Anxiety As Poisonous Beans Circulate Lagos Market

There is a growing anxiety among consumers of beans in Lagos, Nigeria, as the Lagos State police command has arrested three brothers at Alagbado area of Lagos for applying insecticide on bags of beans meant to be sold to the public. The suspects, who were paraded on Wednesday, said they learnt the practice from their suppliers in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Faith Ogbonna, who is the owner of the shop, said he had seen beans sellers in Maiduguri using chemicals as preservative for beans.
Although he claimed he was not the one who instructed his younger brother, Chijoke to apply insecticide on the beans, he, however, claimed that it helped to prevent stored beans from being infested by ants.

Policemen attached to Alakuko Division following a tip-off arrested Faith, 28, Sunday, 23 and Chijoke Ogbonna.

On his part, the suspect caught in the act, Chijoke, admitted to have applied the chemical and insecticide. “I only added a little amount. It is to preserve beans. Several persons do it. It does not kill because any beans sprayed are not immediately displayed for sale.
“People who buy several bags of beans, particularly when it is cheap, use chemicals to preserve them till the price goes up, thereby making much profit”.
 Insecticides and pesticides, according to health authorities, are dangerous to health. Not only are they dangerous to the environment, but they are also hazardous to a person's health. Pesticides are stored in your colon, where they slowly but surely poison the body. You may not realize this, but when you are eating a non-organic apple or food items like beans, corn and peanuts that has been contaminated with insecticides, you are also eating over 30 different pesticides that have been sprayed on them. Even if you wash a piece of fruit, such as an apple, there are still many insecticides lingering on it and they could have seeped into the fruit or vegetable. Strawberries, apples, carrots, celery, spinach, grapes, apples, cucumbers are just a few types of food that you should not eat if they are not organic because the insecticide level is the highest on them.
After countless studies, insecticides have been linked to cancer, Alzheimer's Disease, ADHD, and even birth defects. insecticides also have the potential to harm the nervous system, the reproductive system, and the endocrine system. insecticides can even be very harmful to fetuses because the chemicals can pass from the mother during pregnancy or if a woman nurses her child. Although one piece of fruit with insecticides won't kill you, if they build up in your body, they can be potentially detrimental to your health and should be avoided as much as possible.

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Breast Implants Can Cause Blood Cancer - New Studty

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday affirmed that breast implants can cause a rare and hard-to-treat blood cancer. According to landmark guidelines issued by the FDA, there was enough evidence for United States regulators to acknowledge a clear link between silicone implants and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), a blood cancer.
The federal agency issued the guidelines after it received reports from 359 women claiming a link between their implants and their diagnosis of ALCL, a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a group of blood cancers that includes all types of lymphoma except Hodgkin’s lymphomas. As of February 1, 2017, nine of those women had died.
Silicone gel-filled breast implants have a silicone outer shell that is filled with silicone gel. They come in different sizes and have either smooth or textured shells.
Silicone gel-filled breast implants are approved for breast augmentation in women aged 22 or older and for breast reconstruction in women of any age.
A breast implant is a prosthesis used to change the size, shape, and contour of a woman’s breast, for reconstructive plastic surgery, post-mastectomy breast reconstruction, congenital defects, among others.
The ‘mailonline’ reports that the FDA update marks something of a triumph for US medical researchers, six years after the World Health Organisation (WHO) first warned of the potential link. Last year, French regulators became the first to acknowledge the ‘clearly established link,’ ordering manufacturers to prove the safety of their products or take them off the shelf.
The UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency was still analysing the French and American reports and was yet to acknowledge the ‘clearly established link.’
“All of the information to date suggests that women with breast implants have a very low but increased risk of developing ALCL compared to women who do not have breast implants,” the FDA said yesterday.
“Most cases of breast implant-associated ALCL are treated by removal of the implant and the capsule surrounding the implant and some cases have been treated by chemotherapy and radiation,” it said. Breast implants approved in the US can be filled with either saline or with silicone gel. They come in different sizes and shapes and have either smooth or textured surfaces (shells).

