Make haste while your fertility sun shines

Written by Oladapo Ashiru - Nigeria.

Oladapo Ashiru

This article underscores the recent experiences of Dr. Lateef Akinola, Prof. Oladapo Ashiru and their team, regarding the proportion of women delaying childbirth until they are in their late 30s and early 40s, a trend that is on the increase. Such women often delay childbirth for career development and economic empowerment while searching for the ‘right’ men. 

Though all of these are laudable and worth the sweat, they can lead to age-related infertility which has been coined as “voluntary infertility”.

Infertility is defined as failure to achieve pregnancy after one year of unprotected vaginal sexual intercourse. This affects about 10 to 15 per cent of couples. It is spread equally among the male and female population. Causes of infertility in males can include low sperm count, poor sperm motility, abnormally-shaped sperm, spermatic duct blockage, impotence and ‘undescended’ testes.

Exercise, lose weight and have great sex

Written by Biodun Ogungbo - Punch, Nigeria.

First, a joke.

A fat man saw an advertisement that said, “Lose 5kg in a week.”

He made a phone call and said, “I would like to join!” The lady who responded welcomed the idea and asked him to be ready 6am the following day.

The following morning, he got to the gym and was taken to a room. He opened the door and found a beautiful woman there clad in only a shirt and underpants.

She said, “If you can catch me, you can sleep with me!” The lady started running, while the man started to run after her. But he could not catch her. During the whole week, he tried hard to catch her but could not. He, however, lost 5kg in the process!

He then asked for the 10kg programme. The next time, he opened the door and found another woman clad in a bikini who said, “If you catch me, you can sleep with me.”

He lost 10kg that week although he did not catch the woman. So, he thought this was an awesome programme and then requested the 25kg weight loss programme.

The lady said, “Are you sure? It’s really tough!”

DEAR MEN: PLEASE DON'T EVER CONSIDER MARRYING THESE 10 TYPES OF WOMEN

Culled from Vital Extragist

http://www.viralxtragist.com/

1. The Chatterbox
This is the woman who never shuts up, barely stopping to breathe. Seemingly only concerned about what is going on in her life, she always has to make a comment about everything and dominates conversations.

2. The Desperate Chick
This type of woman will seem fantastic at first, until she starts talking about your wedding location, how many kids she wants and the name of your future dog–right after the first date! When a woman advances WAY faster than normal, watch out. She NEEDS a man so bad that she’s willing to put anybody in that slot, even the homeless
guy on the corner.

3. The Overly-Critical Woman
Anything you do for this type of woman is simply not good enough. Nothing seems to work unless it is done according to her standards. Anything that is said by anyone will be quickly taken out of context to become some sort of insult or some reason to wage war against the world. This type of woman has plenty of emotional baggage and will make you an angry and bitter person as there will be nothing but misery with her.
4. The Bimbo
This type of woman can’t obtain a GED but has managed to secure a PhD in the science of the bedroom. This is an intellectually challenged woman who looks great but, in all honesty, shouldn’t open her mouth. Her skills are unquestionably only rooted in the physical realm and unless you’re just after one-night stands, you do not want to bring a stupid girl home to meet Mom and Dad. The majority of girls you see on the streets everyday fall into this category,

5. The High Maintenance Chick
If this type of woman breaks a nail, she expects you to drop everything you’re doing to drive her to the salon immediately. Her daddy always told her she was a princess and she expects to be treated like one at all times. She has expensive taste and expects you to shower her with only the best things and take her out to posh places on a regular basis. If you don’t have a lot of money and a penchant for luxury, don’t even bother.

Palmwine is harmful to nursing mother and breast-feeding child | Managing fever blisters

In this page:

• Palmwine is harmful to nursing mother and breast-feeding child
• Managing fever blisters

____________________________________________________

Rotimi Adesanya

Palmwine is harmful to nursing mother and breast-feeding child

Written by Rotimi Adesanya - Nigeria. 

