obesity. In an article for the “American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine,” Dr. Britt Burton-Freeman observes that raw tomatoes have anti-inflammatory properties and that they might even help prevent cognitive dysfunction. Tomatoes might have particular benefits for men. The American Dietetic Association encourages men to eat tomatoes at least once a week because the lycopene present in them promotes prostate health.

The tomato’s positive health properties are a result of the antioxidants and beneficial compounds found in the food. it is noted that the main antioxidant in tomatoes is lycopene, which neutralizes harmful free radicals that can damage cells in the body. Tomatoes also contain beta-carotene, folic acid, and vitamins A, C and E. Additionally, tomatoes have exceptionally low energy density, which means a large serving size delivers only a small amount of calories and fat. According to the USDA, a cup of sliced tomatoes has just 30 calories and less than 0.5 g fat.

 

However, there are also potential ill effects of eating raw tomatoes. They have an acidic quality that might aggravate frequent heartburn or acid reflux. Dr. Frank Jackson, of Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology Clinic, recommends steering clear of tomatoes altogether if you suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease because they might act as a “trigger food.” Eating too many tomatoes at the expense of other fruits and vegetables might also lead to eventual nutrient deficiencies.

 

Eating cooked tomatoes and processed tomato products can deliver many of the same health benefits as raw tomatoes, although some enzymes and beneficial compounds are destroyed in the cooking and production processes. If you have specific questions related to tomatoes in your diet, talk them over with your physician or a registered dietitian before making any significant changes to your current eating plan.

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Sewage Breakdown: Disaster Waiting To Happen At FESTAC Town, Lagos

What appears to be a disaster in waiting is currently playing out at the FESTAC area of Lagos. A resident of the area, Mr. Oghene Emma-Egoh, has lamented the poor state of the place, calling it “a disaster waiting to happen.” Emma-Egoh, a member of the House of Representatives, on Sunday urged the Federal Government to move in and save “FESTAC and its satellite towns” in Lagos State.

The lawmaker warned of possible epidemics in FESTAC owing to the near total collapse of infrastructure, particularly the sewage system.

FESTAC Town is a federal housing estate on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway in Lagos,

FESTAC means Festival of Arts and Culture, and the estate was constructed to house the participants of the festival in 1977. It was subsequently allocated and sold to Nigerians after the festival.

But Emma-Egoh, who represents Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency, complained that in spite of collecting all manner of rates and levies from residents in the area, both the federal and the Lagos governments cared less about the decay in the town and its surroundings.

He recalled that he had earlier moved a motion on the problem on the floor of the House last week, as part of the efforts to get the Federal Government to rescue FESTAC Town.

The House, in a resolution, had called on the Federal Government and its agency, the Federal Housing Authority of Nigeria, to begin the “immediate rehabilitation of FESTAC Town.”

Emma-Egoh said, “This estate has been built for over 40 years and as we speak, there are no functional infrastructure. Today, the Federal Government collects tenement rates from residents in FESTAC, while the Lagos State Government also collects land charges.

“There is no single firefighting vehicle in the place. If there is any fire incident in FESTAC, it will be a total disaster. So, given its importance as one of the oldest housing estates and satellite towns in Lagos, it is important to rehabilitate the area,” he said.

He noted that the condition of roads in the estate had become deplorable, while residents no longer had access to potable water.

The lawmaker said, “The central sewage systems in the estate are no longer functional. They now gush out dangerous wastes into the open at uncontrollable rate and the drainages are no longer flowing and have become the habitat for giant mosquitoes.

“This situation can lead to the outbreak of an epidemic,” he submitted.

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Dirty Environment: State Government Closes Markets In Ogun

The government of Ogun state, Nigeria, yesterday ordered the immediate closure of shops and market stalls in Ifo, Obada-Oko and Owode-Ijako areas of the state for operating in a dirty environment.

The state Deputy Governor, Mrs Yetunde Onanuga, gave the order while monitoring the level of compliance with environmental sanitation regulations by shop owners and market women in parts of the state.

Onanuga, who visited Ewekoro, Ifo and Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Areas, said the government would ensure strict compliance to environmental sanitation laws in homes and business places.

She therefore urged traders in the affected markets to participate regularly in cleaning their environment, to avoid clampdown in the future.

