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The kidney is a very vital organ of the body that helps the body to get rid of waste as urine. The kidney also does the filtration of the blood before sending it back to the heart.

The kidney contains a million nephrons which does the metabolizing of the nutrients and pass out waste products through the blood it filters. The kidney has different parts like the renal corpuscle, the glomerulus, the bowman capsule, proximal convoluted tubule, loop of henle, distal convoluted tubule, renal cotex, etc. The ureter is also a very important part of the kidney which passes the urine into the bladder before it is released from the body.

The kidney being a delicate organ can be affected with diseases like chronic kidney disease, kidney failure, kidney stones, glomerulonephritis, acute nephritis, polycystic kidney disease, urinary tract infections, uremia, hydronephrosis, kidney cysts, etc.

When your kidney becomes affected, you may experience the following symptoms

Kidneys (Anatomy): Picture, Function, Conditions, Treatments

1. Difficulty in sleeping.

2. Fatigue and feeling of tiredness all the time.

3. Difficulty to focus and inability to concentrate.

4. Constant dry skin.

5. Less or frequent urination.

6. Blood in urine.

7. Loss of appetite.

8. Experiencing muscle cramps.

9. Swellings in the foot or ankle etc.

Please if you don’t want to be affected and shorten your life span, avoid excessive intake of these things.

1. Excessive intake of painkillers

Taking pain killers according to the prescription of the doctor can help eradicate pains, aches but excess of it can destroy the kidney. Excess of pain killers also cause more damage to an individual suffering from any mild kidney problem. Please if you want to get the best out of pain killers, follow the doctor’s prescription and take it in the moderate amount else you will end up destroying your life.

2. Excessive intake of salt

Sodium has the ability to increase blood pressure hence when you consume excess salt which has a very high quantity of sodium in it, it will increase your blood pressure and then harm the kidney. Salt is also a strong solvent which has the ability to dehydrate the kidney when consumed excessively. Please look for a better supplement for your food and avoid excess salt because it can cause a great harm to your kidney.

3. Excessive intake of meat

Acidosis is a kidney condition which the kidney cannot get rid of acid quickly enough and this disease is caused as a result of excessive consumption of meat. Excessive consumption of animal protein creates a lot of acid in the blood which is very dangerous to the kidney. Protein is very good for the body but please, balances it up with fruits and vegetables and avoid excess of animal protein. The best source of protein is plant protein so substitute it for the animal protein.

4. Excessive intake of sugar

High blood pressure and diabetes are the major causes of kidney diseases and these two and caused as a result of the consumption of excess sugar which thus leads to obesity. Please excess of sugar affects the kidney so avoid it at all cost. Before buying any food stuff from the market, check it very well to avoid buying the one with excess sugar.

5. Excessive drinking of alcohol

Excessive drinking of alcohol increases the risk of developing chronic kidney diseases. Those who drink and smoke excessively have a very high chance of developing kidney problems. Moderate quantity of alcohol when taken helps the body but excess of it is dangerous. The ethanol present in alcohol is not healthy for the kidney so avoid excessive consumption of alcohol.

6. Excessive smoking

Smoking in places like America and other countries with low weather condition is for warmth but excessive smoking contributes to kidney problems. In especially the African continent, you will see someone after waking up in the morning light a cigarette and start smoking without taking the breakfast and this is very bad. Smoking does not only affect the lungs but also the kidney. People who regularly smoke do experience protein in their urine and this is a symptom of kidney damage.

7. Sitting for long

Sitting and being dormant for long period of time has recently been linked to some kidney diseases. Although researches don’t know how physical activity affects the kidney health but it has been discovered that regular physical activity helps improve blood pressure and glucose metabolism which both keeps the kidney healthy. So take some time and get involved in at least a mild exercise every day.

Please, the purpose of this article is not to judge you but to help you check some habits that are gradually destroying you without you knowledge. Also take note that all these things in the moderate amount does not affect you but excess of it affects your kidney so be careful about them.

Thanks for reading.

From D.GOV News

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U.S. Embassy Statement on 2020 Off-Cycle Elections in Edo and Ondo States press Statement.

As long-time friends of Nigeria, we continue to follow political developments ahead of off-cycle elections in the country

The United States supports a democratic process where the will of the Nigerian people is reflected in the results, and does not favour any party or candidate.
We are concerned with reports of the deteriorating political climate in Edo State and are disappointed with the role played by some political actors in the state.

We are especially concerned with allegations of interference by security forces in political matters, which we will continue to monitor closely in the run up to gubernatorial elections in the state in September.

As we approach the 2020 off-cycle elections in Edo and Ondo, we urge all stakeholders to work towards a free, fair, transparent, and peaceful process.

We look to Nigeria as an important leader on the African continent. As a democratic partner of Nigeria, the United States remains committed to working together to achieve our mutual goals of peace and prosperity for the citizens of both our countries.

The clamours for an Igbo man to be the president of the nation has reached a very serious level. Since the country returned to democracy in 1999, no Igbo man has been elected to the top position in the country. And this worries many people most especially the Igbo who feel they are entitled to the post.

Igbo leaders taking pictures with Muhammadu Buhari.

As Nigerian draws closer to the 2023 general elections and as the debate for Igbo presidency continues to gain momentum, there are indications that only the People's Democratic Party (PDP) can guarantee the hope of an Igbo man to become the president of the country.

Here are the reasons:

The All Progresives Congress is deeply rooted in the southwestern part of the country. The APC controls five out of six states in the geopolitical zone. The party has Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Lagos and Osun State. It is a common knowledge that the APC has put its footholds firmly on the region and the PDP has been relegated.

