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Differences Between Red And Green Apples

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“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a popular saying, but have you ever considered which apple is better: red or green?

While the colour is the most noticeable distinction, red and green apples differ in taste, nutrients, and health advantages.

Read Also:Benefits Of Eating Eggshells

Naturally, you might be curious about which is healthier. In this essay, we will compare the two types and help you determine which one is best for you.

Taste and appearance

Green apples, which have a thicker peel, are recognised for their sour flavour and crisp texture.

Red apples, on the other hand, are sweeter, more juicy, and have a thinner peel.

Because of their deliciousness, many people prefer red apples.

Nutritional Value of Apples

Both red and green apples are high in vital vitamins and minerals.

They are high in antioxidants, pectin, quercetin, and flavonoids, which help to protect cells from oxidative stress and lower the risk of heart and liver disease.

Apples are also low in calories and high in fibre, making them an excellent choice for weight management.

Differences in nutritional content

Despite the minor differences, green apples have more vitamins A, B, C, E, and K than red apples.

They also include more iron, potassium, and protein, making them slightly more useful for those trying to lose weight or limit their sugar intake.

Red apples, on the other hand, contain more antioxidants, making them perfect for boosting immunity and combating free radicals.

Conclusion

While there are some nutritional variations, the overall health benefits of red and green apples are minor.

Red apples have more antioxidants than green apples.

It’s preferable to eat both types for a balanced diet.

5 Benefits Of Brushing Teeth With Salt

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People frequently look into alternate ways to keep healthy teeth and gums, with one option gaining popularity: cleaning teeth with salt.

This age-old technique is commended for its potential advantages, but there are concerns about its impact on dental health.

Read Also:Dentists Issue Warning To People Who Brush Their Teeth After Eating Breakfast

In this post, we’ll look at the benefits and drawbacks of using salt as a toothpaste alternative to better understand its impact on your oral health.

Before you replace your commercial toothpaste for a salt shaker, consider the potential benefits of brushing your teeth with salt.

Benefits of Brushing Teeth with Salt

Natural antiseptic

Salt, also known as sodium chloride, has modest antiseptic characteristics that some people believe aid to reduce bacteria in the mouth.

Salt may help to enhance oral hygiene by reducing the growth of germs that cause plaque and cavities.

Potential whitening effect

Salt’s abrasive properties may assist erase surface stains, resulting in a somewhat whiter look.

Gently wiping away stains from coffee, tea, or smoking will help to brighten your smile.

Economical Option

Salt is inexpensive and readily available, making it an affordable alternative to commercial toothpaste.

Effective Plaque Removal

Salt’s abrasive properties can help to remove plaque and debris from teeth.

When used with toothpaste or used alone, it may improve plaque clearance during brushing.

Relieves bad breath

Salt can neutralise acids in the mouth, so reducing bad breath.

Rinsing or brushing with salt water can help to freshen breath by removing odor-causing bacteria, producing a cleaner oral environment, and lowering halitosis.

6 Advantages Of Green Peppers

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Green peppers are rich in vital minerals, particularly vitamins C and B6.

Including them in your diet is a wonderful method to increase your fibre and nutritional consumption while also promoting heart, eye, and digestive health.

Green sweet peppers (Capsicum annuum) are formally classified as a fruit, while being commonly mistaken for a vegetable.

Read Also:What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Rice Every Day

These bell-shaped peppers have strong walls and come in a variety of colours, such as red, yellow, and purple.

Green bell peppers are merely unripe forms of these peppers, with a little harsh flavour and less sweetness than their fully matured counterparts.

Green peppers are an excellent complement to any diet due to their high nutritional value.

Here are six surprising advantages of green peppers.

1. Rich in nutrients

Green bell peppers are high in vitamins and minerals, have a lot of fibre, and are low in carbs.

Green peppers are very high in vitamin C, a water-soluble substance that promotes immune function, collagen formation, and antioxidant defence.

They also provide vitamin B6, which is required for metabolism, immunological function, and haemoglobin formation.

Green peppers also include provitamin A in the form of beta carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A to promote eye health and immunity.

2. Promotes gut health

Green peppers include dietary fibre, which is vital for digestive health.

One cup of raw green pepper contains 2.5 grammes of fibre, allowing you to meet the recommended daily consumption of 25-35 grammes.

Consuming fiber-rich meals can help prevent constipation, promote good gut bacteria, and lower the risk of digestive issues such as colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.

3. Loaded with beneficial plant compounds

Green bell peppers contain potent plant chemicals like flavonoids, vitamin C, phenolic compounds, and carotenoids, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

According to studies, green peppers are particularly high in phenolic acids, such as p-coumaric acid, which may protect against insulin resistance, heart disease, and certain malignancies.

