Friday, February 12, 2016
NONI LEAVES - POTENTIALLY USEFUL IN CONTROLLING MOSQUITO (AEDES AEGYPTI) CARRIER OF ZIKA VIRUS
THE NONI PLANT
BRIEF BACKGROUND
Zika viruses are carried (vector) by the mosquitoes known as Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Since there is NO cure for this viral infection yet, I believe that we need to expand our understanding of what can be done to help those who suffer from Zika viral infection. One way to to this is by looking into the effects of medicinal plants which have been used for thousands of years in traditional healing. One of the plants comes to mind is the NONI (Morinda citrifolia L., Family: Rubiaceae) plant, particularly, the noni leaves. As an advanced scientific noni researcher who have been using noni for over five decades and have been studying noni, scientifically, for over 13 years, I had found some interesting effects of noni on one of the molecular pathways that the Zika virus seems to hijack or employ in its arsenal.
MOLECULAR PATHWAY
One way is the hijacking of the NFkappaB, immune master switch, if you will. Zika virus increases the expression or the activity of the master switch which leads to its viral implications.
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
If a pharmaceutical drug or a medicinal plant have the compound(s) that will return the increased (over-expression) activity of this "switch" back to normal then it will help in controlling the effects of the Zika virus.
SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY & IMPLICATION
Interestingly, noni leaves have been shown in a research study using a methanol extract of the noni leaves that was set up to evaluate the larvicidal and pupicidal activity. The authors concluded that noni leaf methanol extract: "...are promising as good larvicidal and pupicidal activity against Aedes aegypti. So, if we run out of chemicals to control the mosquito larvae, perhaps we can make the noni leaf extracts and kill the mosquito where they reproduce with the "...eco'friendly approach..." that the authors found.
SOURCE
Kovendan et al. Evaluation of larvicidal and pupicidal activity of Morinda citrifolia L.(Noni) (Family: Rubiaceae) against three mosquito vectorsAsian Pacific Journal of Tropical Disease (2012)S362-S369. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2222180812601820).
IMPORTANT LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION
http://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/resources/vector-control.html
http://www.cdc.gov/zika/prevention/
http://www.cdc.gov/zika/fs-posters/
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6505e1.htm
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/zika/en/
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Taro Leaves: Traditionally Nutritious Scientifically A Healthier Choice
The experiences that I had in Tonga pertaining to making and preparing many of our Tongan traditional diets have never left my memory or my taste buds. Some of our traditional foods are easier to make while others are more laborious, but in the end they all taste so delicious that you will find yourself graving for more, from time to time, as you live here in the United States of America. Fortunately, due to the advent of airplane by the Wright brothers, our native foods have being brought closer to us that it looks as if you are at home in the islands, where the air is crispy clean and you are frequently touched by the breeze from the Pacific Ocean. They remind us that our ancestors have shown us the way how to navigate towards the future in our quest to be healthier by using our traditional diets. One of the foods from our traditional diet that I had often prepared and cooked involved the use of la’i lu (taro leaves) in lu ika (taro leaves & fish), lu pulu (taro leaves & beef); lu fingota (taro leaves & sea clams) lu moa (taro leaves & chicken) and many more.
La’i lu are used in Tonga and all of Polynesia as part of their traditional diet being consumed on a daily basis but especially on Sundays in Tonga. There are different species and/or cultivars of taro in Tonga but only two of them that are used frequently for their leaves as well as their corms for food. They are the talo Tonga and talo Futuna. Regardless of which cultivar that you are using, the recipe remains the same. That is, you take the talo leaves and cook them in a pot or in the ‘umu (underground oven). If you are using the pot than you must bring the water to a boil, put the talo leaves inside, make sure that they are submersed and cook it well between 30-60 minutes. You can add pieces of cooked beef, lamp flaps or chickens with some coconut milk then bring them to a boil before serving. A little bit of onion will enhance its flavor as well as its nutrition. If you are using the ‘umu then you can do the following: Cut a young banana leaf then take the midrib off, soften it over the ‘umu fire then put the talo leaves on it in stacks (about 20 leaves) but also spread them out, put the meat (fish, chicken, pork, lamp flaps, sea shells, etc.) inside, fold the talo leaves up in a bowl fashion before you pour the coconut milk inside. Fold the banana leaf up in a bowl fashion but bring to a close then use the banana leaf midrib to tie it around. It is now ready to be baked in the ‘umu. The aluminum foil can also be used instead of the banana leaf and bake them in the electric oven. Does this sound traditionally nutritious to you? I hope that it does. It has been used for over thousands of years in Polynesia and I believe that it has provided much health to our ancestors and so should we.
Once again we ask the same question, why did our ancestors used the talo leaves? The answers may vary but I believe that they used them because they knew that it made them strong. That is being translated to mean healthy because being healthy and strong are intertwined then and now. Perhaps some of the answers lie in the fact that these ingredients have documented health benefits recently uncovered by modern science. However, our ancestors in their own “scientific ways” knew about their health benefits long before modern science stumbled upon it.
Talo (Colocasia esculenta L.) or taro health benefits are well known to some in the scientific communities and have been documented in the last 20 years, some of which was reported by Jan TenBruggencate in the Honolulu Advertiser and printed by AMN (Volume 1 Issue No. 7) alluding to the fact that poi may helps in the fight against colon cancer. That being said let us look at some of the scientific researches involving the la’i lu and its potential health benefits.
Taro leaves have been analyzed in various laboratories concerning its nutrition’s but it has never been reported to the Polynesian communities at large so that they understand the goodness of it (use them daily) and appreciate what our ancestors had left for us. It has been shown that talo leaves contained carbohydrates, less fat contents, less or no cholesterol, less sodium, dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals and the essential amino acids, etc. Let us consider some of these findings concerning talo leaves’ nutritional effects on our health.
Talo leaves contained carbohydrates. This is important because carbohydrates, along with proteins and fats, provide the energy we need from our diet to function efficiently. Carbohydrates from taro leaves are broken down into simple sugars in the body by many enzymes before they are being absorbed into the cells for storage in the form of glycogen. The glycogen can be broken down into simple sugars again when needed and are delivered to the mitochondria to be broken down for energy to be used by the body.
Talo leaves contained proteins. Protein is pivotal for the growth, maintenance and repair of the cells in our body to stay healthy. This is why it is in various forms in the body such as: a part of the enzymes, antibodies, bones, hormones, oxygen carriers, muscles and skin to name just a few. For these reasons, proteins are sometimes referred to as the “building block.” Proteins are broken down in the body into simple units known as amino acids. These amino acids can be rearranged to form the structure of proteins in our body. It is well known that our body do not make all the necessary amino acids and so we must obtain them from other sources. These amino acids are referred to as “essential amino acids.” Fortunately, talo leaves contains all of the essential amino acids (tryptophan, Threonine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine + Cystine, Phenylalanine + Tyrosine, Valine and Histidine) and perhaps it has contributed to the health of our ancestors and so should we. Eating talo leaves cooked with chicken, beef, or fish will provide us with all the amino acids necessary to have a healthier body much like our ancestors who had gone before us.
Talo leaves contained less or no cholesterol. This is one of the major health benefits of la’i lu because consuming them does not lead to rise in your cholesterol levels. It has been established that rising in your cholesterol levels lead to cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis-the building up of fatty deposits in your arteries. Hence, it is more likely that we can lower our risks by eating more of our traditional food which contains less or no cholesterol. For this reason, it is perhaps why our ancestors were healthier than we are as observed by Mr. Anderson who traveled with Captain James Cook during his visits to the islands (1773-1777).
Lai lu contains various amounts of Vitamins: A, C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and B6, folate and trace amounts of the rest of the vitamins. Vitamin A has already been established to support eye health. Because of this health benefit, we must eat foods that have this vitamin in it and taro leaves is one of them. In addition to its eye health benefits, vitamin A also has an antioxidant effect and will help strengthen our immune system so that we will stay healthy. Antioxidant vitamins have a protective effect against aging and/or age-related diseases such as head and neck cancers, etc. Taro leaves also contain vitamin C. Researches showed that a combination of vitamin C and vitamin A may be beneficial in preventing endotoxin-induced renal tissue damage. This will help us maintain our kidney health which is crucial to our survival. Vitamin C is also well known for its health promoting (wound healing, strengthens bone and blood vessels and aids in iron absorption) and immune enhancing properties which is why we should have this vitamin in our diet. Taro leaves can provide that requirement for us. Folate is another B-complex vitamin present in taro leaves and is required (combine with B-12: obtain from meat, fish, chicken and dairy products) for the formation of the new cells especially in the production of the red blood cells. Very recently, it was discovered that folic acid deficiency is involved in the development of the neural tube defects in babies. We should be grateful to have food such as taro leaves which are jam-packed with the necessary vitamins to strengthen and help us to stay healthy.
Taro leaves also contains minerals such as calcium which is important for bone formation and strength so that diseases like osteoporosis can be avoided and/or ameliorated. It also has iron which can help in the building of the blood-building mineral which is important in the transportation of oxygen in the body. Additionally, it also has potassium which is important for muscle contraction, nerve transmission and proper functioning of the heart and kidneys.
I interviewed some of the youth and adults to find out what they think of the taro leaves and here are some of their comments. James Palu said “my mom said that they are good for you and so I eat them.” David Filimoe’atu pointed out that his “favorite diet is lu sipi (taro leaves, coconut milk and lamb flaps) and lu ika (taro leaves, coconut milk & fish)” while ‘Isileli Kaufusi emphatically pointed out that “la’i lu has been used by our ancestors for over thousands of years with much health benefits.” Ginger Lotulelei gave me a lesson in dietetics and pointed out that “la’i lu is not only very nutritious because they are green leaves but also tastes good and it is fast and easy to prepare on special occasions but especially on Sundays.”
The limited list of la’i lu’s health benefits discussed here has proven that taro leaves’ health benefits has just been discovered (I might add that we are just scratching the surface) by science and praised by nutritionists but it has been used by our ancestors for over thousands of years with proven health benefits to them. To this end, taro leaves are traditionally nutritious and a scientifically healthier choice for us Polynesians because it has sustained our ancestors for over thousands of years and so should we while we are navigating the ocean of healthiness in this land of plenty.
