Skin-Lightening Creams Could Damage Health

Consumers have been cautioned  to steer clear of skin- lightening creams over the danger they pose to the populace using them.

According to the Local Government Association in the United Kingdom (UK), which issued the warning, skin lightening creams should be “avoided at all costs,” based on their bleaching agent hydroquinone and their mercury contents, both of which endanger health.

Hydroquinone, described by the LGA as “the biological equivalent of paint stripper”, could remove the top layer of skin, increasing the risk of skin cancer, and causing fatal liver and kidney damage. Mercury could also cause similar life-threatening health problems, the bbc reported.

Unless they were issued on prescription by a doctor, creams containing hydroquinone, steroids or mercury are banned in the UK – because of their potentially serious side-effects.

However, the British Skin Foundation has advised people who have any concerns about their skin to speak to a doctor.

Chairman of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, Simon Blackburn said: “Skin creams containing banned ingredients are very dangerous and could seriously damage your health, scar you for life and even kill you, so they should be avoided at all costs.

“Consumers should always check the ingredients of their skin creams, be suspicious of very low prices, which are likely to indicate the lotion is fake and potentially harmful, and never use a product containing hydroquinone.”

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Too Much Salt Increases Risk Of Weight Gain

Researchers in the United States (US) said the consumption of too much salt may be involved in weight gain.


This is the findings of a new study published in the “The Journal of Clinical Investigation’’.

Traditional thinking has been that salty foods make people drink more water, but the scientists found that it actually reduced thirst and makes people more prone to overeating, weight gain, and even develop metabolic syndrome, which could lead to diabetes and other serious medical conditions.



Previous researches have also associated too much salt with high blood pressure and one way to help control blood pressure is to reduce salt intake.



Considering that people tend to eat more salt than recommended on a daily basis, the research carried out  at Vanderbilt University in Teansee in the United States (US) suggested finding ways to cut back on salt.

Highlighting one of the methods to cut back on salt, the National Kidney Foundation suggested limiting prepared foods with a high salt content.





Packaged foods with high salt content include smoked and cured meats, like frankfurters, frozen dinners, canned meals, salted nuts and seeds.

In addition to packaged and deli meats, some canned and frozen foods, from beans to vegetables, can have very high salt levels, “so, always read labels,” the ‘Newsmaxhealth’ reported, adding that foods that may not be associate with being salty could still have sodium in the ingredients.



To this end, consumers were advised to look for no-salt-added brands and when that’s not possible, rinse the food under cold running water to remove as much salt as possible.

The team advised: “When cooking and seasoning foods, replace salt — including garlic salt and onion salt — with herbs and spices.

“Pure granulated garlic and freeze-dried onions should be acceptable alternatives.”

Furthermore, consumers were advised to ask restaurants or the chef to limit the salt in your food and reach for the pepper, not the salt shaker, if a dish needs more seasoning.

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Purple Onion, Best For Alleviating Blood Pressure — Expert

BY now, we know that garlic and onions reduce cholesterol level, and alleviate diabetes and hypertension. However, a new study expanded on that by saying that purple onion works better in alleviating blood pressure than garlic or white onions.

Benefits of onion and garlic have long been studied for their blood pressure-lowering content in people that have hypertension. They contain chemical substances that exert antidiabetes and antihypertensive properties.

Now, researchers found that purple onion had a higher inhibitory effect on angiotensin converting enzyme than white onion and garlic. Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibits the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II, which is involved in high blood pressure.

Furthermore, white onion had a significantly stronger inhibitory effect on alpha-amylase than garlic and purple onion. Alpha-amylase are enzyme inhibitors that are widely used in the lowering of high blood sugar.

The present study was designed to assess antihypertensive, antidiabetic, and antioxidant properties of water extract of garlic, purple onion, and white onion, which are the most common and readily available Allium species in Africa.

It was to provide insight into some mechanisms by which garlic, purple onion, and white onion could be used in the management of diabetes and high blood pressure.

This 2019 study in the Journal of Dietary Supplements involved Ganiyu Oboh, Adedayo O. Ademiluyi, Odunayo M. Agunloye, Ayokunle Olubode Ademosun and Bolaji Grace Ogunsakin at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria.

The researchers suggested that garlic, white onion, and purple onion exert antidiabetes and antihypertensive properties by an inhibitory effect on ACE, á-amylase, and á-glucosidase coupled with their ability to improve lipid profile.

Onions and garlic are valued herbs endowed with culinary, nutritional, and medicinal value, and they are commonly eaten raw or cooked. Culinary spices such as onions and garlic possess many therapeutic benefits.

Their characteristic strong odour is due largely to sulphur-containing compounds, strongly believed to account for most of the medicinal potential.

The various health properties of garlic and onions have been studied for years. Researchers have looked at how these can help boost absorption of key compounds in common staple foods such as rice and chickpeas.

According to results published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, garlic and onion may boost iron and zinc absorption from cereals seven-fold, so offering opportunities to tackle iron and zinc deficiency, two of the globe’s major concerns.

The bioavailability of both micronutrients is said to be particularly low from plant foods. Fortification of foods with iron poses several challenges, depending on the types of iron used.
In an attempt to enhance the uptake of these minerals from plant sources, the Mysore-based researchers used a model of the gastrointestinal tract to simulate the passage through a human intestine.

Two kinds of cereal – rice and sorghum – and two pulses – chickpea and green gram – were used in their raw and cooked forms, and in the presence of two levels of garlic (0.25 and 0.5 g per 10 g of grain) and onion (1.5 and 3 g per 10 g of grain).

Results showed that iron and zinc uptakes from both cooked and raw kinds of cereal were significantly increased in the presence of both garlic and onion, with increases up to 70 per cent recorded.

Improvements in the bioaccessibility of zinc were also observed for both spices, with increases in cereals ranging from 10.4 to 159.4 per cent, and in pulses from 9.8 to 49.8 per cent.

Previously, preliminary data from a study with mice indicate that supplementing the diet with onion and extracts from the vegetable may protect the brain from additional damage linked to stroke.

This study that provides extra motivation for the consumption of onions and published in the peer-reviewed journal Nutrition, suggest that onion extract may be a beneficial nutrient for the prevention of ischemic damage (blood-brain barrier), and that the underlying mechanisms may include, at least in part, its antioxidant effects.

Consumption of a cholesterol-rich diet can lead to the formation of cholesterol gallstones (CGS). But supplementation of this diet with garlic and onion reduced the incidence of the gallstones, according to findings published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Eighty per cent of gallstones is cholesterol-related. They occur when cholesterol hardens and this then blocks bile ducts. A diet high in cholesterol is reported to be a potential cause of gallstones. Symptoms include pain, nausea, and clay-coloured stools.

