The Effects Of Corona Virus On Men's Infertility

Corona virus infection may lead to infertility in men even if they only suffer a mild form of the disease. This development came about after an Israeli study found that the sperm counts of infected men halved 30 days after they were diagnosed with COVID-19. The study conducted at the Sheba Medical Centre in Tel Aviv, also alleged sperm motility—or its ability to move by itself—was also hampered. But scientists insist the truth on whether Covid-19 permanently damages fertility is still unclear and that even flu causes a temporary drop in sperm counts. According to the report in the journal of Fertility and Sterility, the claims that the changes were seen in men with mild cases did not address how many people were involved. Scientists studying the effect of coronavirus on fertility have made similar claims in the past, but doctors insist reports of men having lower sperm counts are likely down to them having had a fever which is a tell-tale symptom of coronavirus, which makes it harder for the body to produce sperm. They also argue that production can bounce back after an infection has passed. Professor Allan Pacey, an andrologist at the University of Sheffield and former chair of the British Fertility Society said coronavirus may cause a temporary drop in sperm production. But it is not confirmed whether or not the effect could be long-lasting, harming the fertility of men. Pacey said people who get coronavirus are probably quite unwell, and that even influenza will cause a decline in sperm count temporarily, but that the question is whether it is permanent and whether it is recoverable. Research is yet to reveal whether long-term damage can be caused to testicles by coronavirus, and it could take several years before scientists have the answer. Previous research has indicated, however, that any damage caused to the testes by an infection is not long-term. Pacey cautioned against the finding in the new Israeli research that coronavirus can damage cells in the testicles responsible for making semen and the male hormone testosterone.

                 

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How Consumption Of Fruit Juice At Young Age Benefits Children Later In Life

New research has shown that consumption of 100 per cent fruit juice by children aged two to 18 years is closely linked to improved nutrient adequacy during their formative years.

 

Drinking 100 per cent fruit juices play an important role in the diets of young children by supplying them with the important nutrients during these crucial years of growth and development.

 

The research found that young children who regularly consumed 100 per cent fruit juice at a young age went on to eat more fruits and vegetables and were more likely to develop healthier diets and eating habits in their teenage years than their peers who drank much less fruit juice when they were younger.

 

The study titled ‘A longitudinal study of fruit juice consumption during the preschool years and subsequent diet quality and BMI’ was carried out by Boston University and published online at BMC Nutrition in May 2020.

 

The results of the study encouraged the inclusion of 100 per cent fruit juice as part of an overall balanced diet, whilst stressing that contrary to previous research, regular consumption of fruit juices did not put children at a greater risk of being overweight in later years.

 

The study also mentioned the required daily quantity, calling out that it is also important for pre-school and nursery age children to drink at least one and a half cups of 100 per cent pure fruit juice every day.

 

The study stated that 100 per cent fruit juice can help meet recommended daily goals for fruit intake because it is a nutrient-dense drink that provides vitamins, minerals (folic acid, thiamine and magnesium) and beneficial plant nutrients like polyphenols.

 

Lead researcher, Dr Lynn Moore from Boston University, U.S.A., said, “Fruit consumption, particularly whole fruit consumption, has many health benefits throughout one’s lifespan. Avoiding fruit juice during these early formative years may have unintended effects on evolving dietary behaviours. Fruit juice drinking in young children may promote better diet quality and higher intakes of whole fruit,” he said.

 

He added that the benefits associated with moderate intake of 100 per cent fruit juice were not accompanied by any adverse effects on childhood weight.

 

In Nigeria, one brand that is at the forefront of promoting the nutritional benefits of 100 per cent fruit juice is Chivita which is renowned for its high quality, nourishing benefits and refreshing taste.  It contains no added sugar, no preservatives, and no artificial colours or artificial flavours.

 

A 100ml glass of its Apple variant contains 99 per cent of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for Vitamin B1. A 100ml glass of its Orange variant contains 21 per cent of the RDA for Vitamin C. These juice variants also contain various quantities of Vitamin B3, Calcium, Iron, and Magnesium, key nutrients required for maintaining a healthy life. 

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Corona Virus Can Survive On Surfaces For 28 Days - New Study

            

The novel corona virus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 can survive on banknotes, mobile phone screens, and stainless steel for up to 28 days under laboratory conditions, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Australia’s National Science Agency who said the finding reinforced the need for disinfecting surfaces and washing hands. Until now, laboratory tests showed SARS-Cov-2 could survive for between two and three days on glass, currency notes and glass, and a maximum of 6 days on stainless and plastic.

The researchers said that at room temperature, the virus was particularly “robust,” surviving on glass surfaces such as a phone screen and on plastic banknotes but was less robust on porous surfaces such as cotton. The study was carried out in the dark as research has shown that ultraviolet light can kill the virus. The corona virus also survived for fewer days at temperatures exceeding 30 or 40 degrees Celsius.

lia’s  National Science Agency’s chief executive, Dr Larry Marshall noted: “Establishing how long the virus really remains viable on surfaces enables us to more accurately predict and mitigate its spread, and do a better job of protecting our people.” In April, the World Health Organization, WHO, had said that the corona virus could survive for 72 hours on plastic and steel and 24 hours on cardboard. But experts say people are more likely to contract the virus from someone an infected person through sneezing, coughing, and talking close to each other rather than from a surface.