La’i lu are used in Tonga and all of Polynesia as part of their traditional diet being consumed on a daily basis but especially on Sundays in Tonga. There are different species and/or cultivars of taro in Tonga but only two of them that are used frequently for their leaves as well as their corms for food. They are the talo Tonga and talo Futuna. Regardless of which cultivar that you are using, the recipe remains the same. That is, you take the talo leaves and cook them in a pot or in the ‘umu (underground oven). If you are using the pot than you must bring the water to a boil, put the talo leaves inside, make sure that they are submersed and cook it well between 30-60 minutes. You can add pieces of cooked beef, lamp flaps or chickens with some coconut milk then bring them to a boil before serving. A little bit of onion will enhance its flavor as well as its nutrition. If you are using the ‘umu then you can do the following: Cut a young banana leaf then take the midrib off, soften it over the ‘umu fire then put the talo leaves on it in stacks (about 20 leaves) but also spread them out, put the meat (fish, chicken, pork, lamp flaps, sea shells, etc.) inside, fold the talo leaves up in a bowl fashion before you pour the coconut milk inside. Fold the banana leaf up in a bowl fashion but bring to a close then use the banana leaf midrib to tie it around. It is now ready to be baked in the ‘umu. The aluminum foil can also be used instead of the banana leaf and bake them in the electric oven. Does this sound traditionally nutritious to you? I hope that it does. It has been used for over thousands of years in Polynesia and I believe that it has provided much health to our ancestors and so should we.
Once again we ask the same question, why did our ancestors used the talo leaves? The answers may vary but I believe that they used them because they knew that it made them strong. That is being translated to mean healthy because being healthy and strong are intertwined then and now. Perhaps some of the answers lie in the fact that these ingredients have documented health benefits recently uncovered by modern science. However, our ancestors in their own “scientific ways” knew about their health benefits long before modern science stumbled upon it.
Talo (Colocasia esculenta L.) or taro health benefits are well known to some in the scientific communities and have been documented in the last 20 years, some of which was reported by Jan TenBruggencate in the Honolulu Advertiser and printed by AMN (Volume 1 Issue No. 7) alluding to the fact that poi may helps in the fight against colon cancer. That being said let us look at some of the scientific researches involving the la’i lu and its potential health benefits.
Taro leaves have been analyzed in various laboratories concerning its nutrition’s but it has never been reported to the Polynesian communities at large so that they understand the goodness of it (use them daily) and appreciate what our ancestors had left for us. It has been shown that talo leaves contained carbohydrates, less fat contents, less or no cholesterol, less sodium, dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals and the essential amino acids, etc. Let us consider some of these findings concerning talo leaves’ nutritional effects on our health.
Talo leaves contained carbohydrates. This is important because carbohydrates, along with proteins and fats, provide the energy we need from our diet to function efficiently. Carbohydrates from taro leaves are broken down into simple sugars in the body by many enzymes before they are being absorbed into the cells for storage in the form of glycogen. The glycogen can be broken down into simple sugars again when needed and are delivered to the mitochondria to be broken down for energy to be used by the body.
Talo leaves contained proteins. Protein is pivotal for the growth, maintenance and repair of the cells in our body to stay healthy. This is why it is in various forms in the body such as: a part of the enzymes, antibodies, bones, hormones, oxygen carriers, muscles and skin to name just a few. For these reasons, proteins are sometimes referred to as the “building block.” Proteins are broken down in the body into simple units known as amino acids. These amino acids can be rearranged to form the structure of proteins in our body. It is well known that our body do not make all the necessary amino acids and so we must obtain them from other sources. These amino acids are referred to as “essential amino acids.” Fortunately, talo leaves contains all of the essential amino acids (tryptophan, Threonine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine + Cystine, Phenylalanine + Tyrosine, Valine and Histidine) and perhaps it has contributed to the health of our ancestors and so should we. Eating talo leaves cooked with chicken, beef, or fish will provide us with all the amino acids necessary to have a healthier body much like our ancestors who had gone before us.
Talo leaves contained less or no cholesterol. This is one of the major health benefits of la’i lu because consuming them does not lead to rise in your cholesterol levels. It has been established that rising in your cholesterol levels lead to cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis-the building up of fatty deposits in your arteries. Hence, it is more likely that we can lower our risks by eating more of our traditional food which contains less or no cholesterol. For this reason, it is perhaps why our ancestors were healthier than we are as observed by Mr. Anderson who traveled with Captain James Cook during his visits to the islands (1773-1777).
Lai lu contains various amounts of Vitamins: A, C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and B6, folate and trace amounts of the rest of the vitamins. Vitamin A has already been established to support eye health. Because of this health benefit, we must eat foods that have this vitamin in it and taro leaves is one of them. In addition to its eye health benefits, vitamin A also has an antioxidant effect and will help strengthen our immune system so that we will stay healthy. Antioxidant vitamins have a protective effect against aging and/or age-related diseases such as head and neck cancers, etc. Taro leaves also contain vitamin C. Researches showed that a combination of vitamin C and vitamin A may be beneficial in preventing endotoxin-induced renal tissue damage. This will help us maintain our kidney health which is crucial to our survival. Vitamin C is also well known for its health promoting (wound healing, strengthens bone and blood vessels and aids in iron absorption) and immune enhancing properties which is why we should have this vitamin in our diet. Taro leaves can provide that requirement for us. Folate is another B-complex vitamin present in taro leaves and is required (combine with B-12: obtain from meat, fish, chicken and dairy products) for the formation of the new cells especially in the production of the red blood cells. Very recently, it was discovered that folic acid deficiency is involved in the development of the neural tube defects in babies. We should be grateful to have food such as taro leaves which are jam-packed with the necessary vitamins to strengthen and help us to stay healthy.
Taro leaves also contains minerals such as calcium which is important for bone formation and strength so that diseases like osteoporosis can be avoided and/or ameliorated. It also has iron which can help in the building of the blood-building mineral which is important in the transportation of oxygen in the body. Additionally, it also has potassium which is important for muscle contraction, nerve transmission and proper functioning of the heart and kidneys.
I interviewed some of the youth and adults to find out what they think of the taro leaves and here are some of their comments. James Palu said “my mom said that they are good for you and so I eat them.” David Filimoe’atu pointed out that his “favorite diet is lu sipi (taro leaves, coconut milk and lamb flaps) and lu ika (taro leaves, coconut milk & fish)” while ‘Isileli Kaufusi emphatically pointed out that “la’i lu has been used by our ancestors for over thousands of years with much health benefits.” Ginger Lotulelei gave me a lesson in dietetics and pointed out that “la’i lu is not only very nutritious because they are green leaves but also tastes good and it is fast and easy to prepare on special occasions but especially on Sundays.”
The limited list of la’i lu’s health benefits discussed here has proven that taro leaves’ health benefits has just been discovered (I might add that we are just scratching the surface) by science and praised by nutritionists but it has been used by our ancestors for over thousands of years with proven health benefits to them. To this end, taro leaves are traditionally nutritious and a scientifically healthier choice for us Polynesians because it has sustained our ancestors for over thousands of years and so should we while we are navigating the ocean of healthiness in this land of plenty.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Toto Ma’olunga: Matemate ‘a Liku
During the navigational years of our ancestors across the Pacific Ocean, from Vaihi (Hawaii) to Tonga (South) and other islands of the South Pacific, several lessons were learned. Those lessons were immortalized into what Tongans now called Paloveape. Matemate ‘a liku is one of the Tongan paloveape which teaches us important lessons from long ago, yet its application, still applies to us now as we struggle to stay healthy. Matemate a liku means that even though the liku looks calm, it is not a good idea to go near it because big waves do come without warnings which can sweep you off your feet and crush you against the reefs or the rocks, leading to much pain and even death. In our time, we must not eat the types of food that will contribute or exacerbate the development of high blood pressure. Though those food may seems harmless at first but over time it will bring the big waves that our ancestors warned us about which will bring mayhem to our hearts, kidneys, capillaries and other vital organs of our bodies. One of the big waves that we need to avoid in our lives is toto ma’olunga which will lead to pa kalava if we do not bring it under control.
Toto ma’olunga has joined diabetes and gout diseases as the foremost enemies of Polynesians. The causes of high blood pressure can be as big as the islands of Kao mo Tofua but I would like to discuss only a few factors here that are considered relevant to us and by no means the list exhausted. First, the excessive use of salt in our diet does contribute to the development of high blood pressure either directly or indirectly. Salt is good since it contains iodine which is another essential element that we must have in our diet to avoid other diseases such as goiter. However, excessive use of salt contributes to the imbalance of the electrolytes and water in our bodies which will affect our normal metabolic physiology over time. In the end, it will contribute to high blood pressure. Please go easy on the salt and if possible do without it or find an alternative spice to flavor your food with.
‘Uluaki, kainga tau fakasi’isi’i mu’a hono ngaue’aki ‘a e masima ‘i he’etau ma’u me’atokoni (tapu ange he mo hou’eiki). ‘Oku lelei ‘a e masima he ‘oku ‘i ai ‘a e iotaini pea ‘oku ne hanga ‘o fakahaofi kitautolu mei he ngaahi mahaki kehe. Ka neongo ia ka fu’u lahi leva, pe too tu’a ‘a hono ngaue’aki ‘a e masima pea ‘e kovi leva ia ki he’etau moui. Ko e taha foki ‘eni ‘o e ngaahi me’a ‘oku ne fakatupu ‘a e toto ma’olunga kapau te tau ta’etokanga ki ai.
Second, we tend to eat a lot or too much of the “fatty foods.” For example, a lot of us eat chicken’s meat together with its skin because it has some type of a “special taste” according to some. But, the danger lies in the accumulations of the so called unhealthy fatty acids and cholesterol from those skins which will be deposited around our blood vessels and our heart. The deposited fats and cholesterol are hard to get rid off as we get older and they will lessen the diameter of your blood vessels. This is like turning your tap water outside and squeezing the tip of the hose, the water pressure will increase. The lesser the diameter of your blood vessels for the blood to travel, the higher your blood pressure will become and eventually, the big waves of high blood pressure will hit you like a brick without any warnings. The result is death in most cases. For those who do not have high blood pressure, take the skin and fat off the beef and chicken meat, cook them well and eat with lots of vegetables. For those of you who have high blood pressure, do not eat chicken meat with its skin at all or the pig’s skin (kili’i puaka tunu) though it may taste good. Please see your physician regularly to avoid the pitfalls of high blood pressure and work towards a healthier lifestyle so that you can enjoy what life has to offer.
