By Ben Nwanne
A Professor of Human Nutrition at Delta State University, Abraka, Professor Bridget Imonikebe has advised Nigerians to consume more fruits and vegetables as against carbohydrates and fatty foods.
This is to enhance their health and make them live longer. Her lecture entitled “Malnutrition, Prevention and Treatment of Diseases Nutritionally for Longevity” was the 95th in the series of Inaugural lectures of the Delta State University, Abraka.
According to Professor Imonikebe, who advised against overeating, humans must endeavour to consume balanced diet which means foods with the nutrients required by the body in the right quantity.
In her own words “nutrients in foods are the substances required by the body for growth, repair and the maintenance of tissues and organs”.
She insisted that all the required nutrients in foods must be present so as to avoid malnutrition and other challenges.
“When one nutrient is absent in the food consumed, there is usually occurrence of certain marked clinical signs. Such clinical syndromes can be cured through making such nutrients available in the diet or by taking chemical supplements such as vitamin C tablets,” she stated.
“The non-nutritive materials are phytochemicals. Antioxidants are natural active plant chemicals that usually boost health. The fibres in food help stimulate bowel movement for ease of evacuation of faeces”
She regretted that malnutrition was widespread all over the world especially in Nigeria, noting that the problem had led to the death of many people mostly infants and young children.
She established a nexus between poverty and malnutrition, insisting that, “There is a relationship between poverty and malnourishment. Poverty can make an individual to be malnourished. When an individual is malnourished there is little or no strength to work to meet his basic needs; hence resulting in poverty”.
Professor Imonikebe, who is a former Head of Department of Vocational Education, identified some causes of malnutrition to include food shortage arising from high post-harvest losses leading to insufficient food or food scarcity, overcooking of food leading to loss of many nutrients, lack of nutrition education, loss of nutrients through food spoilage arising from poor method of preservation, excessive consumption of carbohydrates and fatty foods and excessive use of frying method of cooking, among others.
In order to reduce morbidity (rate of sickness) and mortality (rate of death), the authority in nutrition gave several “thou shall not” to include consumption of skin of cow meat (Pomo), insisting that “this part of the meat is a silent killer when depended on as source of protein”.
She also ‘outlawed’ the consumption of starch, alcoholic beverages, sugar and others.
Citing the ancient Greek Hippocrates who coined the expression “may your food be your medicine and may your medicine be your food”, Professor Imonikebe noted that certain foods had been known for their healing ability/power.
Her words: “This indicates that daily foods have more than sustaining qualities and have curative properties… Through medical history, scientific evidence has established that nutrients or substances in a good diet are the causative agents to certain diseases”.
Professor Imonikebe regretted that fruits and vegetables were not consumed by some people leading to micronutrient deficiency, overweight, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancers and other non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and high cholesterol levels.
According to her, “Hall et al (2009) reported that the consumption of fruits and vegetables in Africa is in the low range between 70g to 312g per person instead of the WHO/FAO recommended daily intake of 400 g per person, per day. Again, the World Health Organisation Information sheet showed that approximately 2.76 million deaths and 1.8% of the global disease burden worldwide are attributable to low fruit and vegetable consumption. It was also found that insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables is estimated to cause around 14% of gastrointestinal cancer deaths, 31% of heart diseases and about 11% of stroke deaths (WHO, 2003)”.
In emphasizing the properties of different foods, Professor Imonikebe noted that foods which are consumed had either acidifying or alkalising effects on the body.
According to her, acidifying food when consumed and broken down in the body has the capacity to produce acidification which lowers the PH of the blood and other body fluids. Examples include fish, meat, eggs and cheese which are not healthy for the body.
On the other hand, she described alkalising food as those which increase the PH of the blood and other body fluids after undergoing metabolism in the body. “Fruits and vegetables are the most alkalising foods,” she remarked.
Speaking at the occasion, an impressed Vice-Chancellor, Prof Andy Egwunyenga praised the Inaugural Lecturer for the rich research and great delivery.
He noted that the topic had stimulated interest in the audience. The Professor of Parasitology and a Public Health Consultant observed that the Inaugural Lecturer displayed a mastery of her subject matter.
“We have been treated to a lovely engagement that got us involved. She demonstrated the link between our nutrition, our health and longevity. She has established that she is a good teacher and communicator” declared the cerebral University Administrator as he decorated her with the University’s Distinguished Honorary Medal and thus inducted her as a senior Professor at the University.
Professor Ben Nwanne, is the Director, Directorate of Ceremonials, Information and Public Relations, Delta State University, Abraka.