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Red Alert As Rabies Kills Two In Lagos

RESIDENTS of Igbogbo and Ajara, in Lagos State, now live in fear of rabies (a fatal disease caused by dog bite) after it killed two within the last two weeks.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who confirmed the incident, yesterday, said two persons have died at the Lagos State University,
(LASUTH), Ikeja and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba, Lagos.
A 49-year old-man, from Igbogbo, Ikorodu area of the state, whose name he de- clined to mention, died at the LASUTH penultimate Wednesday after admission.
The second victim, a 33-year-old man, who died last Monday, lived in Ajara, Badagry, was said to have been bitten by a dog, six months earlier.
Rabies is a severe viral dis- ease of the central nervous system. It is chiefly a disease of wild mammals, but, it can occasionally affect humans. Animals with rabies shed the virus in their saliva. If a saliva from an infected ani- mal gets into a break in a per- son’s skin, most commonly through a bite or on mucous membranes (eyes, mouth, nose), that person might become infected.

Its vaccine, administered after possible exposure, is highly effective at prevent- ing progression to rabies. However, once an infected person develops symptoms of rabies, there is no effective treatment and the infected person will likely die within a few days.
Most cases of rabies occur in bats. It is also occasionally detected in other wild animals such as skunks and foxes. The disease is rarely identified in domestic animals such as dogs and cats, but can occur if they are bit ten by a rabid wild animal.
The disease can be preaq3vented by avoiding contact with unfamiliar animals. If a person is bitten by an animal, he should report the bite to the local health department or animal control agency. Wash the bite wound thoroughly with soap and water as soon as possible. If someone is concerned that he may have been exposed to rabies, he should contact the health care provider.
It is important to protect pets from rabies. Pets should not be allowed to have contact with wild or unfamiliar animals. They should be confined inside owner’s property or under control when off the property. Veterinarian should be seen regularly to ensure that pets remain in good health and is uptodate on rabies vaccination. All dogs are required to be vaccinated against rabies.

Meanwhile, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has reportedly directed that Queens College, Yaba, which was shut after two girls died after alleged cholera out- break, not to resume until appropriate measures are put in place for students’ safety.
Dr. Idris said after the inci- dent, a joint team of experts from the Lagos State Minis- try of Health and LUTH in- vestigated the incident.
“Available health records from the sick bay indicated that the date of onset of illness was January 16, 2017. The total number of students presented at the clinic on account of abdominal pain, fe- ver, vomiting and diarrhoea was 1,222 from the date of presentation to the last date.
“There were four different peak periods of infection, the highest peak was January 31, 2017. 16 ill cases were admit- ted in various hospitals. nine have been discharged, two died while one is still on admission at the Intensive Care Unit of LASUTH and three in LUTH.”

He disclosed that water samples from six sources in the school premises were collected and analysed at the Drug Quality Control Labo- ratory of Lagos State Min- istry of Health at LASUTH, Ikeja.
Another set of water sam- ples from 10 sources were also collected and analysed at the Microbiology Depart- ment of LUTH, Idi-Araba.
“Results from the two laboratories showed high bacteria content in the water samples from the kitchen, behind the Dinning Hall and Queen’s Delight, the school water factory.”
He also revealed that the stool specimens collected from 40 kitchen staff and findings from the investiga- tion were consistent with enteric fever, the infection was most likely spread through contaminated water sources and infection by food handlers.
He implored Lagosians to follow the general health promotion and disease prevention measures, he also urged them to report unusual disease occurrence to the nearest public health facility.

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Fanta, Sprite And Vitamin C: NBC Counters Poisonous Allegation

