Nutritional Benefits of Coconut Flour

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February 2, 2022

Coconut flour is a unique alternative to wheat flour. It’s popular among low carb enthusiasts and those who have gluten-related disorders.

In addition to its impressive nutrition profile, coconut flour may offer several benefits when enjoyed as part of a healthy diet. These include improvements in blood sugar stability, digestion, and heart health.

Coconut flour is made from coconut flesh that has been dried and ground. It’s a byproduct of coconut milk and oil production.

During manufacturing, coconuts are first cracked open and drained of liquid. The coconut meat is then scraped out, rinsed, grated, and strained to separate the solids from the milk. The solids are then baked at a low temperature until dry before being ground into flour.

The resulting white powder looks and feels similar to flour made from grains such as wheat and its mild in flavour. Coconut flour is commonly used in gluten-free and grain-free foods such as cupcakes, bread, and cookies.

Nutrition

Coconut flour has an impressive nutrient profile, being particularly high in fiber, potassium, iron, and plant-based protein.

A 1/4-cup (28-gram) serving of coconut flour contains: Calories: 120, Carbs: 18 grams, Sugar: 6 grams, Fiber: 10 grams, Protein: 6 grams, Fat: 3 grams, Iron: 11% of the Daily Value (DV), Potassium: 13% of the DV.

Compared with wheat flour, coconut flour is higher in fiber, protein, and certain vitamins and minerals, such as potassium and iron.

Potassium and fiber are nutrients that are commonly under consumed in modern-day diets, which can lead to health issues such as elevated heart disease risk and digestive problems. Adding coconut flour to your diet can help you meet the recommended daily intake for these important nutrients.

Additionally, because coconut flour is lower in carbohydrates and higher in protein than traditional wheat flour, it’s a popular choice for those following low carb dietary patterns.

Benefits

Coconut flour has a diverse nutrient profile and may offer a range of health benefits. That said, few studies have directly examined it.

May help keep blood sugar stable

Coconut flour is packed with fiber, which may promote healthy blood sugar levels.

A 1/4-cup (28-gram) serving provides a whopping 36% of the DV for fiber. That’s more than four times as much as all-purpose flour.

Foods rich in fiber help regulate blood sugar levels by slowing down the speed at which sugar enters your bloodstream.

Studies show that higher fiber diets benefit those with diabetes by reducing blood sugar and insulin levels while promoting a healthy body weight.

Coconut flour is also lower in carbohydrates and higher in protein than all-purpose flour, this makes it better at promoting healthy blood sugar regulation.

Promotes digestive health

Coconut flour’s high fiber content makes it a good choice for keeping your digestive system healthy.

Most of its fiber is insoluble, which adds bulk to stools and helps move food smoothly through your gut, thereby reducing the risk of constipation.

Studies show that diets high in fiber may reduce the risk of a number of health conditions that impact the digestive tract, including colon cancer.

Additionally, older research suggests that coconut flour contains small amounts of soluble fiber and other fermentable fibers that feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut.

In turn, these bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate, all of which nourish your gut cells.

May reduce risk factors of heart disease

Coconut flour is high in fiber and potassium, so consuming coconut flour may support heart health by reducing heart disease risk factors.

Specifically, research suggests that eating coconut flour may help reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

What’s more, coconut flour is a good source of potassium, which is essential for promoting and maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. Having elevated blood sugar levels increases the risk of developing heart disease.

May help support a healthy body weight

Coconut flour may help you maintain a healthy body weight.

It offers both fiber and protein. These nutrients are important for appetite regulation and can help keep you feeling full between meals. This could lead you to reduce your overall calorie intake. Research suggests that diets high in protein and fiber may even promote weight loss.

Even though dietary patterns high in fiber and protein likely enhance weight loss and support a healthy body weight, there’s currently no evidence that directly links coconut flour to weight loss.

Free from gluten and grains

Coconut flour is free from gluten, so it’s a suitable option for people with celiac disease, wheat allergy, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

Gluten is a group of proteins found in certain grains, including wheat, barley, and rye. People who cannot tolerate gluten may experience symptoms ranging from gas, cramps, or diarrhea to gut damage and nutrient malabsorption after ingesting it.

People with celiac disease or wheat allergy should avoid all gluten-containing grains, while those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity can choose to either reduce their consumption or eliminate the protein from their diet.

