Health
Moringa And Your Health
The Indians call it “Drumstick”, however, Moringa has become a popular name with its usage as medicine spread across the world.
Botanically known as “Moringa Oleifera”, the plant is a common vegetable grown mostly in parts of Asia and Saharan Africa. It has white flowers and seeds that form in buds, and the tender fruits are used in many dishes.
Almost all parts of Moringa tree is useful and have medicinal values. The leaves have lots of vitamin c, calcium, magnesium., potassium and phosphorous.
Over the years, there has been debate over whether the dried Moringa leaves are better than the fresh ones, the truth however is that Moringa leaves begin to loose their precious vitamins and minerals after six hours of being picked off the plant.
Perhaps that is why a lot of people now prefer drying their Moringa leaves in order to keep the nutrients intact.
Scientific studies have shown that Moringa Oleifera is one of the most nutritious plants ever discovered with most of its benefits concentrated on the leaves.
For better health benefits, the dried Moringa leaves are preferable, and can be made into powder. Being a complete package of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, it can boost energy level and stamina. Sportsmen and women are usually advised to be taking Moringa.
Students who engage in serious mental exercises of reading and studying are advised to eat Moringa, since it improves concentration, where as athletes can benefit in the form of increased endurance during exercise.
Moringa leaves powder can be added to tea, pap and even soups and stews. Dried Moringa is less expensive and easy to use.
The tea is very useful stimulant and energiser. The leaves serve as tonic for infants and growing children. For better results, a juice should be extracted from the fresh leaves filtered and mixed with milk.
Expectant mothers can consume Moringa to raise calcium level, iron vitamins. A vegetable prepared from the leaves increases breast milk after childbirth. According to Bakru”this vegetable is prepared by boiling the leaves with salt and water. The water is then drained off and they are eaten with ghee.”
Those suffering from respiratory disorders can use Moringa. It’s effective in treating asthma, bronchitis and tuberculosis. A soup is made by adding a handful of leaves to water and is allowed to boil for five minutes. Once the soup is cool, add a little salt, pepper and lime juice.
Herbalists believe Moringa is also effective against urinary disorders. They recommended a juice made from fresh leaves mixed with a glass of cucumber or carrot juice. This they believe can increase urine and constant burning in the urethra due to high acidity of urine.
A fresh leaf juice mixed with lime is useful against pimples, black spots, and keeps one’s face very fresh.
Two United States scientists who unraveled the human micro RNA have won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024.
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun won the coveted prize for their work on microRNA as their discoveries help explain how complex life emerged on earth and how the human body is made up of a wide variety of different tissues.
MicroRNAs influence how genes – the instructions for life – are controlled inside organisms, including humans.
Every cell in the human body contains the same raw genetic information, locked in our DNA.
However, despite starting with the identical genetic information, the cells of the human body are wildly different in form and function.
The electrical impulses of nerve cells are distinct from the rhythmic beating of heart cells. The metabolic powerhouse that is a liver cell is distinct to a kidney cell, which filters urea out of the blood.
The light-sensing abilities of cells in the retina are different in skillset to white blood cells that produce antibodies to fight infection.
So much variety can arise from the same starting material because of gene expression.
The US scientists were the first to discover microRNAs and how they exerted control on how genes are expressed differently in different tissues.
The medicine and physiology prize winners are selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute.
They said: “Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans.
“It is now known that the human genome codes for over 1,000 microRNAs.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has begun acting to curb effects of antibiotic pollution.
The new guidance on wastewater and solid waste management for antibiotic manufacturing sheds light on this important but neglected challenge ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) taking place on 26 September 2024.
The emergence and spread of AMR caused by antibiotic pollution could undermine the effectiveness of antibiotics globally, including the medicines produced at the manufacturing sites responsible for the pollution.
Despite high antibiotic pollution levels being widely documented, the issue is largely unregulated and quality assurance criteria typically do not address environmental emissions. In addition, once distributed, there is a lack of information provided to consumers on how to dispose of antibiotics when they are not used, for example, when they expire or when a course is finished but there is still antibiotic left over.
“Pharmaceutical waste from antibiotic manufacturing can facilitate the emergence of new drug-resistant bacteria, which can spread globally and threaten our health. Controlling pollution from antibiotic production contributes to keeping these life-saving medicines effective for everyone,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for AMR ad interim.
Globally, there is a lack of accessible information on the environmental damage caused by manufacturing of medicines.
“The guidance provides an independent and impartial scientific basis for regulators, procurers, inspectors, and industry themselves to include robust antibiotic pollution control in their standards,” said Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, WHO. “Critically, the strong focus on transparency will equip buyers, investors and the general public to make decisions that account for manufacturers’ efforts to control antibiotic pollution.”
In a concerted effort to curb brain drain, the Kebbi State Government has harmonised medical doctors’ salaries to be at par with their colleagues in the federal government’s tertiary health facilities.
Kebbi State Commissioner for Health, Musa Inusa-Isma’il, disclosed this at the handing over of ambulances to the state-owned health facilities at the Ministry of Health in Birnin Kebbi yesterday.
Inusa Isma’il, according to a statement by Ahmed Idris, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, said the essence of the harmonisation was to retain the existing medical doctors and attract more to the services of the state.
According to him, the doctors across the state had already started enjoying the new salaries from August 2024.
He said the release of the vehicles was in fulfilment of Governor Nasir Idris’ promise to uplift health care services in the state.
“His Excellency said I should inform you, the beneficiaries of this gesture, that the vehicle should be strictly used for the intended purpose. It should not be used for anything else.
“If there is no referral case, each of the vehicles must be parked at the hospital by 6 pm. The governor said you should warn your drivers against reckless driving as well as violating the instructions.
“We should also do everything possible to reciprocate the gesture by working according to the terms and conditions attached,” he advised.
The benefiting health facilities included Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital, Birnin Kebbi; State Teaching Hospital, Kalgo; General Hospital, Argungu; General Hospital, Yauri; General Hospital, Zuru; and General Hospital, Bunza.
In his speech, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr Shehu Koko, recalled that the ambulances were handed over to the ministry last Friday by the governor for the onward handover to the benefiting hospitals.
He observed that the ambulances would go a long way in improving the referral system in the state, adding that delays in reaching the secondary and tertiary facilities would be eliminated.
The permanent secretary attributed the high rate of maternal mortality in the country to delays in getting to the health facilities for proper medical care.
“We believe with the provision of these ambulances, part of the gaps we have in our referral system will be addressed, whereby patients who require secondary healthcare could be easily transported to secondary and tertiary health centres, where they can get such help,” he said.
In a goodwill message, Commissioner for Information and Culture Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed expressed gratitude to the governor for the support he has given to the ministry to excel.
While advising the beneficiaries to use the vehicles judiciously, the commissioner advised that services and maintenance of the vehicles must be prompt to derive the maximum benefits from the vehicles.
The commissioner also highlighted some achievements recorded by the government in the last year, including beautification of the state capital, completion of a multimillion-naira ultramodern state secretariat, road construction, construction and renovation of classrooms and upgrading of some health facilities, among others.