Health
Using Waterleaf As Medicine
If there is one tribe that eats waterleaf than others, the Ibibios and Efik will come tops. Almost all their delicacies are cooked with edikaikong”, either mixed with other leaves or just only it.
Known as “Talinum triangulare “botanically, waterleaf is a common weed in most parts of Africa, especially those in the tropics. It’s a stubborn weed that the grows all year round, and flourishes more in the rainy season.
Due to its great taste and use to improve taste of dishes, waterleaf is now cultivated in commercial quantities like fluted pumpkin. There are a lot of farms that only plant the leaf for marketing purpose only.
Apart from its commercial benefits, waterleaf is a great medicine on it own right. It’s called “gbure” in Yoruba, “ebedondon” in Edo. The English nicknamed it Phillipine Spinch, flame flower and sweetheart among other lovely names.
The leaves are excellent for diarrhea, liver enlargement and hepatitis. It’s an excellent immune booster to those who often feel weak and tired, and those prone to frequent attacks of malaria.
Waterleaf contains more proteins than cashew nuts, more pectin than apples, and also have high level of Vitamin B, iron, calcium, manganese and zinc.
It’s also a rich source of carotenoids, Vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, naiacin, alpha and beta tocopherols.
The fresh leaves are effective to calm inflammations. One can infuse the leaves in water and taken as a diuretic. Many scientific studies has shown that waterleaf have anti-cancer effects.
Those who suffer from insomnia (lack of sleep) can find waterleaf a readymade sleep inducer. Always make the leaf part of your daily delicacy and within a short time, your sleep rhythm will return back. It calms your nerves down, helps you urinate frequently to cleanse your system.
Herbalists believe the leaf is effective in managing prostate enlargement. The roots of waterleaf in boiled and the dosage is half glass twice daily according to Rev Father Anselm Adodo, a popular pluy to therapist.
Just like any other vegetable, one can juice waterleaf. Simply chop fresh leaves into pieces, then put two or three cups of water and blend. Sieve out the chaff and you will be left with a dark green liquid packed with vitamins and minerals. Don’t preserve the juice, ensure you consume within 30 minutes.
Eating waterleaf is safe for pregnant women and growing children. It boosts their blood levels. Eating waterleaf regularly in soup also helps to regulate hypertension.
The dried herb can be infused in water to extract the content for drinking. One disadvantage however is that the leaves are succulent and easy to decay.
The best way to preserve waterleaf is to dry it under room temperature since the leaves are soft and can be easily destroyed by excess heat from the sun.
Other studies indicate that consumption of this leaf can enhance brain function and protect brain tissue. When next you see waterleaf, make sure you get a handful and begin to use it not only as a vegetable but as a medicine to keep your body sound and healthy.
Health
Taraba Confirms Lassa Fever Outbreak
The authorities in Taraba State Ministry of Health yesterday confirmed the outbreak of Lassa Fever in the State.
Making the confirmation in an interview, State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Gbangsheya Buma disclosed that out of the nine suspected cases that were recorded last Friday, eight turned out positive for the viral haemorrhagic fever.
Buma stated that the state Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the situation in collaboration with the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC, and the Federal Medical Center, Jalingo, FMC, authorities to contain the spread of the disease.
“It is not a surprising thing, this is the season, and we have made preparations, though the outbreak may be overwhelming.
“I just received support from NCDC; they have sent some people here to provide technical support with the aim of stopping the progress of the disease.
“We are actually on top of it. We have provided support as a state to the FMC to provide free treatment to patients of Lassa fever,” he said.
Acting Head of Clinical Services at FMC Jalingo, Joseph Kuni, provided further insight on the outbreak, revealing that the center currently has ten patients in its isolation ward, with some awaiting test results.
Kuni said, “From January to February, the center had recorded 19 deaths from the isolation center.
“From January to February, we sent 105 samples, and 60 of them came out positive for Lassa Fever while 39 came out negative. The remaining ones are still being awaited.”
He explained that due to a fire outbreak that affected the modular laboratory last year, the center cannot perform tests locally, so they send samples to Bauchi or Abuja for testing.