Blog site: www.doctoradesanya.blogspot.com 

My pastor‘s wife sought advice from me, regarding the choice of hospital for her pregnant sister in-law who was due for child birth. The latter had returned from her base in another West African country, where she had been receiving ante natal care, to be delivered of her baby.

I suggested a few hospitals to her, based on their location, competence of the medical staff and convenience. Eventually the patient was successfully delivered of a baby girl with normal weight. Both mother and child were fine.

On my way to congratulate her and to see the baby girl, who was doing well at the time, I met my pastor’s wife at the reception and noticed she was worried. The following conversation ensued between us:

Me: Congrats Ma, where have you been?

Pastor’s wife: Doctor, I’ve been out all day in search of palm wine for the new mum.

Me: Palm wine! Palm what!

Pastor’s wife: The nurse asked me to get some for the new mum so that she could lactate.

Me: No ma, you need to hold on. You don’t need to get it and your sister in-law doesn’t need palm wine either.

Pastor’s wife: But the nurse asked us to get it. Anyway, thank God. And thank you.

Later I approached the nurse who directed that palm wine be given to the nursing mother. I asked if she knew that palm wine contained up to six per cent alcohol and it could affect the baby if consumed through breast milk.

The nurse admitted that palm wine was not prescribed by the doctor. She said that although the act of giving a nursing mother palm wine to boost lactation was not a medically proved treatment, it was a cultural practice that never failed to work.

Medical explanation

Naturally palm wine is a low-alcoholic drink and its alcoholic content is as little as three per cent. But fermented palm wine has the potential to breed as high 12 per cent alcoholic content.

Your pubic hair plays a role, let it be!

Written by Solaade Ayo-Aderele - Nigeria. 

Sometimes, the way many people treat the hairs on their bodies can make your jaws to drop. Those who believe in shaving off any hair that appears on any part of the body apart from the head, would do anything to get rid of body hairs.

From shaving to waxing, laser hair removal and what not, the idea, as far as such people are concerned, is that only the head deserves to be hairy.

For such people, maintaining the pubic hair is a bore. They simply can’t stand the sight of a hairy front side! As such, they regularly shave it clean, making it bald, as it were.

Well, while cosmetologists may not see anything wrong in getting rid of unwanted body hairs, including those in the pubic region, physicians are saying that the pubic hair has reasons for being there and that it amounts to plain misadventure when you shave clean your privates.

While both men and women engage in assaulting their pubic hair, the fact remains that women have more tendency to shave off their nether regions than men are won’t to.

Beyond cosmetics

Consultant Gynaecologist, Dr. Dominic Emeka, says in fairness to women, their biological make-up makes the shaving of pubic hair sometimes inevitable.

He says, “Take, for instance, when a woman wants to deliver a baby, her physician might advise her to shave a few days before her Expected Day of Delivery or C-Section, as the case may be.”

Emeka says there are reasons for that.

“When a woman shaves a few days to delivery, it makes the pubic area clean and neat. And, if the delivery is going to be by C-Section, of course, she will have to be shaved so that the surgeon can make incisions and do his/her job without any hindrance that the presence of pubic hair would constitute,” the physician explains.

You must not equate excessive jealousy with love!

~Vanguard, Nigeria. 

AT a recent funeral reception this male face tried catching my eye and when he did he would smile. I gave a tentative smile after a while and he sauntered over to my table. "Sunkanmi?", I asked, the penny finally dropping! I'd known him for ages. I got to know him through a very dear friend and we were often going out in a group. His girlfriend, Dora, worked with an airline and was always travelling.

In spite of having a thriving business, Sunkanmi seemed to have all the time for Dora. He was virtually her shadow – you seldom saw one without the other. His attention was so stifling that Dora was getting fed up with his unfounded jealousy.

"His kind of love is turning into something sinister," Dora confessed a few years into their being a couple. We were out to lunch, her treat, as she wanted my opinion

on how to handle this dark side of her man. "I know he loves me", she continued, "and treats me like a princess. The only problem is his jealousy. I daren't keep in touch with male friends and colleagues as it is just not worth the interrogation.

