What Goes Around Comes Around

It is a law of nature that whatever action we take in this world, there is always a reaction. If we do well, we stand to gain a good reward. If we do badly, we should expect a bad outcome ultimately. "What you sow, so you reap," is a popular saying. The Noble Qur'an has also guided us on this subject, it says: "If you do good, you do good to yourselves. Likewise, if you do evil, you do evil to yourselves." (17:7) One of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was very fond of this verse of the Noble Qur'an. He used to recite it loudly and repeatedly wherever he went. A Jewish woman who had heard him once wanted to prove him wrong and thus make him unpopular among his people. She thought up a plot against him. She prepared some sweets mixed with poison and sent them to him as a present. When he received them, he went out of the city taking sweets with him. On the way, he met two men who were returning home from a long journey. They appeared tired and hungry, so he thought of doing them a good turn. He offered them the sweets. Of course, he was not aware that they were secretly mixed with poison. No sooner had the two travelers taken the sweets, they collapsed and died. When the news of their death reached Medina, the city where the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) resided, the man was arrested. He was brought in front of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and he related what had actually happened. The Jewish woman, who had mixed poison with the sweets, was also brought to the court of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). She was stunned to see the two dead bodies of the travelers there. They in fact turned out to be her two sons who had gone away on a journey. She admitted her evil intention before the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and all the people present. Alas, the poison she had mixed in the sweets to kill the companion of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had instead killed her own two sons. What a splendid example of a tragic reaction to a bad action; It shows how one reaps what he sows. "Do as you would be done by," are the words of wisdom from the learned and wise men of the past. They teach us to do well to others in the same way as we like others to do good to us.

THE NATURE OF IRU DELICACY AND MEDICINAL BENEFITS

           The wonderful locust bean also known as carob bean.The scientific name is 'Parkia biglobosa, Family Leguminosae: Mimosoideae" while the Hausa speaking inhabitants of the area call it "Daddawa". and iru                                                          in Yoruba is a polysaccharide.

When last did you enjoy home-made soup made with locust bean or even eat the fermented bean raw? Locust bean is one common cooking condiment that is been phased out on tables of the educated. Hardly is this cooking condiment given its right of place on the family table again despite its many health benefits for all ages.

While the young ones need it for good eye sight, the older ones need it to drive away hypertension and its other related diseases like stroke and diabetes.

Tough to many, the fermented locust bean is merely for adding taste, but science has also corroborated its many nutritional and medicinal values.

For example, when the entire seeds and decorticated, fermented seeds were tried out in rats to find out whether it actually has any impact on controlling blood pressure, the results obtained with both preparations, found adequate doses of the two helped to decrease arterial blood pressure. In fact, the diastolic blood pressure measurement enjoyed more reduction than even the systolic blood pressure.

Importantly,  the effect of fermented locust seeds was much more than that due to the entire seeds in decreasing blood pressure in hypertensive than in those with normal blood pressure, meaning that a regular consumption of it can both reduce elevated blood pressure as well as prevent it in those with the medical problem.

The wonders of African locust bean tree are many. The pulverised bark of African locust bean tree, for instance, is employed in wound healing and serves as one of the ingredients that is used in treating leprosy. In Gambia, the leaves and roots is prepared into a solution for sore eyes too.

A decoction of the bark is used also as a bath for fever and as a hot mouth wash to steam and relieve toothache in Ivory Coast. The pulped bark is used along with lemon for wound and sores generally.

Similarly, the possible use of fermented locust bean seed in controlling diabetes and cholesterol level was also confirmed in rats by Prof. A.A. Odetola ; Dr. O.A. Akinloye; C, Egunjobi ; W.A. Adekunle and A.O. Ayoola in the latest edition of the journal, Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology.

Using the water and alcoholic extracts of African locust bean on experimental animals, they found for example that a dietary supplementation with the extract (6g per kg of the plant extract administered orally for four weeks), ameliorated the alloxan-induced diabetes in a manner comparable with that of the reference antidiabetic drug, glibenclamide.

