Cherry’s many benefits

The African star apple, popularly called Cherry, is in full bloom. You can see the fruits on sale on the highways, at roadsides, markets and with hawkers, especially in Lagos, Ibadan, Benin and Ilorin. Cherry, botanically called Chrysophyllum albidum, belongs to the family of sapoteacea. It is a tropical fruit mainly distributed in the low land rain forest zones. It is found in villages. It is popularly called Udara in Igbo, Agbalumo in Yoruba, and Otien in Edo. The arrangement of the seeds is in form of asterisks and the name star apple was coined from this. The chemical compositions include tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, proteins, carbohydrates and resins. These are excellent in treating diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases and drug resistant bacteria.

Not only that, director of Pax Herbal Clinic and Research Laboratories, Ewu, Edo State, Father Anselm Adodo said cherry is among the healthiest fruits available and these fruits are good remedies for sore-throat, tooth-ache, constipation, and much more. “Cherry is a good source of calcium providing about 10 per cent of the amount needed by the body. Calcium lends strength to the bones and teeth and it may also lessen symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Cherry is highly recommended for pregnant women because it reduces salivation and is one of the best natural sources of Vitamin A and C. In fact, the Vitamin C found in the pulp of cherry is said to be higher than the ascorbic content of Orange and guava,” he stated.

Father Adodo said Cherry is a fruit that is difficult to ignore because, “While many find the taste not so pleasant, some find the sticky nature of the inner pulp of the fruit unattractive. It is difficult to predict the taste of the cherry fruit until you actually taste it. Unlike fruits like banana, Mango and cashew which taste one can predict- cherry could be sour, sweet or in-between sour and sweet”.

The health benefits of cherry are what make it difficult to ignore. Compared with other fruits, cherry is among the healthiest fruits available. The fruit also provides calories which make the fruit a good snack. The fruit has antioxidant properties which give the body a better chance of fighting and avoiding heart disease and cancer. The fruit contains fiber which aids digestion and it is also ideal for weight watchers,” he stated.

While most people seem to be interested only in the cherry fruit, all other parts of the plant are in fact very useful. Father Adodo said, “The leaves contain hypoglycemic (lowering blood sugar) properties and anti-platelet activities. The stem can be used as chewing stick as it contains anti-bacterial properties and is a natural remedy for tooth ache, constipation and indigestion. Remember to swallow your spit when using the stem as chewing stick. The roots and barks when boiled are excellent remedies for cough, yellow fever, high blood pressure and Diabetes. An infusion of the leaves can be used to wash wounds as an antiseptic, and as remedies for diarrhea, and constipation.”

That is not all, if you are obese or attempting a weight loss, you can also switch to Cherry and Father Adodo explained why, “In this age when many people are struggling with of obesity, cherry is a good fruit to have around. The fruit is excellent for maintaining a healthy metabolism, and therefore good for losing weight. It is unfortunate that after eating the pulp of the cherry fruit we always throw away the skin. The cherry skin is in fact one of the most medicinal part of the cherry plant. I recommend chopping the skin into pieces and then blend a handful in half liter of water. This is one of the best preparations for weight loss and for diabetes. Blending the skin gives you access to the full benefits of the fiber and you will be amazed at the burst of energy you will feel after drinking the solution.”

As all is enjoying the benefits derivable from Cherry, there is a worry on its extinction and father Adodo puts it in perspective, “It is worthy of note that the African star apple is one of the endangered plants in Nigeria and Africa. While many of us eat cherry and value its health benefits, we don’t seem to care about the cultivation of this wonderful plant. People are busy harvesting cherry from the wild and there is hardly any interest in cultivation of the plant. The implication is that there will be less and less African star apple plant available and eventually we may wake up one day to find that our precious cherry is no more available to purchase.”

And its large cultivation can also add to gross domestic income, as he explained, “In this era of unemployment, government needs to encourage Nigerian youths to appreciate the wealth generating potentials of agribusiness. I call it agribusiness because it is not just about subsistence farming but cultivating cash crops to generate wealth. The ministry of Agriculture in every state of the federation should initiate public enlightenment campaigns to encourage agribusiness. The drop in oil revenue may well be an excellent opportunity for us to explore alternative sources of income and development,”

Okotie’s ex-wife Stephanie goes calm

Fame is often described as a vapor, which may soon fade away. But the only thing that endures is character. Stephanie Henshaw understands this more than many of her colleagues and has chosen the path of serenity and tranquility over fame. Not only has she gone calm, Stephanie has adopted a quiet way of life, choosing to embrace calmness over fame and popularity. Ever since her celebrated marriage to Pastor Chris Okotie crashed four years ago, Stephanie Henshaw has ceased to appear frequently in public. While she works very hard, the stylish entrepreneur ensures she plays hard also. And for her, relaxation time might constitute attending social events.