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Why Eating Yogurt Daily Could Reduce Lung Cancer Risk

Scientists in the United States (US) said eating a cup of yogurt daily may reduce the risk of developing lung cancer. According to the findings of a new study published in ‘JAMA Oncology,’ eating a daily serving of yogurt lowered the risk of lung cancer by 20 per cent, compared to those who didn’t yogurt every day. Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant lung tumour characterised by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. This growth can spread beyond the lung by the process of metastasis into nearby tissue or other parts of the body. Eating a high fibre diet also lowered the risk of the disease by 15 per cent.

In addition, the study showed that people who ate a serving of yogurt a day – along with a high fiber diet – were able to lower their risk of lung cancer by more than 30 per cent. Previous studies have shown some probiotics, live bacteria found in yogurt, have anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting properties.

The researchers believe the benefits come from prebiotics found in a high fiber diet and probiotics found in yogurt. Prebiotics are a kind of fibre that is indigestible by the human body, and are food for probiotics, which are live bacteria and yeasts. Both prebiotics and probiotics promote digestive health, gastrointestinal health and a healthy immune system. Some probiotic strains have been found to prevent lung cancer growths as well as anti-tumour and anti-inflammatory properties. Further research will however be needed to confirm this hypothesis, the team said. The researchers examined 10 cohort studies from the US, Europe, and Asia involving more than 1.44 million people. Similarly, they analysed the participants’ intakes of dietary fiber and yogurt, and then tracked how many of those patients developed lung cancer.

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How Herbal Remedy Could Help In The Future Treatment Of Hypertension - Experts

People have used herbs as medicine for thousands of years. Today, with medical researchers continually hunting for better alternative treatments, some are revisiting these remedies. A recent study looks at herbs that people believe can treat hypertension.

Lavender was one of the plants that the scientists tested in the recent study. Currently, hypertension affects an estimated one in three adults in the United States.

Although dietary and lifestyle changes can sometimes be sufficient, medication is necessary in some cases.

Antihypertensive medications work well for some people but not for others, and the side effects can be unpleasant.

For these reasons, researchers are keen to find innovative ways to tackle the growing issue of hypertension.

Some scientists are turning back the clock and looking to ancient herbal remedies. Humans have been self-medicating with the herbs that they find since before history began.

The fact that people have used these treatments for millennia is certainly not evidence that they are effective, but they are surely worth a second look.

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine recently zeroed in on a group of plants that have, historically, been a treatment for hypertension. They published their findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The scientists took herbal extracts from a diverse range of unrelated plants, including lavender, fennel seed extract, basil, thyme, marjoram, ginger, and chamomile.

Under the leadership of Professor Geoff Abbott. they identified a bioactive trait that all of the extracts shared. This trait, the scientists believe, might help explain why some herbs appear to have mild antihypertensive properties.

Specifically, they found that these herbs activate a particular potassium channel called KCNQ5. This potassium channel and others are present in the vascular smooth muscles — the muscles that line blood vessels.

When vascular smooth muscles contract, blood pressure increases; when they relax, blood pressure drops. The activation of KCNQ5 results in the relaxation of these muscles. The authors think that this might help explain some herbs’ antihypertensive properties.

“We found KCNQ5 activation to be a unifying molecular mechanism shared by a diverse range of botanical hypotensive folk medicines.”

The researchers also tested a range of other plants that research has not shown to reduce blood pressure, such as wheatgrass and parsley. In these cases, they found no activation of KCNQ5.

When they compared plant species, the researchers found differing levels of KCNQ5 activity. “Lavandula angustifolia, commonly called lavender, was among those we studied,” Professor Abbot explains. “We discovered it to be among the most efficacious KCNQ5 potassium channel activators, along with fennel seed extract and chamomile.”

Next, the scientists drilled down to determine which plant compound is responsible for activating the potassium channel.

They isolated a chemical called aloperine, which is an alkaloid. In a further set of experiments, they demonstrated that aloperine opens KCNQ5 by binding to the foot of the potassium channel.

Interestingly, current medications do not target the KCNQ5 channel. Spotting this gap in the drug market, Professor Abbott hopes that the “discovery of these botanical KCNQ5-selective potassium channel openers may enable development of future targeted therapies for diseases including hypertension.”

Of course, the road that runs between identifying a mechanism and getting a drug to market is long. It is also worth noting that the KCNQ group of receptors are relative newcomers and, as such, scientists do not yet know the full range of their functions.

However, because hypertension is so widespread, and because it increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke, there is likely to be significant interest in taking these ideas to the next stage.

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How To Use Okra For Diabetes Treatment — Scientists

Traditionally, drinking “okra water” has been used as an alternative treatment for diabetes. It is assumed that its large amount of soluble dietary fibres will retard glucose absorption from the intestinal tract. Some have even suggested that drinking it helps to lessen diabetes symptoms.

Like many other traditional treatments, knowing the appropriate dose that is latent and safe has always been a challenge. Now, researchers reveal that 10:90 per cent (seeds: peels) formulation is the most suitable for the development of okra-based antidiabetic nutraceutical formulation for the management of diabetes mellitus.

In this study, researchers revealed that 10:90 per cent (seeds: peels) formulation retarded an increase in postprandial blood glucose level than the other combinations.

Various proportions of the powdered seeds and peels samples were thoroughly mixed in a ratio of 90:10; 80:20; 70:30; 60:40, 50:50 per cent, respectively and vice versa.

The proximate composition and some functional properties such as antioxidant capacity (AC), glucose absorption capacity (GAC) and glucose dialysis (GD) were assessed.

Ex-maradi (a commercially available dry-okra fruits) commonly found in the northern part of Nigeria was used in this study designed to develop appropriate okra-based antidiabetic formulation in the 2018 Tropical Journal of Natural Product Research.

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common problems challenging public health in the 21st century. It is a disorder marked by high blood sugar level which occurs when the pancreas cannot produce enough of insulin or the body cannot effectively use the produced insulin.

Treatment measures of diabetes include diet control, physical exercise, and use of oral medications for type 2 diabetes only or use of insulin in type 1 diabetes.

Recently, a high-fibre diet is being used as a supplement in controlling diabetes. Water-soluble dietary fibres have the potential to reduce glucose absorption, increase the liver extraction of insulin and increase insulin sensitivity at the level of cells in the body.

Okra is one of the economically important vegetable crops that have been used for a long time as a daily food in many countries because of its nourishing components. It is characterised by mucilaginous properties and high fibre content.

It is a multipurpose crop due to the various uses of its parts (leaves, buds, flowers, pods, stems and seeds). The immature okra fruits are consumed as vegetables and can be used in salads, soups and stews.

Apart from being an excellent source of dietary fibre, okra contains significant amounts of vitamins, minerals, and potent antioxidants that may help prevent or treat many ailments.

Okra is low in calories and low on the glycaemic index (GI) scale, making it beneficial for people trying to lose weight. Among many other health benefits, okra is also gaining ground as a superfood for cancer.

Moreover, okra is known to improve and benefit health in a number of ways, including preventing and treating constipation, lowering cholesterol, improving symptoms of depression, helping to treat sore throat and lung inflammation, reducing the risk of certain cancers like colorectal cancer.

