Health
Warning! 30% of early deaths tied to eating meat
At least one-third of early deaths could be prevented if everyone moved to a vegetarian diet, Harvard scientists have calculated.
Dr. Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard Medical School, United States (U.S.) said the benefits of a plant-based diet had been vastly underestimated.
Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics suggested that around 24 per cent or 141,000 deaths each year in Britain were preventable, but most of that was due to smoking, alcohol or obesity.
But the new figures from Harvard suggest that at least 200,000 lives could be saved each year if people cut meat from their diets.
Speaking at the Unite to Cure Fourth International Vatican Conference in Vatican City, Dr. Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard Medical School said: “We have just been doing some calculations looking at the question of how much could we reduce mortality shifting towards a healthy, more plant based diet, not necessarily totally vegan, and our estimates are about one third of deaths could be prevented.
“That’s not even talking about physical activity or not smoking, and that’s all deaths, not just cancer deaths. That’s probably an underestimate as well as that doesn’t take into account the fact that obesity is important and we control for obesity.
“When we start to look at it we see that healthy diet is related to a lower risk of almost everything that we look at. Perhaps not too surprising because everything in the body is connected by the same underlying processes.”
British-born Professor David Jenkins, of the University of Toronto, who is credited with developing the glycemic index which explains how carbohydrates impact blood sugar, also told the conference that the benefits of vegetarianism had been ‘undersold.’
Jenkins said humans would do better following a “simian” diet, similar to lowland gorillas who eat stems, leaves, vines and fruits rather than a “paleo” or caveman diet, which cuts carbohydrates but allows meat.
His team recently teamed up with The Bronx Zoo in New York and travelled to central Africa to record the feeding habits of gorillas.
When they recreated the diet for humans – which amounted to 63 servings of fruit and vegetables a day – they found a 35 per cent fall in cholesterol, in just two weeks, the equivalent of taking statins.
“That was quite dramatic,” he said “We showed that there was no real difference between what we got with the diet and what we got with a statin.”
Also, the ‘radical’ pace of modern life is fuelling disease, The Pope has warned as he urged people to exercise, eat well and avoid alcohol and air pollution to stay healthy.
Speaking at the Unite For Cure Fourth International Vatican Conference in Rome, Holy Father Pope Francis said ‘many evils’ could be avoided if greater attention was paid to living a good lifestyle.
Addressing some of the world’s leading doctors and scientists, Pope Francis said diseases like cancer could be avoided if people adopted good health practices from childhood.
“We are increasingly aware that many evils can be avoided if greater attention is paid to the style of life we adopt and the culture we promote,” he told delegates.
“Prevention involves taking a farsighted look at human beings and the environment in which we live.
“It means aiming for a culture of balance, whose essential factors – education, physical activity, diet, the protection of the environment…can help us to live better, with fewer health risks.
“This is all the more important when we think of children and of young people, who are increasingly at risk because of illnesses linked to the radical changes of modern culture.
“We need but reflect on the impact on health caused by smoking, alcohol consumption, and toxins released in the air, in the water and in the soil.
“A number of tumors and other health problems in adults could be avoided by adopting preventive measures during childhood.
“It is urgent to foster everywhere a culture of prevention as the first step in health care.”
Around 17.5 million people eligible for statins to stave off heart disease, equating to most men over 60 and most women over 65. But many complain of side effects and stop taking the drugs.
Jenkins added: “We’re saying you’ve got a choice, you can change your diet to therapeutically meaningful change or you can take a statin. Drug or diet.”
Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Committee for Responsible Medicine also said people need to wake up to the health benefits of vegetarianism and veganism.
“I think we’re underestimating the effect,” he told delegates. “I think people imagine that a healthy diet has only a modest effect and a vegetarian diet might help you lose a little bit of weight. But when these diets are properly constructed I think they are enormously powerful.
. Guardian
Health
Enhancement of Military Health Services: Matawalle Meets U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Health
In a significant move to bolster Defence Health Services and strengthen the partnership between the United States and Nigeria, the Minister of State for Defence, H.E. Dr. Muhammad Bello Matawalle, met with a U.S. delegation led by Dr. David Smith, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Health.
A statement endorsed by Henshaw Ogubike, director of Information and PR at the Ministry, shows that the the meeting focused on enhancing the existing collaboration in defence health between the two nations, which has previously facilitated the establishment of high-tech laboratories in Nigeria.
The Honourable Minister commended the U.S. for their efforts and urged for the expansion of these medical facilities beyond Abuja and Lagos to reach more derserved regions.
Dr. Matawalle emphasized the strategic integration of health services to improve the welfare of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, stating, “A healthy military is the backbone of a strong nation.” He reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that military personnel have access to top-tier healthcare services and facilities. To this end, he called for an increase in the defence budget allocated to health, viewing it as a vital investment in the nation’s future and stability.
