top ad
Home Blog Page 116

LIFESTYLE: Is Palm oil as good as Coconut oil?

0
Photo credit: live science

Coconut and palm oil are both edible, vegetable oils derived from palm fruits are also widely used in personal care.
Depending on the level of processing and type of the oil, the nutritional composition may vary.

Macronutrients and Calories
Edible oils are overall not very diverse in nutrients. Coconut oil contains very little water, while palm oil is completely absent in water.
Coconut and palm oil have equal serving sizes: one tablespoon of oil weighting 13.6g.

Calories
Vegetable oils are very high in calories. Coconut and palm oil contain similar amounts of calories, however, coconut oil is a little higher.
One serving size of coconut oil contains 121 calories, while palm oil has 120.

Fats
Edible oils consist mostly of fats. Coconut oil consists of 99% fats, whereas palm oil is nearly 100% fat. A serving size of coconut oil contains 13.5g of fats.
The fat in coconut oil consists of 91% saturated fatty acids. Next by portion is monounsaturated fat, and last, polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Palm oil contains a lot more of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, however, saturated fat still makes up the majority.
The fat composition changes for partially hydrogenated oils, as poly- and monounsaturated fats turn into saturated fat.

Protein and Carbohydrates
Coconut and palm oil contain no protein or carbohydrates.

Vitamins
Both oils contain only two vitamins: Vitamin K and vitamin E. Palm oil is much richer in both of these

Minerals
Coconut and palm oil contain only trace amounts of minerals as well. However, coconut oil is higher in iron and choline compared to palm oil. It also contains small amounts of zinc and calcium, whereas palm oil does not.

Glycemic Index
As both coconut oil and palm oil contain no carbohydrates, their glycemic indices are equal to 0.

Acidity
Raw coconut is alkaline, however, through heating and further processing coconut oil becomes acidic with an average pH of 3.5 to 5.5.

Palm oil is also slightly acidic with a pH value of 6.34 on average.

Another way to look at the acidity of a food is by looking at the potential renal acid load (PRAL), which shows the capacity of the food to produce bases or acids.

The PRAL value for both coconut oil and palm oil is 0, making these oils neutral.

WEIGHT LOSS
Both coconut and palm oil are very high in calories, due to their high fat content. One tablespoon of these oils contains around 120 calories.

Despite its high caloric value, coconut oil is often claimed to aid weight loss. Most research doesn’t support the idea that coconut oil can lead to weight loss when used on it’s own. Coconut oil could increase high density lipoproteins and decrease the total cholesterol/ high density lipoprotein ratio in men with obesity, when used as a part of a low calorie, balanced diet. However, many studies have concluded that there is not enough consistent evidence that coconut oil has beneficial effects on energy metabolism, satiety or weight loss.

Studies on the association between palm oil consumption and weight loss have not achieved significant results as well. There is also insufficient evidence to claim palm oil’s superior qualities over other vegetable oils in obesity management.

HEALTH IMPACT
In this section, we will discuss what effects coconut oil and palm oil have on human health and how these effects compare to each other.

Health Benefits
Cardiovascular Health
One meta analysis concluded that although coconut oil increases high density lipoproteins (also known as “good” cholesterol), that effect was not enough to make up for the negative effects caused by coconut oil’s property of raising low density lipoproteins (“bad” cholesterol). In contrast to this, another study found that daily consumption of moderate amounts of coconut oil raises high density lipoproteins and shows no significant harmful side effects.

Coconut oil also significantly increased total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations compared with palm oil, as well as other vegetable oils, due to the high saturated fat content.

However, in comparison to animal oils, coconut oil demonstrated more favourable changes in blood lipid profile, lowering low density lipoproteins. Virgin coconut oil performed the best results.

Some research, carried out on animals, has concluded that coconut oil is associated with an improvement in antioxidant activity, lipid profile, blood pressure, blood sugar and abdominal body fat. These effects still have to be studied in humans.

Meta analyses on the topic of palm oil consumption have concluded that it does not have incremental risks for cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular disease related mortality.

Diabetes
Multiple studies have found that coconut oil, especially virgin coconut oil, may ameliorate lipid profiles in diabetes mellitus type 2, as well as support normal glucose homeostasis and modulate the immune response. Virgin coconut oil may also be used as a functional food to prevent the development of diet-induced insulin resistance and associated complications, potentially due to its antioxidant qualities.

Some studies show that substitution with red palm oil as an antioxidant may reduce blood glucose in diabetic patients. However, others have not found significant effects of palm oil on biomarkers of glucose metabolism.

Cancer
Coconut oil has expressed antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic responses in tumor cells. Virgin coconut oil, as well as processed and fractionated coconut oil, have shown anticancer activities, especially against liver and oral cancer. Moreover, virgin coconut oil consumption during chemotherapy may also improve quality of life for breast cancer patients.