Even in our group, being too friendly with our male friends was a total no-no. As you are well aware I hardly go out without him, yet I'd never cheat on him because I love him. I've tried everything I could to prove that I love him and I'm at the end of my tether. Maybe you have some ideas on how I could handle this?"

Was she asking me how she could prove her trustworthiness as if she were the one at fault here? Well she was! I assured her she wasn't to blame for her man's insecurity and that she was bending over backwards so as not to rock the boat. Her man might be her soul mate, but he was excessively jealous when he had no reason to be. It might have been acceptable for him to be a bit anxious at the start of the relationship, but after two years together, he ought to be feeling secure.

He might love her, but it was the possessive type of love. Because of him, she's cut off most of her friends and given him far too much control over her life, all in an effort to make him happy. I reminded her that I'd walked down that path before and the fact we were sitting down to lunch and discussing it showed she knew her relationship wasn't healthy.

The answer wasn't to carry on tip-toeing round him. It's to make him realize the reasons he gets so edgy were nothing to do with her or her actions. Perhaps in the past, other people had let him down; maybe family friends or previous partners had betrayed him – so he was extra wary in relationships. Or perhaps he didn't feel he was good enough for her, was scared she'll find someone better, so he was overtly anxious all the time.

Consider this before you engage in oral sex

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Parents, stop giving your kids junk food

Written by Bukola Adebayo, Punch - Nigeria. 

Naturally, we all need food to function. Kids especially must eat food to grow well. But in making sure that your child gets the best of nutrients, nutritionists say that emphasis should be on quality not quantity.

They say that obesity has now become a challenge among kids because parents who determine what their kids eat have thrown caution to the wind.

A nutritionist, Dr. James Sanusi, says that by loading your kid's lunch box with junk such as yoghurts, chocolates, biscuits and more, parents may be increasing their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure early in life.

According to Sanusi, biscuits and candies fall among the 21 most dangerous treats you can give to children. In fact, nutritionists have said that giving biscuits or sweets to children regularly is comparable to poisoning them at an early age.

Sadly, biscuits, which many know contain many unhealthy substances and have little or no nutritional value - except the fact that they are a readymade treat that calms children down - are very popular snacks among kids.

Sanusi laments that many children are being diagnosed with high blood glucose and high blood pressure before they are 18 because of the processed foods that parents do not have any qualms giving to their kids.

The nutritionist adds that studies have fingered the high sugar and salt contents in biscuits and sweets as major factors increasing childhood obesity and diabetes.

As toddlers grow older, the lure to give kids sweets and biscuits may become impossible to ignore; but experts say the way out is to resist and look for alternatives. "Parents and guardians may just be saving children from diseases by regulating their daily sugar intake," Sanusi warns.

Also, a 2010 study found that excess fructose - which is very high in biscuits and sweets - actually causes visceral fat cells to mature, setting the stage for a big belly and even bigger future risk of heart disease and diabetes in kids.

Sanusi adds, "One only needs to visit an amusement park, school or day care to see what is happening. More children are becoming obese and accumulating fat around their bellies, a factor for Type-2 diabetes and hypertension."

Why is this so? Experts say it is because more kids are consuming fructose and high sugar-loaded beverages than they burn.

Sanusi notes that when parents give their children biscuits or sweets, they should know that they are giving them sugar in another form.

Medical treatment abroad

culled from http://www.hmcisrael.com/

The popularity of Medical treatment abroad is expanding globally mainly due to its greater capacity to provide safe, high quality treatments to those who cannot receive comparable care in their country of origin; many turning to India and Israel.

Medical Tourism once broadly focused on provision of health care and emergency treatment provided by higher-income countries to less developed nations, has since expanded to include patients from many parts of the world to countries with the full range of health care system infrastructure and modernity. Medical Tourism (MT) has become particularly popular in the United States, mainly due to high living costs and costly health services and care. In the United States, a staggering 50 million people are uninsured and over twice as many are uninsured for dental care. Nevertheless, insurance may not cover specific treatments and many are unable to meet the financial requirements specified for medical procedures that they require.