Water and alcoholic extracts of the fermented locust bean elicited 69.2 per cent and 64.4 per cent reductions, respectively in fasting blood sugar level compared with 70.4 per cent in 0.01mg per cent 150g glibenclamide – treated rats. Glibenclamide is a drug for controlling blood sugar level in diabetics.

In addition, high levels of HDL, the good cholesterol and low LDL, the bad cholesterol, were observed in animals treated with the water extract of locust bean, a pattern similar to that seen in normal control.

The scientists concluded based on the study that while both the water and alcoholic extracts of fermented seeds of African locust beans exact a blood sugar lowering effect, only the water extract of it can ameliorate the loss of body weight usually associated with diabetes.

Similarly, garlic is another cooking condiment that shouldn’t be over looked. Garlic is a natural agent for the treatment of hypertension, with several scientific studies to back its effectiveness.

A marked decrease in systolic blood pressure was noticed with its usage. In these rats, three doses of garlic decreased the blood pressure within 30 minutes in each case.

A preliminary report on this by Fushee D.B, Ruffin J. and Banerjee U. said that the average decrease in systolic blood pressure for the 0.1ml per kg and the 0.25ml per kg were calculated as 51.25 mmHg and 56.25 mmHg respectively. However, these doses were not sufficient to sustain the blood pressure in a normal range for more than one or two hours.

It was a 0.5ml per kg dose that ensured an average decrease of 65.7 mmHg sufficient to provoke a decrease to a normal blood pressure level and to sustain this decrease for up to 24 hours.

But the best garlic to use should be the aged type according to the researchers in the Journal of Nutrition. Even though, both the aged and raw garlic reduced an increased systolic blood pressure when compared with the control group after four weeks of using the experimental diet in the rats, the effect of aged garlic extract was also accompanied by a decrease of pulse pressure, suggesting an added advantage to use aged garlic.

Because some harmful effects were observed in the rats feed raw garlic, including a decrease in their red blood cell volume, based on the result, they then suggested that aged garlic extract may safely improve several factors that affects the heart and blood circulation, unlike raw garlic.

So when next you are cooking, remember to add plenty of fermented locust bean seed or garlic.

Ant and the Bird

Once upon a time, there was a long period of drought in the animal kingdom. As a result, almost every day the animals went in search of water.

One day when Ant woke up, she realized that she did not have enough water to quench her trust, so she went in search of water.

Fortunately, after walking a while, she came across a river and just as she was about to drink some of the water, she slipped and fell into the river.

She struggled to come out but to no avail. Her continuous shouts for help did not help because of the obscure nature of the location of the river.

Ant did her best to come out but anytime she tried she slipped into the river again and again. Minutes later, she heard Bird chirping from one of the trees.

Ant realized that it was her last hope so with the little strength left in her she called out for the Bird loudly. Bird heard her distress call and was able to trace it to the river. However, she did not know who had called her for help so she got closer to the river.

'Who is there?' Bird shouted. 'It's me,' Ant replied.

Ant then begged Bird to rescue her and she would repay her later. Bird laughed over that statement because she considered Ant too little an animal to offer any assistance to her. Nevertheless, she agreed to help her.

She threw a leaf into the river and shouted for Ant to climb onto it. The leaf then floated to the side of the river and with that Ant was rescued.

Ant thanked Bird and reassured her that she would help her one day. Again, Bird laughed over that and flew away. 'How can a small Ant help me?' she said to herself.

Few months after that incident, a hunter went to the forest in search of an animal to kill for food. Luckily, he saw the same Bird making her nest.

'Ah,' thought the hunter, 'I will kill and eat this bird.' By that time the hunter had removed his gun which hung by his side and was getting it ready to kill the Bird. Ant, who was close by, noticed that the hunter wanted to shoot Bird and thought this would be the appropriate period to repay Bird for her good deed towards her.

Ant climbed onto the hunter's leg. She ran through his back, then to his shoulders before landing on the arm that held the gun and bit it as hard as it could. The hunter jumped and fired his gun into the air. Bird was startled by the shot and flew away to safety.