According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, in rare cases, the corona virus can linger in the air for hours and infect people more than two metres apart. According to the research published in Virology Journal similarly discovered that SARS-Cov-2 remained alive at a shorter live span under hotter temperatures than cooler temperatures; it became non-infectious in 24 hours at 40C on some surfaces.

Previous research has proven that the virus might be infectious in airborne particles for over three hours but did not confirm the extent to which it can spread through surfaces like banknotes and touchscreens. 

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Burantashi Is Good For Sexual Performance But Also Has Side Effects - Researchers

It is sold by many Hausa traders in major cities across Nigeria, especially in areas with heavy traffic.  Funny enough, these “abokis” are patronised by many high society ladies who buy it for their partners. Men also patronise them and keep these aphrodisiac hawkers in business.

 

In Lagos for example, burantashi and other aphrodisiacs are hawked near big malls and at almost all the petrol filling stations, cinemas, hotels, street corners, post offices within the metropolis.

 

Some call it Hausa Viagra or Hausa paraga because they claim it helps them to last longer in bed, relieves impotence in men, cures erectile dysfunction and weak erection, brings sexual satisfaction and is a good cure for low sperm count. And it is natural, so with less side effects.

 

Now, researchers at the University of Benin, Benin City, say although it enhances sexual performance, it could have a negative impact on the quality of sperm produced.

 

Test in animals showed that although burantashi does not affect sperm concentration and motility, its continuous usage, can increase the number of abnormal sperm per ejaculate and as such may also pose a threat on fertility.

 

Derived from the bark of the African tree Pausinystalia johimbe (Yohimbe in English), burantashi reputed as a herbal aphrodisiac or sex enhancer is called agbo idagbon in Yoruba.  It is also sprinkled on suya, a peppery beef barbecue.

 

The burantashi tree was nicknamed “love tree” and the bark extract was inserted into delicious little candies. These “love candies” as they were appropriately named, were a popular gift among European lovers.

 

Apart from its aphrodisiac properties, it is also used to treat fever, cough, exhaustion or as an energy booster, chest pain, skin disorders and inflammations.

 

Burantashi is also used as a mild stimulant to prevent drowsiness, a general tonic, a remedy to increase the clarity of the voices of singers during long festivals and as a treatment to increase the resilience of hunting dogs.

 

The researchers in the 2020 edition of the journal, Acta Scientific Pharmaceutical Sciences, had studied the impact of burantashi on the structure of the sperm in adult male Wister rats and mice.

 

For the study, 54 male Wister rats broken down into six rats in each group with the control group as a model of comparison. Burantashi was administered orally to the rats at 200mg and 400mg concentrations for 14 days, 28 days and 48 days respectively.

 

Afterwards, the rats were killed and their sperms extracted and assessed for any possible abnormalities in their structure.

 

Noticeable significant changes in the sperm were observed with 200mg and 400mg of day 14, 28 and 48 even as the concentration and dose of burantashi used increased.

 

The abnormal changes ranged from headless, tailless, short tail, big head and double tail sperm cells. However, headless and tailless sperms occurred more.

 

They declared, “The fact that burantashi enhances sexual performance doesn’t mean it does not have any effect on the sperm cell quality as observed in this study.”

 

Due to the widespread usage of burantashi amongst the males in Nigeria, there seems to be a connection between its usage and infertility, as some studies portend its usage and the link with infertility and sperm cell quality amongst sexually active males.

 

In comparison with previous studies, the researchers said that although burantashi may not affect the sperm cell concentration and motility at a short exposure, its prolonged use and at high doses causes extensive damage to the sperm’s structure.

 

Conversely, in another study, researchers suggested that indiscriminate consumption of burantashi for a long duration is able to cause liver damage.

 

In 2014, the researchers in the Nigerian Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology had examined the effects of burantashi on the liver of albino rats at varying concentrations. They found that it caused impaired liver function with increased amount used. 

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Venom From Bees Can Destroy CancerCells- New Study

   

       Bees are generally known for their honey and its natural health benefits to humans. But according to a new study, it’s not just the honey that makes the bee a special organism to man; the venom from bees also has amazing natural health benefits. In laboratory studies, the active component of honeybee venom rapidly killed two types of breast cancer cells that are particularly difficult to treat. Crucially, the toxin left healthy cells unharmed.

 

For thousands of years, humans have used honey properties, and venom from the honeybee Apis mellifera as medicines.

 

More recently, scientists have discovered that honeybee venom and its active component, melittin, are toxic to a wide range of tumors - including melanoma, lung, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers -  in laboratory tests.