Furthermore, green bell pepper extract has shown higher antioxidant activity than other pepper species.

4. Improves heart and eye health

Green peppers can benefit your heart health by decreasing cholesterol and blood pressure.

Furthermore, green peppers contain lutein, a pigment that is necessary for maintaining eye health and preventing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a common cause of vision loss.

5. Promotes healthy weight management

Green peppers are a good weight-management food since they are low in calories and high in fibre.

Consuming more fruits and vegetables, such as green peppers, can help you maintain a healthy weight and lose belly fat.

People who consume more produce have lower body fat and are less likely to develop obesity-related disorders.

6. Versatile and flavourful

In addition to their outstanding nutritional profile, green peppers are quite flexible. They can be eaten fresh or cooked in a variety of cuisines, including stir-fries, salads, soups, and omelettes.

Green peppers, while less sweet than red, yellow, and orange kinds, have a distinct flavour and can be used in a variety of recipes to add texture and nutrition.

Conclusion

Green bell peppers are unripe sweet peppers that taste slightly bitterer than their red, yellow, or orange cousins.

Despite this, they are high in vitamins, fibre, and strong plant chemicals that promote heart, eye, and gastrointestinal health.

Green peppers can help you get more nutrients while also protecting your overall health.

8 Evidence-Based Benefits Of Guava Fruits And Leaves

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Guava fruit and leaves are high in key nutrients like vitamin C and potassium, which may benefit heart health, digestion, and other bodily functions.

Guava trees originated in Central America and yield oval-shaped fruits with light green or yellow skin and tasty seeds.

Read Also: Dietitians Reveal What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Pineapple Regularly

Guava leaves are commonly prepared into herbal tea, and the leaf extract is utilised in supplements.

The fruit contains antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium, and fibre, which provide numerous health benefits.

Here are eight research-backed health advantages of guava fruits and leaves.

1. May help reduce blood sugar levels

Guava has demonstrated potential for improving blood sugar control.

Several test-tube and animal investigations have shown that guava leaf extract lowers blood sugar levels, improves long-term management, and reduces insulin resistance. This is encouraging for people who have diabetes or are at risk.

Human research have also had good outcomes. In one study, 19 people who drank guava leaf tea after a meal reported reduced blood sugar levels for up to two hours.

Another research of 20 persons with type 2 diabetes discovered that the tea lowers post-meal blood sugar levels by more than 10%.

2. May Improve Heart Health

Guava can improve heart health in a variety of ways. Guava leaves are high in antioxidants and vitamins, which may protect the heart from free radical damage.

Guavas are also high in potassium and soluble fibre, both of which have been linked to improved heart health.

Guava leaf extract has been associated with lower blood pressure, lower “bad” LDL cholesterol, and higher “good” HDL cholesterol.

Given that high blood pressure and higher LDL cholesterol increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, guava leaf extract may have significant heart health advantages.

A study of 120 people discovered that eating ripe guava before meals dramatically decreased blood pressure and cholesterol while raising HDL cholesterol levels.

3. May help alleviate painful menstrual symptoms

Guava leaf extract may help alleviate the pain of menstruation.

A study of 197 women with unpleasant menstruation symptoms found that consuming 6 mg of guava leaf extract daily reduced pain intensity significantly, surpassing several medications.

Guava leaf extract may also aid with uterine cramps.

4. May improve digestive health

Guavas are high in dietary fibre, which helps digestion and reduces constipation.

A single guava contains 12% of the necessary daily fibre intake.

Guava leaf extract may also benefit digestive health by decreasing the severity and duration of diarrhoea.

It contains antibacterial qualities that neutralise the harmful bacteria in the intestines that cause diarrhoea.

5. May aid in weight loss

Guavas are an excellent food for weight loss. Guavas are a low-calorie, satisfying food that contains only 37 calories per fruit and 12% of your daily fibre requirements.

They’re also high in critical vitamins and minerals, so you won’t lose out on important nutrients while losing weight.

6. May have anticancer properties

Guava leaf extract has shown antitumor activity.

Test-tube and animal studies reveal that it can prevent and limit the formation of cancer cells, most likely due to its high antioxidant content, which protects cells from free radical damage, a major cause of cancer.

According to one study, guava leaf oil is four times as effective at inhibiting cancer cell development than certain cancer medications.

However, more research is required to corroborate these findings in humans.

7. May boost immunity

Guavas are one of the best sources of vitamin C, which is essential for immunological function.

One guava has roughly double the daily recommended dose of vitamin C—nearly twice the amount found in oranges.

Vitamin C boosts the immune system and protects against infections; while it does not prevent the common cold, it can shorten its duration.