As for palm oil consumption and cancer correlation, there is no evidence associating palm oil intake and a higher risk of cancer, incidence or mortality in humans.

Downsides and Risks
Cardiovascular Health
American Heart Association has found that due to high saturated fats, coconut oil raises low density lipoproteins, which can pose a risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (9).

The use of repeatedly heated palm oil, as well as other oils, is also a predisposing factor of atherosclerosis and the consequent cardiovascular issues.

Environmental Issues
The widespread palm oil production can cause environmental hazards that negatively affect not only nature but also our health. Large-scale palm oil production leads to deforestation, not only destroying the habitats of endangered species, but also leading to an increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, further contributing to climate change.

SUMMARY
In summary, coconut oil and palm oil are both high calorie foods, consisting mostly of fats. Coconut oil is a little higher in calories, while palm oil contains a little more fats. Both completely lack protein and carbohydrates and are low in micronutrients. However, coconut oil is relatively richer in minerals, whilst palm oil contains more vitamin E and vitamin K.

Research suggests that palm oil is a healthier choice than coconut oil when it comes to cardiovascular health, due to a lower saturated fat content. Both can have positive effects for people with diabetes type 2.

Overall, these oils can be healthy when used in moderation and as part of a healthy diet.
Source: foodstruct.com

Ad article

More than beans: Nestle recycles cocoa fruit waste to replace sugar in chocolate

0

As confectionery groups scramble to reduce added sugar, chocolate sweetened with cocoa fruit pulp is about to hit supermarket shelves with food giant Nestle ready to launch its “Incoa” bar.

Using cocoa fruit pulp, which is normally discarded, to flavour products reduces sugar and cuts food waste while boosting the income of cocoa farmers who can “upcycle” their cocoa by selling both the pulp and the beans.

That ticks several boxes with health- and environmentally-conscious consumers.

“This is a big launch, we give it to all the customers who want it and don’t limit supplies,” Alexander von Maillot, Nestle’s global head of confectionery, told Reuters this week.

The company is launching Incoa, which has no added sugar, in supermarkets in France and the Netherlands with other European markets to follow.

Nestle is sourcing the raw material from cocoa farms in Brazil but also working with partners in West Africa to see if pulp production could work there. Von Maillot said cocoa farmers could boost their income by 20-40% if they also sold the pulp.

Lamine Keita, a cocoa farmer in Duekoue, Ivory Coast, said he hadn’t yet been asked to sell cocoa fruit pulp. “If we can sell more than the beans to increase our income, that’s all we can ask for because beans alone are not enough to get us out of poverty,” he said.

Jerome Koffi, who cultivates cocoa on four hectares of land in Soubre, also said he’d gladly sell more, but at the moment there was only demand for beans.

Fruit pulp doesn’t come cheap – Incoa bars on Dutch retailer Albert Heijn’s website cost about 50% more than other dark chocolates. But Von Maillot said although the cost meant pulp was not suitable for replacing sugar in mainstream products, there may be other uses for cocoa fruit chocolate, for example in baking.

UPCYCLING TREND
Lindt & Spruengli and Germany’s Ritter Sport have also launched limited editions of cocoa fruit chocolate which sold out quickly. Both said they planned to launch the products on a larger scale once enough cocoa fruit was available.

Swiss chocolate maker Felchlin’s cocoa fruit preparation found its way into macarons and truffles that high-end chocolatier Spruengli – unrelated to Lindt – called a “world novelty”.

Lindt and Felchlin source cocoa fruit pulp from Swiss-Ghanaian startup Koa https://koa-impact.com, which uses solar-powered mobile units to process fresh pulp from 1,600 small farmers. Koa is able to process 250 tonnes a year but wants to increase its capacity 10 fold within the next two years.

Industry major Barry Callebaut, meanwhile, is getting ready to supply its WholeFruit Chocolate to chefs and artisans. It has also set up a dedicated brand, Cabosse Naturals, to sell cocoa fruit ingredients to customers like Mondelez International to use in fruity snacks.

The Upcycled Food Association said commercializing cocoa fruit worldwide could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 20 million tonnes per year. It defines “upcycling” as using food ingredients that humans wouldn’t consume, with verifiable supply chains and a positive environmental impact.

Brigette Wolf, head of Mondelez’s SnackFutures, said upcycling appealed to those who want to “make an impact” with their food choices.

The company plans to have three varieties of CaPao Cacaofruit Fruit Bites on sale this year, in more than 2,000 stores by the end of 2021 or early 2022.

AFRICAN TASTES
Commodities specialist Tedd George said extracting additional value from the crop could boost West Africa’s cocoa sector because current incentives were only focused on growing and selling more beans.

“There’s an opportunity for new products made from cocoa fruits to also be health products and that changes the game for the value you can get out of them,” he said, citing health benefits associated with dark chocolate.

