Why Boiled Fish Is Healthier Than Fried Fish

Baked or boiled fish is a better source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids than fried, salted or dried fish, according to a new study.
And adding low-sodium soy sauce or tofu to boiled or baked fish, will further enhance the benefits.
"It appears that boiling or baking fish with low-sodium soy sauce (shoyu) and tofu is beneficial, while eating fried, salted or dried fish is not. In fact, these methods of preparation may contribute to your risk. We did not directly compare boiled or baked fish vs. fried fish, but one can tell from the (risk) ratios, boiled or baked fish is in the protective direction but not fried fish," said Dr Lixin Meng at the University of Hawaii, lead researcher of the study.
The findings also suggest that the cardioprotective benefits vary by gender and ethnicity - perhaps because of the preparation methods, genetic susceptibility or hormonal factors.
Many studies have suggested that eating omega-3 fatty acids reduces the risk of heart disease; however, little is known about which source is most beneficial.
In this study, researchers examined the source, type, amount and frequency of dietary omega-3 ingestion among gender and ethnic groups.
The study found that men who ate about 3.3 gm per day of omega-3 fatty acids had a 23% lower risk of cardiac death compared to those who ate 0.8 gm daily.
"Clearly, we are seeing that the higher the dietary omega-3 intake, the lower the risk of dying from heart disease among men," Meng said.
They also found that caucasian, Japanese-American and Latino men may be more likely to get the health benefits of fish than African-American or Hawaiian men, perhaps because of how their fish is prepared or genetic predisposition. However, experts say this position may not be true of Africans eating the fish in Africa and prepared in the African style.
Meng said that for women, the omega-3 effect was cardioprotective at each level of consumption but not consistently significant. Salted and dried fish was a risk factor in women.
"My guess is that, for women, eating omega-3s from shoyu and tofu that contain other active ingredients such as phytoestrogens, might have a stronger cardioprotective effect than eating just omega-3s," said Meng.
"Our findings can help educate people on how much fish to eat and how to cook it to prevent heart disease. Alternately, if it is verified that the interactions between fish consumption, risk factors and ethnicity are due to genetic susceptibility, the heart-disease prevention message can be personalized to ethnic groups, and future study could identify susceptibility at the genetic level," he said.

Read More

Imported Poisonous Tomato Pastes Circulating In Nigerian Market - Audu Ogbehh

Eighty percent of tomato pastes imported into Nigeria are poisonous and not fit for human consumption, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh has said.
The minister made the disclosure during budget defence at the National Assembly yesterday.
He said laboratory tests conducted by the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) revealed that the imported pastes are harmful to human health.
Ogbeh who attributed the escalation of kidney, liver and cancer diseases in the country to consumption of poisonous preserved foods, said the Federal Government will soon ban the importation of tomato paste.
Even before now, it has been reported that some brands of tomato paste in the Nigerian market have been found to be contaminated with starch, sugar, citric acid and fibre that are all harmful for human consumption.According to investigators, the products were imported from China.
Like fermentation, the acidity of the products is not in the right quantity and therefore reduces the quality of the products.
Nigeria Natural Health Online learnt that the situation is causing much anxiety among the consuming public who believe that these products could have adverse effects on their health.
According to sources, these imported products are cheaper than the locally made tomato pastes.
Investigations revealed that these imported tomato pastes contain sugar, acid and other additives, which are thick and had better taste and colour.
According to a food specialist,  “The only ingredient we add in our processing is salt, which is to help preserve it.
These importers are flooding the markets with inferior goods. “Very soon, if care is not taken some of the local manufacturers would also start adding these dangerous additives to their products.
“The acids that are added to the paste are bad even if it does not harm consumers".
“The only additives which are permitted in tomato pastes are spices, vegetable products and salt but not sugar glucose or acid,” he added..
“We are also planning to meet the importers of tomato pastes in the country to address the issue.”
“Other countries do not allow the consumption of these products, so it is forbidding in this country," he said.
He therefore advised the public to be on the look out for such harmful products on the market.