Is it safe to take fanta or sprite with Vitamin C? this is the one question on the lips of health conscious Nigerians ever since the news broke out yesterday that it is poisonous to mix Vitamin C with any of those two soft drinks. The Nigerian Bottling Company, NBC, has appealed a court order directing the company to include a warning on the bottles of its Fanta and Sprite that its contents cannot be taken with Vitamin C.
A Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere, Lagos State, had compelled the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, to give the Nigeria Bottling Company (NBC) 90 days, to include on all bottles of Fanta and Sprite that the content cannot be taken with Vitamin C.
The judgment was sequel to a suit filed by a Lagos-based businessman, Emmanuel Adebo, and his company, Fijabi Adebo Holdings Limited, against NBC Plc and NAFDAC.
In his suit, Mr Adebo urged the court to declare that NBC was negligent to its consumers by bottling Fanta and Sprite with excessive levels of benzoic acid and sunset additives.
Benzoic acid is a white, crystalline powder with a faint, non-offensive odour.
Though it serves as preservative, if used excessively, it causes cancer and has been linked to asthma problems and increased levels of hyperactivity in children.
Benzoic acid is also used to manufacture a wide variety of products such as perfumes, dyes, topical medications and insect repellents.
Sunset yellow is a dye that can be found in foods like orange juice, ice cream, canned fish, cheese, jellies, soft drinks and many medicines.
It can also be dangerous for human health as it can cause urticaria, rhinitis, allergies, hyperactivity, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting in some individuals.
The NBC however said the judgement was inaccurate and its products were safe.
“Both Fanta and Sprite have benzoic levels of 200 mg/kg which is lower than the Nigerian regulatory limit of 250 mg/kg when combined with ascorbic acid and 300 mg/kg without ascorbic acid and also lower than the 600 mg/kg international limit set by CODEX,” the company said.
Read NBC’s full statement below:
“Our attention has been drawn to media reports which contain misleading information on the safety of benzoic and ascorbic acids as ingredients in soft drinks, citing a Lagos High Court order.
“In the judgement delivered on February 15, 2017 in a suit involving Fijabi Adebo Holdings Limited & Dr. Emmanuel Fijabi Adebo v. Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC) & National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Lagos High Court dismissed all claims against NBC and held that the company had not breached its duty of care to consumers and that there was no proven case of negligence against it.
“In the same judgement, the court directed NAFDAC to mandate NBC to include a warning on its bottles of Fanta and Sprite that its contents cannot be taken with Vitamin C as same become poisonous if taken with Vitamin C. This order was premised on the fact that the products contain the preservative, benzoic acid. NBC has since appealed this order.
“Whilst we do not wish to delve into the details of the case or the merits of the court order by this medium, we find it imperative in the interest of consumers and members of the public to make the following clarifications:
“In the subject case which dates back to 2007, the UK authorities confiscated a consignment of our products shipped to that country by the plaintiff because their benzoic acid levels were not within the UK national level, although well within the levels approved by both the national regulators for Nigeria and the international levels set by CODEX, the joint intergovernmental body responsible for harmonizing food standards globally.
“The UK standards limit benzoic acid in soft drinks to a maximum of 150 mg/kg. Both Fanta and Sprite have benzoic levels of 200 mg/kg which is lower than the Nigerian regulatory limit of 250 mg/kg when combined with ascorbic acid and 300 mg/kg without ascorbic acid and also lower than the 600 mg/kg international limit set by CODEX.
“Both benzoic acid and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) are ingredients approved by international food safety regulators and used in many food and beverage products around the world.
“These two ingredients are also used in combination in some of these products within levels which may differ from one country to another as approved by the respective national food and drug regulators and in line with the range prescribed by CODEX,”
“The permissible ingredient levels set by countries for their food and beverage products are influenced by a number of factors such as climate, an example being the UK, a temperate region, requiring lower preservative levels unlike tropical countries.
“Given the fact that the benzoic and ascorbic acid levels in Fanta as well as the benzoic acid level in Sprite produced and sold by NBC in Nigeria are in compliance with the levels approved by all relevant national regulators and the international level set by CODEX, there is no truth in the report that these products would become poisonous if consumed alongside Vitamin C.

“The wrong perception emanating from the media reports that our Fanta and Sprite beverages which are fully compliant with all national and international food quality and safety standards are unsafe, simply because their levels of Benzoic acid were not within the UK standards, is not only unfounded but also undermines the entire food and beverage industry in Nigeria which is regulated by the same ingredient levels approved by NAFDAC and other regulatory bodies for the country.“NBC hereby assures our consumers and members of the public of our unwavering commitment to product quality, safety and customer satisfaction.”

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Drinking Fanta, Sprite With Vitamin C Is Poisonous To The Body - New Revelation

