The President of the African Fertility Society, Prof Oladapo Ashiru, has warned Nigerians to avoid diabetes disease by being mindful of what they eat and drink.
Speaking during a public lecture organised by the City Club in Lagos, on Thursday, Ashiru said that although most diseases were preventable, many Nigerians did not know how to prevent them.
He cautioned against eating too much fruits, which could affect the pancreas.
He said, “People who say they are taking smoothie and mix a lot of watermelons, pineapple and oranges, are not doing themselves any good. The recommended daily allowance of fruits is 200 grammes.
“Don’t say because they say fruits are good, you would take it morning, afternoon and night in large quantities. It exhausts the function of the pancreas and stresses it so much that it can’t function. That is what leads to diabetes.”
He also said that pesticide, fumigation, paint and petrochemicas could cause diabetes. “When a pregnant woman is exposed to all these items in the environment, it affects her and the foetus,” he said.
The Chairman of the occasion, Mrs Angela Emuwa, said that aside from the challenge of poverty, Nigeria is confronted with the battle to survive the scourge of deadly diseases.
“In Nigeria, 1.7 million people have diabetes, undoubtedly the highest prevalence in Africa. The NMA also stated that the disease claimed about 40,000 lives in 2015 alone.
“But, as the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, it costs nothing or very little. People must act on the risk factors, which include tobacco, alcohol and bad nutrition. These factors could lead to premature death, cancer and other chronic diseases. Prevention is most certainly the way to go,” she said.
Also, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Primary Health Care, Dr Olufemi Onanuga, called for massive enlightenment on the need to embrace a healthy lifestyle in order to reduce the possibility of being predisposed to diseases.
“It is clear to everyone that beyond the issue of providing healthcare facilities equipped with necessary equipment and drugs, as well as qualified medical personnel, there is the need to embrace a healthy lifestyle,” Onanuga said.
On the aim of the lecture, the Chairman of City Club, Mr Tayo Alabi, said there was a need to sensitise members of the public on how to live healthy lifestyles. “Two years ago our public lecture was on how to prevent heart attack, the response we got after the lecture was impressive and people have been demanding for more,” Alabi said.
