About the Health Benefits of Mango

Mangoes are sweet fruits and everyone loves to eat. However, many people have forgotten that Mangoes have so many health benefits. Below are the health benefits of Mangoes.


Health Benefits

Mangoes Prevents Cancer:
Research has shown antioxidant compounds in mango fruit have been found to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers.


Boosts of the Immune System:
The high amound of Vitamin A and Vitamin C deposited in mango makes it possible for you to be strong and your immune system healthy, when consumed.

Clearing of skin
It is interesting to know that mango also clears our skins, both within and outside. Within for inside our body and outside for our physical body

Lowers Cholesterol:
In Mango, there is Pectin, vitamin C and a very large amount of fiber; these components help to lower serum cholesterol levels.

Improves Vision's Health
Do you also know that just a cup of sliced mango gives 25% of the daily required Vitamin A that enhances good eyesight and prevents dry eyes?

Alkalizes the Whole Body:
The tartaric acid, malic acid, and a trace of citric acid available in the fruit help to maintain the alkali reserve of the body.


May Help with Diabetes:
Mango leaves help regulate the insulin levels in the blood. The traditional home remedy involves boiling leaves in water, soaking through the night and then consuming the filtered decoction in the morning.

Helps Fight Heat Stroke:
We are in the rainy season, whixh is ogten accompanied with excessive heat. But, juicing the fruit from green mango and mixing with water and a sweetener can cool down the body and prevent harm from overheating.

So, these and lots more are the health benefits of Mango. I am sure you will look at the mango differently henceforth.

Potatoes

Potatoes as popularly known are starchy, tuberous crop that comes from the perennial Solanum tuberosum. Potatoes grow in almost any condition but prefers a cooler atmosphere. Numerous types of potatoes exist which are in thousands and can be found all around the world.

NUTRITION FACTS

Present in potato are vitamins and minerals, and also assortment of phytochemicals, such as carotenoids and natural phenols. An unpeeled potato provides of vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6 and trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. The fiber content of a potato with skin (2 g) is equivalent to that of many whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals. Talking of nutritional value, the potato is best known for its carbohydrate content. The predominant form of this carbohydrate is starch.

HEALTH BENEFIT

Potatoes provide the body with an essential source of fuel and energy, which you need even when dieting. As a rich carbohydrate source, they help to fuel all reactions in the body which you need for movement, thinking, digestion and cellular renewal.

As stated, there are numerous health benefits of Potato. I will be listing and discussing them briefly.

Gut health: Just one baked potato will provide about 12% will give you the recommended quantity of fibre, daily, as well as pastas, breads and cereals.
Consuming foods reach in Fibre protects you from colon cancer.

Weight Gain: Potatoes interestingly have a little deposit of proteins. Making it a perfe meal for those who want to put on weight.

Digestion:  Potatoes also aid digestion. It is most especially rexommended for those who cannot swallow hard food and they still want another means of getting energy. But kindly note that excessive potatoes consumption cause's acidity to the body. Eater's discretion is advised. ;)

High Blood Pressure: Potatoes have a high level vitamin-C and B which prevents high blood pressure. It should be noted, however, patients who suffer from diabetes should avoid it.

Nutritional Values of Oranges

The rainy season brings so much euphoria to Nigerians that love this nutritious fruit and the fruit itself bears so much oranges this season. But have you ever wondered the nutritional values of Oranges aside the popular vitamin C we know it has? There are  nutrients in oranges. To begin with, oranges are low in calories, they contain no saturated fats or cholesterol, likewise, they are rich in dietary fiber, pectin. Pectin, as a bulk laxative, helps protect the mucous membrane of colon by decreasing its exposure time to toxic substances as well as by binding to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon. Furthermore. Pectin also reduces blood cholesterol levels by reducing its re-absorption in the colon by binding to bile acids in the colon.

Oranges as said earlier, are good source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful natural antioxidant. When you take meals that are rich in vitamin C, resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the blood are developed.

This fruit also has a high amount of vitamin A, and other flavonoid antioxidants such as alpha and beta-carotenes, beta-cryptoxanthin, zea-xanthin and lutein. These compounds have been known to have antioxidant properties. Vitamin A is needed for maintaining healthy mucus membranes, skin and important for healthy vision. When you consume natural fruits rich in flavonoids, it help human body protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.

Furthermore, Orange is a good source of Vitamin B-complex vitamins such as thiamin, pyridoxine, and folates. These vitamins are essential because the human body requires them to replenish.

Present in orange fruit in form of minerals are calcium and potassium. Potassium is an essential component of cell and body fluids because it helps control heart rate and blood pressure through countering pressing effects of sodium.

It is proven scientifically that citrus fruits especially oranges by virtue of their abundance in vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals can serve us in lots of ways. Eventhough the non-nutrient compounds in the citrus fruits such as phyto-chemical antioxidants, soluble and insoluble dietary fiber helps in eliminating cancer risk, diseases like arthritis, obesity, and coronary heart diseases.