Nestle has been repositioning itself as a health and wellbeing company, reducing sugar in its products, and has also set sustainability targets including cocoa.

George said the launch of cocoa fruit products didn’t address fundamental issues like child labour or deforestation but could fuel investment and drive change in cocoa-producing communities.

He said companies should also develop cocoa products for African tastes. “If there was also local demand for cocoa that would boost farmers’ pricing power.”

Ad article

LIFESTYLE: The amazing medicinal benefits of cassava leaves that need to be known.

0

Cassava is a plant that possesses an adequate amount of calories. In comparison to the flesh, cassava leaves are more beneficial. Along with the good taste, it also possesses various health benefits. Cassava leaves contain vitamins, proteins, minerals, and essential amino acids. The protein found in cassava leave helps to form body cells and constituent the enzyme system.

The availability of amino acids helps to modify the energy into carbohydrates. Amino acids help to recover skin wounds, helps us with a good memory, bone health, and the body’s metabolic system. The chlorophyll found in the leaves provides anticancer and antioxidant properties.

Health Benefits of Cassava Leaf
Cassava leaves are lower in calories. It provides the satiety effect. The cassava leaves assists in digestion and helps to overcome constipation. It also helps to relieve headaches, cold medicine, worms, rheumatism, ulcers, diarrhea, and enhance stamina. The various health benefits of cassava leaves are as follows:

Good for Pregnant women
The presence of high iron content in cassava leaves helps pregnant women to avoid anemia. The cassava leaves have a high amount of folate and Vitamin C. Due to the bland taste of cassava leaves, it should be cooked with vegetables or meat by chopping.

Helps to fight Kwashiorkor
The leaves of cassava are rich in lysine protein which helps to fight against the kwashiorkor which is caused due to protein deficiency. The leaves and tuber should be cooked and washed properly before eating because the presence of cyanogenic glucosides leads to cyanide poisoning and eyesight loss.

Treating fever and headache
The three pieces of cassava leaves should be finely ground. This helps to relieve the fever and headaches. In other methods, the root and leaves should be boiled by adding 80 grams of the stem, 400 grams of cassava leaves, and a liter of water. It should be heated till the water is reduced to half and then let cool down.

Treating diarrhea
Boil 7 cassava leaves in 4 cups of water till the 2 cups remain. This liquid should drink two times a day to cure diarrhea. By another method, a liter of water should be boiled and took off the heat. The freshly picked 10 cassava leaves should be made a paste in a mortar and pestle. It should be dropped in the hot water and cover. It should be steep overnight. This liquid should drink by straining the leaves in the morning. The rest liquid should be store in the fridge. It can be kept for three days.

Blurred eye view
The cassava leaves should be boiled with garlic and salt and this should be consumed as a salad with rice. The daily consumption of cassava leaves concoction also helps to treat blurred eyesight.

Increase Appetite
The boiled cassava leaves with garlic and salt should be consumed with tomato sauce and rice. The parts of cassava such as stems and tubers are also considered as traditional medicine. The cassava leaves help to restore the appetite. The concoction of cassava leaves with the ginger should drink every morning after waking up.

Treating Arthritis
Boil 100 grams of cassava stem, 15 grams of ginger, and stem lemongrass with 1000 cc of water till the 400cc remains. It should be drinking as 200cc by filtering two times a day in the morning and afternoon.

Treating worms
Boil cassava bark in 3 cups of water till 1 cup remains. It should be filtered and drink at bedtime. It helps to destroy the worms in the stomach and maintains a healthy body. The experiment performed on the young goats reports that the consumption of cassava leaves helps to reduce nematodes infestation. To eliminate this problem, either the cassava supplement or paste of cassava leaves could be consumed.

Taxable wound heat
The juice of cassava should be squeeze or shredded and apply the starch on the wound as an ointment.

Prevent premature aging
Sure, many people normally have reservations when it comes to plastic surgery or Botox injections; in some cases, they may consider this process harmful, but that is far away from the truth, especially when you have a professional such as Theunissen Aesthetic Plastic Surgery of Baton Rouge carry out the procedure.
Either way, cassava can also prevent pre-mature aging, though it’s a long-term process and not as effective as surgery.

Treating stroke
The study which has been conducted by experts shows that the cassava leaves helps to treat stroke because the cassava leaves possess isoflavone which is an effective substance.

Increase endurance
The presence of high vitamin C helps to enhance endurance. The consumption of cassava leaves helps to maintain personal hygiene by eliminating various diseases.

Increase stamina
Blend 25 grams of kencur, 100 grams of cassava, and 5 points of angco seed with enough water which helps to boost stamina.

Help treat rheumatic diseases
Cassava leaves possess a high amount of magnesium which helps to lower the blood pressure level and eliminates the risk of rheumatic diseases. It could be prepared by boiling 150 grams of cassava leaves, 15 grams of ginger root, some lemongrass, and salt. It should be boiled till it is about 400 ccs. The daily consumption of this liquid prevents rheumatic diseases.