Consumers of soda drinks, specially fanta and sprite, have been warned not to mix them with vitamin C has the effect is deadly to the body. A Nigerian Court has ordered the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control to direct the Nigeria Bottling Company Plc., manufacturers of Fanta and Sprite soft drinks, to include a warning on the bottles of the product, that its content cannot be taken with Vitamin C.
Justice Adedayo Oyebanji of the Lagos High Court, Igbosere, gave the order following a suit filed by a businessman, Fijabi Adebo, and his firm, Fijabi Adebo Holdings Ltd.
The legal action, which was instituted in 2008, had NBC and NAFDAC as defendants.
Mr. Fijabi’s lawyer, Abiodun Onidare, told the court that his client bought large quantities of different products from NBC for export to the UK but when they arrived at their destination, Fanta and Sprite failed UK Health Authorities’ (Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council’s Trading Standards Department of Environment and Economy Directorate) sample test for human consumption, as they became poisonous when mixed with Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C).
The claimants demanded N15.1 million as special damages and N1.6 million being the money the NBC admitted it received from the claimants.
In its defense, the NBC, through its lawyer, T. O. Busari, said it was not negligent as claimed by the plaintiff, saying it has stringent quality control procedures to ensure that its products are safe for end-user consumption.
The NBC argued that the levels of the chemical components in its soft drinks are safe for consumption in Nigeria and that the claimants are not entitled to the recovery of damages arising from their illegal exportation of products meant for local distribution.
NAFDAC did not file any defense in the case.

Justice Oyebanji ruled that the knowledge of the Nigeria Bottling Company that the products were to be exported was immaterial to its being fit for human consumption.“The court is in absolute agreement with the learned counsel for the claimants that soft drinks manufactured by Nigeria Bottling Company ought to be fit for human consumption irrespective of colour or creed,” he said.

“It is manifest that NAFDAC has been grossly irresponsible in its regulatory duties to the consumers of Fanta and Sprite manufactured by Nigeria Bottling Company.” The judge said NAFDAC had failed Nigerians by its certification as satisfactory for human consumption, products which in the United Kingdom failed sample test for human consumption and which become poisonous in the presence of Ascorbic Acid ordinarily known as Vitamin C, which can be freely taken by the unsuspecting public with the company’s Fanta or Sprite.
“The court, in the light of the damning evidence before it showing that NAFDAC has failed to live up to expectations, cannot close its eyes to the grievous implication of allowing the status quo to continue as it is,” the judge said.
He ruled that, “That NAFDAC shall forthwith mandate Nigeria Bottling Company to, within 90 days hereof, include on all the bottles of Fanta and Sprite soft drinks manufactured by the company, a written warning that the content of the said bottles of Fanta and Sprite soft drinks cannot be taken with Vitamin C as same becomes poisonous if taken with Vitamin C.

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Hair Dye, Contraseptives Can Cause Breast Cancer - New Research

Women, who have dyed their hair or use hormonal contraception are at risk of breast cancer. According to findings of a new study published in the journal ‘Materials’, changing the colour of the hair has previously been linked to the disease, but the new study backs up the evidence. Being exposed to carcinogenics in the dyes was linked to a 23 per cent chance of getting breast cancer.
Similarly, users of birth control methods such as the combined Pill and IUS coils could also face the same plight. Post-menopausal women fitted with the latter have a 52 per cent greater chance of developing breast cancer. And there is a 32 per cent increased risk for those who use the former hormonal-based contraceptive, Finnish researchers claimed.
The findings add to the growing body of evidence that progesterone-based birth control methods are a risk factor of breast cancer. They are listed by Cancer Research UK alongside alcohol and being fat in the causes with ‘sufficient’ evidence to the disease. Having high levels of the body’s own natural hormones also increases the risk of ovarian cancer and blood clots.
Hair dyeing is the practice of changing the hair colour. The main reasons for this are cosmetic: to cover gray hair, to change to a colour regarded as more fashionable or desirable, to restore the original hair colour after it has been discoloured by hairdressing processes or sun bleaching.
On its part, hormonal contraception refers to birth control methods that act on the endocrine system. Almost all methods are composed of steroid hormones, although in some places, one selective estrogen receptor modulator is marketed as a contraceptive.
However, research has shown that certain ones such as oestrogen cause DNA mutations, leaving cells prone to turning cancerous. Progesterone is also known to fuel the growth of tumours. Both can be found in the combined Pill, but only a synthetic version of the latter exists in IUS coils.
Cancer is an increasingly important public health problem in developing countries, including Africa [1]. As public and professional awareness of the cancer problem has grown, so has interest in the pattern of disease presentation, its epidemiology and treatment outcome. To date, however, there has been limited research about breast cancer in Africa. In the absence of systematic population-based cancer registration, most information has come from small clinical and pathology case series and the bias inherent in these types of studies has influenced current understanding of the pattern and characteristics of breast cancer in Africa.

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