Coconut flour offers an alternative to wheat and other gluten-containing flours. It’s also naturally grain-free, so it’s a popular choice for those following grain-free diets such as the paleo diet.

Uses

You can use coconut flour in a variety of recipes, both sweet and savory. It’s a popular ingredient for those following gluten-free and grain-free diets.

You can substitute it for other types of flour when making bread, pancakes, cookies, muffins, or other baked goods. However, be mindful that coconut flour tends to absorb more liquid than other types of flour, so you can’t use it as a one-to-one replacement.

For the best results, start by substituting 1/4 cup (28 grams) of coconut flour for every 1 cup (120 grams) of all-purpose flour.

You may also want to increase the liquids by the amount of coconut flour you add. For example, if you use 1/4 cup (28 grams) of coconut flour, pour in 1/4 cup (60 mL) of additional liquids.

Further, remember that coconut flour tends to be denser than other types of flour and doesn’t bind as easily.

Bakers often recommend that you mix it with other types of flour or add 1 egg for each 1/4 cup (28 grams) of coconut flour to give your end product a fluffier, softer texture.

This unique flour can also be used as breading or to thicken soups and stews. What’s more, you can use it as a binding agent in burger or veggie loaf recipes, as well as to make grain-free pizza crust or wraps.

Takehome

Coconut flour is a gluten-free flour made solely from coconuts.

It’s high in fiber and is a good source of protein. Adding it to your diet may promote stable blood sugar, good digestion, and heart health.

It may also support a healthy body weight when consumed as part of a nutritious, balanced diet.

Plus, it’s delicious and versatile, so it’s a smart choice when choosing a flour alternative.

NHIS resolves dispute between healthcare providers, HMOs

By

Olasunbo Okoromi

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February 2, 2022

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The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), has resolved the dispute between Health Care Providers Association of Nigeria (HCPAN), and Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs).

NHIS Deputy General Manager, Mr Emmanuel Ononokpono said this in a statement in Abuja, on Tuesday.

Hospitals, under the aegis of HCPAN and other associate bodies, had announced plans to drop HMOs and impose a new tariff structure for private health insurance.

Ononokpono said that the action was to commence from Feb. 1, a development which created anxiety within the health insurance ecosystem.

Prof. Mohammed Sambo, Executive Secretary, NHIS, in a meeting with the parties, reached an interim but mutual understanding, aimed at ensuring that a potential crisis was averted.

Similarly, it was to ensure that persons operating health insurance on a private basis were not stranded, Sambo had explained.

He said that NHIS was the only legally recognised body that had the authority to come up with services tariffs for health insurance in the country.

Sambo added that the primary objectives of social health insurance was to limit the rising cost of health care services and protect people from financial hardships of huge medical bills.

He however indicated reservations that the system had tolerated HMOs to run “private health Insurance”, which brought distortion to social health insurance implementation.

Sambo expressed optimism that the expected passage of the NHIS bill making health insurance mandatory would permanently resolve all such distortions.

“Social health insurance is the only vehicle by which every Nigerians can access quality and affordable health care.

“Therefore any element that will threaten the smooth operations of social health insurance scheme in Nigeria must be eliminated,” he said.

Sambo noted that taking the issue to the public space in the manner which the stakeholders did; left much to be desired.

According to him, disagreements can be resolved when parties listen to each other’s positions and make efforts to reach a compromise.

Speaking on behalf of Health Care Providers, Dr Jimmy Arigbabuwo said that HMOs had foisted their own tariffs on providers without regard for inflationary realities.

Arigbabuwo said that HMCAN had not acted in good faith even as they provided services to clients.

The spokesman for HMCAN Dr Leke Oshuniyi, said that members of the association were open to negotiations with the view to bringing the dispute to a close.

At the end of the meeting, representatives of Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN), (HCPAN), Guild of Medical Directors, AGPMPN, and other stakeholders agreed to propositions presented by Sambo.

The parties agreed that a reconciliation would be conducted by NHIS to ascertain the level of indebtedness by HMOs to providers and media advertorial would precede this activity.

“Rapid assessment of HMOs’ private plans will be conducted to ascertain their level of conformity with the NHIS prescribed arrangements.

“HCPAN will immediately withdraw its announced tariffs, while other stakeholders who had their own tariffs will withdraw same.

“HCPAN and HMCAN are given two weeks to negotiate and agree on a mutually accepted tariff structure,” he added.

