Posted by Chrysanthus

Ripe plantain may cure hypertension
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Seth Akintoye, The Guardian,
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Regular consumption of ripe plantain, a common tropical
vegetable, can lower blood pressure and restore the health of
hypertensive patients. Two Nigerian professors of physiology say
that the discovery is a major departure from the chemotherapy
approach currently used in the management of the disease.
Plantain, is rich in two chemical elements (5-hydroxytryptoamine
and potassium) both of which can lower blood pressure.

In a series of scientific evaluations, Professors E.E. Osini,
currently in Zimbabwe and J.O. Ibu of the University of Jos,
were able to ascertain that regular consumption of ripe plantain
brought down the blood pressure of rats. The rats were fed on
ripe plantain after hypertension had been induced in them in the
laboratory.

In four sets of rats treated with the plantain diet, significant
reduction was recorded in their blood pressure levels after they
had been made hypertensive. Besides the results in rats
previously made hypertensive before daily consumption of
plantain diet, the researchers said the rats when fed again on
the diet could not be made hypertensive when a hypertension
inducing substance (DOCA) was injected into their system. This
the researchers said, shows that plantain has both preventive
and curative potentials in the treatment of hypertensive
patients.

Although, the scientists said that they are yet establish the
mechanism through which the plantain diet lowered blood
pressure, they noted that the tropical plant is rich in a
chemical substance called "inamines", especially 5-
hydroxytryptamine which has been shown to lower mean arterial
pressure (MAN) in animals when given intravenously. Potassium,
for which plantain is also rich in, is easily absorbed in the
intestine thereby leading to loss of sodium through a mechanism
leading to a fall in arterial pressure, after loss of fluid in
the kidneys.

Professors Osini and Ibu were optimistic that long time
consumption of plantain diet could eliminate hypertension if the
results were applied to man. They observed that the animals had
been fed on plantain diet for seven days after they were made
hypertensive. The diet was, however, continued after the
treatment to sustain the lowered blood pressure.

A physiologist at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos
(CMUL), Dr. Smith Aja, acknowledged that plantain contains
potassium reputable for its ability to lower blood pressure.
According to him, sodium and potassium work in opposite
directions in the system, adding that while the influx of sodium
and calcium will raise the level of blood pressure, potassium on
the other hand will lower it. But Dr. Jaja said since there
there are many mechanisms through which the blood pressure could
be raised, he couldn't say whether plantain would equally
achieve the same feat in hypertaension caused by other factors.

The study which has been published in the "International Journal
of Pharmacology", is the second in six months that research
efforts into cure for hypertension will yield some positive
results. "The Guardian on Sunday" reported last October efforts
by Professor Olusoga Sofola and others to contain the scourge of
the blood disorder throug a local plant "hibiscus saddariffa".
But Sofola said more work had to be done to evaluate the active
ingredients of the plant. Global concern is rising on the
epidemiology of hypertension.

Only recently, medical experts assembled in Lagos to fashion new
guidelines for the control of the ailment in Nigeria where no
fewer than 5.63 million people are said to have either elevated
blood pressure or are currently taking anti-hypertensive
medication. The consensus in medical parlance is that a
consistent diastolic pressure of greater than 95mm Hg should be
regarded as mild hypertension, between 100-109, is considered
moderate hypertension, while 110-119mm Hg is severe
hypertension.

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Na dis one be say, di price of Ogede go just shoot up. Anyway,
dis report pass me small. Why dem no use banana or green
plantain? Which one be ripe plantain? Na di one wey turn yellow
for tree, abi na di one wey bin de green den turn yellow by
force for ground? Di ting wey I wan knack be say, di
concentration of 5-HT and K for ripe plantain dem pass di one
for green plantain? Difference fit de if di plantain ripe for
tree and no be for ground.

Anoda question wey I wan ask be say, wetin be di connection
between 5-HT and K? Dr. Jaja don tell us di connection between
Na and K. I go need help for dis one, too.

E get anoda ting wey di Professor dem bin write. Dem write say
people wey blow ripe plantain bokun bokun fit no go get
hypertension. Na here I come begin wonder because dem work na to
find cure no be for prevention. Since I no see di original work
(dat journal no de come my house o! - no subscription), I go
trow di following questions:

(1) Dem be feed rat with unripe plantains, too?
(2) Dem be measure the concentration of 5-HT & K for ripe and
unripe plantain?
(3) Dem feed di rats with ripe plantains after dem don give dem
hypertension. Why dem no feed the rats with ripe plantains
before dem give dem hypertension? If di rats no grab
hypertension, den di Profs fit talk say if man wak ripe plantain
him fit no get hypertension.
(4) Anoda question be say, na dodo, abi na kpekere, abi na bole,
dem feed the rat? Di ting be say, I no fit wak ogede raw. So
wetin go happen to 5-HT and/K if di ogede become dodo, kpekere,
or bole?

Dis paper qualify for Nutrition journal no be for Pharmacology ?

Chrysanthus

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