Over a month ago, I stumbled on a video of a woman making amala with a bunch of unpeeled and unripe plantain. There were two versions. One blended the unripe plantain and made the paste into amala. The other first cooked the unpeeled plantain before blending. All of a sudden, I started seeing write-ups flying around that they are not healthy meals because plantain contains cyanide! If it is cassava, I would have agreed to this because it contains cyanide and that is why it must be fermented before being made into garri and other meals.
If Musa paradisiaca (plantain) and its peel do contain any toxic principles at all, it is definitely not cyanide. Remember, we already discussed plantain peel and its benefits when we looked at the ‘Medicine in Unlikely Plant Parts’ series. However, to douse your fear, you can put what we discussed in ‘Defence Mechanisms in Plants’ into use. We said soaking is one of the ways to remove anti-nutrients from foods, so, cut your plantain with its peel into tiny bits and soak in water overnight. You can then use it to make your amala.
Some of us are eager to take our health back now by eating healthily; please, do not scare us anymore with unfounded claims.
Last week, I talked extensively about ways to keep kidneys safe. This week, the discussion continues. Emphasis will be laid on areas we are often guilty of. I will include a lot of studies done on plants that have nephroprotective (anything that protects kidneys from harm) activities too. So, if you are fond of skipping the scientific studies part, you must have a change of heart.
Most of us are guilty of not drinking water. This is not safe for kidneys. I do not mind sounding like a broken record on this one; you need to stay hydrated at all times. It is true that the urge to drink water may be low now because everywhere is cold. Try warm water. High doses of vitamin C can increase your risk of the most common type of kidney stone, calcium oxalate. There are many food sources of vitamin C; you do not have to use supplements if they are not prescribed by your doctor. Though we often talk about herbs on this platform, all herbs must be taken in moderation. Reduce your intake of alcoholic drinks. Reduce salt intake. Learn to eat homemade meals; processed and canned foods do you more harm than good.
Over time, high blood sugar from diabetes can damage blood vessels in kidneys as well as nephrons, so they don’t work as well as they should. Many people with diabetes also develop high blood pressure, which can damage kidneys too. Check your blood pressure and blood sugar always.
If you have chronic kidney disease or limited kidney function, your doctor may suggest a kidney diet (renal diet). Foods in a kidney diet have lower amounts of sodium, protein, potassium and phosphorus. For people with healthy kidneys, please stick to your regular healthy meals.
Now, let us see some studies done on plants with nephroprotective activities. I left some things in brackets for ease of understanding the scientific studies.
1: A study titled, ‘The Beneficial Effects of Allicin (one of the main active compounds derived from garlic) in Chronic Kidney Disease are Comparable to Losartan,’ by Trejo et al, concludes that the beneficial effects shown by allicin are similar to or better than those exerted by losartan. In fact, the effect of allicin on blood pressure and renal function is comparable to reductions seen with losartan, a prescription drug commonly used as a first-line therapy. Therefore, allicin may be a useful tool for the treatment of emerging diseases such as CKD.
2: A study titled, ‘Therapeutic Potential of Ginger against Renal Injury Induced by Carbon Tetrachloride in Rats’ by Manal A. Hamed, concludes that ginger provides evidence for kidney protection and reduces the severity of damage induced by CCl4 intoxication.
3: A research work in the International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research titled, ‘Ameliorating the Effect of Turmeric on Kidney Function in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus’ concludes that supplementation of turmeric leads to improved plasma proteins and decreased serum urea and creatinine levels in T2DM (Type 2 diabetes mellitus) patients and could be useful in the improvement of kidney function in T2DM.
4: A study titled, ‘The Protective Effects of Aqueous Extract of Carica Papaya Seeds (pawpaw seeds) in Paracetamol Induced Nephrotoxicity in Male Wistar Rats’ by Madinah Naggay et al, concludes that the aqueous extract of Carica papaya seeds produces adequate nephroprotective activity on albino Wistar rats as evidenced by the reduction in the biochemical parameters and improvement of the kidney architecture. This supported the folklore use of the title plant in renal disorders.
5: A study titled, ‘Pink Pressure: Beetroot (Beta vulgaris rubra) as a Possible Novel Medical Therapy for Chronic Kidney Disease’ by Moreira et al, concludes that the root vegetable beetroot (Beta vulgaris rubra) deserves special attention because it is a source of several bioactive compounds such as nitrate, betaine and betalain and has shown beneficial effects in CKD (chronic kidney disease), including reduction of blood pressure, anti-inflammatory effects and antioxidant actions by scavenging radical oxidative species.
6: A study titled, ‘Renal Protective Effects of Extracts from Guava Fruit (Psidium guajava L.) in Diabetic Mice’ by Chia-Yu Lin et al, concludes that guava fruit can protect kidneys against diabetic progression via its anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-glycative effects.
7: A study titled, ‘Nephroprotective Activity of Aframomum Melegueta Seed Extract (alligator pepper) against Diclofenac-induced Acute Kidney Injury: A Mechanistic Study’ by Abdou et al, concludes that AMSE (aframomum melegueta seeds extract) is a promising agent for inhibiting DIC-induced nephrotoxicity.
8: A study titled, ‘Role of Bitter Leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) Extract in Prevention of Renal Toxicity Induced by Crude Petroleum Contaminated Diets in Rats’ by Achuba, concludes that the administration of bitter leaf extract offered defence against the induced negative effects of crude petroleum and ameliorated and restored the lost renal function capabilities by conferring protection on tissue ultra-structure.
9: A study titled, ‘Nephroprotective Effects of Piper Nigrum (black pepper) Extracts against Monosodium Glutamate-induced Renal Toxicity in Rats’ by Onyesife et al, concludes that the findings are critical in focusing attention on abolishing the use of MSG in the food sector and highlights the health benefits of incorporating P. nigrum into our food to avert food and drug toxicity.
10: A study titled, ‘Nephroprotective Effect of Clove (syzygium aromaticum) Extract on Carbon Tetrachloride-induced Nephrotoxicity in Albino Rats’ by Ali et al, concludes that clove extract is a good source of antioxidants and phenolic compounds. Therefore, it reduces MDA and GSH while also reducing all inflammatory cytosine, sodium and calcium levels in albino rats. As a result, using clove has various advantages.
Take care of your kidneys.
Credit: Olufunke Faluyi