Ua, ko e lahi pe totu’a ‘a ‘etau kai e ngaahi me’akai ko ia ‘oku fu’u ngako. Ko e taimi ‘e ni’ihi ‘o ku tau haka ‘a e moa pea mo hono kili he ‘oku “ifo makehe” tokua ki ha fa’ahing ‘e ni’ihi. ‘Oku totonu ketau to’o ‘a e kili ‘o e moaa pea mo e ngaahi ngako ko ia ‘oku kei pipiki ki he kanomate (kau ai pea mo e kili ‘o e puaka tunu) pea tau toki haka leva ke moho lelei. Haka ‘a e ngaahi vesitapolo ‘i ha vai kuo lili ‘i ha ngaahi miniti si’isi’i pe kae oua ‘e haka ke fu’u moho. ‘Oku lelei ma’u pe ke kai e kakano’i manu pea mo ha ngaahi vesitapolo ke tau moui lelei ma’u pe. Tau faka’ehi’ehi ma’u pe mei he toto ma’olunga. ‘Okapau ‘oku ma’u koe ‘e he toto ma’olunga, kataki ‘o ‘alu ma’u pe ki ho’o toketaa ke sivi koe koe’uhi ke ke ma’u ha fakafuofua lelei ki he tu’unga ‘o ho’o mo’ui lelei. Ko ho’o mate vave ka ko hai te ne tauhi ho hoa pea mo e fanau?
Third, we are living in a hustling and a busier world much different than that of our ancestors. Because of the environment we live in, we experience a lot of stresses daily and from different factors. We can easily get stress out from financial concerns, misbehaved children or a spouse for that matter and from our daily responsibilities at home and in the work force. But what can we do? Can we eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we will die? Most definitely not. Can we just “…don’t worry be happy…” when we have stress? Maybe not all of the times. I believe that we can learn to deal with stress effectively by knowing the causes of it and see what you can do to ease the stress. Sometimes you can just take a time out or simply take a walk for fresh air for a few minutes until you can calm down and ready to deal with stress or the causes of it. Stress has been proven to be another factor that adds to your risk factors for high blood pressure, which is why it is important to have your blood pressure check regularly by your primary physician.
Tolu, ko e puputu’u pea mo e hoha’a ‘a hotau ‘atamai tupu mei he ‘etau nofo ko ia ‘i he feitu’u ko ‘eni ‘oku fu’u vave ange ai ‘a e moui. ‘I he taimi ‘e ni’ihi ‘oku puputu’u ‘a hotau ‘atamai tupu mei he ‘etau hoha’a ko ia pe ‘e mau mai ha pa’anga lahi pe fe’unga ke totongi’aki hotau ngaahi mo’ua pea mo fafanga’aki hotau famili. Ko e taimi ‘e taha ‘oku puputu’u ‘a hotau ‘atamai koe’uhi ko e talangata’a ‘a e fanau pe ko e mali. Koe ha nai ‘a e me’a ‘oku totonu ketau fai ke matafi atu ai ‘a e hoha’a pea mo e puputu’u? Te tau kai, inu pea mo fakafiefia he te tau mate ‘apongipongi? ‘Oku ‘ikai ke totonu ke tau fai pehe. ‘Oku totonu ke tau ki’i malolo si’i hifo mei he hoha’a, luelue holo ‘i tu’a ke ma’u ha ki’i ‘ea lelei pe fakamokomoko ke nonga hifo ‘a e ‘atamai. Kuo lahi ‘aupito ‘a e ngaahi fekumi faka-saianisi ‘oku nau pehe ‘oku lava pe ke ma’u ‘e ha taha ‘a e toto ma’olunga kapau ‘e fa’a puputu’u pea mo hoha’a ma’u pe ‘a e ‘atamai ‘i ha ngaahi taimi lahi. Mahalo ko hono ‘uhinga ia ‘oku totonu ai ke tau ‘alu ma’u pe ki he toketaa ‘o sivi ‘a hotau toto.
Fourth, the type of medication that you take might contribute to high blood pressure. This is perhaps an important issue that is easy to overlook. A lot of people who suffered from diabetes and gout diseases sometimes suffer from high blood pressure as well. The amount of medications that can be taken for all three diseases are overwhelming and not to mention the costs associated with them. Take the medications that you have been prescribed to take only and if there are any side effects (life threatening) please see your physician right away or go to the emergency room. If you are taking any health supplements of any kind please make sure to let your physician know about it for possible contraindications with your prescribed medications. This type of supplements can also be found in the Physician Desk Reference (PDR) for Non Prescription drugs and Dietary Supplements. If they are not listed in this type of PDR, find out more information about it from your doctors or from peer review scientific journals so that you can be informed.
Fa, ‘oku fa’a lava pe ke ma’u ‘a e toto ma’olunga pea mei he ngaahi fo’i ‘akau ko ia ‘oku tau folo koe’uhi ko ha mahaki ke he pea mei he toto ma’olunga. Ko hono ‘uhinga ia ‘oku lelei ma’u pe ke tau muimui ma’u pe ki he tu’utu’uni ‘a e toketaa. Kapau leva ‘e ‘iai hano anga ‘oku ngali kehe tupu pea mei he faito’o, ‘oku totonu leva ke fetu’utaki ki ho’o toketaa he vave taha pe ko ho’o ‘alu ki he loki ‘imesenisi (emergency room). ‘Oku fu’u mahu’inga foki ke ‘ilo’i ‘e ho’o toketaa kapau ‘oku ke toe ngaue’aki ‘a e ngaahi ‘akau faitoo kehe. Koe lahi ‘o e ngaahi ‘akau faito’o ko ‘eni ‘oku tu’u ‘i he tohi PDR. Koe tohi PDR ko ia ‘oku fekau’aki pea moe ngaahi foi ‘akau faito’o pe vai ‘oku ikai ke te talatala ki he toketaa pea ‘omai (PDR For Non-Prescription & Dietary Supplements)
Fifth, weight management and exercises. This is probably one of the toughest things to do for some people. However, if you are overweight you are more likely to develop high blood pressure. With this problem, you can loose the excess weight. This does not mean that you need to be “hange ha mahele’i too” (looks thin like the sugar cane leaf blade). Go to the gymnasium or just walk a mile everyday in the football fields, city health clubhouses, ride a bicycle around the neighborhood daily or just use a treadmill at home daily for a few minutes. The other part of weight managements is eating the right food, mainly lots of fiber, vegetables, fruits and whole grains daily. Researches have shown that proper dieting with daily exercises is a critical component to a healthier weight management. Do not starve yourselves. All of these diet and lifestyle modifications should lead to lowering your chances of getting high blood pressure and/or improving your life to a much healthier state so that you can live happily ever after. Why not?
Nima, ‘oku totonu ke tau fakamalohi sino pea mo fakaholo kapau ‘oku tau fu’u sino. ‘Oku ‘ikai ‘uhinga ‘eni ke tau fakaholo ke “hange ha mahele’i to”, ka ke tau sino lelei pea ‘e lelei ai foki pea mo ‘etau manava. ‘I he ‘etau holo ko ia ‘o sino pea mo mo’ui lelei, ‘e si’isi’i ange ai ke ma’u ‘a kitautolu ‘e he toto ma’olunga. Koe konga mahu’inga foki ia ‘e taha ‘o e fakaholo, ‘a ‘etau kai ko ia ‘a e ngaahi me’akai lelei hange ko e ngaahi fo’i ’akau fua, vesitapolo pea mo e ngaahi me’akai ko ia ‘oku fakanatula pe hange ko ‘etau ngaahi me’akai Tonga mei ‘uta, ‘a e talo, manioke pea mo e ngaahi ala me’a pehe.
Sixth, smoking cigarettes on a daily basis. The dangers of smoking from a molecular point of view will had been addressed in my previous column but I will briefly touch on it here since it is relevant to high blood pressure. Smokings have been shown to damage the linings of the artery, quicken your heart beat and decrease the flexibility of your blood vessels so that they do not react properly to the changes in blood pressure. It will lead to high blood pressure if not corrected. It has also been shown that smoking lowers the so called good cholesterol while increase the bad cholesterol. It will lead to high blood pressure if not corrected in time. Smoking will also make it harder to exercise, easier to form blood clots in your systems and many other complications which will all contribute to high blood pressure. Sometimes you do not recognize that you have high blood pressure and it is easy to dismiss the idea of checking it regularly since you have been smoking for over 30 years with no health problems. But that is why high blood pressure is often referred to as “silent killer.” It will strike when you least expected it. “’E lava pe ‘a hevani ‘o tatali.” What more can I say?
Ono, ko e kovi pea moe fakatu’utamaki ‘o e ifi tapaka. ‘Oku hanga ‘e he ifi tapaka ‘o maumau’i ‘a e kofu loto ko ia ‘o e ngaahi kalava ‘i hotau sino pea mo fakavave’i ‘a e ta ‘a hotau mafu. ‘I he ‘ene pehe, ‘e faingata’a leva ke ngaue lelei ‘a hotau kalava ‘i he taimi lahi pea ‘e fa’a tupu leva mei ai ‘a e hoko ko ia ‘a e toto ma’olunga. ‘Ikai ia ko ia pe, ‘oku hanga ‘ehe ifi tapaka ‘o maumau’i foki pea moe palanisi ko ia ‘a e ngaahi ngaue fakamoui lelei ‘a hotau sino ‘o fa’a fatu ai ‘a e toto ‘i he taimi ‘e ni’ihi. Kai kehe ‘oku toe hanga foki ‘ehe ifi tapakaa ‘o fakafe’atungia’i ‘a e ngaue ko ia ‘a hotau ma’ama’a pea ‘e kovi foki ia ki he ‘etau manava. Ko e taimi ‘e ni’ihi ‘e fa’a nounou ai ‘a etau manava pea hange leva ko e lau, “’ofa mai a ‘o tuku e ifi tapaka?”
We are descendants of great warriors and navigators who had baffled the world experts in navigations concerning their abilities to sail from islands to islands, far and wide, without compasses. They had left us many lessons that we need to learn and internalize so that we will skillfully navigate life’s challenges today for a better future. Let us not contribute to our own defeat by high blood pressure, by eating healthy food, exercising daily, relaxing and coping with stress, stop smoking and visits your physicians regularly. In doing so, we will avoid the big waves foretold by our ancestors long ago in mate mate a liku and high blood pressure.
Toto ma’olunga has joined diabetes and gout diseases as the foremost enemies of Polynesians. The causes of high blood pressure can be as big as the islands of Kao mo Tofua but I would like to discuss only a few factors here that are considered relevant to us and by no means the list exhausted. First, the excessive use of salt in our diet does contribute to the development of high blood pressure either directly or indirectly. Salt is good since it contains iodine which is another essential element that we must have in our diet to avoid other diseases such as goiter. However, excessive use of salt contributes to the imbalance of the electrolytes and water in our bodies which will affect our normal metabolic physiology over time. In the end, it will contribute to high blood pressure. Please go easy on the salt and if possible do without it or find an alternative spice to flavor your food with.
