Health
Spice For Better Health (1)
The word spice is used to denote condiments that are used to enhance the taste of food. Usually spices are hot on the taste buds due to the natural flavour.
But aside their pepperish feelings, spices are hugely medicinal and curative. The Chinese and the Spanish of yore used to travel long distances both on land and water to buy spices from Arabia.
As early as that time they discovered that these unique herbs help to ward off colds, cough hence spices became high commodity in Europe and America where they were later introduced in the 14th and 15th centuries.
Today, spices have become common ingredients in foods, confectioneries and pastries.
However, while their uses cannot be restricted only in the kitchen, spices have been discovered to have healing properties that may not be observable to many people until they stop eating them. Below are some of the top healing spices:
1. GARLIC… (Allium sativum). This spice has been called the “ king” of the spices. Besides being a potent antibiotic and antiviral herb, garlic reduces high blood pressure, high cholesterol. It has been used thousands of years in food and medicine.
Studies have shown that it can help treat arthritis, diarrhea, colds among other ailments. Recent studies by Russian scientists have shown that garlic can help prevent and treat cancer. Always add it in your soups and stews.
2. GINGER…(zingiber officinale). This special spice comes behind garlic as the most used and is highly medicinal. According to James Duke, a popular herbalist, ginger contains ‘zingibain’, a kind of enzyme that has the ability to chemically breakdown protein. These enzymes help in controlling autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, pain, and spondylitis. But it’s most popular use is to control dizziness, nausea.
Ginger according to research contains more than 12 antioxidants that help check inflammation. A dish prepared with ginger will actually give you medicinal dose of the herb.
3. TURMERIC (Curcuma longa). This yellow colour of ginger is also highly medicinal and until recently, turmeric was most popular in India and other Asian countries. Fortunately, it’s not as hot as ginger but has lots of medicinal virtues. When combined with other spices, turmeric gives curry its yellow colour.
It has lots of vitamins such as C, E and A. Research has also shown that if it’s combined with other spices such as cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf it can help the body to control excess sugar, and therefore very good for diabetics.
4. CLOVES (syzygium aromaticum).Cloves are not popular a herb until recently when ‘zobo’ drink became a popular beverage for most Nigerians.
History has recorded that before people in ancient Asia were permitted to see their King, they had to chew cloves to freshen their breath. Cloves have a very powerful aromatic and antibacterial oil. It’s also used in the production of toothpaste and mouth washes and it is considered effective in relieving toothaches.
5.THYME.. (thymus vulgaris). The mother of spices. The leaves of this lovely aromatic wild garden plant is used in flavouring stews and soups but is now a potent medicine.
Nineteenth century Swiss herbalist, Kunzle claim that,” thyme helps to refresh lungs, remove indigestion, flatulence, liver and splenetic complaints, act as diuretic.”
It’s more effective when used with other herbs, so if you feel cold, it could be added with peppermint or a pinch of cayenne pepper. Or use it and make a light pepper soup with ginger, cayenne to relieve the nasal and air passages for asthma.
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.