Now, a study published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences in 2011 using rats found a potentially beneficial effect. Diabetic rats were given powdered okra peel and seed had reductions in their blood sugar levels at the end of the 28-day study, compared to rats in the control group that didn’t get powdered okra.

Another study published in “ISRN Pharmaceutics” in 2011, found that a solution made from okra helped decrease the absorption of glucose in rats with diabetes.

Moreover, a 2017 study published in PLOS One reported that myricetin in okra increased the absorption of sugar in the rats’ muscles, lowering their blood glucose levels. Myricetin is a substance present in okra and some other foods, including red wine and tea.

Furthermore, a 2012 Food Science and Human Wellness review highlights a number of other laboratory and animal studies that have linked myricetin to reduced blood sugar.

Recently, the possible interaction of the soluble dietary fibre fraction of okra with oral metformin has been a matter of concern because this vegetable is being widely used by diabetics as an adjunct to diabetes treatment.

In the study, the water-soluble fraction of okra fruits made by soaking sliced okra pods in water for 10 to 15 minutes and collecting its filtrate significantly reduces the absorption of glucose.  The 2011 study was published in the journal, Pharmaceutics.

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Taking Paracetamol During Pregnancy Could Have Adverse Effects On Children

A new study adds to evidence that links potential adverse effects of taking paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen) during pregnancy.

The research published  in Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology examined whether there were any effects of taking paracetamol in mid-pregnancy and the behaviour of the offspring between the ages of 6 month and 11 years, with memory and IQ tested up until the age of 17. Paracetamol is commonly used to relieve pain during pregnancy and is recommended as the treatment of choice by the NHS.

Using questionnaire and school information from Bristol's Children of the 90s study researchers examined 14,000 children. When they were seven months pregnant 43 per cent of their mothers said they had taken paracetamol 'sometimes' or more often during the previous three months. Researchers examined results of the children's memory, IQ and pre-school development tests, temperament and behaviour measures.

They found an association between paracetamol intake and hyperactivity and attention problems as well as with other difficult behaviours with young children that were not accounted for by the reasons why the medication was taken or social factors. However, this was no longer the case by the time the children reached the end of primary school. Boys appeared to be more susceptible than girls to the possible behavioural effects of the drug.

The study was led by Professor Jean Golding OBE who also founded the University of Bristol's Children of the 90s study. She commented:

"Our findings add to a series of results concerning evidence of the possible adverse effects of taking paracetamol during pregnancy such as issues with asthma or behaviour in the offspring. It reinforces the advice that women should be cautious when taking medication during pregnancy and to seek medical advice where necessary.

"It is important that our findings are tested in other studies -- we were not in a position to show a causal link, rather an association between two outcomes. It would also be useful now to assess whether older children and adults are free of difficult behavioural problems if their mother had taken paracetamol."

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How Sleeping Less Than Six Hours A Day Could Lead To Heart Disease

Researchers from the United States (US) have raised the alarm over risks posed to middle-aged adults with high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease or stroke, saying they faced high risk of early death or cancer when sleeping less than six hours per day. These are the findings of a new study, published in the ‘Journal of the American Heart Association’.

The alert showing that lack of sleep could double – or even triple – risk of dying from heart disease or cancer was taken from U.S. research that analysed the sleep of around 1,600 adults and found that sleep was critical to the body’s rejuvenation.

Deep sleep, the kind that comes only after a full cycle, was necessary for the body to release hormones designed to repair cells and build tissue in the body and brain, reported ‘CambridgeshireLive,’ an online news website. Lead study author Julio Fernandez-Mendoza, an associate professor at Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, said: “Our study suggests that achieving normal sleep may be protective for some people with these health conditions and risks.”

However, further research is needed to examine whether improving and increasing sleep through medical or behavioural therapies could reduce risk of early death, he said. Furthermore, Fernandez- Mendoza while calling for policy changes to ensure that sleep consultations and sleep studies would become a more integral part of healthcare systems, added: ‘Short sleep duration should be included as a useful risk factor to predict the longterm outcomes of people with these health conditions and as a target of primary and specialised clinical practices.

According to the researchers, participants in the study had their sleep monitored during a single night in a sleep laboratory during the 1990s, while the team kept track of the group up to 2017 and found that in general, those who slept less than six hours were more likely to have died.

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Why Omega-3 Fish Oil Supplements Could Lower Heart Attack Risk

Article By Catharine Paddock (Ph.D.)

 Taking omega-3 fish oil supplements every day may reduce the risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular events, including death. However, it may not protect against stroke.

According to a new meta-analysis of recent clinical trial data, taking daily omega-3 supplements could protect against heart attacks.
These were the findings of an updated meta-analysis that pooled data from 13 trials involving more than 125,000 participants.

Previously pooled analyses have yielded mixed results on whether daily omega-3 fish oil supplements can reduce heart risks.

However, the new study included data from three large scale recently completed trials, which increased the number of participants by 64%.

The inclusion of the new data had a "substantial influence on the available evidence," note the authors in a recent Journal of the American Heart Association paper about the study.

"This meta-analysis," says first study author Yang Hu, Ph.D., of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA, "provides the most up-to-date evidence regarding the effects of omega-3 supplementation on risk of multiple [cardiovascular disease] outcomes."


An 8% reduction in risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular events may seem modest to individuals.

However, Hu and colleagues point out that since these events affect millions of people worldwide every year, even a modest risk reduction can mean hundreds of thousands fewer heart attacks and premature deaths.

Role and sources of omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the two main types of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), the other being omega-6.

Fatty acids have many vital roles in the body. They are essential components of the fat molecules that form cell walls. They also help to produce energy and make molecules called eicosanoids that perform signaling functions in many body processes, including the cardiovascular system.

In research, scientists focus on three types of omega-3: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

The body cannot make ALA and has to obtain what it needs from dietary sources, such as soybean, flaxseed, and canola oil.

Although the body can make DHA and EPA from ALA in the liver, the amounts are small and, therefore, it must get them from the diet, too.

Fish and fish oils are rich sources of DHA and EPA. The fish do not produce these two omega-3s but get them from eating phytoplankton that have ingested the microalgae that produce DHA and EPA.


Dietary supplements can contain a range of omega-3 fatty acids, including ALA, DHA, and EPA. Fish oil is the main source of DHA and EPA, although there are vegetarian products that source these from algal oil.

It is important to check labels on dietary supplements as their formulations of omega-3s can vary widely.

New study used much larger dataset
In their study background, the researchers review how the evidence stood before their recent analysis.

Whether omega-3 supplements reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease "is the subject of intense debate," they note.

While observational studies have consistently tied higher fish consumption to a reduced risk of heart disease, these benefits have not surfaced in randomized clinical trials.

These clinical trials have tested marine, or fish derived, omega-3 supplementation — primarily as a moderate dose of EPA and DHA compared with placebo — and produced "largely null results."

The new study is different in that, by adding data from three new large scale clinical trials, it increases the sample size by more than half across all 13 datasets.