‘Uluaki, kainga tau fakasi’isi’i mu’a hono ngaue’aki ‘a e masima ‘i he’etau ma’u me’atokoni (tapu ange he mo hou’eiki). ‘Oku lelei ‘a e masima he ‘oku ‘i ai ‘a e iotaini pea ‘oku ne hanga ‘o fakahaofi kitautolu mei he ngaahi mahaki kehe. Ka neongo ia ka fu’u lahi leva, pe too tu’a ‘a hono ngaue’aki ‘a e masima pea ‘e kovi leva ia ki he’etau moui. Ko e taha foki ‘eni ‘o e ngaahi me’a ‘oku ne fakatupu ‘a e toto ma’olunga kapau te tau ta’etokanga ki ai.
Second, we tend to eat a lot or too much of the “fatty foods.” For example, a lot of us eat chicken’s meat together with its skin because it has some type of a “special taste” according to some. But, the danger lies in the accumulations of the so called unhealthy fatty acids and cholesterol from those skins which will be deposited around our blood vessels and our heart. The deposited fats and cholesterol are hard to get rid off as we get older and they will lessen the diameter of your blood vessels. This is like turning your tap water outside and squeezing the tip of the hose, the water pressure will increase. The lesser the diameter of your blood vessels for the blood to travel, the higher your blood pressure will become and eventually, the big waves of high blood pressure will hit you like a brick without any warnings. The result is death in most cases. For those who do not have high blood pressure, take the skin and fat off the beef and chicken meat, cook them well and eat with lots of vegetables. For those of you who have high blood pressure, do not eat chicken meat with its skin at all or the pig’s skin (kili’i puaka tunu) though it may taste good. Please see your physician regularly to avoid the pitfalls of high blood pressure and work towards a healthier lifestyle so that you can enjoy what life has to offer.
Ua, ko e lahi pe totu’a ‘a ‘etau kai e ngaahi me’akai ko ia ‘oku fu’u ngako. Ko e taimi ‘e ni’ihi ‘o ku tau haka ‘a e moa pea mo hono kili he ‘oku “ifo makehe” tokua ki ha fa’ahing ‘e ni’ihi. ‘Oku totonu ketau to’o ‘a e kili ‘o e moaa pea mo e ngaahi ngako ko ia ‘oku kei pipiki ki he kanomate (kau ai pea mo e kili ‘o e puaka tunu) pea tau toki haka leva ke moho lelei. Haka ‘a e ngaahi vesitapolo ‘i ha vai kuo lili ‘i ha ngaahi miniti si’isi’i pe kae oua ‘e haka ke fu’u moho. ‘Oku lelei ma’u pe ke kai e kakano’i manu pea mo ha ngaahi vesitapolo ke tau moui lelei ma’u pe. Tau faka’ehi’ehi ma’u pe mei he toto ma’olunga. ‘Okapau ‘oku ma’u koe ‘e he toto ma’olunga, kataki ‘o ‘alu ma’u pe ki ho’o toketaa ke sivi koe koe’uhi ke ke ma’u ha fakafuofua lelei ki he tu’unga ‘o ho’o mo’ui lelei. Ko ho’o mate vave ka ko hai te ne tauhi ho hoa pea mo e fanau?
Third, we are living in a hustling and a busier world much different than that of our ancestors. Because of the environment we live in, we experience a lot of stresses daily and from different factors. We can easily get stress out from financial concerns, misbehaved children or a spouse for that matter and from our daily responsibilities at home and in the work force. But what can we do? Can we eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we will die? Most definitely not. Can we just “…don’t worry be happy…” when we have stress? Maybe not all of the times. I believe that we can learn to deal with stress effectively by knowing the causes of it and see what you can do to ease the stress. Sometimes you can just take a time out or simply take a walk for fresh air for a few minutes until you can calm down and ready to deal with stress or the causes of it. Stress has been proven to be another factor that adds to your risk factors for high blood pressure, which is why it is important to have your blood pressure check regularly by your primary physician.
Tolu, ko e puputu’u pea mo e hoha’a ‘a hotau ‘atamai tupu mei he ‘etau nofo ko ia ‘i he feitu’u ko ‘eni ‘oku fu’u vave ange ai ‘a e moui. ‘I he taimi ‘e ni’ihi ‘oku puputu’u ‘a hotau ‘atamai tupu mei he ‘etau hoha’a ko ia pe ‘e mau mai ha pa’anga lahi pe fe’unga ke totongi’aki hotau ngaahi mo’ua pea mo fafanga’aki hotau famili. Ko e taimi ‘e taha ‘oku puputu’u ‘a hotau ‘atamai koe’uhi ko e talangata’a ‘a e fanau pe ko e mali. Koe ha nai ‘a e me’a ‘oku totonu ketau fai ke matafi atu ai ‘a e hoha’a pea mo e puputu’u? Te tau kai, inu pea mo fakafiefia he te tau mate ‘apongipongi? ‘Oku ‘ikai ke totonu ke tau fai pehe. ‘Oku totonu ke tau ki’i malolo si’i hifo mei he hoha’a, luelue holo ‘i tu’a ke ma’u ha ki’i ‘ea lelei pe fakamokomoko ke nonga hifo ‘a e ‘atamai. Kuo lahi ‘aupito ‘a e ngaahi fekumi faka-saianisi ‘oku nau pehe ‘oku lava pe ke ma’u ‘e ha taha ‘a e toto ma’olunga kapau ‘e fa’a puputu’u pea mo hoha’a ma’u pe ‘a e ‘atamai ‘i ha ngaahi taimi lahi. Mahalo ko hono ‘uhinga ia ‘oku totonu ai ke tau ‘alu ma’u pe ki he toketaa ‘o sivi ‘a hotau toto.
Fourth, the type of medication that you take might contribute to high blood pressure. This is perhaps an important issue that is easy to overlook. A lot of people who suffered from diabetes and gout diseases sometimes suffer from high blood pressure as well. The amount of medications that can be taken for all three diseases are overwhelming and not to mention the costs associated with them. Take the medications that you have been prescribed to take only and if there are any side effects (life threatening) please see your physician right away or go to the emergency room. If you are taking any health supplements of any kind please make sure to let your physician know about it for possible contraindications with your prescribed medications. This type of supplements can also be found in the Physician Desk Reference (PDR) for Non Prescription drugs and Dietary Supplements. If they are not listed in this type of PDR, find out more information about it from your doctors or from peer review scientific journals so that you can be informed.
Fa, ‘oku fa’a lava pe ke ma’u ‘a e toto ma’olunga pea mei he ngaahi fo’i ‘akau ko ia ‘oku tau folo koe’uhi ko ha mahaki ke he pea mei he toto ma’olunga. Ko hono ‘uhinga ia ‘oku lelei ma’u pe ke tau muimui ma’u pe ki he tu’utu’uni ‘a e toketaa. Kapau leva ‘e ‘iai hano anga ‘oku ngali kehe tupu pea mei he faito’o, ‘oku totonu leva ke fetu’utaki ki ho’o toketaa he vave taha pe ko ho’o ‘alu ki he loki ‘imesenisi (emergency room). ‘Oku fu’u mahu’inga foki ke ‘ilo’i ‘e ho’o toketaa kapau ‘oku ke toe ngaue’aki ‘a e ngaahi ‘akau faitoo kehe. Koe lahi ‘o e ngaahi ‘akau faito’o ko ‘eni ‘oku tu’u ‘i he tohi PDR. Koe tohi PDR ko ia ‘oku fekau’aki pea moe ngaahi foi ‘akau faito’o pe vai ‘oku ikai ke te talatala ki he toketaa pea ‘omai (PDR For Non-Prescription & Dietary Supplements)
Fifth, weight management and exercises. This is probably one of the toughest things to do for some people. However, if you are overweight you are more likely to develop high blood pressure. With this problem, you can loose the excess weight. This does not mean that you need to be “hange ha mahele’i too” (looks thin like the sugar cane leaf blade). Go to the gymnasium or just walk a mile everyday in the football fields, city health clubhouses, ride a bicycle around the neighborhood daily or just use a treadmill at home daily for a few minutes. The other part of weight managements is eating the right food, mainly lots of fiber, vegetables, fruits and whole grains daily. Researches have shown that proper dieting with daily exercises is a critical component to a healthier weight management. Do not starve yourselves. All of these diet and lifestyle modifications should lead to lowering your chances of getting high blood pressure and/or improving your life to a much healthier state so that you can live happily ever after. Why not?
Nima, ‘oku totonu ke tau fakamalohi sino pea mo fakaholo kapau ‘oku tau fu’u sino. ‘Oku ‘ikai ‘uhinga ‘eni ke tau fakaholo ke “hange ha mahele’i to”, ka ke tau sino lelei pea ‘e lelei ai foki pea mo ‘etau manava. ‘I he ‘etau holo ko ia ‘o sino pea mo mo’ui lelei, ‘e si’isi’i ange ai ke ma’u ‘a kitautolu ‘e he toto ma’olunga. Koe konga mahu’inga foki ia ‘e taha ‘o e fakaholo, ‘a ‘etau kai ko ia ‘a e ngaahi me’akai lelei hange ko e ngaahi fo’i ’akau fua, vesitapolo pea mo e ngaahi me’akai ko ia ‘oku fakanatula pe hange ko ‘etau ngaahi me’akai Tonga mei ‘uta, ‘a e talo, manioke pea mo e ngaahi ala me’a pehe.
Sixth, smoking cigarettes on a daily basis. The dangers of smoking from a molecular point of view will had been addressed in my previous column but I will briefly touch on it here since it is relevant to high blood pressure. Smokings have been shown to damage the linings of the artery, quicken your heart beat and decrease the flexibility of your blood vessels so that they do not react properly to the changes in blood pressure. It will lead to high blood pressure if not corrected. It has also been shown that smoking lowers the so called good cholesterol while increase the bad cholesterol. It will lead to high blood pressure if not corrected in time. Smoking will also make it harder to exercise, easier to form blood clots in your systems and many other complications which will all contribute to high blood pressure. Sometimes you do not recognize that you have high blood pressure and it is easy to dismiss the idea of checking it regularly since you have been smoking for over 30 years with no health problems. But that is why high blood pressure is often referred to as “silent killer.” It will strike when you least expected it. “’E lava pe ‘a hevani ‘o tatali.” What more can I say?