Sambo said that a follow-up meeting had been scheduled for Feb. 7, to evaluate progress on the matter.

Senate Passes Bill To Stop Yearly House Rents In Abuja

By

Rhoda Onuzulike

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February 2, 2022

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The Senate has passed for second reading, a bill seeking to stop landlords in the Federal Capital Territory from demanding advance payment of one-year rent from their tenants.

The legislation is titled, ‘A bill for an Act to regulate the mode of Payment of Rent on Residential Apartments, Office Spaces, etc, in the FCT and for Other Matters Connected Therewith.’

The bill, sponsored by Senator Smart Adeyemi (APC/Kogi-West), was aimed at ending the practice whereby landlords demand a yearly advance payment of rents from their tenants.

Adeyemi said the bill seeks to replace the current annual advance rent payment with monthly payments in arrears. This, according to him, is aimed at making life meaningful for workers who are finding it difficult to pay their house rents.

The Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Aliyu Sabi-Abdullahi, who supported the bill, said many residents of Abuja “are groaning in pains to pay house rents in advance.”

He said the Senate would be helping poor Nigerians working and residing in Abuja if the bill was signed into law.

Sabi-Abdullahi described the proposal as welfare-oriented and would enjoy the support of Abuja workers and residents.

Two other Senators, Ibrahim Gobir and Bala Ibn Na’Allah also lent their voices to support the bill, saying it would end corruption among workers and immorality among young ladies who engage in desperate activities to pay their rents.

Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, however, opposed the bill, arguing that the payment of rents should be driven by market forces.

Nnamani insisted that the Senate should not dictate the rent payment modalities to the landlords when the government was doing nothing to either regulate the cost of land and prices of building materials.

Experts seek Govts’ intervention on cardiac care in Nigeria

By

Olasunbo Okoromi

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February 2, 2022

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Experts in cardiac care have appealed to the Federal and State Governments to be more responsive to the demands of treating and managing Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) in Nigeria.

According to them, it will help to save more lives and reduce brain drain.

The experts made the appeal in while responding to newsmen on Monday in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels.

They include coronary heart disease (disease of the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle) and cerebrovascular disease (disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain).

Others include peripheral arterial disease ( a disease of blood vessels supplying the arms and legs), rheumatic heart disease (damage to the heart muscle and heart valves from rheumatic fever,caused by streptococcal bacteria).

Congenital heart disease (birth defects that affect the normal development and functioning of the heart caused by malformations of the heart structure from birth) and deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the leg veins, which can dislodge and move to the heart and lungs).

W.H.O says CVDs account for 17.9 million deaths globally in 2019 and 85 per cent of these deaths are due to heart attack and stroke.

The Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) also noted that CVDs are issues of public health concern responsible for 11 per cent of more than two million non-communicable diseases deaths in Nigeria annually.

According to the ministry, CVDs is responsible for a high burden of morbidity and disability.

Risk factors for CVDs present in individuals include raised blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, high blood lipids, overweight and obesity.

Sometimes, surgical operations are required to treat CVDs, especially if other treatments fail or cannot be used.

These operations include coronary artery bypass; balloon angioplasty (where a small balloon-like device is threaded through an artery to open the blockage), valve repair and replacement, heart transplantation and artificial heart operations, among others.

On the development of heart surgery in Nigeria, Dr Bode Falase, a Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Head, Cardiothoracic Division, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), said that 13 centres at present conduct heart surgeries in Nigeria.

According to him, the centres are at LASUTH, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife; University College Hospital, Ibadan; Reddington Hospital, Ikeja; and First Cardiology Consultants, Ikoyi, Lagos. Others are Tristate Heart and Vascular Centre, Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun; Nizamiye Hospital, Abuja and Lagoon Hospitals, Lagos, among others.

According to Falase, 200 heart surgeries were carried out across the centres in 2021.

He noted that it was gratifying that the surgeries were done by local expertise in institutions conducting the surgeries, adding these would allow for skills transfer and eliminate patients’ waiting time.

Falase noted that although cardiac specialists and stakeholders were proud of the current surgical procedures, the number was low compared to the country’s disease burden.

According to him, Nigeria has the expertise and facilities but the cost of surgery is high for most patients.

Falase said that performing more surgeries would address the challenge of brain drain since many cardiac professionals were interested in staying in the country.