Heals wounds
The presence of various nutrients helps to heal the injuries fast. In the little amount of Aloe Vera gel, add some crushed cassava leaves and make a paste. This paste should be applied to the wound.

Strengthens immunity
The cassava leaves contain a huge amount of Vitamin C and folate which helps to boost the immune system. Vitamin C helps to destroy bacteria and viruses. The cassava leaves also help to maintain bone health. The antioxidant helps to eradicate the free radicals in the body. Folate helps to enhance cell production by assisting in the genetic material for life and avoid DNA mutations.

Ad article

5,000 people in Ghana supported to recover from the socio-economic effects of coronavirus.

0

The Coronavirus pandemic took a heavy toll on human lives and economic activity which has made the eradication of poverty and hunger impossible without urgent focused by the internal cooperatives’ effort directed at long-term development.

This was said by the partners during the launch of the Emergency Support to Rural Livelihoods and Food Systems exposed to Covid-19 at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture Information and Resource Centre in Accra.

“The coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis must drive home the message to all rich and poor that their destinies are tangled” Rukia Yacoub, World Food Programme Representative and Country Director in Ghana, told Representatives at the launch.

The Country Director mentioned that there is a need for a common plan and strategy for internal recovery and the survival and prosperity of all in the region.

Well-targeted social protection cushions the poor protect them from economic destitution and prevents the complete erosion of long-term gains in human development.

She added that they are providing cash transfers to protect the livelihoods, incomes, and resilience of 5,000 extremely vulnerable households in the poorest districts in the Northern, North East, Savannah, Upper East, and Upper West regions, from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and from climate change.

“The World Food Programme’s role is to support the implementation of the cash transfer component of this Emergency Support to Rural Livelihoods and Food Systems project which will provide US$ 1.5 million to 5,000 extremely vulnerable households. The World Food Programme itself has also contributed US$ 300,000 to this project. The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies, building prosperity, and supporting a sustainable future for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change” she said.

Emphasizing the profound economic damage that the pandemic is having on rural folks where poverty and hunger are on the rise, Mr. Robert Patrick Anokobiah, Acting Chief Director for the Ministry of Food and Agriculture said the challenges of the rural folks need new innovations within the agriculture value chain to provide good agricultural infrastructures across the country.

“Regional cooperation with development organizations was crucial for our struggle against the Covid-19 pandemic and it continues to be necessary so that together we can tackle the effects of the pandemic.

This project is targeting 25,000 households including youth, persons with a disability, and smallholder farmers between the ages of 18 to 35 with each person receiving about GH¢ 1000.

The government will continue focusing on technological solutions and innovative financing models” Mr. Anokobiah said.

According to the Partners, fighting growing global hunger and poverty needs to be addressed through global partnerships and greater long-term investments in the rural people who produce food for the world, but often are the poorest and hungriest.

“This initiative will enable the vulnerable to be better and able to build resilience against shocks such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

An estimated 63 percent of the world’s poor people work in agriculture, the overwhelming majority are rural smallholder farmers. While they produce much of the world’s food, they remain vulnerable to hunger and often struggle to make a decent living” they added.

Ad article

LIFESTYLE: Foods that weaken the immune system which needs to be avoided.

0

The immune system is the organs and processes of the body that provide resistance to infection and toxins. Organs include the thymus, bone marrow, and lymph nodes. As essential as the immune system is it needs to be taken good care of with good food nutrients.

There are some foods that weakened the immune system which needs to be avoided. These foods are;

Processed foods
Processed foods tend to contain unhealthy fats, sugars, and additives, which can improve taste, texture, and shelf life. These may weaken the immune system.

Some processed foods include:
Microwave meals
Breakfast cereals
Chips
Cakes and cookies

One 2017 study found that eating foods containing additives may lead to an increase in the risk of several immune conditions. The study looked at additives such as sucralose, aspartame, carboxymethylcellulose, polysorbate-80, sodium, and carrageenan.

The researchers point out that people who eat a diet that contains foods with additives are more likely to have obesity, immune inflammation, and insulin resistance.

Eating sugars and fats in processed foods can also lead to consuming too many calories, which can increase a person’s risk of obesity.

When a person has obesity, this leads to inflammation. This inflammation can lead to insulin resistance, cirrhosis, and liver failure, as well as immune system dysregulation.

Foods high in sugar
Consuming foods that are high in sugar may weaken the immune system.

Some foods that may be high in sugar include:
Preserves, marmalades, and confectionary
Cookies and cakes
Flavored milk and sweetened dairy products
Sugary breakfast cereals
Sugary drinks, such as soda
People with high sugar diets have a higher risk of several chronic conditions, including coronary heart disease and diabetes.