The new analysis pooled data on a total of 127,477 participants of average age 64 years at baseline and 60% male. The average body mass index (BMI) was 28, and the average duration of supplementation was 5 years.

Although the omega‐3 supplementation dose ranged from 376 to 4,000 milligrams per day (mg/d), most of the trials used doses of 850 mg/d or higher. However, the "relative proportion of EPA and [DHA] varied among different trials," note the authors.

'Dose-response' effect
The analysis revealed that those who took omega-3 fish oil supplements every day had a lower risk for most cardiovascular disease conditions compared with those taking a placebo. There was no benefit, however, for stroke.

The conditions that omega-3 supplements appeared to protect against include heart attack, death from coronary heart disease, and death from cardiovascular disease. The risk fell by 8% for heart attack and death from coronary heart disease.

The researchers observed that there was a link between higher doses of omega-3 fish oil supplements and greater reductions in risk.

These results may suggest that taking omega-3 fish oil supplements above the 840 mg/d that most of the randomized clinical trials tested could lead to an even more significant reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease.

"We found significant protective effects of daily omega-3 supplementation against most [cardiovascular disease] outcome risks, and the associations appeared to be in a dose response manner."

Yang Hu, Ph.D.

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Why Poor Diets May Lead To Depression

Australian researchers said the consumption of poor diets  by young adults could result in moderate-to-high symptoms of depression.



According to the findings of a study of young adults published in the journal ‘PLOS ONE,’ those who embraced healthier food choices reported less anxiety and much better moods within weeks.


Study lead author, Heather Francis, said: “There is certainly evidence that eating a diet high in processed foods increases the risk of depression.” Francis is a lecturer in neuropsychology at Macquarie University in Sydney.



Explaining the link between poor diet and depression, Francis said, “Depression is associated with a chronic inflammatory response, and poor diet both increases systemic inflammation and is also a risk factor for depression.”

Depression, a major depressive disorder is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed.

Lead author of the study, Sylvie Mrug, professor and chair of the psychology department, said adolescents’ emotion regulation was still developing and it was possible that diet and other environmental factors have a strong impact on their depression levels.



According to Mrug, “Food such as fruits, vegetables and yogurt contain low levels of sodium and high amounts of potassium and should be encouraged as part of a teen’s daily diet.”

Although the studies show a potentially positive impact of healthy eating on symptoms of depression, researchers urged caution.

“While diet may be able to improve outcomes, at this stage we would not recommend that it replace medication,” said Francis.

The study involved 76 university students between 17 and 35 years of age. All were reported to have eaten a diet heavy in processed foods, sugar and saturated fats, while also reporting feelings of sadness, decreased ability to feel pleasure and lack of motivation in the previous week.

The ‘NewsmaxHealth’ published that half of the participants were coached to add fruit, vegetables, fish and olive oil to their diet and reduce processed foods. The others received no coaching and continued their regular diets.

After three weeks, the researchers found that those who consistently ate better reported much better moods. Their scores on a scale measuring depression levels were normal and they reported less anxiety than the regular diet group, whose depression levels remained in the “moderate to high” range.

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Why Men With Diabetes Should Avoid Scent Leaf

Several studies have shown that there is a rise in cases of diabetes globally with the attendant complications, including kidney damage, limb amputation, irreversible blindness, erectile dysfunction, hypertension to mention but a few.

Researchers have validated medicinal plants such as scent leaf (Ocimum basilicum), mistletoe (Viscum album), bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina), bitter kola (Garcinia kola), ginger and bitter gourd or melon (Mormodica charantia) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and its related conditions.

But a new study has shown that men with diabetes should be cautious of taking herbal remedies for diabetes made with scent leaf, especially if they are already experiencing sexual upheavals such as decreased libido, impotence and infertility.

The new study titled “Ocimum gratissimum leaf extract may precipitate infertility in male diabetic Wistar rats” published in the journal JBRA Assisted Reproduction, suggested that men with diabetes should avoid herbal remedies that contain scent leaf.

The study involved Shittu S.T; Shittu S.A and Olatunji A.A at the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (Nigeria), in collaboration with Oyeyemi W.A at the Department of Physiology, Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State.

Commonly called scent leaf and basil, Ocimum basilicum is a shrub belonging to the family Lamiaceae. It is called Nchu-anwu in Igbo, Efinrin in Yoruba, Aramogbo in Edo and Daidoya in Hausa.

This study to investigate the effects of scent leaf on sperm quality and testes in alloxan-induced diabetic rats lasted for 28 days. Blood samples were obtained for tests as well as the epididymis and testes for sperm quality assessment.

They found that diabetes induces sperm impairments and distortions in the testis, which were aggravated by scent leaf extract in male Wistar rats.

Current pieces of evidence in normal rats and mice have documented that scent leaf may possess anti-fertility properties in a dose and duration-dependent manner.

Fasting blood glucose (FBG) was monitored at the start and at the end of the 28-day treatment. Fasting blood glucose level was significantly reduced after treatment.

Sperm count decreased significantly in scent leaf, diabetic untreated and diabetic treated rats when compared with the normal animals administered distilled water daily. The sperm count in the diabetic untreated group was significantly higher than the counts in the diabetic treated group.

The percentage of abnormal sperm was significantly increased in normal rats treated with scent leaf, diabetic untreated rats and diabetic rats treated with the scent leaf, when compared with the controls.

The researchers said that the decreased sperm count and increased percentage of abnormal sperm cells in all the scent leaf-treated animals of this study indicate that scent leaf poses anti-fertility effects on normal and diabetic rats.

According to them, “This is consistent with the report that aqueous extract of scent leaf has deleterious effects on both sperm production and maturation of sperm at different stages of its development.

“Nevertheless, impairment in these sperms parameters were also observed in the diabetic untreated group, it is more pronounced in the scent leaf-treated diabetic animals.

“It has debilitating effects on male fertility characterised by a reduction in sperm count, increased percentage of abnormal sperm and distortions in testes, which are worsened by diabetes mellitus. Thus, it is important to isolate the active hypoglycaemic component of scent leaf to harness its beneficial usage in diabetes mellitus.”

The global use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for the management of diseases such as diabetes has rapidly increased over the last decade. It is reported that up to 72.8 per cent of people with diabetes used herbal medicine, dietary supplements and other CAM therapies.

A large number of medicinal plants are believed to possess anti-diabetic properties and have been utilised to manage diabetes and its related conditions.

In animal studies, researchers, for instance, highlighted the possibility of reduced side effects of antidiabetics (due to the lower dose required) when used in combination with ginger extract. In addition, ginger has been shown to be protective against kidney damage arising from the use of metformin.

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Poisonous Tomato Paste In Nigerian Market - Customs Warns

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has raised the alarm over the importation of expired and low quality tomato paste from Iran.

It warned that the expired product was injurious to health and mandated all concerned officers of the service to do all within their power to retrieve the product from circulation.

