Why African Locust Beans Prevent Complications Of Diabetes

Despite the progress made in the treatment of diabetes, several challenges are still encountered. These include the side effects associated with these medications, the high cost of most of these drugs and their activities which address the symptoms of diabetes rather than the underlying causes.

Now, experts say that African locust beans (Parkia biglobosa) are effective for mitigating complications of diabetes in organs of the body such as the liver, kidneys and pancreas.

Poorly controlled diabetes could cause damage to the large blood vessels of the heart, brain and legs (macrovascular complications) and damage to the small blood vessels, causing problems in the eyes, kidneys, feet and nerves (microvascular complications).

Diabetes mellitus is a major threat to global public health that affects three per cent of the population worldwide. Effective management of the disease is based on the use of agents that possess blood glucose-lowering properties.

African locust bean is commonly consumed in the diet of individuals in parts of Nigeria. It is known as dawadawa (Hausa), ogiri (Igbo) and Iru (Yoruba) in some Nigerian languages.

The Igbo and Yoruba people use it in their traditional systems to treat different illnesses or diseases. Various parts of its plant are used for this purpose including the seeds, leaves and bark.

The seeds, either in their unprocessed or fermented form, are soaked in water or left overnight to allow for extraction by maceration. The next morning this is filtered and the extract consumed to treat diabetes mellitus.

African locust bean plant is also used in folkloric medicine in the treatment of leprosy, hypertension, wound healing, bacterial infections and diarrhoea.

In determining African locust beans’ efficacy in mitigating diabetic complications, researchers at the Univerisity of Benin fed its water extract to rats and checked for toxicity. They also used different concentrations for treated diabetic rats. It was in the 2019 edition of the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.

After two weeks of treatment, the animals were sacrificed and their blood samples as well as internal organs (liver, kidneys and pancreas) collected for assessment.

The acute toxicity study revealed no death when water extract of African locust bean was administered even at doses as high as 5000/ mg/kg. No death was reported over the two-week observation period.

The various doses of this extract caused a significant increase in red blood cell count and haemoglobin levels in comparison to the diabetic control. These are diabetic rats that received only distilled water.

Weight loss is a common feature seen in diabetes mellitus due to the degradation of structural proteins and muscle wasting. Diabetic rats treated with the various doses of African locust bean aqueous extract had weights which were not significantly different from the normal control.

Also, the extract at various doses slowed liver and kidney deterioration in these streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The pancreas of the Africa locust bean treated groups revealed various degrees of improvement.

From this study, African locust bean extract at 400 mg/kg dose showed the best efficacy in ameliorating complications of diabetes in organs of the body such as the liver, kidneys and pancreas.

They declared: “These observations show that Parkia biglobosa helps to prevent complications of diabetes hence, could be recommended as a part of the diet of diabetic patients.”

However, they said more drug interaction studies should be carried out to determine if harmful drug interactions between antidiabetic medications and African locust beans exist.

Previously, many researchers had corroborated the blood sugar and cholesterol effects of the fermented seeds of African locust beans. Also, some showed that it contains a protein that is protective against the damages caused by diabetes on testes of rats.

Local research has shown that locust bean helps to promote good sight and drives away hypertension and disease conditions like stroke and diabetes.

In another result published in Science Journal based in Dakar, Senegal, researchers tried out locust beans on rats to find out whether it actually has any impact on controlling blood pressure and the result obtained showed that adequate doses of locust beans helped to decrease arterial blood pressure.

A number of clinical studies have been carried out in recent years that show plant-based therapies that have anti-diabetic properties to include Aloe vera, bitter melon, ginger and okra.

One review, published in 2013 suggested that aloe vera might help protect and repair the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin.

Similarly, in 2015, a review suggested that ginger lowered blood sugar levels, but did not lower blood insulin levels, suggesting that ginger may reduce insulin resistance in the body for type 2 diabetes.

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Taking Vacation Cuts Heart Disease Risk

Relaxation and other forms of vacations have long been known to boost health. Now, researchers in the United States (US) have discovered that the more vacations a person takes over a year, the less likely the fellow would develop metabolic syndrome.

The research was carried out by Syracuse University in New York, similarly found that for every holiday a person takes, the person’s risk of metabolic syndrome goes down by a quarter.

These are the findings of a new study published in the journal ‘Psychology & Health journal’. Corroborating this development, the lead author of the study, Dr. Bryce Hruska, who is assistant professor in the Falk College Department of Public Health in the US, said: “What we found is people who vacation more frequently in the past 12 months have a lowered risk for metabolic syndrome and metabolic symptoms.”

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing the risk of an individual to heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

These conditions include increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels.

