"Beware: Killer Noodles In The Nigerian Market" - NAFDAC

The National Agency For Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians not to buy a certain brand of noodles called Maggi noodles produced by Nestlé India.

The food and drugs regulatory body noted that the brand of noodles contained excess lead which kills over 143,000 annually.

It said that the Maggi noodles was unsafe and hazardous for human consumption.

In a statement made available to Nigeria Natural Health Online, NAFDAC warns: “Nestle has recalled its Maggi instant noodles from stores across India following the report by the Indian Food Safety Regulators of probable lead contamination. Lead exposure causes an estimated 143,000 deaths a year worldwide. In view of the potential safety concerns on consumption of the lead contaminated Maggi instant noodles, NAFDAC warns that Maggi instant noodles produced by Nestle India should not be consumed. Departmental stores, wholesalers and retailers should also be proactive in ensuring that such products are brought to NAFDAC if they come across any, and under no circumstances should such products be sold.”

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Fresh Bird Flu Claims Over 60, 000 Birds In Lagos State

A fresh outbreak of bird flu has reportedly affected over 60, 000 birds in Lagos state. Executive Secretary of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, Mr. Olugbenga Ogunsetan, confirmed this yesterday in Lagos.
He said several poultry farms were affected by the avian influenza in Ikorodu area of the state.

“Over 60,000 birds were lost in August after the avian influenza ravaged the farms.

“This has largely affected production of poultry products and leading to price hike in the area,” Ogunsetan said.

Meanwhile, the state government said it was making arrangement with the Federal Government for compensation to the affected poultry farmers.

The Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Olajide Basorun, who spoke on the compensation move, corroborated the severity claim by the PAN scribe.

He said that compensating affected farmers would encourage others, who were afraid to report the case, to come forward.

“The Lagos state government, in collaboration with the Federal government, is already thinking of ways to support these farmers, whose poultry were affected by the scourge.

“Many economies have shut down because of this avian influenza and these economies have dependants, which mean a lot of people have lost their livelihoods.

“Government is mindful of that and is working out modalities to compensate the farmers so that others, who have the flu and have not reported or are under reporting, will be encouraged to come forward,” he said.

The permanent secretary said government does not want a scenario were the farmers, who do not report, will sell their birds to unsuspecting public.

He said where there was a reported case, the ministry had moved swiftly to conduct tests and depopulate such farm.

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Improve Your Health With Occasional Dosage Of Lime Juice

In Africa, and Nigeria in particular, lime tress are bound especially in the rural areas. Even before the advent of modern medicine, lime has been used for medicinal purposes in most parts of the world. Lime is also used to condition some fruits before they are taken. But what are the health benefits of these smaller version of the orange fruit?

These citrus gems contain calcium and folate, two nutrients that are important for post-menopausal women and women of child-bearing age. One fresh lime contains 22 milligrams of calcium and over five micrograms of folate. Not bad for a tiny little fruit!

The peels of citrus fruits contain an inhibitor of melanin production. With age and UV ray exposure, melanin, which gives skin its pigment, can build up and deposit itself as spots on your skin. Treating skin to a mask with bits of lime peel in it could reduce this hyperpigmentation.

The limonoid compounds in limes have been shown to prevent cancers of the colon, stomach and blood. Though the exact mechanism is unknown, scientists have observed that antioxidant limonoids also cause cancer cell death. Lime limonoids also stay active longer in your bloodstream, mopping more free radicals than green tea or dark chocolate.

Fresh or from concentrate, lime juice contains more citric acid than orange or grapefruit juice. Citric acid is a natural inhibitor of kidney stones made of crystallized calcium. Go for fresh lime juice squeezed into water, as opposed to commercial limeades, for maximal benefits.

The primary flavonoid found in the limes, known as hesperidin, has been shown to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels in animals fed a high-cholesterol diet. Get the most hesperidin out of heart-smart limes by eating as much of the white pith as possible.