The deputy governor also enjoined people in the state to desist from disposing their wastes in drains and road medians.

She said that a clean environment would help to enhance the productivity of the people.

Onanuga reiterated the state’s commitment to environmental sanitation and its resolve to punish non-compliance.

She stressed that the government would continue to enlighten the general public on the importance of clean environment to healthy living and socio-economic development.

The deputy governor, who noted that “a healthy person is a wealthy person,” declared that the environmental sanitation law was made in good faith.

Mr Monday Cletus and Mrs Adegbesan Adebola, stall owners at Sango–Ota market, commended the efforts of the government, saying that it would improve people’s well being.

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NAFDAC On The Hot Seat As EU Bans Nigerian Foods

These are certainly not the best of times for National Agency For Food And Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the agency in charge of the regulation of food and drugs in Nigeria. The Senate last Thursday, called on NAFDAC to tighten its oversight on locally produced food and agricultural items to ensure global acceptance. This followed a four-point motion by Sen. Francis Alimikhena on European Union’s ban on Nigeria’s agricultural export products.

The products banned by the EU till June, 2016, according to Alimikhena, are beans, sesame seeds, melon seeds, dried fish, dried meat, peanut chips and palm oil.

He said that the rejected beans, for instance, were found to contain between 0.03 kilograms to 4.6 kilograms of dichlorvos substance, contrary to acceptable limit.

The senate also called on ministries of Agriculture and Health, respectively, Standards Organisation of Nigeria and National Food Safety Management Committee to sanitise food and agricultural products imported into or exported out of Nigeria. It mandated its Standing Committee on Health and Agriculture, when constituted, to look into the matter with a view to overturning the EU ban on Nigerian agricultural products.

The lawmakers equally urged federal and state governments to invest more in the production of agricultural products. They further urged agriculture extension workers to enlighten illiterate farmers on the dangers of chemicals in food.

President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, said the ban by the EU was embarrassing given the strength of Nigeria in the international community. He called on relevant stakeholders to wake up to their responsibilities, adding that “the regulatory agencies should work to reverse this ban. As we talk about diversification we should take a good look at this particularly, because the EU market is closer to us than Asian markets.”

Earlier in his contribution, Sen. Ali Wakili said agencies of government must be strengthened in terms of equipment and welfare. He added that agriculturists should be trained so that products from the country would not be rejected, saying “we have to look inward.”

Sen. Aliyu Sabi  lamented that the EU ban had the potential to affect the country’s revenue.
“One thing is certain, the EU takes standard importantly; the world has gone far and we must wake up else we will remain where we are. How much funding are we giving our research institutes? They have not been funded well in the last five years.

On his part, Sen. Joshua Lidani said that the ban was a wake-up call for the regulatory agencies to closely monitor agricultural products consumed by Nigerians.

It must however be noted that NAFDAC has always been known for its reputation in standards of foods and drugs produced in the country. This has won it many international recognitions. 

An insider who spoke with Nigeria Natural Health Online www.kimekwu.blogspot.com, said an investigation has commence to find out factors behind the ban.

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Urbanisation And The Risk Of Mental Disorders

Do we need to prepare ourselves for a more urbanised and, therefore, more depressed world? With the following article this article aims to stimulate a conversation between urban planning, architecture and neuroscience, in the hope of facilitating a more nuanced understanding of how urban and rural living conditions differentially impact upon our mental health. At a first glance, there are enormous methodological differences between the disciplines of urban planning and neuroscience. Nonetheless, considering the neuroscientific approach to the topic of cities is essential, as from it we can start to understand how city living affects inhabitants’ brain biology and could therefore influence the risk for developing mental disorders. On the bright side, there are also indicators that show a protective aspect of large cities with regards to mental health. Cities, therefore, may lend themselves to facilitating new and appropriate health intervention strategies.

Urban living is on the rise whereas rural living is becoming the exception – in all parts of the world and at an ever-increasing rate. The rapid pace of urbanisation is an important marker of the societal transition at large that has occurred over the past 30 years. Our world is shifting towards an urban, small-family or single household, and at the same time, an ageing society. In the next 30 years we will be faced with the growing challenges specific to our cities’ aged single urban populations.

