Damilola Osinaike's Blog: Locust beans: Nutritious and Medicinal

Damilola Osinaike's Blog: Locust beans: Nutritious and Medicinal:   Have you eaten soup spiced with locust bean before? If your answer is no, then you are denying yourself a whole lots of health b...

Locust beans: Nutritious and Medicinal

 

Have you eaten soup spiced with locust bean before? If your answer is no, then you are denying yourself a whole lots of health benefits.  It is not easy to look at, and the smell is unpleasant but consumers say it is at best when well fermented.

Locust bean is the single, most significant ingredient guaranteed to take soups, stews or mixed vegetables from being okay to the next level.

Locust bean also known as carob, Iru by the Yorubas and ogiri, dawa dawa by Igbos, is one of the common cooking condiments that is gradually disappearing from dinning table of many families. These names all refer to one and the same thing – this bean-like non-fleshy seed with a naturally sweet taste is widely used by Nigerians.

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

Locust bean

It also contains tannins, astringent substances found in many plants. Foods rich in tannins are often recommended for treatment of diarrhoea.

The portion of carob that is made into locust bean gum contains soluble fibre in the galactomannan family. Like other forms of soluble fibre, it has shown potential benefit for enhancing weight loss and controlling blood sugar levels.

In another results 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.

The findings showed that the diastolic blood pressure measurement enjoyed more reduction than even the systolic blood pressure.  It also revealed the many wonders of African locust bean tree.  The pulverised bark of African locust bean tree, for instance, is employed in wound healing and serves as one of the ingredients that are used in treating leprosy.

Locust beans is added to everything – not only because it tastes good and can serve as a tastier alternative to other spices cubes, but also due to its health benefits among which are vision improvement, digestion aid and much more.

Your comments will be appreciated.

You can follow me on twitter @abolibot112 and also get more health tips on my facebook page

MALARIA

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by parasitic protozoans (a type of unicellular microorganism) of the genus Plasmodium. Commonly, the disease is transmitted by a bite from an infected female Anopheles mosquito, which introduces the organisms from its saliva into a person's circulatory system. Five species of Plasmodium can infect and be transmitted by humans. The vast majority of deaths are caused by P. falciparum and P. vivax, while P. ovale, and P. malariae cause a generally milder form of malaria that is rarely fatal. In the blood, the parasites travel to the liver to mature and reproduce. Malaria is common in tropical and subtropical regions because rainfall, warm temperatures, and stagnant waters provide an environment ideal for mosquito larvae but however, disease transmission can be reduced by preventing mosquito bites by using mosquito nets and insect repellents, or with mosquito-control measures such as spraying insecticides and draining standing water. Despite a need, no effective vaccine exists, although efforts to develop one are ongoing.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS.
A malaria infection is generally characterized by recurrent attacks with the following signs and symptoms:
•Moderate to severe shaking chills
•High fever
•Profuse sweating as body temperature falls

Other signs and symptoms may include:
•Headache
•Vomiting
•Diarrhea

Malaria signs and symptoms typically begin within a few weeks after being bitten by an infected mosquito. However, some types of malaria parasites can lie dormant in your body for months, or even years.

PREVENTION.
Methods used to prevent malaria include medications, mosquito elimination and the prevention of bites. There is no vaccine for malaria. The presence of malaria in an area requires a combination of high human population density, high anopheles mosquito population density and high rates of transmission from humans to mosquitoes and from mosquitoes to humans. If any of these is lowered sufficiently, the parasite will eventually disappear from that area, as happened in North America, Europe and parts of the Middle East. However, unless the parasite is eliminated from the whole world, it could become re-established if conditions revert to a combination that favours the parasite's reproduction. Furthermore, the cost per person of eliminating anopheles mosquitoes rises with decreasing population density, making it economically unfeasible in some areas.

MOSQUITO CONTROL
Vector control refers to methods used to decrease malaria by reducing the levels of transmission by mosquitoes. For individual protection, the most effective insect repellents are based on DEET or picaridin. Insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) have been shown to be highly effective in preventing malaria among children in areas where malaria is common. Prompt treatment of confirmed cases with artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) may also reduce transmission. spraying of insecticides on the walls inside a home. After feeding, many mosquito rest on a nearby surface while digesting the bloodmeal, so if the walls of houses have been coated with insecticides, the resting mosquitoes can be killed before they can bite another person and transfer the malaria parasite

TREATMENT.
Malaria is treated with antimalarial medications; the ones used depends on the type and severity of the disease. Uncomplicated malaria may be treated with oral medications. The most effective treatment for P. falciparum infection is the use of artemisinins in combination with other antimalarials (known as artemisinin-combination therapy, or ACT), which decreases resistance to any single drug component.[ Infection with P. vivax, P. ovale or P. malariae is usually treated without the need for hospitalization. Treatment of P. vivax requires both treatment of blood stages (with chloroquine or ACT) as well as clearance of liver forms with primaquine.

Recommended treatment for severe malaria is the intravenous use of antimalarial drugs. For severe malaria, artesunate is superior to quinine in both children and adults.Treatment of severe malaria involves supportive measures that are best done in a critical care unit. This includes the management of high fevers and the seizures that may result from it. It also includes monitoring for poor breathing effort, low blood sugar, and low blood potassium.

Mouth Ulcer (PART 2)

What are the symptoms of mouth ulcers?

You may have a mouth ulcer if you have:

 v  A painful sore or sores inside your mouth, on the tongue, soft palate (the back portion of the roof of your mouth), or inside your cheeks.

 v  Sores in your mouth that are round, white, or grey in colour, with a red edge or border.