Also, eating a diet high in sugar may limit the immune system’s effectiveness in combating disease. It may do this by reducing the effectiveness of white blood cells and potentially by increasing inflammatory markers in the blood.

Refined carbohydrates
Processed foods and refined carbohydrates, such as white flour and refined sugar, are associated with increases in inflammation and oxidative stress, which can impact the immune system.

Some foods that contain refined carbohydrates include:
White rice
White bread
Refined sugar

Ad article

Agrihouse Foundation unveils market accessibility for women in agriculture.

0

Women form a greater proportion in Ghana’s agriculture value chain yet they struggle to get market accessibility for their produce. The advent and the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic have affected farming communities across the country, with women in agriculture being hit the hardest.

Upon seeking redress to this issue, Agrihouse Foundation has provided market accessibility for the women in the Agriculture value chain called AGROWOMAN MARKET PLACE.

“Our overall goal is to support women farmers and agribusinesses to recover fully, gain some stability, increase their income, enhance the nutrition of households and support the livelihoods of women farmers, by developing and providing them with a WOMEN-ONLY online and direct marketing platform, to sell and market their products and services basically at no cost,” Alberta Akyaa Akosa, the Executive Director of Agrichouse Foundation said.

Agrowoman marketplace is an innovative way of influencing food systems and market access for smallholders as it creates value for the agri-food chain.

According to her, contactless payments have become the norm amid the worldwide pandemic response, the platform when developed and rolled out would help farmers avoid physical contact with buyers and cash transactions as they sell their produce in direct compliance to social distancing which would reduce the spread of infections.

Speaking to Agric Today, Madam Alberta said the Foundation seeks to use the event to highlight, ‘International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste,’ commemorated annually on September 29, to highlight the critical need to reduce food loss and wastage around the world. She said there are two phases of the Agric-Women Market Place and they are Direct Market Place which would be held on the Last Friday of Every Month and the Digital/Online Market Place which would be an online marketplace, created by women, for women and managed by women.

“Agrihouse Foundation will be leading the commemoration of this day in the country, come September, as part of efforts to support Ghanaian women farmers and also, highlighting the issue of post-harvest losses, which is a big challenge in the agricultural sector”, she added.

She called on Ghanaians, and all stakeholders in the agricultural sector to mark the date on their calendars, and use it as an opportunity to push forward and support events and projects that scale up the efforts of Ghanaian women farmers, as they face intensified agricultural challenges in these times of COVID-19.

To cushion the women in market accessibility, the communication officer of Ghana Commodity Exchange, Madam Roselyn Siaw said the institution has provided market accessibility for the commodities that are listed on the exchange market.

“We have warehouses at Ejura, Bolgatanga, Wenchi, Kintampo, Tamale, Tumu, Sandema, etc. any farmer (woman) who has a product that has been listed on the exchange should store it at our warehouse after harvesting. Our warehouses are fumigated, cleaned, we dry and repackage the produce to meet the standards to appeal to the international market”, she explained.

Aside provision of the warehouse for the storage of farm produce, Mrs. Siaw said the institution has partnered with certain banks to give loans to farmers without any collateral. She noted that any farmer whose produce is at the warehouse is issued a receipt and when the receipt is submitted to the banks at the areas where the warehouses are situated loans would be granted to them.

She urged all women in the agriculture sector to take advantage of their products and services to grow and scale up their businesses.

Speaking to some of the women in agriculture at the event, Margaret Afriyie, a nurse and a farmer extolled Agrihouse Foundation for such a wonderful initiative to provide market access for the women in the agriculture sector.

She underscored how she combines her nursing work with farming. To her, she engages the community members in her farming business. “The community members are my backbone in the agribusiness, I cannot do without them. I make sure I involve them in all my activities, in fact, they are the main reason for the agribusiness”, she said

She challenged other women in agriculture to work sedulously irrespective of where they find themselves in the value chain to achieve their goals.

Ad article

Automobile company ‘recommended’ by MOFA disappears with farmers’ big cash.

0

Some farmers are in life-and-death grief in the Upper East Region as an automobile company said to have been officially recommended to them by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) is believed to have fled with some large amounts of cash they deposited individually to acquire subsidized tractors and other automobiles for farming purposes.

Amos Abane, one of the affected farmers, told Starr News he made a partial payment of GH¢36,200 in 2013 (8 years ago) to ADPL Auto Services for a 70-horsepower tractor valued at GH¢76,000. Then, he was assured that the tractor would be delivered in 3 months’ time as part of an agreement he had with the company.

His expectations grew into uncertainties as the company failed to keep its word. Anxious, he placed a complaint call to the company soon after the promised period had elapsed; but the firm, in response to that call, rather sought to dispatch a 50-horsepower tractor to him on the excuse that the price of the 70-horsepower brand he requested had been increased generally on the market.