Read More

Drinking Water From Plastic Containers Could Lead To Obesity

Pregnant women, who drink from plastic bottles are more likely to have obese children. These are the findings of a new study conducted by The Endocrine Society based in Washington DC.
The scientists found that the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), a hormone disruptor, is linked to an unborn child’s increased risk of obesity. According to the study, when the child is exposed to BPA, they become less sensitive to a hormone responsible for controlling appetite. BPA is a chemical found in a variety of food containers, including polycarbonate plastic water bottles and can linings.
This chemical can interfere with the endocrine system (a collection of glands that produce several hormones) by mimicking estrogen, one of the main sex hormones found in women.
The research indicated that BPA exposure is nearly universal. More than 90 per cent of people tested in population studies had detectable levels of BPA, and compounds produced when it is metabolised by the body, in their urine. The study looked at baby mice. Researchers found that mice born to mothers exposed to BPA were less responsive to the hormone, leptin, which is sometimes called the satiety hormone.
Leptin, the “satiety hormone”, is a hormone made by adipose cells that helps to regulate energy balance by inhibiting hunger. Leptin is opposed by the actions of the hormone ghrelin, the “hunger hormone”. Leptin helps inhibit the appetite by reducing hunger pangs when the body does not need energy.
The hormone sends signals to the hypothalamus region of the brain to suppress appetite. Reacting to the development, Senior author, Dr. Alfonso Abizaid of the Department of Neuroscience at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, said: “Our findings show that bisphenol A can promote obesity in mice by altering the hypothalamic circuits in the brain that regulate feeding behaviour and energy balance.
“Low level prenatal exposure to BPA delays a surge of leptin after birth that allows mice to develop the proper response to the hormone. BPA exposure permanently alters the neurobiology in the affected mice, making them prone to obesity as adults.”
To examine how BPA can encourage the development of obesity, the researchers fed pregnant mice BPA in their food. The mice were exposed to doses of BPA that are lower than levels deemed safe by the United States, U.S Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada. Once the mice gave birth, the researchers gave their offspring injections of leptin at various intervals and then examined their brain tissue and analysed their blood to gauge the response to the hormone.

Read More

The Amazing Health Benefits Of Plantain

Plantains, also known as plátanos, are closely related cultivars of fruit or dessert banana. In general, they are 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. Plantain is so rich that it is consumed in almost every part of the world.
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.
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.
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.
At maturity, plantains are generally harvested unripe and right away carried to the market for sale. Look for firm, mature, deep green, well-formed plantains that feel heavy in hand. Do not buy overripe, damaged, split fruits, as they stay poor. Once at home, store them open at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. Once ripen, plantains too, like bananas, are very fragile and show signs of decay in short time span.
Plantains are inedible raw and should be eaten only after cooked. To prepare, just wash the raw fruit in cold water and mop dry using paper cloth. Using a paring knife, trim either ends. Then, cut the fruit into short lengths, split the skin superficially along the ridge and peel the skin gently away from the flesh to get firm flesh inside. Oftentimes, the whole fruit may be barbequed with its skin. Otherwise, its peeled flesh may be cut into thin slices, grated, chunks treated much like potatoes in many traditional African and West-Indian cuisine.
Plantains make delicious savory recipes, used in place of potatoes in grills, mashed, bake, or fries. In South-Indian Kerala state, plantain chips (vaazhakka upperi) seasoned with salt and pepper, is a popular snack. Tostones (plátano, fried twice), prepared in a similar way are again a popular snacks in the Caribbean and Latin Americas. Its flower head (inflorescence) and interior icicle-white, tender stem (vazhai thandu in Malayalam) too are eaten in various kinds of recipes in South-Asian regions.
opa de plátano is a popular Caribbean soup preparation that used green platanos, garlic, cilantro, and cheese. Mashed plantain served with fried onions is a national breakfast dish of Dominican Republic. Mashed platanos are served with rice, eggs, beans, poultry, fish, etc., in these regions. In some African communities, plantain is pounded into a form in which it is eaten with stews or soups such as egusi soup or okra soup.