Guavas have antibacterial qualities that help resist dangerous bacteria and viruses.

8. May Benefit Your Skin

Guavas are high in vitamins and antioxidants, which may help protect your skin from harm and reduce the ageing process. This can assist to avoid wrinkles.

Guava leaf extract, when applied directly to the skin, may also help treat acne. Its anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory qualities can destroy acne-causing germs.

Conclusion

Guavas are a tasty and nutritious tropical fruit that can be an important element of a healthy diet.

They provide a variety of health benefits because to their low calorie and high fibre content.

Extracts from guava fruit and leaves may benefit heart health, digestion, immunological function, and other conditions.

NAFDAC Destroys ₦1.3bn Worth Of Fake, Expired Products In Abuja [PHOTOS]

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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) destroyed counterfeit, expired, and substandard commodities worth ₦1.3 billion in Abuja.

Professor Moji Adeyeye, Director General of NAFDAC, represented by Festus Ukadike, who led agency personnel to the Kuje dump site in Abuja, stated that medications, healthcare equipment, cosmetics, food items, and other things were destroyed.

Read Also:NAFDAC Shuts Down Kaduna Warehouse Stocked With Expired Products [VIDEOS]

He also destroyed expired food sent by local and international groups, notably the World Food Programme (WFP).

See photos below:

Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Speaks On Patient’s Claim Of Womb Removal Without Consent

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The Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, or AKTH, has denied any misconduct in the execution of a surgery on a female patient, contradicting recent media allegations citing irregularities.

The woman allegedly encountered complications during a hospital surgery in 2012, according to current social media reports.

Prof. Abdurrahman Sheshe, Chief Medical Director of the teaching hospital, denounced the allegations as unfounded and harmful to the facility’s reputation.

He used information from the patient’s medical records to contradict the accusations.

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Mr Sheshe revealed in a press briefing in Kano on Tuesday that the patient was initially taken to the hospital in February 2012 and underwent a life-saving surgery in October of the same year due to pregnancy difficulties.

“The surgery was necessitated by a ruptured uterus, causing internal bleeding and the death of the unborn child.

“The patient was in shock with a blood pressure of 80/40 and a pulse rate of 140.

“By the time she arrived, the fetal heart sounds were absent, and the baby was already outside the uterus,” he explained.

Mrs Sheshe confirmed that approval for the treatment was acquired, and tissue specimens were transported to the hospital’s histology department, where they were archived according to medical regulations.

According to the CMD, the deceased infant’s body was handed over to the patient’s husband for burial the next day, as is customary protocol.

He was disappointed that the patient’s family did not consult with the hospital before airing their complaints on the Brekete Family series, which he accused of failing to verify the facts.

“We are saddened that such misinformation has been spread without any attempt to hear from us.

“The claims of removing the uterus without consent and mishandling the child’s body are not only untrue but also a deliberate attack on the integrity of this hospital and the Federal Government’s free cesarean section programme,” Mr Sheshe said.

Regarding potential legal action, the CMD indicated that the hospital was still dedicated to transparency and had given the case information to the Federal Ministry of Health and other relevant authorities.

He stated that AKTH has no immediate intentions to participate further in the Brekete Family programme, but that the hospital’s aim is to continue providing quality healthcare to the public.

“This hospital has been a pillar of health services in Nigeria since 1988, and we will not allow false narratives to undermine our efforts,” Sheshe added.

He advised the media and the public to acquire accurate information from trustworthy sources before forming opinions on sensitive issues, and reaffirmed the hospital’s commitment to reducing mother and child death rates via quality care.

Striking Doctors Reveal Strong Accusation Against Wike

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Striking resident doctors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have accused FCT Minister Nyesom Wike of neglecting health facilities and worker welfare in the country’s capital, Abuja.

George Ebong, President of resident doctors in the FCT, stated that while Wike has been busy rebuilding roads, he has abandoned government-owned health facilities in the nation’s capital, many of which are in bad condition.

Read Also: Striking Doctors Challenge Wike, Akpabio To Use FCT Hospitals

“That’s just where we have our concerns. The minister has been very busy with projects, fixing roads, and all of that. We feel that he should also focus on the hospitals right now,” Ebong said on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday.

“We feel that we are the human abandoned project. No matter the things he does by fixing roads and bridges, the hospitals are the very first point of innovation and rehabilitation. They are hallowed ground; he cannot neglect them,” he said.

The doctors began a three-day warning strike on Wednesday over unpaid pay and allowances, among other issues, after a three-week ultimatum expired earlier. The development efforts took place at government hospitals in Abuja, including Wuse, Asokoro, Maitama, Kubwa, Zuba, Kwali, Abaji, Nyanya, and others.