Ono, ko e kovi pea moe fakatu’utamaki ‘o e ifi tapaka. ‘Oku hanga ‘e he ifi tapaka ‘o maumau’i ‘a e kofu loto ko ia ‘o e ngaahi kalava ‘i hotau sino pea mo fakavave’i ‘a e ta ‘a hotau mafu. ‘I he ‘ene pehe, ‘e faingata’a leva ke ngaue lelei ‘a hotau kalava ‘i he taimi lahi pea ‘e fa’a tupu leva mei ai ‘a e hoko ko ia ‘a e toto ma’olunga. ‘Ikai ia ko ia pe, ‘oku hanga ‘ehe ifi tapaka ‘o maumau’i foki pea moe palanisi ko ia ‘a e ngaahi ngaue fakamoui lelei ‘a hotau sino ‘o fa’a fatu ai ‘a e toto ‘i he taimi ‘e ni’ihi. Kai kehe ‘oku toe hanga foki ‘ehe ifi tapakaa ‘o fakafe’atungia’i ‘a e ngaue ko ia ‘a hotau ma’ama’a pea ‘e kovi foki ia ki he ‘etau manava. Ko e taimi ‘e ni’ihi ‘e fa’a nounou ai ‘a etau manava pea hange leva ko e lau, “’ofa mai a ‘o tuku e ifi tapaka?”
We are descendants of great warriors and navigators who had baffled the world experts in navigations concerning their abilities to sail from islands to islands, far and wide, without compasses. They had left us many lessons that we need to learn and internalize so that we will skillfully navigate life’s challenges today for a better future. Let us not contribute to our own defeat by high blood pressure, by eating healthy food, exercising daily, relaxing and coping with stress, stop smoking and visits your physicians regularly. In doing so, we will avoid the big waves foretold by our ancestors long ago in mate mate a liku and high blood pressure.
Ifi Tapaka: Takanga ‘a Pipi mo Kahi
The experiences that our ancestors had during their navigational years are very informative and educational that we should refer to them often as a guide in our own navigational time, here and now. They learned the nature of the clams in the ocean, natively known as fingota, their nutritive effects, where they are found and the dangers that are associated with collecting them. Two of the most popular ones are pipi and kahi clams and you can not pick up one without picking up the other unintentionally. However, there is a hidden danger in the fellowship of pipi and kahi clams though they may seem to be living in harmony with each other. Our ancestors observed that sometimes in the fellowship, kahi clams will eat or destroy the pipi clams. The danger in this fellowship has been well established for over 2,000 years by our ancestors. This type of fellowship seems to express itself in a different formation but with similar results. Smokers and cancer is the modern version of the fellowship of pipi and kahi that our ancestors had warned us about.
Cigarette smoking has been established for over decades to cause different types of diseases and cancers of the oral cavities, lungs, nasal cavities, esophagus, larynx, pharynx, pancreas, liver, kidney, stomach, urinary tract and cervix. How does smoking cause cancer? Cigarette smoking contains many carcinogens (cancer causing agent) that when inhaled travel to and interact with DNA molecules in the lungs (for example) to form what is known as DNA adduct. DNA adduct is equivalent to having the blueprint to your house that is going to be build being folded in half and strongly glued together much like Piki a feke which makes it unworkable. As such, you can not open it up to see the instructions for all the dimensions of the walls, roofs, windows and the details of all the rooms inside. In reality, the DNA adducts contributed to all sorts of mutations which later form cancers in the lungs, and other organs in the body. Do you like to have cancers from smoking cigarette? If you don’t, then quit smoking right now for your health’s sake and for the sake of your loved ones that are depending on you for their survival.
Cigarette smoking causes bad breathe. This is devastating if you are a single male looking for a future mate or vice versa. It is even worse if you are married. I can not imagine your spouse kissing you with all the carcinogens loaded in your mouth and not to mention the bad breathe. Perhaps this type of kissing is best described in another fellowship known as “the kiss of death.” You will probably chew a lot of gum which do nothing but masking the smells yet the carcinogens are still there, much like Nimo ‘i talafau (it may seems lost but is still there), causing DNA adducts in many organs of your body. Tar and nicotine (from the cigarette that you smoke) tend to build up on your mouth surfaces such as tongue, teeth and sides of your cheeks. Consequently, smoking also dries the mouth by inhibiting the flowing of saliva from the salivary glands which in turns lead to the accelerating growth of bacteria in your mouth causing bad breath. Furthermore, smoking can also exacerbate gum diseases and your sinus conditions which will also lead to bad breath. Do you like having bad breath? I hope that you don’t so quit smoking now for the sake of your oral health.
Cigarette smoking can cause abnormal blood clotting. The clotting mechanism is tightly regulated in the body since it can save us from bleeding to death (when you have a cut) but if it is altered, can also cause several life threatening and cardiovascular health problems. Clotting is much like patching a hole in a broken water pipe until a permanent plug is installed. In the body, clotting involves the aggregation of platelets (cells use for patching) to the side of blood vessels involved in the injury to temporary plug it so that you do not bleed to death. Researches have shown that about 60% of lung cancer patients have abnormal, elevated platelets that often aggregate in the middle of the blood vessels (even though no damage has occurred) causing a reduction in the blood flow that can cause a rise in your blood pressure which may be enough to damage the most delicate blood vessels as frequently observed in many of the pa kalava and stroke patients. Do you like to have pa kalava for a fellowship? If you don’t, then please quit smoking now to avoid the development of abnormal platelets aggregation and for your health’s sake.
Cigarette smoking causes an imbalance in the amount of hormones in the body. Hormones are important because it is a mean of communication in the body so that a state of homeostasis is achieved for maximum health benefits. Smoking effects on hormone has been established in the scientific communities which had shown that women smokers do enter menopause at an average age of 5 years earlier than nonsmokers. Concomitantly, women smokers’ early entrance to menopause also leads to other health problems such as an increase in the risk of osteoporosis. This is why older women smokers have frequent hip fractures when they fall because their bones are much weaker than when they were young. In like manner, nicotine from smoking causes an imbalance in the hormones involved in women’s reproduction which can have a huge effect in the number of children that a couple can have. Likewise, for male smokers, nicotine also affects the production and mobility of their sperm cells. The reduction in the production and mobility of their sperm cells will also affect the pregnancy process and consequently the number of children that they might be able to father. Do you have a feeling yet for the dangers involved in the fellowship between smoking and hormonal imbalance? If you don’t then your nerve cells have been severely damaged as a result of being a member of this fellowship. Dissolve this fellowship now and proclaim your liberty from smoking and its negative effects on your hormone levels.
Cigarette smoking affects our normal brain functions. It is often said that we only use part of our brain but how awful it is to think that smoking cigarette will further reduce the part of our brain that we are currently use. So if we are only using 50% of our brain (for example) to start with and also smoking cigarette-what does that leave us with to use? It is no wonder why some smokers can not even think logically or even strategically because their normal brain functioning have been either altered or destroyed. Alright let’s get serious now! The brain is sort of like the CPU of the body, for the computer wiz people, but it has a lot of nerves in them for processing of all the information’s related to the normal functioning of the body as a whole. It controls our mood and conscious thought, most of our voluntary movements, feeling and thinking processes. The brain gets its oxygen and food supplies from the lungs and heart and in return getting rid of its metabolic waste products so that it will continue to function optimally. Some researches have shown that nicotine in cigarette reaches the brain cells in about 10 seconds after a smoke is inhaled. Smoking cigarette (and its carcinogen contents) interfere with chemical messengers and information processing in the brain which leads to alteration in the smoker’s mood and thinking processes to name a few. It has also been shown that nicotine in small amount tend to stimulate the brain (not a good way) while large dosage of nicotine acts as a depressant (not good either), affecting the heart normal functions, blood vessels’ plasticity and also your hormone levels as previously discussed above. Carbon monoxide from smoking makes it harder for the red blood cells to carry oxygen to the brain and other organs of the body. This is because tars from cigarette are a mixture of chemicals that form a “sticky mass” in your lungs thus decreasing the ability of your lungs to function efficiently. In fact, most of the chemicals that you inhale from cigarette smoking stay in the lungs. Basically, the more cigarettes’ smoke you inhale, the more “sticky mass” of chemicals will accumulate in your lungs, leading to greater damages in the lungs alveoli (site where gas exchanges occur). Is it a surprise then to you that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer? It is hard enough to think clearly these days but why are we making the thinking process harder by smoking cigarette? Let’s dissolve this dangerous fellowship now for the sake of your brain health?
Mou tokanga mai! (Attention Please!) Take a look at the chemicals present in cigarette and think hard, really hard and smart with your brains about the fellowship that you have entered into. It has been established that there are over 4,000 chemicals present in cigarette. Moreover, it includes about 43 known carcinogen compounds and about 400 toxins known to humans including nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic and DDT. Wow! That is a lot of deadly chemicals packed into one small package with foreseeable, deadly consequences. It reminds me of a Tongan paloveape known as Si’isi’i ‘a pakihi-it appears to be small but is deadly when it hits you. Why do we avoid chemicals with labels “toxins” and/or “carcinogens” but when it comes to smoking some ignore them regardless of the accumulating scientific evidences because they do not have the labels “toxins” and/or “carcinogens” outside the package.
To the youth of Polynesia, you are descendants of a glorious and illustrious people that we referred to them as our ancestors. They are not in the past but in front of you, leading and guiding your paths towards a higher ground if you let them. A ground that is full of faith and hope to look forward to a glorious harvest in the future if you use them. A ground that is fertile, ready to plant your seed of hard work for a better world. A ground that can only be plowed and farmed by those who are willing to exclude themselves from this modern fellowship of pipi and kahi where dangers will be your constant companion. Smoking cigarette has never been and never will make you look cool so don’t fall into the lies and deceits that have been perpetrated by some. Consider the following points of health consequences. (1) Health consequences of smoking include respiratory and nonrespiratory effects, development of addiction to nicotine and an increase in the likelihood of using other type of illegal drugs. All of which leads you to unfertile grounds where the harvest consists of only pain and heartache. (2)Smoking cigarette leads to inefficient lung functioning and will retard its growth compared to nonsmoking youth. If you are involved in sports, do yourself a favor by not smoking at all so that you do not jeopardize your performances or your endurance level. The world of sports is full of competitors and you should compete in your utmost healthy state. Being healthy without the cigarette odor, yellow teeth and yellow fingers do look cool. Your ancestors were people of great courage, strong will and determination that you can look to for your own courage, strong will and determination to quit smoking now for a healthier you and concomitantly a better tomorrow.
The amounts of scientific studies including human clinical trials had proven that smoking is bad for your health. People who died from cigarette smoking has become too numerous to count, graveyards has been too numerous to dig, and lots of loved ones will be without you because of your selfishness, yet few have heeded the warnings from doctors and health professionals much like the Tongan paloveape known as Matangi lelei to ki he la mahaehae (Good winds fall on torn sails). I hope that the evidences presented here will be enough to convince you of the danger that is looming in the horizon from this fellowship of smoking and cancer. Better yet, the evidences discussed here should convince you to listen to our ancestors-for they always speak the truth and the health professionals so that you can avoid being inducted as a member of this modern fellowship of pipi and kahi. In all, cancers end up destroying or eating the smokers much like kahi and pipi clams in the old fellowship that was so eloquently described by our illustrious ancestors long ago.