In a memo dated July 5, 2019 and tagged, “Re: Importation of expired Iranian Tomato paste”, obtained by Natural Health Daily yesterday, the Comptroller General of the service, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) directed all Customs Area Comptrollers, head of the Federal Operations Units and head of units at all seaports, airports and land borders to be at alert.

The memo which was signed by the Deputy Comptroller General, Tariff and Trade, Isa Talatu, directed strict compliance by the service heads.

The memo reads, “It has been reported that six containers of expired and low quality Iranian tomato paste , SHIRIN ASAL MY TOMATO, with brix 20-22 instead of the recommended brix 27-29, has been imported into the country by M.T.V investment limited.

“Consumption of the paste is said to be harmful to human health. Consequently, all CACs are directed to  put appropriate mechanism in place to debar entry of the said paste and liaise with relevant agencies to forestall distribution and consumption.”

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How Plantain Can Lift Your Mood

Emotions are a delicate phenomenon that can affect the whole livelihood, yet to control them is quite difficult. Many people have devised ways such as consumption of alcohol, hard drugs and foods like dark chocolate to help them control their emotions.

Experts have long known that dark bananas may help reduce fear and anxiety. Now, research suggests that consumption of plantain diet can also reduce fear and anxiety. It increases the level of brain serotonin which may have facilitated the calming, relaxing and mellowing serotonin circuits.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps to feel happier and calmer, which is why many antidepressants are designed to increase levels of serotonin in the brain.

To investigate the effect of consumption of unripe plantain on fear and anxiety behaviour, three groups of mice were fed with diet containing 100 per cent, 50 per cent and zero per cent (control) unripe plantain. The feedings lasted for 30 days before fear and anxiety behaviour was studied in these animals.

The light/dark transition box was used to assess anxiety and fear-related behaviours in the groups of mice.  This is a test that assesses unconditioned anxiety and exploratory behaviours. It is based on the perceived conflict in mice between exploring in a novel environment and avoidance of bright light.

A preliminary investigation of the concentration of serotonin in the brains of the mice using High Performance Liquid Chromatography shows that serotonin is significantly higher in the 100 per cent plantain diet group than control.

The 2018 study published in Tropical Journal of Natural Products Research involved Peter Erigbali at the Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State in collaboration with Eme Osim and Ofem Ofem from the University of Calabar.

Plantain is one of the over 40 species of the genus musa. This food crop is generally eaten cooked, fried, roasted ripe or unripe in contrast to the soft, sweet banana, which is of the same genus but eaten raw when ripe.

Plantain is affordable and readily available all year round in areas where it is cultivated. This staple diet in many countries of the world is rich in carbohydrates and fibre but lacks cholesterol. It contains vitamins A, B6, C and minerals; potassium, magnesium among others.

The parts of the plant has been used traditionally for their medicinal value in many ailments such as peptic ulcers, hypertension, diarrhoea, dysentery, and diabetes.

The science behind food’s effect on happiness is based on evidence that dietary changes can bring about changes in our brain chemistry – altering the hormones responsible for controlling our mood. This is where the so-called happiness hormone, serotonin, comes into play.

In the study, the researchers said that this staple food can provide nourishment as well as contribute to the management of emotional problems, with fewer side effects than drugs.

For instance, there was less occurrence of depression in a research population that consumed Omega-3 fat. The alterations of brain chemistry led to a more balanced, clear and a joyful mental state that is associated with a varied, nutrient dense diet.

A 2015 study found fermented foods including yoghurt and fermented soy products reduced social anxiety in some young people, while multiple studies found consuming healthful bacteria increased happiness in some people.

Green tea contains an amino acid called theanine, which is receiving increasing scrutiny due to its potential effects on mood disorders. Theanine has anti-anxiety and calming effects and may increase the production of serotonin and dopamine.

A 2017 review found that 200 mg of theanine improved self-reported relaxation and calmness while reducing tension in human trials.

Conversely, foods that interfere with its production – such as junk food and alcohol – can increase levels of anxiety and depression. This explains the finding of a survey by the Food and Mood project that changing their diet significantly improved the mental health in nearly 90 per cent of people who took part in the study.

Many people have explored various methods such as music, yoga, exercise and religion all of which are believed to affect the emotional state in one way or the other.

According to one study, some music cause positive emotion like happiness, some cause negative emotion like sadness and fear, but loud music could cause deafness.

Like herbal teas, many herbal supplements claim to reduce anxiety. However, little scientific evidence supports these claims. It is vital to work with a doctor who is knowledgeable about herbal supplements and their potential interactions with other drugs.

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Camel Milk Could Be Helpful In Asthma Treatment

Asthma is one of the most problematic diseases that affect both adults and children with diverse symptoms. Many things can trigger an attack in asthmatics.

Of particular note are inhalations of dust, especially when sweeping an enclosure, of smoke from frying or the burning of grass.

The symptoms of persons with asthma differ greatly in frequency and degree. Some have a mild cough and wheezing much of the time, punctuated by severely increased breathlessness following exposure to known allergens, viral infections, exercise, or non-specific irritants.

This study, which lends credence to the ethnomedicinal use of the leaves in asthma and cough, had evaluated its effect on coughing in guinea pigs and mice respectively. It also assessed for toxicity.

The doses of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg significantly reduced the cough bouts by two-fold and three folds respectively when compared to the control (distilled water).

Its cough  calming effect at 400 mg/kg was higher than that achieved with the standard drug, dihydrocodeine.

The researchers said that Napoleona vogelii contain substances that have a bronchodilatory effect which helps to reduce the volume of mucus that may plug the airways in persons with asthma.

The 2019 study, published in the journal, Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy involved Adesola A. Adejayan, Raymond I. Ozolua, Dickson O. Uwaya and Gerald I. Eze at the University of Benin in collaboration with Adaobi C. Ezike at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Cough is also, a respiratory disease that is caused by different factors, which sometimes co-exist with asthma. About 40 per cent of the persons with asthma reports cough. Oftentimes, drugs that help control cough re useful in asthma.

Napoleona vogelii is used in making wooden poles, wraps, chewing sticks and mats. The leaves are widely used in South-Eastern Nigeria for the treatment of stomach aches, diarrhoea and treatment of cough and asthma. Traditional healers often dry the leaves under the shade and prepare the extracts in alcohol.

Napoleona vogelii is called annum (Kanuri), ayin or orin-odan ainy (Yoruba), atara (Igbo) and kukunchi.

Previously, experts’ assessment of studies on the effectiveness of camel milk in lung inflammatory diseases said that camel milk could be helpful in the complementary treatment of asthma.

In the 2018 edition of Traditional Medicine Research, they had assessed all past studies on the effect of camel milk in lung inflammatory diseases.

According to them, “On the one hand, cow milk could lead to the occurrence of asthma. On the other hand, camel milk could be used to treat asthma via its effects of immunoregulation, antiinflammation and anti-oxygenation.”