But those who are familiar with the routine of the beautiful mother of three would have noticed that she likes to step out in company with her daughter, Stephanie, as well as Richard Mofe Damijo and his wife, Jumobi. Spotted at a recent event, she looked very chic in a black floor-length evening dress. As expected, she received many admiring glances from the host and invited guests.

Raw milk not good for your consumption. Beware!!

Frying or cooking locally-processed cheese before eating and avoiding the intake of raw and locally-made milk would reduce the risk of either or both microbial and organic contamination.

Dr. Eniola Fabusoro of the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, College of Agricultural Management and Rural Development (COLAMRUD), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), disclosed this while explaining his research findings on Consumers Perception of Microbial and Organic Contamination of Milk, locally produced by Fulani pastoralists, whom he had worked with for the past 10 years.

According to Dr. Fabusoro, his team members made their observation based on the previous study and their experiences that Fulani milk and cheese, popularly known as Nunu and Wara are usually processed under unhygienic environment. He noted that milk and cheese, which are common food items in both urban and rural Nigeria, are the major sources of livelihood for the Fulani women, who generate the sum of between N600 and N700 daily. This, he added, was more than the World Bank poverty line of $2 per day, as of the time of the study. Normally, this income helped in taking care of their households and assisting their children. He also found out that the cows were usually milked everyday around 6am by the men, while the women processed them around 8am as well as between 8.30am and 9am, when the product is ready for sale.

Dr. Fabusoro, who is also the Acting Head, Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, disclosed that his team tried to find out if the consumers were aware that the milk and cheese they were consuming were contaminated as established by the previous studies such as those of Omotayo et al (2005). He asked, if the people were aware, why are they still consuming them? He added that they decided to look at the Concept of  Health Belief of different people and they found out that some continue to consume the items because of economic reasons. To some, it is their only affordable source of protein, To some, they have been taking them for years and have not experienced any health-related problems after consumption, adding that the consumers have low knowledge of the health risk associated with the continuous consumption of contaminated food.

The university don said that their study went further to determine bacteria contamination in milk and cheese, determination of heavy metal contamination in milk and cheese, determination of phthalate esters in cheese, consumers perception of safety of the milk and cheese plus their health beliefs.

According to the researcher, they looked at the contamination level, the extent of the microbial and bacterial contamination, heavy metals and phthalate, He said phthalate are esters of phthalic acid and are mainly used as plasticisers (substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity). He added that they are organic substances, which if injected at a certain level to human body, could cause cancer. So, they checked to see if phthalate had entered the cheese as a result of increase in temperature from the sun since they are packed in nylon, put in a plastic and hawked under the sun. Dr. Fabusoro further disclosed that after they tested the Wara, they found out that phthalate had entered into it, adding that heavy metals, which are substances that can be taken from the soil by the cattle when they are grazing in a farm, spread with chemicals for pest control, the residue of these chemicals in the soil might enter the plant and when eaten by the cattle, it will go into their blood streams and pass into the milk. When they tested the Wara, they found out that they were contaminated with heavy metals like Cadmium, Chromium, Nickel, Lead, Copper and Zinc. Three bacterial were seen, out of the six that were investigated, the three are Escherichia coli, Coliform bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus.

The researcher said that after analysing their findings, they were in a dilemma since they found out that Wara and pastoral milk prepared by Fulani women were not fit for human consumption, because of the high level of contaminations by heavy metals, bacteria and phthalate esters. Yet, these products were the main source of income for the women.

He added that these contaminations have grievous implications on public health. Though the perception of the consumers is favourable to the continued consumption of the products, the risk factor for public nutrition and health should be of concern to policy makers and development experts in Nigeria. He noted that continued consumption implies low knowledge of food safety issues among consumers, adding that reducing the level of contaminations in pastoral milk and cheese should be of high priority to government and development experts as the livelihoods of Fulani women depended on it. He noted that it will be important to ensure a balance between public health issues and livelihoods security of pastoral Fulani.