In severe mouth ulcer attacks, you may also experience:

 v  Fever

 v  Physical sluggishness

                                                                           v  Swollen lymph nodes

How are mouth ulcers treated?

Pain from a mouth ulcer generally lessens in a few days and the sores usually heal without treatment in about a week or two. If sores are large, painful or persistent, your dentist may prescribe an antimicrobial mouth rinse, a corticosteroid ointment, or a prescription or non-prescription solution to reduce the pain and irritation.

Can mouth ulcers be prevented?

Although there is no cure for mouth ulcers and they often reoccur, you may be able to reduce their
frequency with good dental hygiene and by:

v  Avoiding foods that irritate your mouth, including acidic or spicy foods

v  Avoiding irritation from gum chewing

v  Brushing with a soft-bristled brush after meals and flossing daily, which will keep your mouth free of foods that might trigger a sore.

                                                                                                   

Seek medical advice about mouth ulcers if you have:

v  Unusually large sores

v  Sores that are spreading

v  Sores that last three weeks or longer

v  Intolerable pain despite avoiding trigger foods and taking over-the-counter pain medication

v  Difficulty drinking enough fluids

v  A high fever with the appearance of the mouth ulcer(s)
   
     
       Your comments will be appreciated.

You can follow me on twitter @abolibot112 and also get more health tips on my facebook page  

      

EBOLA FACTS

All you need to know about Ebola Virus

• It is a Central African disease that has traveled over countries in a living host to West Africa. 
• It is easily spread by physical contact and eating contaminated bush meat. 
• Major hosts are in 5 species of Bats but monkeys and apes are easily infected and killed. 
• It kills in a week, leaving no time to treat an individual. 
• It has no known vaccine or cure. 
• Known cases have been experienced recently in Guniea, Liberia and Central Africa Rep, spreading eastwards and westwards towards Nigeria. 
• Death toll so far in West Africa is over 100. 
• The Ebola outbreak of 2014 is the most challenging one witnessed in Africa. What we can do? 
• 1. Avoid eating any bush meat for now! Especially Apes and Bats. 
• 2. Wash your hands as regularly as possible, especially after shaking a stranger. It is spread by contact. 
• 3.The most straightforward prevention method during Ebola outbreaks is not touching patients, their excretions, and body fluids, or possibly contaminated materials and utensils. 
• Patients should be isolated, and medical staff should be trained and apply strict barrier nursing techniques (disposable face mask, gloves, goggles, and a gown at all times). 
• Traditional burial rituals, especially those requiring embalming of bodies, should be discouraged or modified.
• Awareness is key, don't just read or ignore...spread this campaign before the virus spreads!

Information on Ebola Virus

The first case of Ebola virus has been reported in Ghana.  It is therefore safe to assume this virus is in Nigeria, knowing how frequently our people travel back and forth, to and from Ghana.
More importantly, the strain has similarities with other virus initially thus it might not be recognized early enough.
Please take the following precautions.
1. Wash your hands frequently
2. Get a hand sanitizer for people to use in your offices and homes. And let them know why.
3. Get one for your kids to use in school frequently, and if possible, one for their class, let them know why.
4. Be careful with hand railings, doors and other utilities used by the public.
5. Avoid bush meat or meat of which you are not sure of its source.
 Lastly, watch out for people with flu like symptoms such as fever, myalgia and malaise. Please note that it has no cure and lets educate people around us.

Mouth ulcer (PART 1)

Mouth ulcers are painful round or oval sores that form in the mouth, most often on the inside of the cheeks or lips. They're usually white, red, yellow or grey in colour and are inflamed (red and swollen) around the edge.                                                                                        Although mouth ulcers can be uncomfortable, especially when you eat, drink or brush your teeth, they are usually harmless.

Most mouth ulcers will clear up by themselves within a week or two. You only need to seek medical attention if the ulcer gets worse or lasts for longer than three weeks, or if you develop ulcers regularly.

Mouth ulcers cannot be caught from someone else. Up to 1 in 5 people get recurrent mouth ulcers.

Types of mouth ulcer:

The main types of mouth ulcer are:

Minor ulcers: These are around 2-8mm in diameter and usually clear up in 10 days to 2 weeks.

Major ulcers: These are bigger and deeper, often with a raised or irregular border. This type of ulcer can take several weeks to heal and may leave a scar in the mouth.

Herpetiform ulcers: This type of ulcer is a cluster of dozens of smaller sores the size of pinheads.

What causes mouth ulcers?

The exact cause of most mouth ulcers is unknown. Stress or tissue injury is thought to be the cause of simple mouth ulcers. Certain foods, including citrus or acidic fruits and vegetables (such as lemons, oranges, pineapples, apples, figs, tomatoes and strawberries), can trigger a mouth ulcer or make the problem worse. 

Sometimes a sharp tooth surface or dental appliance, such as braces or ill-fitting dentures, might also trigger mouth ulcers.

Some cases of complex mouth ulcers are caused by an underlying health condition, such as an impaired immune system; nutritional problems, such as vitamin B-12, zinc, folic acid, or iron deficiency and gastrointestinal tract disease, such as Coeliac disease and Crohn's disease.

When you first quit smoking, you may develop more mouth ulcers than normal, but this is temporary.

Some medications, including common pain killers, beta-blockers and some chest pain medicines may cause a reaction that leads to mouth ulcers.

                                                                                                               to be continued

 Your comments will be appreciated.

You can also follow me on twitter @abolibot112 and also get more health tips on my facebook page