Due to the natural nature of camel milk and its properties, and based on traditional properties of camel milk, it seems to be effective in asthma treatment, although this claim needs more extensive clinical studies in this field.

According to Persian medicine, the camel milk can remove the sticky phlegm in the respiratory airways prevent harmful substances from entering into the lungs and improve the airways stenosis.

Camel milk has some differences compared to other mammal’s milk. It contains low cholesterol and sugar and many minerals such as potassium, sodium, iron, copper, zinc and magnesium, as well as high levels of vitamin C, on the other hand, it has natural antioxidants.

Traditionally, this milk also could increase appetite and sexual desire. It was nutritious and had positive effects on skin beauty, teeth growth facilitating, maintaining the health of the elderly individuals, improving the liver and eye vision weakness and haemorrhoids.

Nonetheless, drinking camel milk may have complications like diarrhoea, and constipation.

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Why African Locust Beans Prevent Complications Of Diabetes

Despite the progress made in the treatment of diabetes, several challenges are still encountered. These include the side effects associated with these medications, the high cost of most of these drugs and their activities which address the symptoms of diabetes rather than the underlying causes.

Now, experts say that African locust beans (Parkia biglobosa) are effective for mitigating complications of diabetes in organs of the body such as the liver, kidneys and pancreas.

Poorly controlled diabetes could cause damage to the large blood vessels of the heart, brain and legs (macrovascular complications) and damage to the small blood vessels, causing problems in the eyes, kidneys, feet and nerves (microvascular complications).

Diabetes mellitus is a major threat to global public health that affects three per cent of the population worldwide. Effective management of the disease is based on the use of agents that possess blood glucose-lowering properties.

African locust bean is commonly consumed in the diet of individuals in parts of Nigeria. It is known as dawadawa (Hausa), ogiri (Igbo) and Iru (Yoruba) in some Nigerian languages.

The Igbo and Yoruba people use it in their traditional systems to treat different illnesses or diseases. Various parts of its plant are used for this purpose including the seeds, leaves and bark.

The seeds, either in their unprocessed or fermented form, are soaked in water or left overnight to allow for extraction by maceration. The next morning this is filtered and the extract consumed to treat diabetes mellitus.

African locust bean plant is also used in folkloric medicine in the treatment of leprosy, hypertension, wound healing, bacterial infections and diarrhoea.

In determining African locust beans’ efficacy in mitigating diabetic complications, researchers at the Univerisity of Benin fed its water extract to rats and checked for toxicity. They also used different concentrations for treated diabetic rats. It was in the 2019 edition of the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.

After two weeks of treatment, the animals were sacrificed and their blood samples as well as internal organs (liver, kidneys and pancreas) collected for assessment.

The acute toxicity study revealed no death when water extract of African locust bean was administered even at doses as high as 5000/ mg/kg. No death was reported over the two-week observation period.

The various doses of this extract caused a significant increase in red blood cell count and haemoglobin levels in comparison to the diabetic control. These are diabetic rats that received only distilled water.

Weight loss is a common feature seen in diabetes mellitus due to the degradation of structural proteins and muscle wasting. Diabetic rats treated with the various doses of African locust bean aqueous extract had weights which were not significantly different from the normal control.

Also, the extract at various doses slowed liver and kidney deterioration in these streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The pancreas of the Africa locust bean treated groups revealed various degrees of improvement.

From this study, African locust bean extract at 400 mg/kg dose showed the best efficacy in ameliorating complications of diabetes in organs of the body such as the liver, kidneys and pancreas.

They declared: “These observations show that Parkia biglobosa helps to prevent complications of diabetes hence, could be recommended as a part of the diet of diabetic patients.”

However, they said more drug interaction studies should be carried out to determine if harmful drug interactions between antidiabetic medications and African locust beans exist.

Previously, many researchers had corroborated the blood sugar and cholesterol effects of the fermented seeds of African locust beans. Also, some showed that it contains a protein that is protective against the damages caused by diabetes on testes of rats.

Local research has shown that locust bean helps to promote good sight and drives away hypertension and disease conditions like stroke and diabetes.

In another result published in Science Journal based in Dakar, Senegal, researchers tried out locust beans on rats to find out whether it actually has any impact on controlling blood pressure and the result obtained showed that adequate doses of locust beans helped to decrease arterial blood pressure.

A number of clinical studies have been carried out in recent years that show plant-based therapies that have anti-diabetic properties to include Aloe vera, bitter melon, ginger and okra.

One review, published in 2013 suggested that aloe vera might help protect and repair the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin.

Similarly, in 2015, a review suggested that ginger lowered blood sugar levels, but did not lower blood insulin levels, suggesting that ginger may reduce insulin resistance in the body for type 2 diabetes.

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Taking Vacation Cuts Heart Disease Risk

Relaxation and other forms of vacations have long been known to boost health. Now, researchers in the United States (US) have discovered that the more vacations a person takes over a year, the less likely the fellow would develop metabolic syndrome.

The research was carried out by Syracuse University in New York, similarly found that for every holiday a person takes, the person’s risk of metabolic syndrome goes down by a quarter.

These are the findings of a new study published in the journal ‘Psychology & Health journal’. Corroborating this development, the lead author of the study, Dr. Bryce Hruska, who is assistant professor in the Falk College Department of Public Health in the US, said: “What we found is people who vacation more frequently in the past 12 months have a lowered risk for metabolic syndrome and metabolic symptoms.”

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing the risk of an individual to heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

These conditions include increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels.

Triglycerides are the main constituents of body fat in humans and other vertebrates. A simple blood test can reveal whether your triglycerides fall into a healthy range: Normal — Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or less than 1.7 millimoles per liter (mmol/L) Borderline high — 150 to 199 mg/dL (1.8 to 2.2 mmol/L) High — 200 to 499 mg/dL (2.3 to 5.6 mmol). According to Hruska, metabolic syndrome is a collection of risk factors for cardiovascular disease. If a person has more of them, the fellow is at higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Reacting to the development, Hruska said, “The current study was important because we are actually seeing a reduction in the risk for cardiovascular disease the more vacationing a person does. “Because metabolic symptoms are modifiable, it means they can change or be eliminated.”

Metabolic syndrome is made up of high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, as well as excessive fat around the waist. However, he affirmed that metabolic syndrome could be prevented or reversed by losing weight, exercising often and quitting smoking. But, how ‘time off’ affects our risk was less well known.

To get to the root of this, the researchers analysed 63 workers, who were eligible for paid holidays. The employees gave blood samples and had their waist circumferences measured.

Metabolic syndrome was ‘diagnosed’ if the participants had three or more of the following: Waist circumference of more than 35inches (88cm) in females or 40inches (101cm) in males; blood pressure over 130/85mmHg. A normal reading is considered less than 120/80 mmHg; triglycerides (fat in the blood) of more than 150mg/dL; good cholesterol level of less than 50mg/dL in females or 40mg/dL in males. Less than 40 mg/dL is considered a major risk factor for heart disease.

