Betel Nut And Your Health

                                 

                                                      Betel nuts


The name betel comes from the betel-pepper plant. Though the nut and the betel – pepper plant are unrelated but the name was derived from the betel –pepper plant because betel chewers usually wrap a piece of areca fruit in betel – pepper leaf, together with a little mineral lime.

Therefore, betel nut is actually the tropical, fleshly fruit of the areca palm (betel palm), usually found in the Southeast Asia and the pacific.

Health hazards of chewing betel nut

The lime promotes the release of alkaloid stimulant which can make chewers  wanting to chew more and more of the nuts thus making chewing of betel nuts their second nature.

Many chewers spit repeatedly because spices, tobacco or sweetness are usually added in the preparation to make the taste better. This makes the color to be blood –red, stimulates the production of saliva and this result to frequent spitting.

Consistent chewing of betel nut can give the teeth a brownish – red staining. It can also result to various mouth disease such as oral submucous fibrosis and gum disease.

                                           

                            Betel nut chewer with stained tooth                      Betel nuts

                                                                Image from Google search

Chronic betel nut chewing can lead to serious medication complications such mouth cancer known as oral squamous cell carcinoma and cardiovascular disease.

Chewing betel nut can disrupt or damage the DNA of an unborn baby. Therefore, pregnant women should avoid the chewing of betel nut so as not to disrupt the development of the fetus.

Chronic chewer of betel nut usually exhibit such cholinergic (altering of the state and function of the central nervous system and the neurotransmitters) symptoms such as sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, frequent salivation, excessive tearing etc.

Habitual chewing of betel nut can result to side effects such as excessive heart beat, anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia etc.

Since those fond of chewing betel nut do so because of one reason or the other, betel nut definitely have it own benefits, health wise or not.

The habitual chewer will give one or more health benefits for the reason why they are chewing it. But the fact is that such claim by chewers cannot be scientifically or medically proved. Research also shows that the health hazards of chewing betel nut far outweigh any associated benefits.

What the news says about betel nut

“World wide, betel nut sales bring in billions of dollars”.

“The highest population of betel nut chewer is found in the East Africa, Pakistan, India, Southeast Asia, Papua new Guinea and Micronesia and they are about 10% of the world’s population.”

“Users often consider it harmless and report a sense of well – being and a warm sensation of the body …. Evidence has shown, however, that it is far from harmless“. – Oral Health 

“Papua New Guinea’s favorite chew, the betel nut, is killing at least 2000 people a year and is responsible for many health problems, according to the PNG Medical Society”. – Papua New Guinea’s post – courier.

“Taiwan’s rate of oral cancer – one of the Island’s top 10 causes of death – has nearly quadrupled in the past 40 years”. – The China post


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About Diabetes Mellitus

The term " diabetes mellitus " was derived from the Greek word meaning " to siphon " and a Latin word which means " sweet like honey." For water passes through the person that has diabetes as if it were being siphoned from the mouth through the urinary tract and right out of the body and the urine is sweet with sugar.

The traditional method of testing for diabetes is to pour a patient's urine near an anthill. The urine will be filled with insects if sugar were presence.

In 2003, it was projected that the number of diabetes patients will doubled the then estimated 140 million patients world wide by the year 2025. Diabetes has been dubbed the silent killer because the symptoms often goes unrecognized as the person can have the illness a long time before it will be diagnosed.

 People don't die directly from diabetes rather most die from complications caused by diabetes such as pheripheral artery disease, nerve damage, stroke, heart disease, poor kidney function, eye disease ( retinopathy ) etc. Therefore, people with diabetes must take proper care of their body by adhering to doctors prescription and guidance.

But one thing people with diabetes should know is that it will not pose such harm - if they early recognize the seriousness of the disorder and submit to a program of treatment.

Diabetes and the young 

Diabetes is increasing among the youths at an alarming rate and this is caused by

1. Increased reliance on foods consumed outside the home

 2. Lack of physical exercise

3. Skipping of breakfast especially when going to school

4. And ultimately increased consumption of soft drinks, beers and fast foods.

How to control diabetes

In most cases diabetes cannot be reverted but it can be properly controlled and many patients who controlled their illness very well lived more than 50 years after their diagnosis.

Exercise

Diabetes can be genetically inherited. However, eating a balance diet combined with regular exercise can help to prevent the occurrence of the sickness even in genetically susceptible people. One research recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activities such as walking on most if not all days of the week especially among women. It is highly important for diabetes patients to be careful when doing exercise to prevent self-injured. Vigorous exercise that can damage the vascular system and nerve should also be avoided.  

Avoid fat and sugar

Everybody, both diabetic and non-diabetic patients should avoid consumption of fat. Excess fat in the midriff seems to pose more danger than fat on the hips. Foods rich in sugar should be directly avoided.

Oral medication

Oral medication include drugs that stimulate the production of insulin by the pancreas, slow down the increase of blood sugar or lower insulin resistance. Insulin cannot be taken orally as digestion breaks it ( being a protein ) down before it reaches the blood stream that is why insulin is taken as injection for now.  

Don't smoke

95% of diabetes-related amputations involve smokers for smoking damages the heart and circulatory system, and narrows the blood vessels.

