64 Million Nigerians Are Suffering From Mental Illness - Prof. Nebo

The issue of complementary (integration of herbal and orthodox) medicine being the most effective cure for mental illness as again come to the front burner with the disclosure that 64 million Nigerians are suffering from the disease. Former Power Minister, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, yesterday in Enugu rated governments at various levels low in the area of psychiatric and mental health care.

He said this was worrisome considering that some medical scholars have revealed that in a population of 160 million or thereabout, “it is speculated that 64 million Nigerians suffer from one form or the other of afflictions of mental illness- deserving attention”.

Nebo spoke as a guest lecturer at the 2nd Public Lecture organized by the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu in collaboration with the West African College of Nursing.

Speaking on the theme: “Psychiatric and Mental Health in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects”, the former minister said whereas government had done much in the area of Primary Health Care, much was yet to be done in the area of psychiatric and mental health.

“I will confess that while Government has built modern diagnostic centres, dialysis and ophthalmological centres, and constructed more than 710 Primary Health Care Centres throughout our political wards in Enugu State, we are only beginning to give priority towards optimizing and modernizing our. Psychiatric Mental Health Institutions in the State to meet required demands. Despite the efforts of all levels of government in the medical sector of our nation, Nigerians still grapple with many social challenges, including poverty, high level of unemployment and other social pressures," he said.

He further stated: “The prevalence of these situations have been escalated by the fact that there is high level of poor knowledge and understanding of the malaise of mental health disorder and the positive treatments required by the growing population of mentally ill patients.”

Nebo identified causes of mental illness to include genetic composition, early development, neurological and psychological experiences and environmental stresses.

While calling for increased awareness on the treatment and management of mental disorder, Nebo said “the belief that many Nigerians seem to hold that mental disorder is a result of supernatural forces and, therefore, only responds to cure through supernatural incantations- must give way and face the realities of modern conditions, which in fact, produce the stresses that lead to different level of mental conditions”.

He called for adequate funding for research and training of mental health manpower, stressing that “this will increase our output of psychiatric nurses and create more positions for residency training in psychiatric”.
Nebo equally advocated for community based mental health care services, total integration of the mental health care into the Primary Health Care System and periodic review of legislation governing the care of the mentally ill.

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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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