Triglycerides are the main constituents of body fat in humans and other vertebrates. A simple blood test can reveal whether your triglycerides fall into a healthy range: Normal — Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or less than 1.7 millimoles per liter (mmol/L) Borderline high — 150 to 199 mg/dL (1.8 to 2.2 mmol/L) High — 200 to 499 mg/dL (2.3 to 5.6 mmol). According to Hruska, metabolic syndrome is a collection of risk factors for cardiovascular disease. If a person has more of them, the fellow is at higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Reacting to the development, Hruska said, “The current study was important because we are actually seeing a reduction in the risk for cardiovascular disease the more vacationing a person does. “Because metabolic symptoms are modifiable, it means they can change or be eliminated.”

Metabolic syndrome is made up of high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, as well as excessive fat around the waist. However, he affirmed that metabolic syndrome could be prevented or reversed by losing weight, exercising often and quitting smoking. But, how ‘time off’ affects our risk was less well known.

To get to the root of this, the researchers analysed 63 workers, who were eligible for paid holidays. The employees gave blood samples and had their waist circumferences measured.

Metabolic syndrome was ‘diagnosed’ if the participants had three or more of the following: Waist circumference of more than 35inches (88cm) in females or 40inches (101cm) in males; blood pressure over 130/85mmHg. A normal reading is considered less than 120/80 mmHg; triglycerides (fat in the blood) of more than 150mg/dL; good cholesterol level of less than 50mg/dL in females or 40mg/dL in males. Less than 40 mg/dL is considered a major risk factor for heart disease.

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There Is No Ebola Case In Nigeria - FG Assures

The Federal Government has called on Nigerians to disregard rumour of a positive case of Ebola Virus Disease in the country, saying that effort had been heightened at the various ports of entry into the country to ensure that sick people making coming into Nigeria were properly screened.

Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda have witnessed a resurgence of the virus in their countries lately, with Ugandan Ministry of Health announcing on June 11, 2019 the first cross-border cases in the current outbreak.

 

In a statement signed by the Director, Media and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health, Boade Akinola, the Permanent Secretary at the ministry, Abdullaziz Abdullahi, stated that in line with the World Health Organisation guidelines, a recent risk assessment conducted by the Nigeria Ebola Preparedness team indicated that the overall risk of importation of Ebola virus to Nigeria from Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda was low.

He also described as false, an alleged message circulating in the social media purporting a positive case of Ebola Virus Disease in the country.

The Permanent Secretary also called on members of the public to discourage the circulation of any unverified information, which he said, could cause harm to innocent people and unnecessary panic among the citizens.

Abdullahi said, “FG (has) assured (citizens) that since the reports of outbreak of EVD in the Democratic Republic of Congo, heightened surveillance had been on-going at the various points of entry by officials of the Port Health Services division of the ministry to prevent importation into Nigeria. To this effect, every sick passenger has been properly screened and I can say categorically that none of the patients screened has tested positive for Ebola or any deadly disease.

“In line with WHO’s guidelines, a recent preliminary risk assessment conducted by the Nigeria Ebola Preparedness team, coordinated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control indicated that the overall risk of importation of EVD to Nigeria from Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is low, but we are not resting on our oars in view of trading activities of Nigerians.

“The Nigerian government remain fully committed while working closely with the WHO, state ministries of health, partners and all other stakeholders, to protect the health of all Nigerians. However, necessary protocols are being followed in line with international Health Regulations.”

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Rising Suicide Cases In Nigeria: NAFDAC Bans Production Of Smaller Packs Of Sniper, Other Chemicals

In a bid to control suicide cases in Nigeria, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Thursday banned the production of smaller packs of Sniper and other harmful agro-chemicals. 

Disclosing this on Thursday, Dr Husman Bukar, the Director, Veterinary Medicine and Allied Products Directorate, NAFDAC, opined that the products is dangerous to the applicators and the environment they are applied. 

He announced stricter measures to curtail the use of Sniper (Dichlorvos or 2,2-dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate) in homes to end the abuse of the pesticide which in recent times has been associated with suicides in Nigeria. 

His words, “Recently, some suicide cases have been associated with people drinking Sniper, henceforth, we call on the agro-chemical industry to enhance their distribution channels so that this product (Sniper) gets to only accredited distributors and marketers.

“We have also placed a ban on the manufacture of smaller packs of Sniper which are easily purchased for household use. “On the use of glyphosate by farmers, NAFDAC has placed a ban on glyphosate-based formulations with tallow-amine (an emulsifier and wetting agent for agrochemical formulations. 

Criminal laws: Our challenges are peculiar, requires a shift – Adeniji Kazeem(Opens in a new browser tab) “Agrochemical companies have been given the grace period of between now and December 2019 to withdraw all glyphosate formulations with tallow-amine from the Nigerian market,” he said. 

Also speaking, Mr Shanni Srivastava, the UPL Country Manager, said his company was working towards ensuring that only safer and environmentally friendly herbicides are introduced in the Nigerian market for the benefit of farmers. 

He said the debut of Lifeline was to offer a better and safer alternative to paraquat which in several countries in Africa had been banned.”

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Why Shea Butter Soothes Aching Knees

Shea butter is not only great for the skin; it is a great remedy for an aching knee. It significantly relieves the joint pain, stiffness and reduced mobility associated with knee osteoarthritis.