Cigarette smoking has been established for over decades to cause different types of diseases and cancers of the oral cavities, lungs, nasal cavities, esophagus, larynx, pharynx, pancreas, liver, kidney, stomach, urinary tract and cervix. How does smoking cause cancer? Cigarette smoking contains many carcinogens (cancer causing agent) that when inhaled travel to and interact with DNA molecules in the lungs (for example) to form what is known as DNA adduct. DNA adduct is equivalent to having the blueprint to your house that is going to be build being folded in half and strongly glued together much like Piki a feke which makes it unworkable. As such, you can not open it up to see the instructions for all the dimensions of the walls, roofs, windows and the details of all the rooms inside. In reality, the DNA adducts contributed to all sorts of mutations which later form cancers in the lungs, and other organs in the body. Do you like to have cancers from smoking cigarette? If you don’t, then quit smoking right now for your health’s sake and for the sake of your loved ones that are depending on you for their survival.
Cigarette smoking causes bad breathe. This is devastating if you are a single male looking for a future mate or vice versa. It is even worse if you are married. I can not imagine your spouse kissing you with all the carcinogens loaded in your mouth and not to mention the bad breathe. Perhaps this type of kissing is best described in another fellowship known as “the kiss of death.” You will probably chew a lot of gum which do nothing but masking the smells yet the carcinogens are still there, much like Nimo ‘i talafau (it may seems lost but is still there), causing DNA adducts in many organs of your body. Tar and nicotine (from the cigarette that you smoke) tend to build up on your mouth surfaces such as tongue, teeth and sides of your cheeks. Consequently, smoking also dries the mouth by inhibiting the flowing of saliva from the salivary glands which in turns lead to the accelerating growth of bacteria in your mouth causing bad breath. Furthermore, smoking can also exacerbate gum diseases and your sinus conditions which will also lead to bad breath. Do you like having bad breath? I hope that you don’t so quit smoking now for the sake of your oral health.
Cigarette smoking can cause abnormal blood clotting. The clotting mechanism is tightly regulated in the body since it can save us from bleeding to death (when you have a cut) but if it is altered, can also cause several life threatening and cardiovascular health problems. Clotting is much like patching a hole in a broken water pipe until a permanent plug is installed. In the body, clotting involves the aggregation of platelets (cells use for patching) to the side of blood vessels involved in the injury to temporary plug it so that you do not bleed to death. Researches have shown that about 60% of lung cancer patients have abnormal, elevated platelets that often aggregate in the middle of the blood vessels (even though no damage has occurred) causing a reduction in the blood flow that can cause a rise in your blood pressure which may be enough to damage the most delicate blood vessels as frequently observed in many of the pa kalava and stroke patients. Do you like to have pa kalava for a fellowship? If you don’t, then please quit smoking now to avoid the development of abnormal platelets aggregation and for your health’s sake.
Cigarette smoking causes an imbalance in the amount of hormones in the body. Hormones are important because it is a mean of communication in the body so that a state of homeostasis is achieved for maximum health benefits. Smoking effects on hormone has been established in the scientific communities which had shown that women smokers do enter menopause at an average age of 5 years earlier than nonsmokers. Concomitantly, women smokers’ early entrance to menopause also leads to other health problems such as an increase in the risk of osteoporosis. This is why older women smokers have frequent hip fractures when they fall because their bones are much weaker than when they were young. In like manner, nicotine from smoking causes an imbalance in the hormones involved in women’s reproduction which can have a huge effect in the number of children that a couple can have. Likewise, for male smokers, nicotine also affects the production and mobility of their sperm cells. The reduction in the production and mobility of their sperm cells will also affect the pregnancy process and consequently the number of children that they might be able to father. Do you have a feeling yet for the dangers involved in the fellowship between smoking and hormonal imbalance? If you don’t then your nerve cells have been severely damaged as a result of being a member of this fellowship. Dissolve this fellowship now and proclaim your liberty from smoking and its negative effects on your hormone levels.
Cigarette smoking affects our normal brain functions. It is often said that we only use part of our brain but how awful it is to think that smoking cigarette will further reduce the part of our brain that we are currently use. So if we are only using 50% of our brain (for example) to start with and also smoking cigarette-what does that leave us with to use? It is no wonder why some smokers can not even think logically or even strategically because their normal brain functioning have been either altered or destroyed. Alright let’s get serious now! The brain is sort of like the CPU of the body, for the computer wiz people, but it has a lot of nerves in them for processing of all the information’s related to the normal functioning of the body as a whole. It controls our mood and conscious thought, most of our voluntary movements, feeling and thinking processes. The brain gets its oxygen and food supplies from the lungs and heart and in return getting rid of its metabolic waste products so that it will continue to function optimally. Some researches have shown that nicotine in cigarette reaches the brain cells in about 10 seconds after a smoke is inhaled. Smoking cigarette (and its carcinogen contents) interfere with chemical messengers and information processing in the brain which leads to alteration in the smoker’s mood and thinking processes to name a few. It has also been shown that nicotine in small amount tend to stimulate the brain (not a good way) while large dosage of nicotine acts as a depressant (not good either), affecting the heart normal functions, blood vessels’ plasticity and also your hormone levels as previously discussed above. Carbon monoxide from smoking makes it harder for the red blood cells to carry oxygen to the brain and other organs of the body. This is because tars from cigarette are a mixture of chemicals that form a “sticky mass” in your lungs thus decreasing the ability of your lungs to function efficiently. In fact, most of the chemicals that you inhale from cigarette smoking stay in the lungs. Basically, the more cigarettes’ smoke you inhale, the more “sticky mass” of chemicals will accumulate in your lungs, leading to greater damages in the lungs alveoli (site where gas exchanges occur). Is it a surprise then to you that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer? It is hard enough to think clearly these days but why are we making the thinking process harder by smoking cigarette? Let’s dissolve this dangerous fellowship now for the sake of your brain health?
Mou tokanga mai! (Attention Please!) Take a look at the chemicals present in cigarette and think hard, really hard and smart with your brains about the fellowship that you have entered into. It has been established that there are over 4,000 chemicals present in cigarette. Moreover, it includes about 43 known carcinogen compounds and about 400 toxins known to humans including nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic and DDT. Wow! That is a lot of deadly chemicals packed into one small package with foreseeable, deadly consequences. It reminds me of a Tongan paloveape known as Si’isi’i ‘a pakihi-it appears to be small but is deadly when it hits you. Why do we avoid chemicals with labels “toxins” and/or “carcinogens” but when it comes to smoking some ignore them regardless of the accumulating scientific evidences because they do not have the labels “toxins” and/or “carcinogens” outside the package.
To the youth of Polynesia, you are descendants of a glorious and illustrious people that we referred to them as our ancestors. They are not in the past but in front of you, leading and guiding your paths towards a higher ground if you let them. A ground that is full of faith and hope to look forward to a glorious harvest in the future if you use them. A ground that is fertile, ready to plant your seed of hard work for a better world. A ground that can only be plowed and farmed by those who are willing to exclude themselves from this modern fellowship of pipi and kahi where dangers will be your constant companion. Smoking cigarette has never been and never will make you look cool so don’t fall into the lies and deceits that have been perpetrated by some. Consider the following points of health consequences. (1) Health consequences of smoking include respiratory and nonrespiratory effects, development of addiction to nicotine and an increase in the likelihood of using other type of illegal drugs. All of which leads you to unfertile grounds where the harvest consists of only pain and heartache. (2)Smoking cigarette leads to inefficient lung functioning and will retard its growth compared to nonsmoking youth. If you are involved in sports, do yourself a favor by not smoking at all so that you do not jeopardize your performances or your endurance level. The world of sports is full of competitors and you should compete in your utmost healthy state. Being healthy without the cigarette odor, yellow teeth and yellow fingers do look cool. Your ancestors were people of great courage, strong will and determination that you can look to for your own courage, strong will and determination to quit smoking now for a healthier you and concomitantly a better tomorrow.
The amounts of scientific studies including human clinical trials had proven that smoking is bad for your health. People who died from cigarette smoking has become too numerous to count, graveyards has been too numerous to dig, and lots of loved ones will be without you because of your selfishness, yet few have heeded the warnings from doctors and health professionals much like the Tongan paloveape known as Matangi lelei to ki he la mahaehae (Good winds fall on torn sails). I hope that the evidences presented here will be enough to convince you of the danger that is looming in the horizon from this fellowship of smoking and cancer. Better yet, the evidences discussed here should convince you to listen to our ancestors-for they always speak the truth and the health professionals so that you can avoid being inducted as a member of this modern fellowship of pipi and kahi. In all, cancers end up destroying or eating the smokers much like kahi and pipi clams in the old fellowship that was so eloquently described by our illustrious ancestors long ago.
Faka-Ovaka: A Healthier Choice for Our Day
One of the experiences that I had in Tonga was making and preparing many of our Tongan traditional diets. Some were easier to make while others were laborious, but in the end they all tasted so delicious that you often forget the agony from preparing them. One of the foods that I often prepared and cooked on Sundays was faka-ovaka. Faka-Ovaka is one of our favorite Tongan foods commonly known as lo’ilesi or vai lesi. The thought of preparing this special diet is enough to make you salivating over it. However, the questions that I often asked of my father and others in different islands in Tonga all come back to this idea that “…lo’ilesi is good for your health…” and “…lo’ilesi will keep your digestive system healthy...” How did my father and others in different islands including our ancestors know that this type of diet is healthy? How did they know that eating lo’ilesi will strengthen our immunity and digestive systems? Perhaps the answers lie in the fact that these ingredients have documented health benefits recently uncovered by modern science. However, our ancestors in their own “scientific ways” knew about the health benefits of faka-ovaka long before modern science stumbled upon it.
Right now you probably think that there isn’t any health application from our ancestor’s diet that we can use today to ameliorate some of our health problems. But I hope to convince you that there is a hidden application in it for all of us. Faka-Ovaka consists of two ingredients namely papaya and coconut milk. Let us look at these ingredients and the impact that they will have in our bodies and consequently our health today.
Papaya (Carica papaya L.) or lesi health benefits are well known and have been well established in the scientific literature to be high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and potassium while containing a smaller amount of calcium, iron, niacin, riboflavin and thiamine. It has also been shown to contain an enzyme known as papain which helps facilitate the digestion of proteins in our stomach. Lesi has also been found to have antibacterial and antifungal properties including a large amount of fibers.
