34—Vanguard, WEDNESD AY, JANUARY 23, 2013 WEDNESDA
Build up your natural immunity with herbs BY SOLA OGUNDIPE
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ERTAIN medicinal herbs are known to stimulate immunity, giving the immune system a stronger ability to fight off various infections. These herbs and their constituents have ability to directly inhibit influenza as well as stimulate the body's own immune system in order to counteract the flu virus. Two such herbs, Fructus forsythiae, Golden Bell, (also called Forsythia or Lian Qiao), and Lonicera japonica (also called Suikazura, Jinyinhua and Japanese Honeysuckle) are known to inhibit viruses, These two herbs, and 50 of their constituents – phytochemicals isolated from them – significantly inhibit replication of viruses. The ability of these herbs and their phytochemicals to stimulate the body's own immunity, allowing the body to be able to more effectively fight off the infection; The independent constituents within the herbal medicine shuts off a virus' ability to replicate, even in a sterile environment outside the body. Overall data suggest that the
medicinal herbs function by indirectly suppressing the virus proliferation via regulating the immune systems in hosts, and also, by directly inhibiting virus proliferation through targeting viral proteins essential for the viral life cycle. Clinical research has sup-
tients treated only with Oseltamivir. The marginally shortest flu duration was among those patients given both the Maoto and Oseltamivir, at 31 hours. The Japanese Maoto combination is composed of Ma Huang (Ephedra), Apricot Ker-
ported these findings. In a clinical study from Japan's Ohmura Hospital in Chiba, 150 patients with influenza A completed a study whereby the Japanese medicinal combination called Maoto was found to significantly reduce symptoms and influenza duration as compared to patients taking Oseltamivir or Zanamivir or patients not receiving any treatment. The research found that those patients given the Maoto had an average duration of 33 hours, versus 70 hours in the patients given no treatment, and 61 hours among those pa-
nel, Cinnamon Bark and Licorice – also called Glycyrrhiza Root. Each of these herbs have been clinically utilised in different combinations by Traditional Chinese Medical doctors for stimulating immunity and inhibiting viruses. Another plant, Polygonum nepalense (also called Napal smartweed) is also known for effectively treating influenza. Six polyphenols within the herbs – kaempferol, glucopyranoside, quercetin, pyrogallol, gallic acid and epipinoresinol – all effectively reduced infective inflammation.
• These herbs, Forsythia (top) and Japanese Honeysuckle (bottom) are natural virus inhibitors and immunity boosters.
Smoking cessasion reduces risk of bacterial pneumonia in persons with HIV
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ACTERIAL pneumonia is one of the commonest and most serious infections occurring in people infected with HIV. A cohort and case control studies published in BioMed Central’s open access journal BMC Medicine finds that current smokers with HIV were at
double the risk of bacterial pneumonia than non-smoking counterparts, but that when people stopped smoking their risk was reduced. Data of several thousand participants with HIV, from 14 studies based in USA, Europe and South Africa, showed, overall that current smoking was associated with a 70-100 percent increase in risk of bacterial pneumonia, compared to non-smokers, but that stopping smoking decreased this by about a third. Prof Paul Aveyard, from Uni-
St. Ives offers 50% subsidy on IVF BY CHIOMA OBINNA
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HEAD of the 2013 Mother’s Day,March 10, St. Ives Special ist Hospital, Ikoyi, Lagos, has announced a 50 per cent subsidy on In Vitro Fertility treatment for fertility-challenged couples. The Managing Director, Dr. Tunde Okewale in a statement in explained that the hospital management decided that the subsidised treatment would include registration, consultation, investigations and treatment for IVF and Intrauterine Insermination, IUI. He urged fertility-challenged couples to take advantage of the opportunity. The promo is only at the hospital’s Ikoyi branch. The fertility clinic has manyIVF babies to its credit including the oldest IVF mother in Nigeria at 57 years old.
versity of Oxford who led the study explained that, “Antiretroviral treatment means that people with HIV can have a normal life expectancy. However they still have substan-
tially increased health risks compared to the general population, including risk of pneumonia. Our results show smokers with HIV have twice the risk of bacterial pneumonia, but
stopping smoking can reduce this risk. To prevent this potentially risk, smoking cessation programmes should be promoted as part of HIV treatment.”
Katsina State Govt launches free mobile ambulance scheme BY EMEKA MAMAH
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ATSINA State government has launched a free moble ambulance scheme for Almajirai (beggars) in the state. Governor Ibrahim Shema launched the free mobile ambulance scheme for three local governments of the state including Katsina, Daura and Funtua. Speaking on the occasion, Shema said his administration had evolved strategies to improve on the well being of the people. He said the 70 pilot Almajirai schools were selected as part of efforts to enhance and cater for the pupils and their instructors, including free feeding, clothing and trade acquisition skills, adding that a senior special assistant on Almajirai was appointed to
serve as a link between government and the relevant stakeholders. Further, he said 50 new medical doctors were being recruited from Egypt, while 300 medical students from the state were being paid allowances, in the efforts to address dearth of medical personnel. Shema said talks were on between the state government and Egypt, India and South Africa for possible engagement of one of the countries in running the 250- bed Orthopedic Hospitalsoon to be commissioned. Shema urged medical personnel to handle the new Almajirai free ambulance scheme with the fear of God. The Commissioner of Health Alhaji Hussaini ‘Yam- mama, said that the ambulances in the
three local governments were fully stocked with drugs and other medicaments for the programme which was the first of its kind in the country to succeed. Shema said the scheme was launched because of his administration's concern for the plight of the downtrodden in the society. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Ahmad Qabasiyyu then advised instructors of the Allo schools to report sick pupils without sticking to the routines of the ambulances or the monthly work plans. Mobile ambulances treated 490,000 rural patients including 40,000 pregnant women last year just as another set of 500,000 rural women were sensitized and 100 child deliveries were recorded.