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Honey Or Sugar: Which Should You Use For Your Tea?

The tea cup is steaming hot and ready. In front of you is a jar of sugar and a jar of honey. Which should you use: sugar or honey? well, here is an answer provided by Keith Kantor (Ph.D.) a nutritionist and author of the children's book The Green Box League of Nutritious Justice.

Sugar is sugar. And honey is (mostly) sugar. But if you're choosing between the two from a health perspective, err on the side of the sticky stuff.

Your body breaks food down into glucose in order to use it for fuel. The more complex a food -- namely a carbohydrate -- is, the more work it takes to break it down. Sugar is made of 50 percent glucose and 50 percent fructose, the sugar typically found in fruits, and is broken down very easily, leading to a surge of blood glucose. What your body doesn't use right away gets stored as fat. Honey is also made mostly of sugar, but it's only about 30 percent glucose and less than 40 percent fructose. And there are also about 20 other sugars in the mix, many of which are much more complex, and dextrin, a type of starchy fiber. This means that your body expends more energy to break it all down to glucose. Therefore, you end up accumulating fewer calories from it.

Honey also has trace elements in it -- stuff that bees picked up while going from plant to plant. These will depend on region, so depending on the source of your honey it could have varying small amounts of minerals like zinc and selenium, as well as some vitamins. And because honey doesn't break down in nature, it doesn't contain preservatives or other additives.

As with anything sweet, you can overdo it, but if you're going to use a spoonful of something in your tea, go for honey over sugar.

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Moringa: Jack Of All Trades, Master Of All!

All over Nigeria, especially in the rural areas, moringa trees are common and could be seen not only along farm root but also within a habited areas were they are planted in compounds and used as a shade from the sun in the afternoon. In cities they can also be seen in parks.  Moringa oleifera has an impressive range of medicinal uses with high nutritional value and medicinal benefits. Different parts of Moringa contain a profile of important minerals and are a good source of protein, vitamins, beta-carotene, amino acids and various phenolics. Moringa provides a rich and rare combination of zeatin, quercetin, beta-sitosterol, caffeoylquinic acid and kaempferol.

Moringa can act as cardiac and circulatory stimulants, possess antitumor, antipyretic, antiepileptic, antiinflammatory, antiulcer, antispasmodic, diuretic, antihypertensive, cholesterol lowering, antioxidant, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antibacterial and antifungal activities, and are being employed for the treatment of different ailments in the indigenous system of medicine.

Traditional cultures in various parts of the world have long used Moringa in their herbal medicine repertoire for ailments ranging from gout to various inflammations and fevers. Some of the remedies are described her.

Moringa Leaves Medicinal Uses and Benefits

• Leaves rubbed against the temple can relieve headaches.
• To stop bleeding from a shallow cut, apply a poultice of fresh leaves.
• There is an anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory effect when applied to wounds or insect bites.
• Extracts can be used against bacterial or fungal skin complaints.
• Leaf tea treats gastric ulcers and diarrhoea.
• Eating Moringa food products is good for those suffering from malnutrition due to the high protein and fibre content.
* Leaves treat fevers, bronchitis, eye and ear infections, inflammation of the mucus membrane
* The iron content of the leaves is high, and they are reportedly prescribed for anemia in the Philippines.
* Dried Moringa leaves treat diarrhoea in Malawi, Africa.
* The powder ground from the seeds is also used in the treatment of scurvy skin diseases (common bacterial infections of the skin).

Moringa Flowers Medicinal Uses and Benefits

• Flower juice improves the quality and flow of mothers’ milk when breast feeding.
• Flower juice is useful for urinary problems as it encourages urination.
* In Haiti, villagers boil Moringa flowers in water and drink the tea as a powerful cold remedy.

Moringa Pods Medicinal Uses and Benefits

• If eaten raw, pods act as a de-wormer and treat liver and spleen problems and pains of the joints.
• Due to high protein and fibre content they can play a useful part in treating malnutrition and diarrhoea.