Know About Zika Virus

The Zika virus was virtually unheard of until recently. But
links to birth malformations, and a prediction that 4
million people could be infected this year, have led to the
World Health Organization declaring it an international
public health emergency . We take a look at the risks, the
issues and whether there are any solutions.
What is the Zika virus?
Zika is a virus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, which
are found in tropical regions. Typical symptoms include a
fever, headache and rash lasting for up to a week. It can
also cause a mild form of conjunctivitis, which can help
distinguish the illness from dengue fever, another
mosquito-borne illness. In some cases it can lead to the
potentially fatal Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare condition
that affects the nervous system. But with about 80 per
cent of people affected not showing any symptoms, the
infection is often undiagnosed.
Why is infection with the Zika virus so bad for pregnant
women?
The reason for such concern is that the virus seems to
affect fetuses . Since the virus arrived in Brazil last year,
cases of microcephaly – a congenital condition that
causes babies to be born with a small head and
sometimes brain damage – have increased 20-fold.
However, it isn’t yet known how many of the cases are
linked to Zika infection. Nutrition, environmental
conditions and additional infections, for example, could
also play a role.
It can affect fetuses at all stages of pregnancy, although
infection is thought to be most dangerous during the first
and second trimester. Women living in Zika hotspots are
being advised by governments to hold off getting
pregnant, in some countries for up to two years . Some
have suggested the impacts of the virus could challenge
anti-abortion policies in this region.
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Why have I never heard of Zika before?
Before 2000, Zika mostly infected forest animals. Human
infections were rare and the virus didn’t cause any of the
suspected complications we are seeing today. One theory
is that it has mutated , making it capable of hijacking
human cells more easily.
The Zika virus is also new to the Americas. Previously, it
was limited to Africa and South-East Asia, typically in
areas that are also hotspots for dengue fever. But after
first making its appearance in Brazil last May, Zika has
been spreading across the Americas, with 25 countries
now seeing active transmission of the virus. The World
Health Organization believes it will spread to all countries
in the region except for Canada and continental Chile.
And that could happen soon, helped by this year’s El Niño
potentially increasing mosquito populations.
On 4 February, Spain confirmed a case of Zika virus in a
pregnant woman – the first in Europe. The woman had
recently returned from Colombia. According to the
Spanish health ministry, “the diagnosed cases of Zika
virus in Spain… don’t risk spreading the virus in our
country as they are imported cases”.
How is the Zika virus spread?
Several species of Aedes mosquitoes are known to carry
the Zika virus, including Aedes aegypti , the species that
transmits dengue. Although previously limited to specific
tropical regions, they now seem to be taking up residence
in higher latitudes, which could be due to global warming.
Zika can also be passed on through sex . The virus has
been isolated from the semen of an infected individual
and has been confirmed as the transmission method for a
case of Zika on the US mainland .
Is there a vaccine for Zika?
There is currently no vaccine available. It could take years
to develop one, although some vaccine developers claim
they could have one ready this year .
Until then, efforts are focused on relieving symptoms, if
any are present, and advising against pregnancy in those
at risk. Protective measures include using insect
repellents and mosquito nets, wearing long-sleeved shirts
and long trousers, and staying indoors.
Have there been outbreaks of Zika before?
The biggest outbreak until now affected about 28,000
people in French Polynesia in 2013 and 2014, before
spreading to other Pacific islands. Following the outbreak
in French Polynesia there was an unusual increase in
babies born with microcephaly . In 2007, there was a
smaller outbreak in Yap Island, Micronesia, where about
185 cases were identified. The Zika virus was new to both
of these regions.
The virus that emerged in Brazil seems to be closely
related to the strain seen in French Polynesia. One theory
being debated is that travellers to the 2014 Football World
Cup in Brazil may have brought the virus with them .
What is being done to control the current outbreak?
The WHO has asked for international help to develop a
vaccine. Other anti-Zika initiatives involve learning more
about the virus, diagnosing cases more quickly and trying
to control mosquito populations with techniques including
the release of genetically modified insects.
With the Olympic Games set to take place in Rio this
summer, there are concerns the event could spread the
virus further around the world. While cooler, dryer weather
at that time of year should reduce the mosquito
population, organisers are also searching venues for
standing water where mosquitoes could breed.
What’s the advice to those visiting areas affected by
Zika?
Pregnant travellers are being advised to avoid countries
affected by Zika, while those returning from a trip should
see a doctor. Conceiving after the virus has cleared from
the blood, which takes about a week, is thought to be
safe, although it’s always best to seek medical advice.
Health authorities in the UK are advising men who have
travelled to affected regions to use condoms for a month
after they return, or six months after recovery if they
experience Zika symptoms.