“They said I should go for the tractor at the MOFA office in Bolgatanga. When I went there, it was a small one I met— 50 horsepower— not the 70 horsepower that I paid for. I called them again and told them the agreement was 70 horsepower and asked why they were giving me 50 horsepower without a trailer and a harrow.

“I asked them how much I was supposed to pay for the small one even if I would have to accept it like that. They told me it was the same cost as the 70 horsepower because inflation had made tractor prices go up. I said the 50 horsepower could not serve the purpose. Then, they said if I wanted the 70 horsepower, the price had gone up and that I should add Gh¢15,000 to the Gh¢76,000. I paid the extra Gh¢15,000 but the tractor never came,” Abane said.

He said he kept pressing for the tractor until the company finally came clean about its inability to provide the tractor and promised to return his money. Later, he received a letter from the company saying the promised refund would be made through a post-dated cheque in 6 months’ time. The cheque came through MOFA but it could not be processed when Abane took it to a branch of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) in the Upper East regional capital, Bolgatanga. The amount that was discovered in the company’s account at the bank at the time was just a little over GH¢36, according to him. He says the company does not answer telephone calls from him anymore since then— since 20th August 2015. The company “fails” to show up at High Court

Robert Ababil, another agro-businessman, suffered the same disappointment after he paid Gh¢17,500 to the same company to procure a subsidized Kia truck for a sachet water packaging business and for farming activities.

Ababil also complained to the company in a telephone call about the non-delivery of the long-paid-for truck and he, too, received a post-dated cheque from the company for a refund of his money. But, as it did happen to Abane at last, he, too, had his hopes dashed after the cheque “bounced back in his face” at the ADB’s branch in Bolgatanga. The amount of money he met in the company’s account could not even help him back home on a cheap public minibus if he withdrew it at the bank.

Frustrated, Ababil and Abane resorted to legal action. But they became even more depressed as the company reportedly remained evasive by failing to appear at the Bolgatanga High Court Two from the time the case began in 2015 up to a moment in 2016 that saw the two complainants suddenly decide on their own (out of increasing weariness) to stop appearing for the hearing.

“What I am going through is worse than what anyone can call challenges. I was selling cement and I put all the money I had from that cement business into trying to purchase a tractor for farming. That ended it. Now, I’m out of business. The most painful part was when my children got admissions and couldn’t proceed. One of my children gained a university admission to study architecture but I could not raise money for him to join his colleagues because of what had happened to me. He is now in Kumasi working miserably as a loading boy at a lorry station.

“My daughter also had admission at the Navrongo College of Education. The extended family had to sit in a meeting to mobilize money in bits before she was able to go to school. I have suffered a lot. Ababil’s business, too, as I am much aware, is suffering today because there is a limit to how far he can distribute the pure water he is selling without the Kia truck he paid so much for. He is struggling seriously,” Abane said.

Telephone calls placed to the company by Starr News upon receipt of the complaints from the bankrupt farmers went unanswered. When Starr News approached authorities at the MOFA’s regional department in Bolgatanga with copies of documents bearing the MOFA stamp and detailing transactions that have left some already-poor farmers in the region rather more impoverished, the authorities said they would contact the “National Agric Engineering Directorate” on the matter and investigate the staff involved in the deal. Starr News will keep the spotlight on this subject.

Ad article

LIFESTYLE: Treat fibroids naturally; Foods to eat and foods not to eat.

0
Photo credit: Pinterest

Fibroids are abnormal growths in the uterus. They’re also called uterine fibroids, myomas, and leiomyomas. Fibroids aren’t cancerous or life-threatening, but they can sometimes cause complications and health problems.

Fibroids form in and around the uterine walls. They’re made of muscle and other tissues. They may be as tiny as a seed or grow larger than a tennis ball. You may have multiple fibroids or just one.

Doctors don’t know exactly what causes fibroids. Having overweight or obese increases your risk, as does having low levels of some types of nutrients.

Prevalence.
Almost 80 percent Trusted Source of women has fibroids in their lifetime. This condition may also be genetic. You’re at higher risk if your mother or sister has fibroids.

Fibroids can cause symptoms and complications such as:

Pain
Heavy menstrual bleeding
Constipation
Anemia
Difficulty getting pregnant
Miscarriages.

However, only 20 to 50 percent of trusted sources of women with fibroids have symptoms. In most cases, treatment isn’t needed. Your doctor may recommend waiting and watching to see if the fibroids go away on their own.

While foods can’t treat or prevent fibroids, your daily diet and lifestyle may play a role in reducing your risk. Diet can help balance hormones that may trigger these growths. Certain foods may also help ease fibroid symptoms.

Diet and lifestyle changes to lower risk.
There are a number of changes you can make that might help reduce your risk for fibroids.