In a clinical trial of shea butter in 34 persons with osteoarthritis, researchers found it caused an improvement in functionality of the knees by 30 per cent after 16 weeks of its application. Also, there was a significant reduction in the level of pain and stiffness experienced.

These were volunteers recruited from the outpatient department of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.

Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, is the leading cause of chronic disability. It most commonly affects the knee and has an impact on the health-related quality of life of the elderly. Its symptoms may include joint pain, tenderness over the inside of knee, stiffness, locking, reduced mobility, atrophy of lower extremities, and decreased walking speed.

A lot of arthritis sufferers very often turn to natural herbal remedies and botanical methods to gain release from their symptoms. Remedies that have shown some promise in helping to treat the symptoms of arthritis include shea butter.

The researchers, in the 2013 study published in the journal, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, stated that the observed relief in symptom and improved muscle control was consistent with past findings on the analgesic effect of the shea nut oil extract.

That the symptoms and muscle functions are improved significantly after 16-week intervention butter, they linked to shea butter constituents causing a reduction in the inflammatory effects of osteoarthritis.

The inflammatory process which is associated with arthritis occurs in response to a range of injuries from sunburn and wounds, to infection and auto-immune conditions. It is characterised by four physical signs; warmth, redness, swelling, and pain.

However, that improvement in symptoms did not immediately manifest in the activities of daily living; they stated was perhaps due to individuals habitual compensative strategies to cope with pain.

“Although improved muscle function was observed, including greater control and an increase in muscle strength to achieve a functional goal, the subjective feeling of improvement in the activities of daily living was not significant.

“The findings have proven the efficacy of shea nut oil extract as a complementary option to improve the symptoms and function in relation to knee osteoarthritis,” they declared.

The soothing properties of shea butter, commonly referred to as Ori in Yoruba, are well known on the African subcontinent where it grows in its Savannah belt.

 It had anecdotally been used to help alleviate symptoms of arthritis and rheumatism when it is rubbed on the aching joint but its mechanism has not been clear. Also, laboratory studies have shown that the shea butter extract has properties that should make it an effective agent to treat arthritis.

There are many remedies that have shown some promise in helping to treat the symptoms of arthritis. For instance, a survey of anti-arthritic remedies used in Igbo tribal ethnomedicine in Nigeria named three plants. These are Lonchocarpus cyanescens, Costus afar and Terminalia ivorensis.

Clinical investigations on these herbs, according to a report in the 1982 edition of the Journal of Ethnopharmacology revealed that extracts of these herbs reduced inflammation and the associated swelling, checked diarrhoea, and ameliorated all signs associated with arthritis in rats.

 Lonchocarpus cyanescens is known as ‘elu’ in Yoruba, ‘anunu’ in Ibo, ‘talaki’ in Hausa, ‘suru’ in Tiv and ‘ebelu’ in Edo languages of Nigeria. Costus afar is commonly referred to as ginger lily/bush cane while Terminalia ivorensis is commonly called idigbo, black afara, framire or emeri.

Ginger is very effective in the treatment of arthritis and a host of other ailments. Recent medical research in Holland has indicated that this, too, is much more than just myth. Eating ginger does, according to the Dutch doctors, help alleviate arthritis pain.

In one study, Indian researchers gave three to seven grammes of ginger a day to 18 people with osteoarthritis and 28 with rheumatoid arthritis. More than 75 per cent of those participating in the study reported at least some relief from pain and swelling. Even after more than two years of taking these high doses of ginger, none of the people reported side effects.

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Low Vitamin K May Reduce Mobility In Older Adults

Older adults with insufficient vitamin K are likely to be at higher risk for mobility disability, according to new research.

Dietary sources of vitamin K include kale, spinach, broccoli, and other leafy greens. Some dairy foods also contain vitamin K.

The investigators who carried out the study say that their findings "suggest vitamin K may be involved in the disablement process in older age."

They describe their work in a paper that features in a recent issue of The Journals of Gerontology: Series A.

Previous studies have established links between vitamin K and long-term conditions that can raise the risk of mobility disability. These conditions include cardiovascular disease and osteoarthritis.

However, none of those earlier investigations had examined the relationship between vitamin K and mobility disability directly.

M. Kyla Shea is the new study's first and corresponding author. She researches Vitamin K at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, MA.

Shea explains that: "Low vitamin K status has been associated with the onset of chronic diseases that lead to disability, but the work to understand this connection is in its infancy."

She and her colleagues believe that they are the first to evaluate the relationship between "vitamin K status and incident mobility disability" in older adults.

The new evidence builds on earlier studies that have associated low levels of circulating vitamin K with "slower gait speed and a higher risk of osteoarthritis," Shea explains.

Mobility is fundamental to healthy aging

Researchers typically define mobility as the "ability to move independently" from one place to another.

Physical independence is integral to healthy aging and older adults' quality of life. From being able to get out of bed to walking and climbing stairs, much of daily activities involve mobility.

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