Fibers from grains and fruits have already been shown by scientific researches to support and maintain healthier digestive and cardiovascular systems. The health’s benefits of Vitamins and minerals present in the lesi fruit have been established by researches that they are good antioxidant which helps reduce oxidative stress, strengthen our immune system, reduce inflammation, retard the aging process, improve vision, blood production and many other cellular activities in the body for overall health. This is perhaps why our ancestors always insisted in eating lo’ilesi because it will strengthen our bodies and clean our digestive systems (fakahinga). Does this sound like advices that you can only get, in our day, from our food scientists, doctors and dietetics? I believe that they are, but from reliable and familiar sources--our ancestors.
Faka-Ovaka can not be completed without the addition of fresh coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) milk to the lesi fruit much like icing on a cake. It enhances the flavor and causing lo’ilesi to become an “energy-rich” food, powerful enough to support and empower the Polynesian bodies.
It is interesting to note that coconut milk does not have any cholesterol or sodium. Cholesterol and sodium often contribute to increases in cholesterol levels, obesity and many cardiovascular diseases. Coconut milk has fatty acids, one of which is lauric acid which has been shown to have antiviral and antibacterial properties. It has also been shown in animal studies to reduce obesity. Moreover, studies shown that the fatty acids in coconut milk inhibit pathogenic bacteria but not the normal flora in the gut, protecting against induced liver damages and also improve the immune system’s anti-inflammatory response, thus helping us to maintain our health.
Coconut milk work synergistically with papaya to give us much needed health benefits in one total package, Faka-Ovaka, to make us strong and healthy. Faka-Ovaka may seem insignificant since we live in the land bountiful, filled with milk and honey and many varieties of food products, but let us not forget Faka-Ovaka as a healthier choice instituted by our ancestors long ago. How did our ancestors know that Faka-Ovaka is good for our health? I am convinced that our ancestors were endowed with knowledge from God--a knowledge that we must learn to harness and rely upon today in our quest to live a healthier life style.
Right now you probably think that there isn’t any health application from our ancestor’s diet that we can use today to ameliorate some of our health problems. But I hope to convince you that there is a hidden application in it for all of us. Faka-Ovaka consists of two ingredients namely papaya and coconut milk. Let us look at these ingredients and the impact that they will have in our bodies and consequently our health today.
Papaya (Carica papaya L.) or lesi health benefits are well known and have been well established in the scientific literature to be high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and potassium while containing a smaller amount of calcium, iron, niacin, riboflavin and thiamine. It has also been shown to contain an enzyme known as papain which helps facilitate the digestion of proteins in our stomach. Lesi has also been found to have antibacterial and antifungal properties including a large amount of fibers.
Fibers from grains and fruits have already been shown by scientific researches to support and maintain healthier digestive and cardiovascular systems. The health’s benefits of Vitamins and minerals present in the lesi fruit have been established by researches that they are good antioxidant which helps reduce oxidative stress, strengthen our immune system, reduce inflammation, retard the aging process, improve vision, blood production and many other cellular activities in the body for overall health. This is perhaps why our ancestors always insisted in eating lo’ilesi because it will strengthen our bodies and clean our digestive systems (fakahinga). Does this sound like advices that you can only get, in our day, from our food scientists, doctors and dietetics? I believe that they are, but from reliable and familiar sources--our ancestors.
Faka-Ovaka can not be completed without the addition of fresh coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) milk to the lesi fruit much like icing on a cake. It enhances the flavor and causing lo’ilesi to become an “energy-rich” food, powerful enough to support and empower the Polynesian bodies.
It is interesting to note that coconut milk does not have any cholesterol or sodium. Cholesterol and sodium often contribute to increases in cholesterol levels, obesity and many cardiovascular diseases. Coconut milk has fatty acids, one of which is lauric acid which has been shown to have antiviral and antibacterial properties. It has also been shown in animal studies to reduce obesity. Moreover, studies shown that the fatty acids in coconut milk inhibit pathogenic bacteria but not the normal flora in the gut, protecting against induced liver damages and also improve the immune system’s anti-inflammatory response, thus helping us to maintain our health.
Coconut milk work synergistically with papaya to give us much needed health benefits in one total package, Faka-Ovaka, to make us strong and healthy. Faka-Ovaka may seem insignificant since we live in the land bountiful, filled with milk and honey and many varieties of food products, but let us not forget Faka-Ovaka as a healthier choice instituted by our ancestors long ago. How did our ancestors know that Faka-Ovaka is good for our health? I am convinced that our ancestors were endowed with knowledge from God--a knowledge that we must learn to harness and rely upon today in our quest to live a healthier life style.
Suka: Pelu La Kei Mama’o
The Pacific Ocean is the biggest ocean in the world yet our ancestors navigated from islands to islands, far and wide, as if it was just the size of Utah Lake. It was during these times that many lessons were learned yet its application is useful to us now as it was to them. They learned that you can tell from the formation of the clouds, the pattern of the waves and the type of wind that there is a storm coming and so they did fold and took down their sails (Pelu la kei mama’o) to avoid being blown away from their destination. Like our courageous ancestors, who foresaw the dangers ahead and acted upon it, we too must recognize and foresee the dangers of diabetes (suka) and act upon it so that we will not be blown away from our destination, which is being healthy.
One of the biggest health crises to face Tongans and Polynesians in the US is Diabetes mellitus or commonly known as “suka.” Suka has devastated Polynesians more than any other diseases to date. I had attended a few funerals this year alone and all were victims of suka or complications thereof. The escalation of suka among our people should be a concern to us all. Perhaps if we are familiar with the causes and the effects of suka to our bodies we will make the necessary changes in our lives to avoid being victimized by this terrible disease.
Suka comes in three different forms or types; however, only two will be discussed here namely Suka Type 1 and Suka Type II. Type 1 (early in childhood) resulted from inability of our bodies to produce any or enough insulin while Type II (usually occurred later in life) is due to the inability of the cells in our bodies to use insulin efficiently. Suka Type II is the most common and has found its niche in the people of Polynesia if we are not willing to make the change in our diet and lifestyle.
The question seems to keep coming up everywhere you turn is why are so many of our people are inflicted with this horrible disease? I believe that because we are not (1) consuming enough fruits and (2) vegetables in our diet as we should and we are (3) eating too much “sugar food” and (4) drinking too much soda pop instead of water. The observation by Mr. Anderson that our ancestors had “…at least nine-tenths of vegetable food; and it is perhaps owing to this temperate course of life that they have so few diseases among them…” is worth repeating. Maybe our ancestors know something that we are now beginning to find out due in part to the advances of science and technology.
Diabetes has often been referred to as complicated diseases because it affects almost, if not, all of the organs in our body in some fashion, yet some organs are affected more than others. If you are diagnose with diabetes but you neglect to take care of it in terms of what not to eat and in what quantity then you are in a sense leaving your sails up during the storm. As such, your ship will be blown away from your destination (healthy) and will be swept away into the oceans of heart diseases, kidney diseases, skin diseases, nerve diseases, and decrease in the immune function thus leaving you vulnerable to infections and eye diseases to name just a few. This is why suka is considered to be complicated diseases and more often then not, the victims die not necessary from diabetes itself but from complications thereof as depicted in the diagram.
For example, if you neglect to take care of your diabetic conditions, one of the organs that fail is your eye (not necessary in this order) that resulted in vision loss including but not limited to macula degeneration and the like. Moreover, the enzyme Aldose Reductase is highly active resulting in the conversion of simple sugars to sugar alcohol. The accumulation of sugar alcohol leads to damages in the nerves of the eye and concomitantly the inflammation of the blood vessels inside the eye. Hence, you gradually lose your visions and it is imperative that you must see your primary physician regularly.
Another example of diabetic complications will be on your cardiovascular system known as autonomic neuropathy. Your cardiovascular controls blood circulation throughout your body and as such, damages to your cardiovascular system will interrupt nerve transmissions from different parts of your body. For example, it will interfere with the signal to regulate blood pressure and heart rate resulting in a sudden drop in your blood pressure causing you to feel dizzy, faint, and sometimes experience heart problems.
The list of diabetic complications can be as big as the Pacific Ocean itself but there is something that you can do about it. You can loose weight if you’re diabetic and overweight, cut off the “sugar food” and soda pop drinks from your diet, increase your vegetable & fruit consumption, drink more water and increase your daily exercises. Please visit your doctor’s regularly so that you can get a good assessment of how things are. You might not be able to cure your diabetes but you can manage it so that you do not have to suffer as much from the complications thereof. In all, it is always better to “Pelu la kei mama’o” so that you can avoid the upcoming storm of diabetic complications thereby allowing you to arrive safely in your destination, which is being healthy.
One of the biggest health crises to face Tongans and Polynesians in the US is Diabetes mellitus or commonly known as “suka.” Suka has devastated Polynesians more than any other diseases to date. I had attended a few funerals this year alone and all were victims of suka or complications thereof. The escalation of suka among our people should be a concern to us all. Perhaps if we are familiar with the causes and the effects of suka to our bodies we will make the necessary changes in our lives to avoid being victimized by this terrible disease.
Suka comes in three different forms or types; however, only two will be discussed here namely Suka Type 1 and Suka Type II. Type 1 (early in childhood) resulted from inability of our bodies to produce any or enough insulin while Type II (usually occurred later in life) is due to the inability of the cells in our bodies to use insulin efficiently. Suka Type II is the most common and has found its niche in the people of Polynesia if we are not willing to make the change in our diet and lifestyle.
The question seems to keep coming up everywhere you turn is why are so many of our people are inflicted with this horrible disease? I believe that because we are not (1) consuming enough fruits and (2) vegetables in our diet as we should and we are (3) eating too much “sugar food” and (4) drinking too much soda pop instead of water. The observation by Mr. Anderson that our ancestors had “…at least nine-tenths of vegetable food; and it is perhaps owing to this temperate course of life that they have so few diseases among them…” is worth repeating. Maybe our ancestors know something that we are now beginning to find out due in part to the advances of science and technology.
Diabetes has often been referred to as complicated diseases because it affects almost, if not, all of the organs in our body in some fashion, yet some organs are affected more than others. If you are diagnose with diabetes but you neglect to take care of it in terms of what not to eat and in what quantity then you are in a sense leaving your sails up during the storm. As such, your ship will be blown away from your destination (healthy) and will be swept away into the oceans of heart diseases, kidney diseases, skin diseases, nerve diseases, and decrease in the immune function thus leaving you vulnerable to infections and eye diseases to name just a few. This is why suka is considered to be complicated diseases and more often then not, the victims die not necessary from diabetes itself but from complications thereof as depicted in the diagram.