Therefore, Americans have many reasons for seeking treatment elsewhere - since it has also become easier over time to receive the treatment they need that is on average 30% cheaper than in the United States. They can also receive the quality and safety that equals national standards for the very same procedure. Furthermore, patients reap the benefits of getting medical care and treatment while they travel and vacation.

In the modern MT industry, international patients can be rest-assured that in nearly all countries, patients receive quality treatment in the same hospitals that also serve the local population. Services are provided by licensed professionals who maintain international accreditations that adherence to strict medical protocols.

MT is forecasted to expand even further, becoming an increasingly global phenomenon. Along with its growth, affordable and highly sophisticated diagnostic tools that guide the development of innovative treatments. Renowned specialists work with international patients; contributing to the growth of the industry and its success through expertise in specific branches of medicine. Today, an astounding 7 million people have travelled the globe for medical services for procedures like heart transplants to cosmetic surgery and dental care.

How I wasted 35 years of my life in America -Nigerian returnee from the US

Written by Azuka Jebose Molokwu - Nigeria

~ JEBOSE BOULEVARD, Punch Nigeria. 

In the United States, over 3.5 million people experience homelessness every year. The homeless include people from all ethnic backgrounds and discipline. This number includes 35 per cent of the homeless population families with children. In recent years, the number of homeless immigrants, documented or undocumented, has doubled as America continues to experience immigration challenges.

John Atari (not real name.) was once an undocumented immigrant in the US. He was also homeless and an alcoholic. He left Nigeria in the early 1980s in search of better life. After more than 30 years in America,with no home and dependent on substance abuse and alcohol, John, few years ago, returned to Nigeria, somewhere near Port Harcourt. He agreed to share his story, on two conditions: we must change his last name and not use his photographs. "I hope people would learn from my experience. That's why I agreed to share this story."

This is a compelling narrative:

"I left Port Harcourt more than 35 years ago. I missed the sights and sounds of the Garden City; the intrigues of dusty roads and the smells of combusted market places, filled with everyday people hustling to survive through the day. I missed those days, when plantain sellers hawked by the roadside. I thought I might never see these parts of my life again. I retained faded memory of childhood, the path that led me to, in some strange ways, where I am today, back to this peaceful place called home. I used to sit in shopping mall parking lots, in the cold weather of the US, waiting endlessly for sunset.

"A lot happened to me, I have advanced type two diabetes. I am also suffering from a cardiovascular disease. I am living on borrowed time, supported by several medications. I don't have a wife or family except my sister and the church that rescued me when I returned two years ago, after living in America for nearly 35 years, as a homeless alcoholic. I didn't have Green Card to find a decent job. Even if I did get a job, I was not sober enough most days to keep my job. I hustled for odd jobs to maintain my passion for alcoholic beverages. It didn't have to be that way. I occasionally engaged as a gypsy taxicab driver in the city. I lived beyond minimum wage as I began to hang around other homeless Americans in that city. 

During winter time, I would ride in the city's mass transit bus all day, just to get warm and during severe weather conditions, I checked into the Salvation Army or Rescue Mission shelter homes to get warmth, food and shelter. I had been homeless until one Nigerian asked me to come and drive cab for his company. I drove with no licence, no cab permit.

There is life after stroke

Written by Biodun Ogungbo - Nigeria

We are going to talk about stroke and you had better listen. We are going to talk about stroke as it is affecting us. You should be part of the discussion. Stroke is devastating and destroying life. Stroke may have even visited someone in your family.

No hiding place

This epidemic is in your neighbourhood. The fact is that many people bury their heads in the sand and stick their bottoms up, hoping that it will not affect them. What you need is not deniability, but information.

People suffer strokes all over the world and stroke is not a respecter of persons. Yet, our people hide stroke victims and refuse to talk about it, as if that will make it go away! You need to know all about stroke and be very active in preventing stroke. Simply because God helps those who help themselves!