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There Is No Ebola Case In Nigeria - FG Assures

The Federal Government has called on Nigerians to disregard rumour of a positive case of Ebola Virus Disease in the country, saying that effort had been heightened at the various ports of entry into the country to ensure that sick people making coming into Nigeria were properly screened.

Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda have witnessed a resurgence of the virus in their countries lately, with Ugandan Ministry of Health announcing on June 11, 2019 the first cross-border cases in the current outbreak.

 

In a statement signed by the Director, Media and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health, Boade Akinola, the Permanent Secretary at the ministry, Abdullaziz Abdullahi, stated that in line with the World Health Organisation guidelines, a recent risk assessment conducted by the Nigeria Ebola Preparedness team indicated that the overall risk of importation of Ebola virus to Nigeria from Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda was low.

He also described as false, an alleged message circulating in the social media purporting a positive case of Ebola Virus Disease in the country.

The Permanent Secretary also called on members of the public to discourage the circulation of any unverified information, which he said, could cause harm to innocent people and unnecessary panic among the citizens.

Abdullahi said, “FG (has) assured (citizens) that since the reports of outbreak of EVD in the Democratic Republic of Congo, heightened surveillance had been on-going at the various points of entry by officials of the Port Health Services division of the ministry to prevent importation into Nigeria. To this effect, every sick passenger has been properly screened and I can say categorically that none of the patients screened has tested positive for Ebola or any deadly disease.

“In line with WHO’s guidelines, a recent preliminary risk assessment conducted by the Nigeria Ebola Preparedness team, coordinated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control indicated that the overall risk of importation of EVD to Nigeria from Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is low, but we are not resting on our oars in view of trading activities of Nigerians.

“The Nigerian government remain fully committed while working closely with the WHO, state ministries of health, partners and all other stakeholders, to protect the health of all Nigerians. However, necessary protocols are being followed in line with international Health Regulations.”

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Rising Suicide Cases In Nigeria: NAFDAC Bans Production Of Smaller Packs Of Sniper, Other Chemicals

In a bid to control suicide cases in Nigeria, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Thursday banned the production of smaller packs of Sniper and other harmful agro-chemicals. 

Disclosing this on Thursday, Dr Husman Bukar, the Director, Veterinary Medicine and Allied Products Directorate, NAFDAC, opined that the products is dangerous to the applicators and the environment they are applied. 

He announced stricter measures to curtail the use of Sniper (Dichlorvos or 2,2-dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate) in homes to end the abuse of the pesticide which in recent times has been associated with suicides in Nigeria. 

His words, “Recently, some suicide cases have been associated with people drinking Sniper, henceforth, we call on the agro-chemical industry to enhance their distribution channels so that this product (Sniper) gets to only accredited distributors and marketers.

“We have also placed a ban on the manufacture of smaller packs of Sniper which are easily purchased for household use. “On the use of glyphosate by farmers, NAFDAC has placed a ban on glyphosate-based formulations with tallow-amine (an emulsifier and wetting agent for agrochemical formulations. 

Criminal laws: Our challenges are peculiar, requires a shift – Adeniji Kazeem(Opens in a new browser tab) “Agrochemical companies have been given the grace period of between now and December 2019 to withdraw all glyphosate formulations with tallow-amine from the Nigerian market,” he said. 

Also speaking, Mr Shanni Srivastava, the UPL Country Manager, said his company was working towards ensuring that only safer and environmentally friendly herbicides are introduced in the Nigerian market for the benefit of farmers. 

He said the debut of Lifeline was to offer a better and safer alternative to paraquat which in several countries in Africa had been banned.”

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Why Shea Butter Soothes Aching Knees

Shea butter is not only great for the skin; it is a great remedy for an aching knee. It significantly relieves the joint pain, stiffness and reduced mobility associated with knee osteoarthritis.

In a clinical trial of shea butter in 34 persons with osteoarthritis, researchers found it caused an improvement in functionality of the knees by 30 per cent after 16 weeks of its application. Also, there was a significant reduction in the level of pain and stiffness experienced.

These were volunteers recruited from the outpatient department of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.

Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, is the leading cause of chronic disability. It most commonly affects the knee and has an impact on the health-related quality of life of the elderly. Its symptoms may include joint pain, tenderness over the inside of knee, stiffness, locking, reduced mobility, atrophy of lower extremities, and decreased walking speed.

A lot of arthritis sufferers very often turn to natural herbal remedies and botanical methods to gain release from their symptoms. Remedies that have shown some promise in helping to treat the symptoms of arthritis include shea butter.

The researchers, in the 2013 study published in the journal, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, stated that the observed relief in symptom and improved muscle control was consistent with past findings on the analgesic effect of the shea nut oil extract.

That the symptoms and muscle functions are improved significantly after 16-week intervention butter, they linked to shea butter constituents causing a reduction in the inflammatory effects of osteoarthritis.

The inflammatory process which is associated with arthritis occurs in response to a range of injuries from sunburn and wounds, to infection and auto-immune conditions. It is characterised by four physical signs; warmth, redness, swelling, and pain.

However, that improvement in symptoms did not immediately manifest in the activities of daily living; they stated was perhaps due to individuals habitual compensative strategies to cope with pain.

“Although improved muscle function was observed, including greater control and an increase in muscle strength to achieve a functional goal, the subjective feeling of improvement in the activities of daily living was not significant.

“The findings have proven the efficacy of shea nut oil extract as a complementary option to improve the symptoms and function in relation to knee osteoarthritis,” they declared.

The soothing properties of shea butter, commonly referred to as Ori in Yoruba, are well known on the African subcontinent where it grows in its Savannah belt.

 It had anecdotally been used to help alleviate symptoms of arthritis and rheumatism when it is rubbed on the aching joint but its mechanism has not been clear. Also, laboratory studies have shown that the shea butter extract has properties that should make it an effective agent to treat arthritis.

There are many remedies that have shown some promise in helping to treat the symptoms of arthritis. For instance, a survey of anti-arthritic remedies used in Igbo tribal ethnomedicine in Nigeria named three plants. These are Lonchocarpus cyanescens, Costus afar and Terminalia ivorensis.

Clinical investigations on these herbs, according to a report in the 1982 edition of the Journal of Ethnopharmacology revealed that extracts of these herbs reduced inflammation and the associated swelling, checked diarrhoea, and ameliorated all signs associated with arthritis in rats.

 Lonchocarpus cyanescens is known as ‘elu’ in Yoruba, ‘anunu’ in Ibo, ‘talaki’ in Hausa, ‘suru’ in Tiv and ‘ebelu’ in Edo languages of Nigeria. Costus afar is commonly referred to as ginger lily/bush cane while Terminalia ivorensis is commonly called idigbo, black afara, framire or emeri.

Ginger is very effective in the treatment of arthritis and a host of other ailments. Recent medical research in Holland has indicated that this, too, is much more than just myth. Eating ginger does, according to the Dutch doctors, help alleviate arthritis pain.