Bird moved to a safer place and when she looked down, she realized it was Ant that had saved her life.

Later when they met, Bird thanked Ant. 'We will always be friends,' she said, and Ant answered, 'Remember, one good turn deserves another.'

Things bitter leaf can do

Bitter leaf is a traditional ingredient in many African soups. Also known as Vernonia amydalia, its bitter taste makes it distinct from many other ingredients used for preparing soups. Recent studies indicate that eating more of Bitter leaf also called ‘Ewuro’ in Yoruba. ‘Onugbu’ in Igbo, and ‘Shiwaka’ in Hausas, has many potentials health benefits.

Ever heard of Bitter leaf?  As its name suggests, it is a plant whose main characteristic is it bitter stem and leaves. There also exists a species of the plant which produces a ‘sweet‘ leaf. Popular in most of West Africa and named after botanist, William Vernon, its botanical name is Vernonia, it belongs to the family of Asteraceae. Bitter leaf is also referred to as ironweed, a name coined from the intensely purple flowers which later take on a rusty hue. Bitter leaf is able to flourish in a variety of climates unlike other plants which are often native to certain areas. Although most popularly used for food, bitter leaf has also traditionally been used for its medicinal properties now proven by medical research. With around a thousand varieties, the bitter leaf plant’s uses range from antimicrobial to decorative. Some of the most common uses are noted below.

1. STOMACH ACHE: Chew the tender stem and swallowing the juices is a well known remedy for stomach aches.   Alternatively pound the fresh leaves in a mortar to extract the juice. Add a pinch of salt to three tablespoons of the undiluted juice and drink. This version is reported to bring immediate relief.

2. SKIN INFECTIONS & OTHER AILMENTS: For skin infections such as ringworm, itching, rashes and eczema, the pure, undiluted extract of bitter leaf is excellent. Simply apply it to the affected part daily.

The roots are used by sufferers of gingivitis and toothache due to antimicrobial properties which prevent the growth of bacteria.

3. GOOD FOR THE LIVER : Weighing between 1 and 3 kilograms, the liver is essential for the metabolism of fats and protein and must therefore be well taken care of. Alcohol, sugar, and processed foods we often feed ourselves can weaken the liver and make it susceptible to infections. Damage to the liver is often difficult to reverse and bitter leaf has long been used as a toner for this and other vital organs of the organ of the body.

4. DIABETES: As with the liver, bitter leaf helps repair the pancreas as well as cut down sugar levels in the blood. Agitate and squeeze ten handfuls of the fresh leaves in ten litres of water and drink two glasses thrice daily for one month. This amounts to six glasses daily.

5. INSOMNIA: Bitter leaf extract has been known to work magic for many unable to get restful sleep. Simply take two glasses of bitter leaf solution every night to experience great calm and well being. You may add a little honey if you wish.

6. PNEUMONIA: Squeeze the fresh leaves of the plant in water. Take a glass-full thrice daily. Warm [DO NOT BOIL the solution each time before drinking. Continue the medication for a month. To save time a large quantity can be made in one go. Add some honey to preserve the solution.

NB: Bitter leaf extract stored for longer than twenty-four hours loses the bitterness but the efficacy remains.

 7. PROSTRATE CANCER: Prostrate cancer is most common among black men over forty years old. Its symptoms include difficult and painful urination, among others. Bitter leaf helps increases the flow of urine and reduces the pain through its anti-inflammatory properties. It is also said to stop the cancer from spreading. Simply squeeze the fresh leaves in water and take a glassful four times daily.

 8. FATIGUE: Often feel weak and tired? Do you lack vitality and vigour? Squeeze the leaves in water and drink a glass three times daily. Soon you will experience a new lease of energy.

 9. STROKE: Bitter leaf solution has a calming effect on the nerves, strengthens the muscles and cleanses the system.

 10. ARTHRITIS: Arthritis or rheumatism patients who have tried bitter-leaf solution as described above attest to its effectiveness. It soothes inflamed joints and eradicates the pain.