He, however, said many opted to travel outside Nigeria to train due to the low number of cardiac surgeries currently performed in the country. According to him, there are 75 cardiac surgeons registered in Nigeria while about 12 of them had left the country.

Falase also said noted that financing of surgery was a challenge that impeded patients from surgery, adding that a majority of the patients were indigent.

According to him, the cost of average valve replacement operation at LASUTH is N3.2 million while a regular `hole in the heart surgery’ ranges between N2.5 and N2.7 million.

The surgeon appealed to philanthropists and non-governmental organisations to assist in funding surgical interventions for cardiac patients in LASUTH, noting that the government alone could not do it.

Falase maintained that the success recorded in its heart surgery was driven by the competence of the cardiac surgical team, in collaboration with the cardiology unit, supported by the hospital’s management.

Also, Dr Setemi Olufemi, Cardiothoracic Surgeon at LASUTH, noted that prices of consumables which are mostly imported and single user based were responsible for the cost being charged for heart surgeries.

Olufemi expressed optimism that establishment of more cardiac centres would lead to more demand and assist to reduce cost of consumables utilised for heart surgeries in Nigeria.

Olufemi, who noted that diagnostic tests were fundamental to diagnosing and managing cardiac problems, however, said that currently, few diagnoses were carried out in Nigeria.

According to him, diagnosis of heart diseases are not guesswork but highly specialised diagnoses, with some done in a cardiac catheterisation laboratory (Cardiac Cath Lab)

Cardiac Cath Lab is a specialised area in the hospital where doctors perform minimally invasive tests and advanced cardiac procedures to diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease.

He said that there were 10 functional Cardiac Cath labs in Nigeria, with the LASUTH Cath lab expected to start in a month.

Similarly, Dr Okechukwu Ogah, National President, Nigerian Cardiac Society, noted that the country’s advancement in heart surgery had been tremendous in the last few years.

Ogah, who is a Cardiologist at the University College Teaching Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, said that the government should be interested in cardiac care through scaling of facilities at existing centres and establishment of new ones.

He called for increased investment in advanced training for cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and allied professionals associated with cardiac care.

He said that efforts should be made to subsidise cardiac care through development of an effective and sustainable health insurance system that would cater for treatment of most diseases.

Ogah also said that difficulties experienced during importation of health equipment should be reduced for the country to have a vibrant cardiac care programme.

He proposed the implementation of tax incentives to encourage more investment in cardiac care in addition to funding of research to advance cardiac services in Nigeria.

Research Shows Earth Has More Tree Species Than Envisaged

By

Angel Gimalo

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February 2, 2022

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There are 14% more tree species than previously thought, according to what researchers are calling the first “scientifically credible” estimate.

Of the 73,300 estimated species, the researchers predict there are 9,200 that are yet to be discovered.

But most rare species are in tropical forests, fast disappearing because of climate change and deforestation.

The study is based on a database of tens of millions of trees in more than 100,000 forest plots around the world.

The researchers used statistical techniques to predict the likely number of tree species, correcting for gaps in existing data.

The findings suggest more must be done to protect the incredible life forms needed for food, timber and medicine and to fight climate change by sucking carbon dioxide from the air.

Lead researcher Dr Peter Reich, of the University of Minnesota in St Paul, said the findings highlighted the vulnerability of global forest biodiversity.

“This is in the tropics and subtropics of South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania and those are places where we discovered hotspots of known and unknown rare species.

UK Plants Now Flowers A Month Earlier – Study

By

Angel Gimalo

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February 2, 2022

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Climate change is causing UK plants to flower almost a month earlier on average, according to a study.

Just as autumn leaf fall is being delayed by warmer weather, flowers are appearing earlier on trees and shrubs.

But while some might welcome these untimely blooms, scientists are warning of the risks.

They say if the trend continues, there are knock-on effects for birds, insects and whole ecosystems.

Ecological mismatch may kick in, which would have a dramatic effect “on the functioning and productivity” of nature and farming, said lead researcher, Prof Ulf Buntgen of the University of Cambridge.

Global warming is causing spring to arrive early and autumn to come late in many places, and not all plants and animals are adapting at the same rate.

Scientists warn that if species get out of sync with each other, this could have disastrous consequences – a concept known as ecological mismatch.