In one study, Indian researchers gave three to seven grammes of ginger a day to 18 people with osteoarthritis and 28 with rheumatoid arthritis. More than 75 per cent of those participating in the study reported at least some relief from pain and swelling. Even after more than two years of taking these high doses of ginger, none of the people reported side effects.

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Low Vitamin K May Reduce Mobility In Older Adults

Older adults with insufficient vitamin K are likely to be at higher risk for mobility disability, according to new research.

Dietary sources of vitamin K include kale, spinach, broccoli, and other leafy greens. Some dairy foods also contain vitamin K.

The investigators who carried out the study say that their findings "suggest vitamin K may be involved in the disablement process in older age."

They describe their work in a paper that features in a recent issue of The Journals of Gerontology: Series A.

Previous studies have established links between vitamin K and long-term conditions that can raise the risk of mobility disability. These conditions include cardiovascular disease and osteoarthritis.

However, none of those earlier investigations had examined the relationship between vitamin K and mobility disability directly.

M. Kyla Shea is the new study's first and corresponding author. She researches Vitamin K at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, MA.

Shea explains that: "Low vitamin K status has been associated with the onset of chronic diseases that lead to disability, but the work to understand this connection is in its infancy."

She and her colleagues believe that they are the first to evaluate the relationship between "vitamin K status and incident mobility disability" in older adults.

The new evidence builds on earlier studies that have associated low levels of circulating vitamin K with "slower gait speed and a higher risk of osteoarthritis," Shea explains.

Mobility is fundamental to healthy aging

Researchers typically define mobility as the "ability to move independently" from one place to another.

Physical independence is integral to healthy aging and older adults' quality of life. From being able to get out of bed to walking and climbing stairs, much of daily activities involve mobility.

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Taking 5,000 Steps Daily Enough To Lower Risk Of Early Death

We have all heard that getting in 10,000 steps every day is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

But a new study suggests you might be able to lower that daily benchmark and take half as many steps.

Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, United States (U.S.), found that older women who took just 4,400 steps a day slashed their risk of early death by more than 40 percent.

The mortality rate decreased with more steps taken, before leveling out at around 7,500 steps a day.

The team says the findings can encourage people who want to be less sedentary – but find 10,000 steps to be a daunting number – to get some physical activity into their day.

For the study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the team looked at more than 16,700 women between ages 62 and 101 for four years.

The participants’ number of steps were tracked each day with wearable devices.

Researchers found that reaching below half of that ‘magical’ 10,000 number slashed the risk of early death in older women.

Women who reached about 4,400 steps per day were 41 percent less likely to die than women who walked roughly 2,700 steps a day.

Mortality rates continued to decline with more steps before leveling off at around 7,500 steps.

“Taking 10,000 steps a day can sound daunting. But we find that even a modest increase in steps taken is tied to significantly lower mortality in older women,” said co-author, Dr. I-Min Lee, a professor in the department of epidemiology at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.

Researchers believe the 10,000 steps a day guideline came from a Japanese company that made a pedometer called Manpo-kei, which translates to ‘10,000 steps meter’.

“Our study adds to a growing understanding of the importance of physical activity for health, clarifies the number of steps related to lower mortality and amplifies the message: Step more – even a little more is helpful.”

So where did this 10,000-step guideline come from? The authors are not sure, but believe it dates back to around 1965 as a marketing strategy in Japan.

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How Eating Dates Can Help Pregnant Women During Delivery - Experts

When it comes to childbirth, there is evidence that something as simple as eating date fruits during pregnancy can also help. Its consumption can make labour and delivery easy, short, and healthy.

Researchers in separate studies suggest that eating date fruits during pregnancy can help ensure an easier labour and birth. All these studies have fairly consistent results.

In one of the studies, women who ate six date fruits a day for the four weeks leading up to their due date had a 77 per cent shorter first stage of labour.

The study, conducted in 2011 and published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, compared 69 women who consumed six date fruits per day prior to their estimated date of delivery to 45 women who consumed none.

In fact, those who consumed dates had an average of 8.5 hours of first stage labour while those who didn’t have an average 15.1 hours of first stage labour.

The women who ate dates were dilated an average of 3.5 cm upon admission, compared to 2 cm in those who didn’t. In addition, 96 per cent of the women who consumed dates went into spontaneous labour and did not have to be induced compared to only 79 per cent of those who didn’t.

Only a small percentage of women who consumed dates needed prostin/oxytocin (28 per cent) compared to those who didn’t consume dates (47 per cent). Also, a smaller percentage of women who consumed dates had their membranes rupture in early labour (17per cent) compared to those who didn’t (40 per cent).

The authors of the study concluded that “the consumption of date fruit in the last four weeks before labour significantly reduced the need for induction and augmentation of labour, and produced a more favourable, but non-significant, delivery outcome.”

Another study in 2014 published in the Journal of Midwifery & Reproductive Health that looked at date consumption in late pregnancy as it relates to cervical ripening found that date fruit caused more effective contractions and better prepared the cervix for delivery.

The clinical trial conducted at Omolbanin Hospital, Mashhad, Iran and performed on 210 women found that women who ate 70 to 75 grammes of dates per day after 37 weeks of pregnancy had 43 per cent lower rates of cesarean section.

Cervical ripening before the onset of labour is an important factor for the prediction of delivery mode. Increased cervical ripeness increases the likelihood of vaginal delivery and decreases the rate of cesarean section

The experimental group consumed date fruit (70 to 75 gr per day) until the onset of labour pain and the control group received routine care.

Mean cervical dilatation was higher in women consuming date fruit, compared to the non-consuming group. Also, date eaters were found to be 55 per cent less likely to use oxytocin to induce labour and 68 per cent more likely to have a successful vaginal delivery after labour induction.

Another study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology which supported all the initial findings concluded that dates consumption during late pregnancy has been shown to positively affect the outcome of labour and delivery without adverse effect on the mother and child.

In this 2017 study, dates consumption reduced the need for labour augmentation with oxytocin but did not expedite the onset of labour.

According to the findings, the researchers suggested that dates consumption in late pregnancy is a safe supplement to be considered as it reduces the need for labour intervention without any adverse effect on the mother and child.

Previously, other researchers demonstrated that date fruit reduces the amount of bleeding compared to oxytocin in the first hour following placental delivery, due to the presence of compounds in date fruit that mimicks the action of oxytocin. This makes date a suitable alternative for oxytocin.

It was also found that the consumption of date fruit increases the pain threshold, helps strengthen the muscles of the womb as well as prepares the womb for the child delivery.

There are numerous varieties of date fruits such as red, black, soft, dry, and more, sold worldwide. Date fruits are highly nutritious as they are high in proteins, fibre and vitamins, which are essential for pregnant women. As dates are rich sources of fibre, they keep the digestive system healthy and treat pregnancy-related constipation.

The iron content reduces bad cholesterol and thus reduces the risk of cardiovascular issues. Dates are a good source of folate. Folate prevents birth defects related to the brain and spinal cord.

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