Expectedly, power will return to the southern part of the country once the president, Muhammadu Buhari, finishes his tenure in office in 2023 based on the principal of zoning formula.

In the southwest region, the APC has powerful chieftains and politicians who have interest in the top office in Nigeria. Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the national leader of the APC, is undoubtedly eyeing the seat and he has set mercenaries in place to actualise the dream.

Mr. Bola Tinubu has never hidden his ambition of taking over from Muhammadu Buhari. Even he participated in the merging of the ACN, CPC and APGA just to make it easier for his own presidential ambition.

There are more influential APC chieftains in the southwest region who will give it all it takes just to get the ticket of the All Progresives Congress for the 2023 presidential election.

Inversely, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) has been very popular in the southeastern states since 1999. Even when the APC tsunami happened in 2015, the Igbo people in the southeast Nigeria still supported the PDP. The political party controls three out of five states in the zone.

The People's Democratic Party will surely put its popularity in each of the zone into consideration and the party won't disappoint the Igbo people.

Besides, in the last general elections, the PDP chose its vice presidential candidate from the region. Mr. Peter Obi, a former Anambra State governor was the running mate of Atiku Abubakar. And the Igbo supported them fully.

As it is now, Mr. Peter Obi is a leader in the PDP in the southern Nigeria. He can be supported by the Igbo people so that the People's Democratic Party (PDP) can give him the presidential ticket for the 2023 general elections.

Another leading figure in the PDP in the southeast Nigeria is Ike Ekweremadu. The PDP chieftain is a serving Senator and he was for three consecutive times a deputy senate president.

Ike Ekweremadu deputised Senator David Mark and Senator Bukola Saraki. He has had enough knowledge of Nigerian politics and he remains a powerful member of the PDP.

It must be noted that the PDP doesn't have a specific leader in the Yoruba land. The most powerful among its members in the region is Mr. Seyi Makinde.

Governor Seyi Makinde at the middle during a PDP rally in Ibadan.

Makinde is Oyo State governor who is on his first term. Makinde will consider running for the second time in Oyo State. He won't see any reason why he should contest for the PDP ticket for the presidential election. Hence, there is no hope the PDP will get its candidate in the southwest.

Vegetables are an essential part of our daily foods. They are one of the six classes of food that make up our balanced diet. Vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals and help our body’s’ immune system fight against various diseases.

Many nutritionists and health experts have advised that vegetables should be consumed daily in not less than 3 – 5 servings.

Many of us have not stood true to this but are still living quite well but still, vegetables should always be an integral part of our meals.

Before going that market to buy 1 sack of efo or pumpkin leaf, you should take your phone and read this very vital information i have about those delicious veggies you are about to buy.

Vegetables might be healthy but there are some that you should try to avoid consuming in excess because of the various health risks that they are associated with.

Here they are.

Onions

Onions cannot be avoided whether you like it or not. They are a must-use ingredient in almost every food or dish we consume at home or in restaurants. They have even become flavors in biscuits, chips, noodles and stews.

Unfortunately, onions are quite dangerous when you consume them in certain proportions which are sadly unavoidable.

Onions contain fructan, a carbohydrate well-known for causing mild to severe gastrointestinal problems. Onions can be difficult for your body to absorb and can result in excessive water content in your intestine which can cause bloating and discomfort in your guts.

Not putting onions in your food will not kill its flavor so reduce onion intake and eat healthier foods.

Canned tomatoes

Yeah! That’s right. Tomatoes are vegetables. Nutritionists, like me, classify fruits into the usual ‘fruits’ and botanical fruits.

Fruits are the sweeter ones that contain sugar while botanical fruits like tomatoes are the ones that contain less sugar and are therefore classified as vegetables.

Tomatoes are good when they are raw and better when they are cooked but when they are canned, they become dangerous. That's because some cans are made with a chemical called bisphenol-A (BPA).

The combination of the chemical and the high acidic level of tomatoes makes canned tomatoes dangerous. Eat only the raw ones.

Corn

Corn is very nutritious but for people who want to lose weight, then it’s dangerous for you. Corn has a high glycemic index which can rapidly increase sugar in the blood and can cause craving for many sugary and unhealthy foods.
This can lead to an increase in body weight and can increase risk of obesity. High glycemic index is also a risk factor of diabetes which means that corn will likely increase your risk of diabetes. It is not a must to eat corn. Take other healthier options.
Beans
Beans are legumes which have (also veggies) many nutritional values and are considered ‘very healthy’. However, beans pose some health due to certain chemicals which are present in the beans.
Chemicals like phytohaemagglutinin, a type of lectin, can cause gastroenteritis, a condition that may induce vomiting and nausea. If you consume raw or improperly cooked beans, before the end of 3hours you would be down with diarrhea or abdominal pain. Just six of these beans can produce these symptoms. Make sure to cook your beans properly so that these chemicals do not affect you.
Melon seeds (Egusi)
Egusi is a favorite soup amongst many people. It can be eaten with lots of swallows like eba and pounded yam. However, it contains a type of oil known as phytosterols which when consumed, compete with cholesterol for absorption in the digestive system.
Egusi has a high calorie count and when it is eaten with foods like garri, fufu and pounded yam, the calorie count in the total combined food will become too much and will increase the risk of obesity.
There are many other veggies out there which are very healthy that you can eat. However, the ones mentioned here also have their own health benefits but should be consumed in moderate proportions like every other food.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's, they do not reflect the views of Opera News. Please report any fake news or defamatory statements to [email protected]