Moringa Seeds Medicinal Uses and Benefits

• Used for their antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties to treat arthritis, rheumatism, gout, cramp, sexually transmitted diseases and boils. The seeds are roasted, pounded, mixed with coconut oil and applied to the problem area. Seed oil can be used for the same ailments.
• Roasted seeds and oil can encourage urination.
• They can also be used as a relaxant for epilepsy.
Moringa seeds are effective against skin-infecting bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. They contain the potent antibiotic and fungicide terygospermin.

Moringa Roots, Bark and Gum Medicinal Uses and Benefits

The roots and the bark have all of the properties described above but are more concentrated. Therefore much more care should be taken if using them as medicines.
* The roots and bark are used for cardiac and circulatory problems, as a tonic and for inflammation. The bark is an appetizer and digestive.
* In Senegal and India, roots are pounded and mixed with salt to make a poultice for treating rheumatism and articulars pains. In Senegal, this poultice is also used to relieve lower back or kidney pain
• Fodder-branches
* The alkaloid spirachin (a nerve paralysant) has been found in the roots.
* The gum is diuretic, astringent and abortifacient and is used against asthma.

Moringa Oil Medicinal Uses and Benefits

* Oil of Ben is used for hysteria, scurvy, prostate problems and bladder troubles.
* Villagers in most part of the world use Moringa oil to treat stomach disorders. They also use it in perfume and hair oil.

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How To Know If Someone Is Contemplating Suicide

Most people may appear normal but deep within them, they may be going through depression. This depressive state of being could lead to suicide. But, how does one tell that somebody who appears normal is actually harboring suicide tendencies? The best way to minimize the risk of suicide is to know the risk factors and to recognize the warning signs of suicide. Take these signs seriously. Know how to respond to them. It could save someone's life.

How Prevalent Is Suicide?

Suicide is a potentially preventable public health problem. In 2009, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. That year, there were nearly 37,000 suicides, and 1 million people attempted suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Men take their lives nearly four times the rate of women, accounting for 79% of suicides in the U.S.

What is true of US is also true of other parts of the world including Asia and Africa where living conditions are poor and the stress of making a living is taking a toe on people's mental health. 

Are There Risk Factors for Suicide?

Risk factors for suicide vary by age, gender, and ethnic group. And risk factors often occur in combinations.

Over 90% of people who die by suicide have clinical depression or another diagnosable mental disorder. Many times, people who die by suicide have an alcohol or substance abuse problem. Often they have that problem in combination with other mental disorders.

Adverse or traumatic life events in combination with other risk factors, such as clinical depression, may lead to suicide. But suicide and suicidal behavior are never normal responses to stress.

Other risk factors for suicide include:

• One or more prior suicide attempts
• Family history of mental disorder or substance abuse
• Family history of suicide
• Family violence
• Physical or sexual abuse
• Keeping firearms in the home
• Chronic physical illness, including chronic pain
• Incarceration
• Exposure to the suicidal behavior of others

Are There Warning Signs of Suicide?

Warning signs that someone may be thinking about or planning to commit suicide include:

• Always talking or thinking about death
• Clinical depression -- deep sadness, loss of interest, trouble sleeping and eating -- that gets worse
• Having a "death wish," tempting fate by taking risks that could lead to death, such as driving fast or running red lights
• Losing interest in things one used to care about
• Making comments about being hopeless, helpless, or worthless
• Putting affairs in order, tying up loose ends, changing a will
• Saying things like "it would be better if I wasn't here" or "I want out"
• Sudden, unexpected switch from being very sad to being very calm or appearing to be happy
• Talking about suicide or killing one's self
• Visiting or calling people to say goodbye

Be especially concerned if a person is exhibiting any of these warning signs and has attempted suicide in the past. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, between 20% and 50% of people who commit suicide have had a previous attempt.

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