knowledgecenta

T he Kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located close to the back. Although this pair of organs is relatively small, they are responsible for ensuring that the blood circulating in our body is free from harmful organisms, waste products and excess water. Your kidneys work extra hard to ensure your continued well-being. Every day, 20% of the blood pumped by the heart or approximately 200 quarts of blood passes through your kidneys for cleansing purposes. Every day, at least 2 quarts of unwanted waste materials are sifted from the blood before it is even allowed to return to general circulation. Each of these tiny organs is composed of about a million tinier units called "nephrons". Inside these nephrons, a tiny blood vessel ("glomerulus") is intertwined with a tiny urine-collecting tube (tubule). As blood passes through these nephrons, a complex interaction occurs between the glomerulus and the tubule which results in the elimination of wastes in the blood. These...

N ature has perfectly fashioned seasonal foods in each geographical zones of the world to provide the inhabitants of the zones with the right kind of nourishment that will sustain them at specific periods of the year. After rice, millet, and wheat, corn or maize is one of such seasonal foods (cereals) that have been known to most nations of the world right from the ancient times. Corn (maize) belongs to the family of grasses (graminaeae) and botanically it is called Zea mays. During its season, and depending on the nature of the soil, corn grows to a height of between 5 to 8 feet and is harvested within 70 to 90 days after planting. The measure of a good diet is that: The diet or food must be high in complex carbohydrates. Very high in dietary fibers. Low in protein and fats. Analyses have shown that maize satisfies all the qualities of a good diet. In addition to be a rich source of complex carbohydrates, fibers, and small amount of protein and fats, Corn is also a source ...

The above is the title of a book by Michael Greger, a well-known American medical doctor,  and  nutritionist, writing mainly for his American audience. Greger argues that the vast majority of premature deaths among Americans can be prevented through simple changes in diet and lifestyle.    He examines the fifteen top causes of death in America—heart disease, various cancers, diabetes, Parkinson’s, high blood pressure, and more—and explains how nutritional and lifestyle interventions can sometimes do better than prescription pills and other pharmaceutical and surgical approaches, freeing people to live healthier lives.   The simple truth is that most doctors are good at treating acute illnesses but bad at preventing chronic disease. According to him, the 15 leading causes of death claim the lives of 1.6 million Americans annually. For him, this doesn’t have to be the case and can be avoided. Using  wide  sources of research mate...

Have you ever wondered why so many people crave for watermelon and why it is a favourite fruit for many? It is because watermelon is a super nutritious fruit in every sense of the word.  Watermelon, botanically known as citrullus lanatus, is a native of Africa, originating in the Southern African region. It is a favourite fruit in Nigeria. Watermelon grows well in the temperate areas, which explains why it produces very well in northern Nigeria such as Plateau state where the climate is less hot. However, watermelon can be cultivated in any part of Nigeria if adequate soil moisture is maintained. It is said that watermelon grew wildly in the African forest over 1000 years ago, from where it was transported to Asia and America, and other parts of the world. Watermelon has been selected and produced as a hybrid, which has resulted in the bigger and sweeter variety that is popular today. The outer rind of watermelon fruit is green, hard and thick and slight...

There is healing in power in the sound you hear. In the beginning was Thought. Thought became Desire, and life came into being, for where Desire is, there is life. Where there is no Desire, there is no life. Desire became Allurement, and Love came into being, for where there is Allurement, there is Love. Where there is no Allurement, there is no Love. Love became Word. From Word came the primordial Sound by which the world was created and is sustained. Creation Through Sound The world was created through sound. The world can be understood only through sound. Sound is the master key to unraveling nature's mystery. The big bang theory of the evolutionist school of thought maintains that at the beginning, the world was a huge ball of fire. Then, suddenly, this ball of fire exploded with great ferocity. It was a tremendous bang. The ball of fire scattered in all directions. Thus the world came into being. This primordial sound still resounds at the heart of cre...

Waterleaf, (Talinum triangulare), is one of those underrated and undervalued plants in Nigeria. Some even regard waterleaf as a nuisance, a stubborn weed that grows all year, though it flourished more during the rainy season. Like the grasses in the fields, we match over them, urinate over them, and uproot them from our gardens, in preference to other plants which we consider more important. However, the more we weed them out, the more they grow again, as if in defiance. If you are one of those who cares for your health, who are not satisfied with just being alive but being well, then you should read this write-up carefully.  I make bold to say that waterleaf is of the most valuable healing herbs in nature’s pharmacy. As is usually the case, the best and most useful things in life, are cheap, available and accessible. Name them: air, sunshine, sleep and good vegetation. Because they are cheap and readily available, we tend to take them for granted. As I have said on man...

 The prevalence of fibroids, breast cancer and infertility among our women today is alarming. What do we do? Are we to fold our hands and watch our sons and daughters die in pain and desperation? Or are we to once again sit lazily and wait for western thinkers to help us find the solution?  Whenever I think of onion and its many health benefits, I cannot but wonder at the mystery of life. Onion is among the commonest vegetables around. It is available in every home all the year round. Have you ever heard of shortage of onions? And because our women can hardly cook without using onion, we take it for granted. It is time we overcome the sickness called ignorance. Blessed are you among other vegetables, Onion! Onion that is ever available. You that can make both men and women cry. Any wonder then that hired mourners use you to induce tears? Some house wives confided in me (please keep this to yourself o!) that whenever they needed a favour from their husbands...