Additionally, Kuni confirmed that one medical doctor from the hospital was affected but has since been treated and discharged.
Kuni emphasised the need for more assistance considering the alarming number of cases, particularly from the central part of the state.
Warning that Lassa Fever is endemic in Nigeria, Kuni said with sporadic outbreaks occurring primarily during the dry season, and it is transmitted to humans through contact with contaminated food or household items.
Health
Experts Warn On Excess Consumption Of Sweetened Beverages
Drinking two litres or more per week of artificially sweetened beverages — the equivalent of a medium-sized fast-food diet soda a day — raises the risk of an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation by 20 percent when compared to people who drank none, a new study found.
Known as A-fib, atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat often described by many people who have it as a “quiver,” “flutter” or “flip-flop” of the heart in the chest.
Drinking a similar number of added-sugar beverages raised the risk of the condition by 10 percent, while drinking about four ounces of pure, unsweetened juices, such as orange or vegetable juice, was associated with an 8 percent lower risk of atrial fibrillation, the study found.
“This is the first study to report an association between no- and low-calorie sweeteners and also sugar-sweetened beverages and increased risk of atrial fibrillation,” said Penny Kris-Etherton, a professor emeritus of nutritional sciences at the Pennsylvania State University, in a statement. She was not involved in the new study.
While the study could only show an association between sweetened drinks and A-fib, the relationship remained after accounting for any genetic susceptibility to the condition. A 2017 study found people with European ancestry had about a 22 percent risk of inheriting the condition.
This heart condition may affect one in four women after menopause, the study further reveals”We still need more research on these beverages to confirm these findings and to fully understand all the health consequences on heart disease and other health conditions,” Kris-Etherton said.
“In the meantime, water is the best choice, and, based on this study, no- and low-calorie sweetened beverages should be limited or avoided,” she added.
Atrial fibrillation is dangerous and on the rise and is the leading cause of stroke in the United States. In addition, strokes connected to A-fib tend to be “more severe than strokes with other underlying causes,” according to the united states centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
Atrial fibrillation can also lead to blood clots, heart failure and “can increase the risk for heart attack, for dementia, for kidney disease. All of those things are likely long term risks,” Dr. Gregory Marcus, Professor of Medicine at University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and associate chief of cardiology for research at UCSF Health, told The Tide’s in an interview.
Health
Ogun Seals College’s Nursing Department Over Illegal Operations
The Nursing Department of the Harvarde College of Science Business and Management Studies in Abeokuta has been shut.
The department was sealed yesterday for operating without accreditation from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN).
The enforcement team comprised officials of enforcement team of the Ogun Ministry of Health and members of the State Nursing and Midwifery Committee (SNMC).
Speaking during the enforcement exercise, the Permanent Secretary, Ogun Ministry of Health, Dr Kayode Oladehinde, said that the private institution had been offering a degree programme in Nursing Sciences.
He added that this had been going on for about six years without accreditation from the regulatory body.
Oladehinde, represented by the Acting Director of Nursing Services, Mrs Serifat Aminu, said that such unauthorised programme contributed to quackery in nursing and posed a threat to public health.
According to him, the nursing department of the institution will remain sealed until fully accredited.
He described a degree in Nursing obtained from Harvarde College and similar institutions without NMCN accreditation as worthless, stating that graduates would be unable to obtain a valid license to practice in Nigeria and other parts of the world.
“We have discovered that many institutions, including Harvarde College, offer nursing degrees to unsuspecting students.
“Our mission is to clamp down on such institutions because they end up producing quacks in the nursing profession.
“This is dangerous for society. Unfortunately, most students are unaware that their time is being wasted,” he said.
The permanent secretary advised parents and candidates desiring to pursue nursing or related programmes to conduct due diligence by checking the NMCN website for a list of accredited institutions, saying the regulatory body updated the list yearly.
He warned parents to be cautious of institutions making false claims, assuring that the Ogun government would continue to work diligently against quackery in both the education and practice of the nursing profession in the state.
Responding, a 300-level student, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed shock at the institution’s lack of accreditation, regretting the amount of money her parents had spent on the
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