Follow a Mediterranean diet.
Add plenty of fresh and cooked green vegetables, fresh fruit, legumes, and fish to your plate. A Mediterranean diet is one way to do this. Research shows that eating these foods regularly may help lower your risk for fibroids. On the other hand, eating beef, ham, lamb, and other red meat may raise your risk.
Check out a beginner’s guide to the Mediterranean diet for tips and a meal plan.

Cut back on alcohol.
Drinking any type of alcohol may increase your risk for fibroids. This can happen because alcohol raises the level of hormones needed for fibroids to grow. Alcohol may also trigger inflammation.

One study found that women who drank one or more beers a day increased their risk by more than 50 percent. Avoid or limit alcohol to help reduce your risk.

Balance estrogen.
Estrogen is a hormone important for healthy fertility in both women and men. However, too much estrogen can increase your risk for fibroids Trusted Source or make them worse.

Many treatments for fibroids work by lowering estrogen levels. Other ways to balance estrogen levels include:

Losing weight. Obesity and excess weight increases the risk for fibroids. Fat cells make more estrogen, so losing weight may help prevent or slow the growth of fibroids.

Avoiding hormone-disrupting chemicals. Natural and synthetic chemicals can throw off your endocrine balance, raising estrogen levels. These chemicals can leach into your body through skin and food.

Avoid or limit coming into contact with chemicals found in:

Fertilizers
Pesticides
Plastics such as BPA
Nonstick coatings on cookware
Fire retardants
Dyes
Paints
Some personal care products
Lower blood pressure
Research shows that a high number of women with severe fibroids also have high blood pressure. More research is needed to find out if there’s a link.

Balancing blood pressure is vital for your overall health. Try these tips:

Avoid added salt. Flavor food with herbs and other spices instead.
Limit high-sodium processed and packaged foods.
Check your blood pressure daily with a home monitor.
Exercise regularly.
Lose weight, especially around the waist.
Avoid or limit alcohol.
Increase potassium by eating a majority of plants at each meal.
Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke.
If you have high blood pressure, take medication as prescribed.
See your doctor for regular checkups.
Get enough vitamin D
Vitamin D may help reduce your risk of fibroids by almost 32 percent Trusted Source. Your body makes this “sunshine vitamin” naturally when your skin’s exposed to sunlight. If you have darker skin or live in cooler climates, you’re more likely to be deficient.

Supplements can help raise your levels, along with foods such as:
Egg yolks
Fortified milk, cheese, and dairy products
Fortified cereals
Fortified orange juice
Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel
Cod liver oil

A note about smoking and diet.
Eating brightly colored fruits and vegetables is good for your general health. Consuming a variety of red, yellow, and orange foods will provide rich antioxidants. Dark greens are also nutrient-dense and will provide healthful benefits. These nutrients may help protect you from diseases, including some cancers.

However, a study found that beta carotene found in red, yellow, and orange foods didn’t lower the risk for fibroids. In smokers, beta carotene may even increase risk. Further research is needed on why this might happen. In any case, smoking is harmful to your health and may increase your risk of fibroids.

FOODS TO EAT IF YOU HAVE FIBROIDS.
Diet alone can’t treat fibroids. However, a balanced diet may also help ease some fibroid symptoms and complications. Certain foods may help slow fibroid growth in some cases.

Fiber.
Fiber-rich foods aid weight loss and balance hormones. They also help to keep blood sugar levels steady. For these reasons, fiber may help prevent and slow the growth of fibroids. Add these whole foods to your diet:

Cooked and raw vegetables
Cooked, raw, and dried fruit
Whole grain bread and pasta
Cruciferous vegetables
Oats
Lentils
Barley
Beans

Potassium
Potassium helps to counter the effects of salt to balance blood pressure Trusted Source. Add these potassium-rich foods to your daily diet:
Avocado
Bananas
Citrus
Cantaloupe
Collard greens
Dates
Lentils
Oat bran
Potatoes
Tomatoes

Dairy
Add dairy products such as yogurt and full-fat cheese to your diet. Dairy is rich in calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. These minerals may help prevent fibroids and slow their growth. Fortified milk also contains vitamin D.

Green tea
Green tea contains several antioxidants. A study Trusted Source found that one of these, epigallocatechin gallate, may help slow the growth of fibroids by bringing down inflammation and high estrogen levels. Green tea may also improve symptoms of heavy bleeding due to fibroids, such as low iron.

FOODS TO AVOID IF YOU HAVE FIBROIDS.
Sugar
Sugary foods and simple carbohydrates may trigger or worsen fibroids Trusted Source. These foods spike blood sugar levels. This causes your body to make too much insulin. Excess insulin can cause weight gain and affect fibroid growth.

Avoid refined carbs and added sugars such as:

Table sugar
Glucose
Dextrose
Maltose
Corn syrup
High fructose corn syrup
White bread, rice, pasta, and flour
Soda and sugary drinks
Fruit juice
Potato chips
Crackers
Packaged energy bars

Estrogen-increasing foods
Some foods contain natural ingredients that mimic the estrogen in the body, called phytoestrogens. Other foods have added hormones or trigger your body to make more estrogen.