I am stroke: know me

Stroke is characterised by a sudden weakness of an arm or leg, sudden blindness, sudden confusion, and sudden problems with speech, difficulty in walking, sudden severe headaches, sudden collapse and sudden death. It is due to the blockage of a blood vessel carrying blood to the brain, leading to the injury or death of that part of the brain. This is why it occurs 'suddenly' as the tap carrying food to the brain gets turned off!

Stroke also occurs when a blood vessel bursts open in the brain. In both situations, the brain does not get the food and oxygen that it needs. Therefore, it suffers and stops working or dies if nothing is done.

Watch it, dirty panties harbour germs!

Written by Bukola Adebayo - Nigeria

 ...dirty panties harbour germs

Do you itch down there? Do you perceive offensive odour from your genital area? Or have you been treating vaginal infections too frequently? If you answer in the affirmative to at least two of these questions, it may be time for you to throw your panties in the trash bin.

Many of us are guilty of wearing our underwear and panties for too long. Even when they have stains that won't wash off or if they already have holes and patches, we still keep wearing them. People do this not because they can't afford to buy new set of undies, but sometimes simply because they have become attached to them.

While we agree that it is not so easy to get the right fit of underwear, doctors say that wearing old underwear could predispose one to urinary tract and vaginal infections.

Consultant Gynaecologist, Dr. Olamide Adepegba, says scientific studies have shown that men and women are more likely to have changed their wardrobe four times before they change their set of underwear.

He says, "Your panties have direct contact with your reproductive organs and your skin, sweat and other fluids that contain bacteria. It is a sensitive area, an opening into the body, just like the mouth. We should take care of it so that it does not become the entry route for germs and viruses.

"As your underwear ages, the cotton wears out and it does not give the protection that it should. Consequently, more flora will thrive on it and they can be transferred from one surface to the other, meaning from the panties to the pubic hair then into the body.

"Don't forget that your underwear comes in contact with your urine, faeces and other body discharges, even when you have done your best to clean them up."

Kidney Disease: Regular Screening Check Is Important

Adewunmi

KIDNEY is one of the vital organs in the human body, which could become diseased, and fatal if not well treated. Kidney disease kills both the young and old in Nigeria and other parts of the world.

Dr. Adebowale Adewunmi is a consultant nephrologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), who specialises in the treatment of kidney disease. He explains that the kidney is one of the few paired organs in the abdomen, comprising the right and left kidneys. The kidney is bean shaped with various parts.

"The kidney performs several functions, but for the purpose of general consumption, I can easily say that they majorly do three things. The kidney helps to carry out and wash out waste products of metabolism. It is like a sieve that filters out through the blood. Secondly, the kidney helps in blood formation. There is a chemical supplied by the kidney called Erythropoietin. If a kidney cannot supply this at all or not enough, the blood suffers. That is why most kidney disease patients have low blood pressure.

"The third major function is in bone formation. The kidney helps to produce a hormone known as Vitamin D (calciferol). The active form of Vitamin D is vitamin D3. Before it is formed, the liver must contribute CH3 group 1 to the position 1 to make Vitamin D. The second organ is the kidney,which must produce another CH3 group and position 25. Kidney is very important because if the liver does its own work without the kidney, Vitamin D is never formed. The kidney job is to also control and equalise electrolytes," he explained.

Highlighting the causes of kidney failure or kidney disease, Akinwunmi sayed when the kidney is sick or there is kidney failure, vitamin D cannot be formed. Kidney disease could be inherited and any one can have the disease at any age.

Do you want a healthy baby? Try exclusive breastfeeding

Written by Bukola Adebayo - Nigeria

For expectant mothers who still don't know, exclusive breast feeding is the act of giving a 

baby only breast milk in the first six months of a child's life without adding any supplement, food or liquid, including water.

Oh yes! It may sound impossible to most that any one can survive a day without drinking water, but doctors maintain that the breast milk is the only food and fluid that a child needs in the first six months of life.

They say that for the baby to get all the benefits inherent in it, the mother must practise exclusive breastfeeding.