But urban living is not only about getting older, it is also about getting stressed. Stress is the unspecific physiological and psychological reaction to perceived threats to our physical, psychological or social integrity. And urban living can be threatening if you haven’t enough space of your own, if you experience insufficient security or live under unstable economic conditions. Stress increases with the anticipation of adverse situations and the fear of not having the adequate resources to respond to them. From an evolutionary point of view, stress is the mechanism that prepares us for any ‘fight-or-flight’ reaction, and also causes us to evolve in order to better adapt to our environment. Although not harmful per se, stress may jeopardise our health when stress exposure is chronic or when complete recovery is not possible.

Living in an urban environment is long known to be a risk factor for psychiatric diseases such as major depression or schizophrenia. This is true even though infrastructure, socioeconomic conditions, nutrition and health care services are clearly better in cities than in rural areas. Higher stress exposure and higher stress vulnerability seem to play a crucial role. Social stress may be the most important factor for the increased risk of mental disorders in urban areas. It may be experienced as social evaluative threat, or as chronic social stress, both of which are likely to occur as a direct consequence of high population densities in cities. As for the impact on mental health, social stress seems to outweigh other urban stressors such as pollution or noise. Living in crowded areas is associated with increased social stress, since the environment becomes less controllable for the individual. Social disparities also become much more prominent in cities and can impose stress on the individual. Further, disturbance of chronobiological rhythmsis is more frequent in cities than in rural areas and has a negative influence on mental health and beyond. A recent meta-analysis showed that urban dwellers have a 20 per cent higher risk of developing anxiety disorders, and a 40 per cent higher risk of developing mood disorders. For schizophrenia, double the risk has been shown, with a ‘dose-response’ relationship for urban exposure and disease risk. Longitudinal studies on patients with schizophrenia indicate that it is urban living and upbringing per se, rather than other epidemiological variables, that increase the risk for mental disorders.

As urbanisation of our world is inevitable, we urgently need to improve our understanding of the threatening – as well as the health protective – factors of urban living. Evidence is beginning to surface that indicates that the urban population shows a stronger brain response to stress, and stronger cognitive impairment under stress. A recent fMRI study in the journal Nature, conducted by a German research group, showed that these effects seem to occur irrespective of age, gender, general health status, marital or income status. In this study, the amygdala (a brain region that regulates emotions such as anxiety and fear) showed higher activation under stress in healthy individuals from large cities compared to their counterparts from rural regions. Interestingly, activation grew with the size of the current home city. Further, activity in another brain region associated with depression, the perigenual anteriour cingular cortex, was positively correlated with the time that an individual had spent in a large city as a child. The more years someone had spent growing up under urban conditions, the more active this brain region tended to be.

The author of this piece, Mazda Adli is a Senior Physician in the field of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Director of the Mood Disorders Research Group and Executive Director of the World Health Summit.

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Nigerian Bitterleaf Sold In Capsules And Tablets In The UK

The Nigerian natural health industry is gradually coming of age has capsules made of bitter-leaf from the country are now sold as food supplements in the UK. A source from London, who spoke with Nigeria Natural Health Online www.kimekwu.blogspot.com, reviewed that the bitter-leaf supplements are now in high demand in that country because of its preventive and curative qualities.

As far back as 2013, Nigerian researchers had gone a step further to a universally accepted cure for hepatitis B and C, cancer, diabetes and tuberculosis with the development of bitter leaf-based dietary supplements that have shown great promise in clinical studies. The researchers from Halamin Herbal centre, in Abuja and Department of Histopathology and Cytology, Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) Jos found that poly herbal preparations with bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) as the active ingredient strengthen the immune system through many cytokines and chemokines regulations. 

 The poly herbal preparations include: SAAAB and HAABS dietary supplement for hepatitis B and C; SAABFAT 7 for cancer; TABSAABS for tuberculosis; and DAABS-2 for type two diabetes.

The researchers led by a leading researcher in plant extracts and natural medicine and pharmacist, Dr. Ben Amodu, have shown that there is a cure for the chronic form of hepatitis B and C.   

Amodu is also a member of the committee inaugurated recently by the Director General of the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii, to champion the development of herbal medicine through scientific validation of all the cure claims.