Some of these foods may have protective effects when consumed in small to moderate amounts but have negative effects when consumed in high amounts Trusted Source.

You may need to limit or avoid foods such as:

Red meat from sources that include added hormones
Soybeans
Soy milk
Tofu
Flaxseed

Ad article

The government is committed to supporting women and youth in the agriculture sector.

0

The government of Ghana is committed to assist the development of the women and youth in agriculture to ensure that they are able to sustain their business as farmers. The agricultural sector seeks to be the most viable sector of employability in the country but the youth finds it unattractive to venture into it.

Steps have been taken by the government to make the sector lucrative for the youth and women with the introduction of government flagship programs like Planting for Food and Jobs, Rearing for Food and Jobs, etc. which seeks to disburse farm inputs on credit to the farmers.

Speaking to Agric Today, the National Programme Coordinator for Ghana Agricultural Sector Investment Programme, Mr. Klutse Kudomor said to ascertain such support from the government, the individuals have to come together to form a nucleus and this nucleus also has to form a cluster. According to him, these clusters are selected through validation workshops after which seeds and fertilizer together with pesticides and weedicide are giving to them on credit. He said the inputs are paid back through the nucleus farmer and the cluster driver after production.

To qualify a cluster to gain access to these inputs, Mr. Kudomor said the most critical thing is the land. Clusters should have their lands, have farmers who understand agribusiness and are able to produce to recover the money that is invested.

“There is no specific number of persons, but what we try to analyze is, whether the number of nucleus farmers under the cluster driver is enough for him to break even and that varies depending on the number of acres each farmer in the cluster has”, he added.

He concluded that any cluster that meets these requirements should report to the Youth in Agriculture or better still to the office of the Ghana Agricultural Sector Investment Programme for assistance.

Ad article

LIFESTYLE: Papaya leaves! A miraculous herbal remedy for health issues.

0

Papaya leaves are known for their medicinal uses and hold special significance in Ayurveda. Ayurveda and yoga rely heavily on these plant leaves to treat major conditions from malaria to cancer and everything in between. Keep growing papaya trees and keep nurturing them so that you can utilise them and treat your condition naturally.

Papaya is considered one of the healthiest fruits, it helps in curing many diseases. Not only the pulp but its leaves contain many healing properties against various diseases. These include:

Diabetes: Papaya leaf juice regulates the production of insulin which in turn checks blood sugar levels. Its strong antioxidants help to bring down the consequent complications of diabetes like kidney damage and fatty liver. This juice can work wonders for diabetics.

Cancer: Papaya leaves contain phenolic compounds, papain, and alkaloids and these nutrients act as strong antioxidants which in turn, enhance the body’s immunity. The immune-modulating properties of the papaya leaves may help prevent cancer.

Menstrual cramps: Papaya leaf juice helps reduce menstrual cramps and regulates the menstrual cycle by balancing hormonal changes.

Digestive disorder: The combination of papain and other compounds present in papaya leaves help in the effective digestion of essential proteins which cure digestive disorders. It also helps in treating gastric ulcers and oxidative stress on the stomach.

Heartburn: Papaya leaf juice helps get rid of heartburn discomfort and is a great appetite stimulant.

Skin problems: Papaya leaf juice obtained by crushing tender papaya leaves is topically applied to treat skin allergies. It helps cure skin aging and provides radiant skin.

Hair problem: Hair problems, such as dandruff, hair fall, and scalp allergies can be treated by applying concentrated papaya leaf extract topically. Premature greying and hair thinning can also be treated by applying papaya leaves juice on the scalp. This juice also gives a beautiful sheen to your hair and acts as a potent conditioner.

Liver and kidney inflammation: Papaya leaf juice is a great detox drink that has high levels of phytochemicals and flavonoids that work together to cleanse your blood, improve blood circulation and protect your liver and kidneys from inflammation.

Malaria: Papaya leaves have strong antimalarial properties, making them best to cure malaria.

Dengue: The extract from papaya leaves acts as an effective remedy to treat dengue fever. Papaya leaf juice reduces the symptoms of dengue including high fever and skin rash. It also helps increase the platelet count.

The taste of papaya leaves is bitter but its health benefits are magnificent. They are loaded with calcium and vitamin A, B, C, D, and E. The antioxidants present in the leaves fight free radicals that enter the body. So consider the health benefits over its taste.

Papaya leaf juice is made by grinding, thoroughly washed tender papaya leaves to a fine paste adding little water. Filter this juice with the help of a strainer. The juice is thick and bitter, so it is diluted with water to make it milder to drink.

Naturally available and full of health, beneficial components in papaya leaf juice are worth trying!

Ad article