Consultant Paediatrician, Dr. Yeni Olanrewaju, says the breast milk is the most nutritious food a mother can give her newborn. It is also the best food for a growing infant.

Olanrewaju says the first milk from a woman's breast shortly after delivery has been proved to contain thousands of nutrients that will help the baby till s/he can produce enough antibodies to fight infection.

"We call it immediate breast-feeding, which is putting the baby to the mother's breast within an hour after birth . The antibodies in this breast milk within this hour could significantly reduce the chances of losing the baby in the first six weeks.

" It is a cost-effective strategy that we advise all mothers to adopt in order to reduce neonatal deaths," Olanrewaju enthuses.

Even the United Nations Children Fund states that early and exclusive breastfeeding supports healthy brain development, improves cognitive performance and is associated with better educational achievement at age five.

The UNICEF, however, laments that less than 40 per cent of infants under six months receive the benefits.

According to the global body, approximately 1.3 million deaths can be prevented each year if at least 90 per cent of mothers practise exclusive breast feeding.

Consultant Paediatrician, Dr. Bunmi Adeniyi, says that six months of exclusive breastfeeding is key to the survival of a child, as it helps in boosting the baby's immunity level to fight diseases and infections.

According to Adeniyi, the breast milk, especially the first thick yellow milk called colostrum, contains anti-bacterial and anti-viral agents and high levels of vitamin A that protect infants against diseases.

He notes that promoting exclusive breast feeding reduces the incidence of killer diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, jaundice and other respiratory infections.

"Breast milk is a natural source of food for the baby and it is important for the baby's growth. It also contains antibodies that protect infants from bacteria, viruses and other childhood illnesses such as diarrhoea and respiratory infections - diseases that kill children in Nigeria.

Can you afford to educate your children abroad?

Written by 'Nimi Akinkugbe - Nigeria

Email: info@moneymatterswithnimi

Website: www.moneymatterswithnimi.com

Twitter/ Instagram: @MMWITHNIMI

Facebook: MoneyMatterswithNimi

Nimi Akinkugbe has extensive experience in private wealth management. She seeks to empower people regarding their finances and offers frank, practical insights to create a greater awareness and understanding of personal finance.

For thousands of Africans studying abroad as well as the thousands aspiring to join them, the devaluation of the currencies is a major setback and will inevitably force parents to reconsider their children's overseas education plans. Here are a few ideas to consider as you navigate the challenges of the increased education costs.

The key to successfully educating children is preparation and planning from their earliest years. Many parents do not plan for this huge expense until the bills are almost due. Putting in place an educational savings plan with direct debits from your current account to an appropriate investment vehicle will help keep plans on track.

By some estimates, annual increases in education costs can be as high as 10% to 15%. An education-planning calculator helps you to visualise various scenarios assuming savings over a period of time. It will help you to determine how much to put into the education fund on a regular basis in order to meet a particular goal. You can create different scenarios by entering different data as appropriate. Remember to factor in exchange rate changes if your children are to be educated abroad.

Are all your savings and investments in local currency? Exposure to a diversified currency portfolio typically reduces exchange rate risk. It is important, particularly if you have obligations in foreign exchange to hold some foreign currency in your domiciliary account, or in a diversified portfolio consisting of bank deposits, bonds, mutual funds and real estate.

Remittances for school fees, student maintenance allowances, Business Travel Allowance (BTA), and Personal Travel Allowance (PTA), are among the eligible requests for foreign exchange that shall be fully met by The Central Bank at the official/interbank exchange rate.

Scholarships and grants are often overlooked by parents. From your children's earliest years you may have identified a unique skill or talent, sporting, artistic or academic, making them eligible to compete for scholarships. Scholarships may be tied to a particular field of study or may require that a certain standard of performance be maintained throughout the student's enrollment. They may not cover the entire school fees bill but will certainly offset some of the expenses.