* Bitter-leaf speeds up metabolism and therefore is great for weight loss.

* Bitter leaf juice relieves fever and feverish conditions.

* It also helps to reduce high sugar level in the blood, and great for diabetic patients.

* Bitter leaf is said to soothe and also cure pile.

* Taking a cup of bitter leaf juice a day, is a great way to detoxify the body of harmful toxins.

* Bitter leaf nourishes the skin.

* Bitter leaf also cures mild stomach ailments

* Bitter leaf is said to increase breast milk production in nursing mothers.

Bitter Leaf Capsules is now available in Nigeria and other African countries. To place your orders and get it delivered on your doorstep, call or SMS Frank on +2347031040178.

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Breastfeeding Reduces The Risk Of Cancer, Other Diseases

What are the benefits of breastfeeding?

Today is World Breastfeeding Day, a day set aside to look into issues surrounding breastfeeding as it affects mother and child especially in terms of health. Breastfeeding is a personal choice but there are many benefits for you and your baby if you choose to breastfeed.

If you are able to, then it is best to breastfeed your baby exclusively for six months. After that, your baby will benefit if you continue to breastfeed alongside introducing other foods.

What are the benefits for babies?

Breast milk is the best start for your baby as it contains all the nutrients your baby needs for healthy growth and development.

It also helps your baby to build a strong immune system, meaning there is less chance they’ll have diarrhoea, constipation or chest and ear infections.

There is evidence that breastfed babies are also less likely to develop eczema.
Research also shows that breastfeeding helps babies to grow at a healthy rate. Breastfed babies are less likely to become overweight or obese later in life compared to babies fed on infant formula.

Scientists think this may be because breast milk can help establish our metabolism. This means that by breastfeeding you may be helping your baby be a healthy weight when they grow up.

Being a healthy weight is an important way of reducing the risk of eight cancers including bowel cancer and other diseases such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Any breastfeeding is beneficial for you and your baby, and the longer you breastfeed for the longer the protection and benefits last.

Many mothers choose to breastfeed because breast milk is free and available whenever your baby needs a feed. Breastfeeding can also help you and your baby to bond.

How does breastfeeding reduce breast cancer risk?

As well as being good for your baby, breastfeeding can also help new mums lose any excess baby weight more quickly. This is one way it can help reduce your risk of breast cancer.
Breastfeeding lowers the levels of some cancer-related hormones in the mother’s body, which can also help reduce your risk of breast cancer.

At the end of breastfeeding, your body gets rid of any cells in your breasts that may have DNA damage. This reduces the risk of breast cancer developing in the future.

Help with breastfeeding

If you are thinking about breastfeeding and need more help and advice, talk to your doctor.
This article was sent in by experts from the World Cancer Research Fund

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"There Is No Cholera Outbreak In Delta State" - Govt.

Dr Ifeanyi Okowa

Contrary to reports in some porters, that there is an outbreak of cholera in some part of Delta state, the state government has come out to refute the claims. Delta State Government debunked rumours of the reported outbreak of Cholera in some parts of the state.

Speaking to reporters on Friday in Asaba, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Sunday Otobo, who led a team of the ministry’s officials, said that there was no confirmed outbreak of cholera in the State but that there were incidents of stooling and vomiting recorded in Aladja and  Udu Local Government Areas.
Dr Otobo explained that various samples had been taken to Lagos for testing and none had been confirmed to be suffering from cholera.

The Permanent Secretary also stated that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had directed health officers in the 25 local government areas of the State to be proactive in detecting and tackling any outbreak of diseases in all communities.

He  said that the State Governor had also instructed that the water plant in the community be resuscitated and put in use to provide potable drinking water for the community.

 Governor Okowa said that the State Government had taken measures to ensure that the people of the area were sensitised on the need to keep their environment clean and maintain healthy living standard.

“The Ministry of Health is also going to mobilise people in Aladja to make sure that environmental policies that will not endanger the health of the people are put in place, so that everybody in the community maintains a clean environment and also find a way of proper disposal of faeces,” Mr Otobo.

The Permanent Secretary said that the Ministry of Health had a monitoring team on ground in the community to sensitise the people, monitor the situation on ground and report back to the Ministry.

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