PAWPAW- AN EXCELLENT FRUIT

The pawpaw fruit which is scientifically called Carica papaya is one of the very valuable tropical fruits. It is regarded as a wholesome fruit. The daily requirements of essential nutrients such as minerals and some vitamins can be met by eating this fruit.
The pawpaw has excellent medicinal values which are recognized, even right from the ancient times. It is easily digested and also aids in digestion of other foods. Ripe pawpaw is good for growing children, pregnant women and nursing mothers. One of the important discovery of modern science is the presence of a protein digesting enzyme in the milky juice of the fruit. The enzyme is similar to pepsin in action and is reputed to be able to digest 200 times its on weight in protein. Its effect is to assist the body's own enzymes in assimilation

SNAIL MEAT

Snail meat is a high quality food, and highly relished as great delicacy in African and many European countries. The proximate composition of snail meat is as follows:
Crude protein 88.37% of dry matter
Fat 1.64 % of dry matter
calcium 185.70 mg/100g of dried sample
phosphorus 61.24 mg/100g of dried sample
potassium 63.3 mg/100g of dried sample
Iron 1.40 mg/100g of dried sample
Cholesterol o.42 mg/100g of fresh sample
Lysine 9.21 g/16gN
Leucine 9.36 g/16gN
Arginine 8.31 g/16gN
Tryptophane 1.29 g/16gN
Source: Akinnusi, O. (2004). Introduction to snail farming. p.38
From these figures it can be concluded that:
-snail meat is very rich in protein
-snail protein is of high quality considering the amino acids contained therein
-Snail meat has appreciable amounts of minerals


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My Experiences with the Fluted Pumpkin

The fluted pumpkin ( Telfaria occidentalis) is a vegetable crop commonly grown in Nigeria. It is reputed to enhance the development of healthy red blood cells. In order words, it helps in preventing anemia in humans.
I have two daughters who are sicklers, in other words, they have the sickle cell genes. These children usually fall sick very frequently and they are anemic. It was recently that someone told me about the efficacy of fluted pumpkin in rectifying the situation. What i did was that i extracted the water or juice in the fresh leaves of this crop, i mixed the juice with Maltonic and i gave the mixture to these children for drinking. I was carrying out this process weekly. Since i started giving them this mixture, i noticed that the frequency and severity of their crises have reduced drastically. I obviously cannot confirm whether it was only this mixture that brought about this observed changes. However, readers comments and experiences are welcomed

Factors Affecting Nutrient needs in Man

The following factors are known to affect the amount of nutrients needed by man:
1. Age: The overall quantity of nutrients needed is higher for adults than for children
2. The state of health: Sick people may need certain kinds of nutrients than others. For example they need more vitamins and proteins for quick recovery
3. The type of lifestyle or job one does: People who lead active lifestyles need more carbohydrates to be able to sustain such lifestyle. However, people with sedentary lifestyles need to regulate the amount of nutrients they take in to prevent overweight and its complications
Whenever we are not able to obtain the required nutrients in sufficient quantiites, we suffer from malnutrition. The common symptoms of malnutrition are the following:
- Emanciation and loss of weight
- Nutritional diseasaes
-Low resistance to diseases and infections
- slow growth rate

The Need for Nutritional Supplements

Have you ever expressed any of these sentiments?
-That almost all wellness deiciencies are part of the normal aging process, therefore there is nothing one can do about it.
-That all nutrients we need are obtained from our average daily intake, therefore supplementation is a waste of money.
The truth about our current food situation, according to experts, is that we are not getting enough of the nutrients that are needed for maintaining excellent health. This is because most of what we eat are over-processed, which make them lose their nutrients, particularly the vitamins. In the hope of obtaining enough nutrients therefore, we eat too much. The estimate is that about 60% of the world ppulation is over-weight, which brings in its own problems.
It is true that aging is a natural process in man, but the process is usually accelerated if the body is not able to obtain enough of the required nutrients as discussed in previous postings. The body cells are damaged faster while new ones are formed slowly. For this reason, the body parts begin to lose their functions.
To slow down the aging process therefore, it is important for us to eat foods that are rich in nutrients, and that are as natural as possible. If this goal cannot be immediately achieved, there may be need for nutritional supplements that are formulated to provide the body with enough nutrients while preventing over-eating.
Apart from being natural and being able to supply the required nutrients, supplements have the added advantage of being cheap.