There is actually nothing in this world that is worth dieing for. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

~ Radio Biafra Voice And The Nigeria Voice

According to Wikipedia This is the garage of the Second Nigerian Senate President Prince Nweke Nwafor from 1960 to 1966. 
I vividly Recall the story of a man who became popular for engaging in money rituals just to buy the 80's edition of the Honda Prelude. You wouldn't buy that car for 50k today. Some other guy brutally murdered his brother ( whom their father gave cash 2 travel 4 the purpose of re- stocking their warehouse), just cos he wanted to acquire the rave of the moment - Pathfinder Jeep. That same vehicle is now better described as a coffin. I Remember as a kid, my whole street gathered to watch a truck deliver a very large satellite dish to my neighbour's house. Today a dish one tenth that size delivers 5 times the value and is in almost every student's room. What about the Volkswagen Santana, Mercedes Benz V boot, 505Evolution, Toyota Crown, all overtaken by latest models of Camry, Honda, Bugatti, Bentley, X6, Acura and Infinity....

Vanity! Some ladies left their true loves cos some rich guy then persuaded them with a Benz 190, which turned out to be the only car they ever owned till date. They found out too late that true love is invaluable. A friend declared drinks because he launched the Nokia Communicator for over hundred grand in 2002. Today that phone would embarrass the owner and is a joke compared to the low cost and everyday phones. What about the MTN SIM card that many people went extra miles before they bought for over 30k, today you will not buy it at N100 because all networks are begging people to even take it for free. People are still making the most horrific sacrifices over 'vanity' and make enemies over worthless material things. What can I say? Look back at that one thing you want to kill or die for today and see what becomes of it tomorrow. There is absolutely nothing you can't achieve. 

All you need is a little time and PATIENCE and you would thank God without regrets. There is actually nothing in this world that is worth dieing for, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Meditate on this…

Don't ruin your liver with harmful habits

Written by Solaade Ayo-Aderele - Nigeria

In humans, the liver is very important because of the numerous functions it performs. Scientists say this vital organ, being one of the largest in humans, detoxifies the body by ridding it of harmful substances, while it also produces the biochemical substances that are necessary for proper digestion of food.

The presence of a healthy liver in the body is what makes the blood what it is, experts say, as the liver produces the albumin – a major component of blood serum.

A General Practitioner, Dr. Daniel Ogunboyejo, says when a woman is pregnant, in the first three months, the liver is the main site of red blood cell production in the foetus. And even after the baby is born, this organ produces the hormone that plays an important role in the child's growth and continues to aid the building up of organs and tissues in adults.

Ogunboyejo also notes that when a person's blood pressure becomes low (hypotension), the liver, working in tandem with the kidneys, produces angiotensinogen – a hormone that is responsible for raising the blood pressure when activated by another enzyme (renin) that is released when the kidney senses low blood pressure.

Experts say the liver is thought to be responsible for up to 500 separate functions, usually in combination with other systems and organs. And that is why they conclude that this organ is necessary for survival, as there is no way to compensate for its absence in the body in the long term.

Scientists say the liver is basically the 'body's filter.' The function of the liver is to process medications, alcohol, and other such chemicals and toxins and remove them from the body. "Therefore, anything you put into your body will, at some point and in some form, pass through the liver," Ogunboyejo warns.

Liver destroyers

At a media briefing about Hepatitis C, a specialist in hepatology, gastroenterology and endoscopy, Dr. Aderemi Oluyemi, warns that numerous activities can jeopardise the liver, leading to damages that are sometimes irreversible unless the patient goes for liver transplantation – an extreme and expensive procedure that is not available in the country.

How can you damage your liver? These ways...

Abusing anabolic steroids

Many people, especially athletes, body builders and weight lifters, use anabolic steroids without supervision by a competent physician. Yet experts say these synthetic variants of the male sex hormone (testosterone), if used regularly and for a long period, can raise the risk of developing liver cancer as well as some other cancers.

It can also result in liver tumours; the liver may be enlarged, become deep red in colour and fragile.

"It may also lead to haemorrhagic cystic degeneration of the liver – a rare condition that requires urgent surgery," Ogunboyejo notes.