For example, if you neglect to take care of your diabetic conditions, one of the organs that fail is your eye (not necessary in this order) that resulted in vision loss including but not limited to macula degeneration and the like. Moreover, the enzyme Aldose Reductase is highly active resulting in the conversion of simple sugars to sugar alcohol. The accumulation of sugar alcohol leads to damages in the nerves of the eye and concomitantly the inflammation of the blood vessels inside the eye. Hence, you gradually lose your visions and it is imperative that you must see your primary physician regularly.
Another example of diabetic complications will be on your cardiovascular system known as autonomic neuropathy. Your cardiovascular controls blood circulation throughout your body and as such, damages to your cardiovascular system will interrupt nerve transmissions from different parts of your body. For example, it will interfere with the signal to regulate blood pressure and heart rate resulting in a sudden drop in your blood pressure causing you to feel dizzy, faint, and sometimes experience heart problems.
The list of diabetic complications can be as big as the Pacific Ocean itself but there is something that you can do about it. You can loose weight if you’re diabetic and overweight, cut off the “sugar food” and soda pop drinks from your diet, increase your vegetable & fruit consumption, drink more water and increase your daily exercises. Please visit your doctor’s regularly so that you can get a good assessment of how things are. You might not be able to cure your diabetes but you can manage it so that you do not have to suffer as much from the complications thereof. In all, it is always better to “Pelu la kei mama’o” so that you can avoid the upcoming storm of diabetic complications thereby allowing you to arrive safely in your destination, which is being healthy.
Noni: Our Ancestor’s Recipe for Health and Vitality Part 1
The knowledge that our ancestors had concerning medicinal plants is irrefutable and one can not deny the fact that they knew what type of medicinal plants to use for which ailments. It has been my privileged at Tahitian Noni International Inc. to study the mechanisms of not only “how” but also “why” Noni works for various ailments at the molecular level. The array of scientific evidences, published and/or presented in professional scientific meetings, convinces me that our ancestors were ethnobotanists of a higher order. An order that is far advanced than majority of the modern scientists today is willing to give them credit for.
During our ancestors’ navigation across the Pacific Ocean, they carried with them certain plants for dyeing of traditional clothes, food and medicine currently now known to us as “canoe plants.” One of the canoe plants that they took with them in their kalia (canoe) was Noni (Morinda citrifolia L.). The efficacy of Noni has been debated much mainly by those who knew little or none about its traditional usage as well as the scientific studies and the mechanisms behind it. Yet others have gone as far as saying that there are no scientific studies to support our ancestors’ claim about the efficacy of Noni. However, let the scientific evidences presented heretofore not only support the efficacy of Noni but also to vindicate the claim made by our illustrious ancestors who had given us so much.
Once again we ask the question, how did they know that Noni works for various ailments? Perhaps parts of the answers lie in the fact that “it works” according to my mother--who was a healer. The other part perhaps comes from the scientific studies that had been done on Noni by TNI and other scientists around the world. These scientific evidences will shed more light into our ancestor’s claims made long ago, thus dispelling the notion that Noni does not have any medicinal health benefits.
Our ancestors claimed that Noni fruit juice would help ameliorate type 2 diabetic conditions. They had treated several hundreds of diabetic patients and witnessed first hand the health benefits in what will be considered unscientific, limited human clinical trials in our day. What scientific evidences do we have to support such a claim? We have discovered several pathways in which Noni can help ameliorate diabetic type2 conditions. First, I discovered that Tahitian Noni fruit juice and TAHITIAN NONI® Juice have anti-PDE3 effects (TNI Patent Pending) which will ameliorate diabetic type2 conditions. PDE3 activities in the -cells are much higher in diabetic patients compared to normal. Hence, inhibiting PDE3 enzymes will increase insulin secretion, which leads to improvements in the diabetic conditions. Second, I also discovered that Tahitian Noni fruit juice and TAHITIAN NONI® Juice also have anti-PTP1effects (TNI Patent Pending). PTP1is a negative regulator of insulin secretion and it is highly active in diabetic patients. Hence, inhibiting of PTP1 will lead to increases in insulin secretion and consequently improving your health. Third, we collaborated with Drs. Tani & Ohishi from Japan in two studies investigating the effects of Tahitian Noni leaf juice extract in a rat diabetic type2 model and in a limited human clinical trial. The results from the rat diabetic type2 model not only showed that there is no toxicity in the Tahitian Noni leaf extracts but also showed that it controlled the rises in blood sugar level when administered orally. The results from the human study showed that the leaf extracts caused a significant drop of about 23 percent in the blood sugar level in diabetic type2 patients. Fourth, I discovered that Tahitian Noni fruit juice and TAHITIAN NONI® Juice have anti-Aldose Reductase effects (TNI Patent Pending). Aldose Reductase enzymes are highly active in the eyes of diabetic patients which is one of the major contributors to diabetic retinopathy. Hence, inhibiting of the enzymes Aldose Reductase will help improve the condition in diabetic retinopathy.
Another claim that our ancestors made was-Noni helps lower your high blood pressure. What scientific evidences do we have to support such a claim? I discovered that Tahitian Noni fruit juice concentrate (TNFJC) and TAHITIAN NONI® Juice (TNJ) have an inhibitory effect on Angiotensin Converting Enzymes (TNI Patent Pending). Angiotensin Converting Enzymes are highly active in high blood pressure patients compare to normal. Hence, inhibiting of this enzyme will ameliorate high blood pressure and the complications thereof. I also discovered that TNFJC and TNJ both bind to and inhibit AT1 and AT2 receptors, which are part of the Angiotensin signaling pathways, in a dose dependant fashion. This enzymes and receptors are some of the targets used by pharmaceutical companies in synthesizing drugs that will help in reducing high blood pressure.
Though only a few of the scientific evidences listed here, it is only a glimpse of the repertoire of what Noni does for our health and vitality that we have discovered at TNI and other researchers around the world. Our ancestors knew that Noni works for various ailments otherwise they would not have wasted their time carrying them across the Pacific Ocean in their canoes and from islands to islands during their navigational years long ago. I am grateful to the traditional healing practices passed on from my mother Silivia Latai Tulaki To’angutu Palu, my grandmother Mele’ana Fehi’osi To’angutu from ‘Uiha, Ha’apai and to the rest of my Polynesian ancestors from the South Pacific. Thank you for the gift of the Noni. I salute and honor you all.
During our ancestors’ navigation across the Pacific Ocean, they carried with them certain plants for dyeing of traditional clothes, food and medicine currently now known to us as “canoe plants.” One of the canoe plants that they took with them in their kalia (canoe) was Noni (Morinda citrifolia L.). The efficacy of Noni has been debated much mainly by those who knew little or none about its traditional usage as well as the scientific studies and the mechanisms behind it. Yet others have gone as far as saying that there are no scientific studies to support our ancestors’ claim about the efficacy of Noni. However, let the scientific evidences presented heretofore not only support the efficacy of Noni but also to vindicate the claim made by our illustrious ancestors who had given us so much.
Once again we ask the question, how did they know that Noni works for various ailments? Perhaps parts of the answers lie in the fact that “it works” according to my mother--who was a healer. The other part perhaps comes from the scientific studies that had been done on Noni by TNI and other scientists around the world. These scientific evidences will shed more light into our ancestor’s claims made long ago, thus dispelling the notion that Noni does not have any medicinal health benefits.
Our ancestors claimed that Noni fruit juice would help ameliorate type 2 diabetic conditions. They had treated several hundreds of diabetic patients and witnessed first hand the health benefits in what will be considered unscientific, limited human clinical trials in our day. What scientific evidences do we have to support such a claim? We have discovered several pathways in which Noni can help ameliorate diabetic type2 conditions. First, I discovered that Tahitian Noni fruit juice and TAHITIAN NONI® Juice have anti-PDE3 effects (TNI Patent Pending) which will ameliorate diabetic type2 conditions. PDE3 activities in the -cells are much higher in diabetic patients compared to normal. Hence, inhibiting PDE3 enzymes will increase insulin secretion, which leads to improvements in the diabetic conditions. Second, I also discovered that Tahitian Noni fruit juice and TAHITIAN NONI® Juice also have anti-PTP1effects (TNI Patent Pending). PTP1is a negative regulator of insulin secretion and it is highly active in diabetic patients. Hence, inhibiting of PTP1 will lead to increases in insulin secretion and consequently improving your health. Third, we collaborated with Drs. Tani & Ohishi from Japan in two studies investigating the effects of Tahitian Noni leaf juice extract in a rat diabetic type2 model and in a limited human clinical trial. The results from the rat diabetic type2 model not only showed that there is no toxicity in the Tahitian Noni leaf extracts but also showed that it controlled the rises in blood sugar level when administered orally. The results from the human study showed that the leaf extracts caused a significant drop of about 23 percent in the blood sugar level in diabetic type2 patients. Fourth, I discovered that Tahitian Noni fruit juice and TAHITIAN NONI® Juice have anti-Aldose Reductase effects (TNI Patent Pending). Aldose Reductase enzymes are highly active in the eyes of diabetic patients which is one of the major contributors to diabetic retinopathy. Hence, inhibiting of the enzymes Aldose Reductase will help improve the condition in diabetic retinopathy.
Another claim that our ancestors made was-Noni helps lower your high blood pressure. What scientific evidences do we have to support such a claim? I discovered that Tahitian Noni fruit juice concentrate (TNFJC) and TAHITIAN NONI® Juice (TNJ) have an inhibitory effect on Angiotensin Converting Enzymes (TNI Patent Pending). Angiotensin Converting Enzymes are highly active in high blood pressure patients compare to normal. Hence, inhibiting of this enzyme will ameliorate high blood pressure and the complications thereof. I also discovered that TNFJC and TNJ both bind to and inhibit AT1 and AT2 receptors, which are part of the Angiotensin signaling pathways, in a dose dependant fashion. This enzymes and receptors are some of the targets used by pharmaceutical companies in synthesizing drugs that will help in reducing high blood pressure.
Though only a few of the scientific evidences listed here, it is only a glimpse of the repertoire of what Noni does for our health and vitality that we have discovered at TNI and other researchers around the world. Our ancestors knew that Noni works for various ailments otherwise they would not have wasted their time carrying them across the Pacific Ocean in their canoes and from islands to islands during their navigational years long ago. I am grateful to the traditional healing practices passed on from my mother Silivia Latai Tulaki To’angutu Palu, my grandmother Mele’ana Fehi’osi To’angutu from ‘Uiha, Ha’apai and to the rest of my Polynesian ancestors from the South Pacific. Thank you for the gift of the Noni. I salute and honor you all.
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