Furthermore, the Minister highlighted that these initiatives align with Nigeria’s broader commitment to enhancing military readiness while addressing public health challenges that affect both service members and the civilian population. He noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is dedicated to improving healthcare for military personnel and civilians, recognizing healthcare as a cornerstone of national security.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana mni, stated that this initiative would positively impact military health and serve as a model for strengthening Nigeria’s overall healthcare system. “This collaboration marks a turning point for Nigeria’s defence health system,” he asserted.
Dr. Smith praised the Minister for his proactive approach to health readiness, underscoring the critical connection between health systems and military effectiveness. “Health is as crucial as any weapon system in ensuring military success, and we are committed to supporting Nigeria’s efforts to enhance its defence health system,” he remarked.
The U.S. delegation is in Nigeria to further advance initiatives aimed at sustaining progress against HIV, accelerating efforts towards the United Nations’ 95-95-95 goals, and working towards the elimination of HIV as a public health threat by 2030.
Health
Neptune Prime publisher to unveil cancer clinic, school, foundation for late journalists’ families as son weds in Yobe
The publisher of Neptune Prime newspapers, Dr Hassan Gimba, has announced plans to commission three major projects in his home state, Yobe State
In an invitation letter sent to newsmen on Wednesday, the publisher disclosed that the event, which is scheduled to take place on August 31, is coinciding with the wedding Fatiha of his son, Barrister Suleiman Gimba.
According to the letter, the wedding Fatiha will take place by 11:00am at the residence of Mohammed Babate, Behind Water Board, Army Barracks, Potiskum.
“Immediately after the wedding Fatihah, we will be commissioning the Hafsatu Gimba Ahmed Memorial School located at VIO Street, Unguwar Jaji, Potiskum.
“This institution is dedicated to the memory of my late mother, aiming to serve the educational needs of our community,” the letter noted.
Dr Gimba added that as part of the launch programme, the Abubakar Monja Lifeline Foundation for Late Journalists’ Families, which he founded to cater to the families of journalists who have passed away, will be empowering youths it trained in tailoring and plumbing.
“Additionally, I would like to invite you to inspect the ongoing construction of the Lami Fatima Babare Cancer Outreach and Clinic situated nearby, also in Unguwar Jaji.
“The clinic is an initiative of the Lami Fatima Babare Cervical Cancer Foundation, which was founded in 2020 – in memory of my late wife, Lami Fatima Babare – to provide medical services and referrals to cancer patients,” the letter noted.
The Enugu State Government has announced its intention to revamp the existing infrastructural facilities to give the Enugu State College of Health Technology in Oji River a face-lift and also scale-up institution to a technology-savvy citadel of learning.
The government made this known during a meeting with the management, staff, and students of the institution at the Enugu State Government House at the weekend, stressing its commitment to ensuring quality health service delivery in the state.
The government, which made this known through the Special Adviser on Health Matters, Dr. Yomi Jaye, also asked the students of the institution to go back to school and continue with their academic calendar, as all those involved in the recent breach of security in the school’s neighborhood had been rounded up and now facing the law.
The governor equally gave the college management a two-week ultimatum to develop a workplan, which the government would work on to ensure that the school functions at its optimum level.
Briefing Government House correspondents after the meeting, Dr. Jaye said, “We interacted with the management, staff and students of the Enugu State College of Health Technology, Orji River, to come up with a strategic plan to revamp the college and restore its lost glory.
His Excellency, Governor Peter Mbah, has expressed his willingness not only to revamp the school, but to upscale it to a technology-savvy teaching community.
“As you can see, the government is bullish about building Type-2 Healthcare Centre in each of the 260 wards and this college will produce some of the qualified workers that will deliver quality healthcare services to Ndi Enugu.
“We appeal to the parents and guardians to allow the students to go back to school and resume their academic activities as more security personnel have been deployed to make sure that both Oji River and its neighbouring communities are properly secured.
“It is also important to inform you that those who perpetrated the security breach have since been arrested and the victims, which included one student, also freed,” he maintained.
Also speaking, the Provost of the College, Dr. Lazarus Ezugwu, expressed his happiness over the state government’s move to revamp the institution, saying he was optimistic that the glory of the institution would be restored in no distant time.
When commending Governor Peter Mbah and the security agencies for their swift response to the recent security breach at the College, he also confirmed that security had been strengthened around the institution and Oji River in general.
“The meeting is such a commendable one. It goes a long way in telling us the type of visionary leader we have in the state. To be sincere, the total overhaul that will be done in the college is going to be enormous. What is coming to the college cannot be imagined because the governor has shown both special interest and political will. This is what we have been yearning for, for so many years,” Dr. Ezugwu stated.
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