Mango leaves can cure disease, high blood pressure – Expert

The plant pathologist said that mango leaves could also be used in treating high blood pressure.

Prof. Moses Adeniji, a Consultant Plant Pathologist at the Herbal Treatment Home of Human Diseases, Orogun, Ibadan, has disclosed that mango leaves can successfully cure diabetes at the early stage.

Adeniji made this disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Ibadan on Wednesday.

He said that the tender leaves of the mango tree contain “tannis”, known as “anthocyanidins’’, could treat early diabetes and some other diseases at their early stage.

He said that the leaves could be dried and grinded into powder and could also be used as infusion to treat some diseases.

“The most useful parts of the leaves are the tender, reddish or purplish part, while the old mango leaves, which are dark, green in colour and with pale underside can also be dried and used.

“These leaves are rich in vitamin C, B and A. They are also rich in various nutrients. They have powerful antioxidant properties as they have a high content of flavonoids and phenols.

“Mango leaves are very useful for treating diabetes; the tender leaves which contain tannins which are also called anthocyanidins, help in the early treatment of diabetes.

“It also helps to treat diabetic `angiopathy’ and diabetic `retinopathy’; mango tea leaves are very good for this purpose.

“Soak the leaves in a cup of water overnight, strain and drink this tea to help relieve the symptoms of diabetes.

“The leaves contain a compound called 3beta-taraxenol, and ethyl acetate extract which synergise with insulin to activate GLUT4 and stimulate the synthesis of glycogen,” he said.

The plant pathologist said that mango leaves could also be used in treating high blood pressure.

He said that the leaves contain anti-hypertensive properties which help in strengthening the blood vessels and treating the problem of varicose veins.

Adeniji said that mango leaves could also be used in treating kidney stones and gallstones, adding that the leaves could be dried, grinded and added to water, left over night.

“Early morning consumption of the mixture and by the next morning could help in breaking the stones and flushing them out,’’ he said.

Adeniji also disclosed that mango leaves could cure all kinds of respiratory problems in both adults and children.

“The leaves are especially useful for people suffering from cold, bronchitis and asthma.

“Drinking a decoction made by boiling mango leaves in water with a little honey added to it helps in effectively curing cough and loss of voice,” he said.

He said that the mango leaves were available all year round in the country.

“Using them as anti-oxidant and antimicrobial properties help treat various ailments efficiently at home,” he said.

Leverage your strengths for a more positive life

Strengths are built-in capacities for certain thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Everyone has these capacities to one degree or another. Your particular pattern of strengths is part of what makes you unique.

When you play from your strengths, you are likely to feel more energetic and perform better than when you are trying to use a capacity that comes less naturally. For example, one person trying to influence a local school board to ban soft drink sales might have the strength to speak up forcefully and clearly at a general meeting (despite the almost-universal fear of public speaking). Another person strong in team-building might feel uncomfortable speaking out in a meeting but could successfully build consensus among parents, nutritionists, and others to weigh the issue and come to a decision.

Leveraging your strengths can help you accomplish many goals. Making your strengths work for you, especially when the task at hand is well-aligned with your personal values, can leave you feeling more competent and connected.

4 ways to boost your self-compassion

Take a moment to think about how you treat yourself when you make a mistake or fail to reach a goal. If you tend to beat yourself up when things go wrong, you, like most people, can use a little more self-compassion in your life.

Forgiving and nurturing yourself seem to have benefits in their own right. They can even set the stage for better health, relationships, and general well-being. So far, research has revealed a number of benefits of self-compassion. Lower levels of anxiety and depression have been observed in people with higher self-compassion. Self-compassionate people recognize when they are suffering and are kind to themselves at these times, thereby lowering their own levels of related anxiety and depression.

Learn to have self-compassion

Some people come by self-compassion naturally, but not everyone does. Luckily, it is a learnable skill. Several methods have been proposed, and training programs are being developed, to help people discover and cultivate their own self-compassion.

Here are four ways to give your self-compassion skills a quick boost:

• Comfort your body. Eat something healthy. Lie down and rest. Massage your own neck, feet, or hands. Take a walk. Anything you can do to improve how you feel physically gives you a dose of self-compassion.
• Write a letter to yourself. Think of a situation that caused you to feel pain (a breakup with a lover, a job loss, a poorly received presentation). Write a letter to yourself describing the situation, but without blaming anyone — including yourself. Use this exercise to nurture your feelings.
• Give yourself encouragement. Think of what you would say to a good friend if he or she was facing a difficult or stressful situation. Then, when you find yourself in this kind of situation, direct these compassionate responses toward yourself.
• Practice mindfulness. Even a quick exercise, such as meditating for a few minutes, can be a great way to nurture and accept ourselves while we're in pain.

How medications can affect your balance

Medications make a difference — generally a positive one — in the lives of many people. But at the same time, all drugs carry side effects — and with many medications, one or more of those side effects can alter your balance. How? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, common problems include vision changes, dizziness or lightheadedness, drowsiness, and impaired alertness or judgment. Some medications can even damage the inner ear, spurring temporary or permanent balance disorders.

Some of the commonly prescribed medications that can affect balance include:

• antidepressants
• anti-anxiety drugs
• antihistamines prescribed to relieve allergy symptoms
• blood pressure and other heart medications
• pain relievers, both prescription and non-prescription
• sleep aids (over-the-counter and prescription forms)

Sometimes the problem isn't a single drug, but a combination of medications being taken together. Older adults are especially vulnerable because drugs are absorbed and broken down differently as people age.

If you are concerned about how your medications may be affecting your balance, call your doctor and ask to review the drugs you're taking, their doses, and when you take them. It is never a good idea to just stop taking a medication without consulting your doctor first.