Pollen, nectar, seeds and fruits of plants are important food resources for insects, birds and other wildlife. And if flowers appear too early they can be hit by frost, damaging the harvest of fruit trees.

Members Of British Parliament Seek Overhaul To Tackle Financial Scammers

By

Angel Gimalo

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February 2, 2022

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The strategy to tackle fraud and other economic crime should be overhauled to prevent scammers acting with “impunity”, according to MPs.

Ministers should consider creating a new government department and a new law enforcement agency to get to grips with the issue, the Treasury Committee said.

The committee called for mandatory refunds in push-payment fraud cases.

This is when victims transfer money to fraudsters, thinking they are from official organisations.

Among a string of recommendations, MPs also said the government should consider whether to make big technology companies liable to pay compensation when people are tricked by con-artists using their platforms. Ministers should also legislate against online fraud adverts, they said.

“For too long, pernicious scammers have acted with impunity, ripping off innocent consumers with fraudulent online adverts, impersonation scams and dodgy crypto investments,” said Mel Stride, who chairs the committee.

“Unfortunately, fraud has soared during the pandemic and, as MPs, we’ve heard heart-breaking stories of individuals who have fallen victim to these criminals and lost large sums of money.

“While the government have made some progress in this area, we’re today calling on them to push harder and act faster on the growing fraud epidemic.”

The committee said there was a “bewildering” number of agencies responsible for fighting economic crime and fraud.

“The government must consider why economic crime seems not to be a priority for law enforcement, and how it can ensure it becomes one,” its report said.

After having £25,000 stolen by fraudsters when she was recovering from a stroke, 74-year-old Janet from Essex was told the police would not investigate her case.

Agency Partners UNIABUJA To Establish Center Of Excellence

By

Rhoda Onuzulike

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February 2, 2022

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The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), and the University of Abuja has agreed to establish a Centre of Excellence in Reverse Engineering and Innovation that will lead to the creation of indigenous engineering designs capacity and manufacturing to meet the challenges of improving the nation’s local industries. The Center when established is expected to help Nigeria conserve foreign exchange spending resulting from her dependence on importation and to cut down capital flights while creating employment opportunities thus raising the standard of living of the general population.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah presented the request to Executive Vice Chairman/CE, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Prof. Mohammed Sani Haruna on tuesday in Abuja, when he led the University management team on a courtesy visit to NASENI Headquarters where he disclosed that the visit was aimed at renewing the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two organizations which were signed in 2014.

According to the VC, the proposed center will also provide manufacturing value-added processes that would lead to employment generation, thus raising the standard of living. “It will lead to the much-desired university-industry linkages which hopefully would revolutionize industrial development of Nigeria,” he said.

As contained in the proposal by the University, NASENI staff would easily work with the university as joint research staff on many fronts as the center of Excellence would be located within the University campus to be managed through collaborative efforts by the two organizations. “It will focus amongst others on furnace manufacturing, energy and power equipment, miscellaneous components and devices and systems, and many more”

Also, The Chief of Transformation and Innovation Center of the Nigerian Army, Major General C. Ofoche led another delegation on behalf of the Nigeria Chief of Army Staff Lt.General Farouk Yahaya on a courtesy visit to NASENI to revive all existing working collaborations between the Agency and the Nigerian Army especially in specific areas of innovation, research, and development (R&Ds).

He said with R&Ds, Nigeria could begin the manufacturing of machines and spare parts using its indigenous resources (human and material resources) as the nation could no longer continue to consume imported finished products, adding that, it is wasteful and lack of diligent exploration citizen’s creative minds and innovation which had kept Nigeria where it is today.

“Until we started producing all the critical machines and spare parts which Nigeria needs up to 80%, we will not meet up with global standard and trends or competitiveness. We need to be competitive in everything we do.”

He, however, commended NASENI’s efforts in promoting the development of science, technology and innovation in Nigeria, adding that, collaborating with the Agency would enable the two parties to nurture the nation’s vast natural resources. “R&D is the way to go and with Army applications, we can defeat the bad people and make Nigeria better” he stressed.

In his response, the EVC/CE of NASENI said the Agency was ready to work with the University of Abuja in establishing the Center of Excellence in reverse engineering and innovation. He said such a move was within the mandate of the Agency, even as he assured both the Army and the VC, Uniabuja of the readiness of the Agency to work with them in promoting the importance of R&Ds in the development of the nation’s economy.