Nutrients concluded

VITAMINS
These are organic substances obtained from food. They are grouped either as water soluble vitamins or the fat soluble vitamins. The fat soluble vitamins are vitamins A, D, E AND K.while the rest are water soluble vtamins.
The vitamins generally help the body organs to function very well.

MINERALS
This is the inorganic component of foods.These are the compounds of essential elements such as iron, phosphorus, etc. Each of these elements play significant roles in the body

NUTRIENTS CONTINUED

PROTEINS
Proteins contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Proteins are made up of aminoacids. Each unit of amino acids has an amino group and a carboxylic group. Some of these amino acids are essential because the body cannot synthesize them, the rest of the amino acids are readily synthesized by the body.
Proteins perform many important functions in the body some of which are:
1. They are neded to manufacture new tissues and to replace worn out tissues
2. They are needed for enzymes and hormones secretion
3. Pregnant women need proteins to build up the foetus and the foetal membrane
4. Excess protein is broken down and the amino acids are deaminated to be used as souce of energy

FATS AND OILS
These nutrients are made up of fatty acids and glycerols. The only difference between these two nutrients is that fats are solids at room temperature while oils are liquids.
Fats and oils perform the following functions in the body:
1. They are oxidized to yield energy
2. Some fatty acids such as linolenic acid and arachidonic acids are essential for the development of smooth skin and glossy hair
3. Some fat containing compounds called phospholipids are essential component of cell membranes
4 They function as solvent for the fat soluble vitamins
5. Fats help in insulation and conservation of body heat.

Food Nutrients continued

CARBOHYDRATE
The next important nutrient obtainable from food is carbohydrates. Carbohydrates contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, with hydrogen and oxygen being present in the same ratio as in water. they have the general formula (CH2O)n where n is 3 or more. They form the largest fraction of fiood available to man.

Generally, we have simple sugars or the monosaccharides. Examples are glucose, fructose and galactose. The next group of carbohydrates are the disaccharides. they are made up of two units of the simple sugars. Examples are sucrose, lactose and maltose.

The last group of carbohydrates are the polysaccharides. they are made up of long chains of disaccharides and monosaccharides. Examples are starch, cellulose and amylopectin.
The generally recognized functions of carbohydrates includes the following:
1. They are oxidized to produce energy for life activities
2. When eaten in excess, the excess is converted to fat and stored under the skin where they help in conserving body temperature.
3. They are essential component of certain body organs such as brain and cartilage

NUTRIENTS OBTAINABLE FROM FOOD

There are six important nutrients that are obtainable from the food we eat. These nutrients are; water, carbohydrates, proteins, fats and oils, minerals and vitamins. Each of these nutrients play significant roles in the body of human beings. The functions of each will now be highlighted, starting with water.
WATER
Water is the nutrient required in the largest amount in the body of human beings. It is also the most essential compound in the body because without water human being cannot survive for a long time. Pure water is composed mainly of oxygen and hydrogen molecules. It is colorless and odorless. Pure water boils at 100 degress centigrade and freezes at 0 degree centigrade.The primary functions of water in the body are as follows:
1. It is an esential component of cells and tissues in animal body as it maintains cell turgidity.
2. It is a solvent in which food substances are dissolved and carried to various parts of the body
3. It is the medium through which waste materials are excreted from the body
4. It is a medium in which chemical reactions take place within the body. For example, during digestion, complex food substances are broken into simpler food substances through the addition of water in a process called hydrolysis
5. water helps in regulating body temperature
6. it forms a major part of the blood plasma
7. It is present in the synovial fluid which lubricates the joints and also in the aqueous humour of the eyes which aid sight.
The discussionof the importance of the remaining nutrients will continue in subsequents posts

Welcome Note

Welcome to my blog. It is generally said that health is wealth. This is very true because no individual can be said to be truly wealthy who does not have excellent health. One of the cheapest and simplest ways of maintaining good health is through a careful choice of what we eat and drink. This blog shall be highlighting relevant issues that relate to diseases/sicknesses as well as nutritional means of avoiding ill-health. Once again, you are welcome