Insulin therapy

Most diabetes patients don't like to use insulin because it is taken as injection amid other reasons. But it is vital to know that controlling diabetes should be the priority as this will reduce the risk of developing complications.
More advanced methods of insulin injection include the use of automatic injectors      that shot a needle into the skin painlessly, others are jet injectors

and infusers

that use a catheter that stays in place for some days. Another device is the insulin pump


              which is a programmable device that dispenses insulin through a catheter at a steady rate according to the body needs.  



Prepare for emergency

 It is recommended that people with diabetes should always have an identification card which indicate their diabetic status in case of emergency.  

Support from others

People with diabetes need the support of everyone around which includes family members, friends and colleagues. Family members in particular, should learn about diabetes. They should know how to read the mood, body weight, reactions and general appearance of a diabetic members of the family to know when there is a sugar signal. The patients also should keep learning about diabetes from journals, books, blogs like this one you are reading, health programs on radio and television and keep learning about your mood and appearances.

 Best practice to manage diabetes 

The best methods to manage diabetes is through proper diet and exercise. Some sufferers with type 2 diabetes has discontinue taken insulin therapy through restricted diet and good routine exercise.

Following your doctor prescribed diet and drug can help you to control your blood sugar. Know that there is no better way to control your blood sugar than proper diet, exercise along with regular intake of medicine.

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4 things you should know about cancer

4 things you should know about cancer

1. The word ' cancer ' refers to abnormal growth of some cells in the body which later become destructive to the affected body organ. One dictionary define it as a serious disease in which growth of cells, also called cancers, form in the body and kill normal body cells.





                                                             picture of a cancer cell

2. What are the primary cause of cancer? 
 Cancers are caused by many factors which include

A. Hereditary
Some cancers are hereditary in nature while some are not. Example of hereditary cancer is breast cancer. About 10% of breast cancer run in the families. Which means that if a mother or relatives had breast cancer there is 10% probability that someone related by blood may develop breast cancer in due course. However, 90% of breast cancer cases is not hereditary.
A typical example of non hereditary cancer is cervical cancer.

B. Generator fumes
It is scientifically proven that long exposure to generator fumes can lead to cancer. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid consistent exposure or inhalation of generator fumes as constant inhalation lead to changes in cells located in the lungs which lead to lung cancer.

C. Diet
Cancers caused by diet are more common among the rich because it is usually associated with diets with high fats. Therefore, it is advisable to reduce the intake of high fat diets along with junk food.

D. Smoking
Smokers will never agree with you that smoking could cause lung cancer. Some of them will be giving an example of an old man they know who is still alive despite that he is a chronic smoker. But it is
important to know that many factors determine whether a smoker will develop cancer or not. Some of the factors are : years of smoking before people develop cancer varies from one person to another, number
of sticks smoke per day, the gap between the smoking of each stick, the diet of the smokers, the type and quality of cigarette and the one I count as the most important is that the immune system of smokers
which differ from one another. Therefore, what can easily affect someone may not affect or take longer time to affect another.

                                                    smoking increase the risk of lung cancer

passive smokers
If you are not a smoker, you are also at risk if you are around those that smoke. Passive smokers such
As wives, friends and children of smokers can easily develop lung cancer than non passive smokers.
Wherefore, it is advisable not to stay around smokers. Don't allow smokers to smoke in your house or office. If your neighbor smokes and the fumes always reach you, tell him/her to change and report him to the police if he doesn't. The law prohibit smokers from smoking in public places. I could remember one day when one of my colleague was smoking. An elderly person who was passing by and who was once a smoker stopped and gave an illustration about how smoking can cause lung cancer. The elderly man took out a white handkerchief, collected the cigarette from my colleague, wrapped the handkerchief around the base of the stick, put it in my colleague mouth and told him to smoke. He took it back and showed us how the part of the handkerchief that serve as a sieve between the cigarette and the mouth had been darkened by the
fumes from the cigarette. He now said " with every smoke that is how your lung become darkened with fumes and this is what result into lung cancer."
He thought us a lesson I can never forget.

E. Other causes
Other causes of cancer are infectious such as in liver, bladder and cervical cancer. The infections are caused by enviromental degradation and exposure to ionizing radiation etc.

3. Prevention and cure for cancers
Chemotherapy
This is the use of drugs to confine and kill the cancer cells. It is significantly effective in the treatment of blood cancer.

Surgery
This is usually common and is the process of using surgical operation to eliminate and cure the cancerous cell

Radiotherapy is another method of treating cancer

Avoid constant eating of smoked fish and meat
My biological teacher once advised that it is better to avoid the habit of eating too much smoked fish and meat. He said the black color of smoked fishes and meats is carbon monoxide, which is the smoke from the fire and carbon monoxide is cancerous in nature. So, consistent eating of smoked fishes and meats could mean consistent intake of carbon monoxide

The use of hepatitis B vaccine can greatly prevent the development of liver cancer

Early screening and regular check up

Early screening and regular checkup are the best cure for cancer. This will lead to early detection of the cancer before it spread to other organs of the body.

4. Hope for cancer patients

All in all, there is hope for cancer patients because the rate of cancer death has been reduced to the barest minimum in medically advanced countries, especially in the USA.
Research is also ongoing on how to totally eliminate the deadly harm of this scourge called cancer.


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About diabetes mellitus