The researcher added that the major challenges he encountered were getting to know that there were other contaminants  apart from bacterial contamination, identifying the level of contamination and why people were still consuming it. He further noted that the research was of great benefit to the economy because when you empower a woman, they will cater for the children and the entire household, noting that improved processing of these products would promote food security and Gross Domestic Product of the country.

He called on government agencies, extension organisations, research institutes and development partners to invest in trainings, seminars and workshops for the general public and Fulani pastoralists on food safety awareness and attitudinal change towards contaminated food substances, adding that the capacity of Fulanis should be developed to carry out food safety practices during milking and processing.

Dr. Fabusoro also called on the government to assist in improving the technology base of processing these products so that the Fulanis will be able to process their milk, free of contamination, which would give the products more commercial value, safer for consumption by providing enough income for their upkeep. He also suggested that more studies should be done to identify critical points like the grazing point, milking point, processing point and storage point, adding that more permanent schools should be built for them so that their children would be better informed and educated.

Will Mikel's new fate see him through as he decides?

Nigerian international, John Obi Mikel is not willing to negotiate any new deal with Chelsea until the end of the season, according to Metro.co.uk. The 28-year-old was confined to the bench by former manager, Jose Mourinho as the Portuguese preferred Serbian Nemanja Vidic and former Arsenal Captain Cesc Fabregas as his midfield combo. But after a horrendous start to the 2015/16 season, Mourinho was sacked and Guus Hiddink came into the saddle and like fine wine Mikel blossomed under the Dutchman displaying Matic from the starting line-up which has seen the Blues go unbeaten in the premier league this year.

Now, the talk of Mikel leaving Stamford Bridge in the previous two transfer windows has turned into a desperate attempt from the club to keep the new fans favorites but his agent said any talk of contract renewal must wait until the end of the current campaign. ‘Chelsea have approached him for an extension,’ his agent explained. ‘But he said after the season he’ll decide. ‘He has many teams interested – almost three clubs in China want him.’ Mikel joined Chelsea in 2006 and his current contract at Stamford Bridge expires in 2017.

No more sponsorship for pilgrims to Mecca, Jerusalem

Lagos State Government Thursday said it will no longer sponsor Muslims or Christians pilgrims who embark on pilgrimages to Mecca in Saudi Arabia or Jerusalem in Israel, saying it was not a responsible way to spend tax payers’ money.

Commissioner for Home Affairs in the State, Hon. Abdulateef Abdulhakeem, who disclosed this when members of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Home Affairs, led by Hon. Olayiwola Olawale, paid a visit to the ministry in furtherance of their oversight function, said the government decided to ban the sponsorship because it amounts to injustice for certain individuals to continue to benefit from the government to the detriment of other numerous members of the society.

Abdulhakeem said, “Part of our mandate is the supervision of the Pilgrims Welfare Board. Recently the governor and the state executive council approved a policy for the state to stop sponsorship of pilgrimages and that is line with the policy thrust of the government and what the State House of Assembly also speaks to.

“In this day and time when we are talking about paucity of funds coupled with inhibiting challenges that the government has to take care of. We can no-longer afford to spend the sum of one million on one single individual to go on pilgrimage when the scripture did not compel anyone to do so.
“So it is most irresponsible way of spending tax payer’s money. That is why the government has taken a solid decision that we will be accountable and responsible for every kobo that the tax payers pay to the government. It is an injustice for the government to be spending millions on group of people when millions of Lagosians are yearning for government’s attention.”

He said state government has commenced the process of gathering data of religious organizations and their locations in the state to be able to set standards give orientation and provide security for them.

According to him, there is a symbiotic relationship between the executive and the legislative arms of government in the state, while thanking the Assembly for the quick passage of the 2016 Budget.

“Your resolution is a compulsion it is not advisory. Even your motion that Mile 12 Market should be relocated to another area is being considered by the state government. The Ministry of Home Affairs has been restructured and some of its duties have been given to other MDAs.

Responding to the development, Chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Home Affairs, Hon. Olayiwola Olawale, said the decision was laudable, saying the Assembly was ready to back it with the necessary legislation.

He said the visit of the committee to the ministry was homecoming, adding that the commissioner was a man of integrity and that the committee would work hand-in-hand with the ministry.