Ebong stated that doctors are often unable to work due to a lack of electricity, drugs in hospitals, and insufficient manpower. He stated that several hospitals in Abuja were staffed by only one doctor.

Ebong stated that many doctors had not received their six-month pay despite working hard and shouldering the tasks of four or more people.

“I urge the minister to please try to ensure that all the wages are paid. I urge the minister to please visit all the ministers and see the state in which the hospitals are at the moment,” he said.

NAFDAC DG Reveals The Number Of Nigerians Engaged In Drug Abuse

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The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Mojisola Adeyeye, has indicated that roughly 14.3 million Nigerians are victims of drug misuse.

Adeyeye stated this at the agency’s youth programme’s launch ceremony, titled ‘Catch Them Young,’ which took place on Wednesday at the Government Secondary School in Rumuokwuta, Port Harcourt.

According to her research findings, one out of every four high-risk drug users has been arrested for drug-related crimes.

Read Also:NAFDAC Shuts Down Kaduna Warehouse Stocked With Expired Products [VIDEOS]

She stated that the arrests included 73% for drug possession, 12% for theft, 5% for sex work, 4% for burglary, and 2% for shoplifting.

“Note that this data only shows the number of arrests; if we consider that most crimes are unreported, then we will see that we have a huge problem on our hands,” she said.

Adeyeye, on the other hand, emphasised the harmful impact of drug abuse on families, society, and the country’s socioeconomic progress.

She explained that the circumstance prompted NAFDAC to launch a comprehensive, coordinated, and intensive campaign aimed at lowering the prevalence of drug usage among secondary pupils.

According to the DG, drug addiction can result from both legal (prescription) and illegal drugs.

“This programme is not designed to scare anyone but to have honest conversations with you.

“This will help you to make informed decisions with regards to illicit drug use, including alcohol consumption,’’ she said.

FG Launches National Health Fellows Program In 774 LGAs, Lists Eligibility Requirements

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The Federal Government has launched National Health Programs for Youths in all 774 local government areas of Nigeria.

On Monday, the president’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, issued a statement encouraging people aged 25 to 35 to apply.

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“The Tinubu administration is requesting applications from young Nigerians to enrol in the National Health Fellows Program.

“The selected fellows, aged between 25 and 35, would be engaged in all the 774 local government areas of the country.

“They would be remunerated and equipped with appropriate tools to drive positive change in the health sector,” the statement wrote.

Onanuga mentioned that the application deadline was January 27th, 2025.

Eligibility Requirements For The Programme Include:
  • Must be between the ages of 25 and 35.
  • Bachelor’s degree (health-related, IT, or social sciences).
  • Demonstrable interest/ or Experience in Public health  OR health-related NGO and partner organisations OR community projects that demonstrate leadership and initiative.
  • Candidates must be available to participate full-time in the fellowship programme.
  • Candidates must be an indigene of the state being applied for.
  • Candidates must possess smartphones with data capabilities i.e. for WhatsApp, Zoom etc.
  • Recommendation from the University Dean OR NYSC place of primary assignment, or a respected organisation demonstrating character and leadership.
  • Demonstrated analytical skills and entrepreneurial drive.

NMA Makes Strong Revelation On K!ller Of EFCC Officer

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The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Anambra State Chapter, has denied reports that the person accused of k!lling an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, officer in Awka is a doctor.

In a statement made on Monday via its X handle by the association’s State Secretary, Dr Obiaeli Ifeanyi, the NMA stated that the suspect, Joshua Chukwubueze Ikechukwu, is not a registered medical doctor nor an association member.

The explanation came after extensive media reports incorrectly identified the suspect as a medical professional.

Read Also: What Happened To Nigerian Nurse After Viral Tweet Criticising Lagos

The NMA voiced worry over impostors using the term “medical doctor,” which it claimed tarnishes the medical profession’s reputation.

The event apparently occurred in the early hours of Friday, January 17, 2025, at Dr. J.O. Ukwutinife Close in Ifite, Awka.

According to initial reports, Mr Ikechukwu, who is claimed to be involved in medical supplies, worked at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital.

However, the NMA’s preliminary investigation showed the following: Joshua Chukwubueze Ikechukwu is not a NAUTH staff member.

“He is not a member of the NMA Awka Zone. No member of the association has been able to identify him as either a colleague or a member of the NMA.

“He is not a medical doctor. Although widely reported by the media as a doctor, Ikechukwu deals in medical supplies and was only erroneously addressed as one,” the statement added.

The NMA expressed worry about impostors and quacks abusing the “medical doctor” designation, claiming that this behaviour tarnishes the medical profession’s reputation.

The group expressed its condolences to the EFCC and the departed family, stating that Nigeria’s medical profession remains respectable and law-abiding.