 

Melittin is the molecule that creates the painful sensation of a bee’s sting. Scientists do not fully understand how it kills cancer cells, however.

 

For the first time, researchers have investigated the effect of melittin and honeybee venom on a range of breast cancers, including two of the most aggressive and hard-to-treat types.

 

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. The two aggressive types, known as triple-negative breast cancer and HER2-enriched breast cancer, are associated with the poorest outcomes. They tend to develop resistance to existing treatments.

 

Scientists at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research in Perth, Australia, and the University of Western Australia, also in Perth, found that melittin and honeybee venom rapidly kill these cancer types, with negligible effects on normal cells.

 

“The venom was extremely potent,” says Dr. Ciara Duffy, who led the research. “We found that melittin can completely destroy cancer cell membranes within 60 minutes.”

 

The study also showed that venom from bumblebees, which contains no melittin, did not kill the cancer cells — even at high concentrations.

 

The scientists report their work in the journal npj Precision Oncology.

 

He adds: “Significantly, this study demonstrates how melittin interferes with signaling pathways within breast cancer cells to reduce cell replication. It provides another wonderful example of where compounds in nature can be used to treat human diseases.”

 

Because melittin creates holes in cell membranes, it may also allow existing chemotherapy drugs to penetrate and kill cancer cells.

 

To test this possibility, the researchers treated a mouse model of triple-negative breast cancer with a combination of melittin and a drug called docetaxel. This proved more effective at shrinking the tumors than either docetaxel or melittin alone.

 

Doctors could potentially use this strategy to increase the efficacy or reduce the dosage of chemotherapy drugs, thereby reducing harmful side effects.

 

The study authors note that honeybee venom is relatively cheap and easily obtainable, making it a good option for cancer treatment in countries with poorly resourced health services.

 

They write:“Honeybee venom is available globally and offers cost effective and easily accessible treatment options in remote or less developed regions. Further research will be required to assess whether the venom of some genotypes of bees has more potent or specific anticancer activities, which could then be exploited.”

 

This line of research is in its infancy, with researchers yet to perform clinical trials in humans to assess the safety and efficacy of melittin for treating breast cancer.

 

Although this particular study found no evidence of harm to noncancerous cells, other studies suggest otherwise. Therefore, healthcare professionals may need to carefully target melittin to tumors to prevent collateral damage to healthy tissue.

 

  

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Herbal Medicines Can Cure COVID 19 But... - Experts

            

     

A public health expert and virologist at the University of Lagos, Professor Sunday Omilabu, has said that like other viral diseases, a cure for COVID-19 may be in medicinal plants and will only require that such undergo multi-centre clinical trials to ascertain their efficacy and toxicity before they are included in the treatment of people with the disease.

 

Professor Omilabu, who spoke at a virtual meeting with the theme ‘Antiviral Herbal Remedies: COVID-19 in Focus’ by the Model Herbal Clinic, University of Lagos, to commemorate the second decade of African Traditional Medicine Day, said there are many herbal remedies for many illnesses and a viral disease like COVID-19 would not be an exemption.

 

He stated that a challenge to such an antiviral herbal treatment would include determining its dosage, its active ingredients, mechanism of action and possible interactions with other organs of the body before it could be fully adopted for the treatment of individuals with COVID-19 infection.

 

According to Professor Omilabu, although diseases are emerging and re-emerging in the world and the risk of emergence is most likely from coronaviruses, arboviruses and influenza viruses, the threat of COVID-19 is global, but the answer is local.

 

He declared that stopping epidemics like COVID-19 in the future would require governments anticipating and preparing to stop the next emerging pandemic at the origin as well as funding research on reemerging viral diseases.

 

Director, Indigenous Knowledge-based Technology Innovation unit, Department of Science and Technology, South Africa, Dr Aunkh Chabalala, in his keynote address stated that work is ongoing on 20 herbal remedies with different formulations for COVID-19 in South Africa.

 

According to him, the emphasis of researchers is on developing antiviral therapies and immune modulators that can work in singly or in a combination as well as nutritional supplements to treat COVID-19.

 

Dr Chabalala declared that a clinical study of an antiviral herbal remedy is soon to start in South Africa.

 

He, however, stressed the need for African countries to support the development and research into traditional medicine as well as expedite the registration and inclusion of herbal medicines into the essential medicine list so that they can be used in various health facilities.

 

Dr Chabalala said commercializing herbal medicine would also require that a good manufacturing practice be developed for the products because African countries bear the highest-burden of many diseases.

 

Board Chairman, Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board (LSTMB) Professor Adebukola Adefule-Ositelu stressed the need for an increase collaboration between traditional medical practitioners and conventional medical practitioners to ensure sustainable health.

 

Acting Head of Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Lagos, Mrs Adeola Adegun said the theme was chosen to draw attention to the need for research and development on herbal medicine with the rising impact of COVID-19 in Africa.

 

She said it was time for Africa to bring ideas and best practices from traditional medicine to tackle this challenge and also promote traditional medicine.

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