Read More

Male Contraceptive Gel Renews Hope Of Birth Control

A male contraceptive gel has been found to work reliably in a trial in primates, bringing the prospect of an alternative form of birth control for humans closer. These is contained in a report published in the journal ‘Basic and Clinical Andrology’. It was reported that the product, called Vasalgel, is designed to be a reversible and less invasive form of vasectomy and in the latest study was 100 per cent effective at preventing conception.
A blob of the gel is injected into the spermcarrying tube, known as the vas deferens, and acts as a long-lasting barrier. Male contraceptives, also known as male birth control, are methods of preventing pregnancy that primarily involve the male physiology.
The most common kinds of male contraception include condoms, withdrawal or pulling out, outercourse, and vasectomy. In domestic animals, castration is commonly used for contraception. Previous tests in smaller animals showed the procedure could be easily reversed by breaking up the gel using ultrasound. Reacting to the development, the study’s lead author, Catherine VandeVoort, of the California National Primate Research Centre in California, United States, U.S, said: “Men’s options for contraception have not changed much in decades.
There’s vasectomy, which is poorly reversible, and condoms. If they knew they could get a reliable contraceptive that could also be reversed, I think it would be appealing to them.” The Parsemus Foundation, a non-profit organisation that funded the work, said it plans to start a human trial as soon as funding is secured, based on the promising monkey results.
“One of the great things about the monkey model is that the male reproductive tract is very similar to humans and they have even more sperm than humans do,” said VandeVoort. “Chances are, it’s going to be effective in humans.”
After decades of minimal progress on male contraceptives, a range of different approaches now appear to be showing promise. A World Health Organisation, WHO investigation, published last year, found that a male hormonal contraceptive jab was as effective as the female pill.
However, scientists are still working to overcome unwanted side-effects including depression, acne and soaring libido that are linked to hormone-altering gels, pills and injections. By contrast, the Vasalgel procedure does not interfere with sperm production and hormone levels in the body remain unchanged, meaning such side-effects are not an issue. As with a vasectomy, sperm continues to be produced in the testes, but rather than being ejaculated, it dissolves and is naturally absorbed by the body.
Unlike vasectomy though, in which the tube is snipped and the two ends cauterised, the Vasalgel procedure should be reversible, potentially making it an attractive option for a wider range of men. “They wouldn’t have to worry about it on a day-to- day basis,” said Vande- Voort. “This would be more akin to an intrauterine device, IUD (the coil) in women.” In the study, 16 male rhesus monkeys were given injections of the gel and then returned to their group, which included between three and nine breeding females.

Read More

NIgerian FG Dismisses Prof Maduike's Claims Of HIV Cure

The Federal Government through the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has dismissed the claims by a Professor of Veterinary Medicine and Clinical Virology at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State, Maduike Ezeibe, to have discovered a new drug for the cure of Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

An editorial in a Nigerian newspaper quoted the professor as saying that the drug, produced with “Aluminum Magnesium Silicate” was tested on ten persons living with HIV. The newspaper reported a clinical outcome of an ability to “reach all cells” and making HIV “a conquered organism.”

Director-General, NACA, Dr. Sani Aliyu, and Chief Executive Officer NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, in a joint statement yesterday said there was no evidence from the publication that the authors obtained ethical clearance from an appropriate body in Nigeria to conduct this study, and only ambiguous evidence that informed consent was sought from the evidently vulnerable patients.

They said there is really no basis for a claim to cure of AIDS in this study and are concerned that the publicity given to this claims will stop patients with HIV from taking life-saving anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) and give them false hope of a cure.

The statement noted: “It will be a great disservice to this vulnerable group of patients for the media to disseminate this claims in the absence of sound scientific evidence. There are long established, tried and tested routes for the discovery, development and validation of modern medicines before they can be registered and used for treatment in humans and animals.”

NACA and NCDC called on all academics to follow legal and scientifically acceptable methods in conducting their research and to avoid making premature claims capable of derailing the huge progress made in the last two decades on the war against HIV/AIDS.

The government agencies said millions of lives have been saved as a result of modern antiretroviral treatment and people living with HIV can now look forward to a normal healthy future. They, however, said they will continue to support the hard and diligent work being done by scientists in Nigerian universities and research institutions around the country. “We are always ready to partner with our scientists on all aspects of HIV research provided this is in line with international best practice,” they noted.

NACA and NCDC called on editors of media houses in Nigeria to seek comments from the leadership of relevant government parastatals and professional bodies when it receives new research findings related to their areas of responsibility. “We assure you that we will respond rapidly and constructively to any queries. We also urge the editors of media houses in Nigeria to support their reporters to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities involved in the clinical trial process. In the run up to the next deadline, it is easy to fall into the trap of doing more harm than good, and the consequences of this can be deadly in the health sector. We will support the evolution of robust science journalism in Nigeria,” they noted.

They called on all patients living with HIV that are currently taking their medications to continue to do so and to see their doctors if they have any concern.

According to the statement, the NACA helpline (6222) is available on working days from 8am-8pm for the public seeking more information on HIV disease.

Read More