Health
Group 1 ( normal control ) - rats not induced with diabetes .
Group 2 ( negative control ) - rats induced with diabetes : fed on saltwater .
Group 3 ( positive control ) - rats induced with diabetes : given a standard diabetic drug ( glibenclamide 10 mg / kg ).
Group 4 – rats induced with diabetes : given extract of old V . amygdalina ( 10 mg / kg ).
Group 5 – rats induced with diabetes : given extract of old V . amygdalina ( 30 mg / kg ).
Group 6 – rats induced with diabetes : given extract of old V . amygdalina ( 300 mg / kg ).
Group 7 – rats induced with diabetes : given extract of young V . amygdalina ( 10 mg / kg ).
Group 8 – rats induced with diabetes : given extract of young V . amygdalina ( 30 mg / kg ).
Group 9 – rats induced with diabetes : given extract of young V . amygdalina ( 300 mg / kg ).
Results indicated the presence of the same diabetic fighting phytochemicals in both old and new leaves of the African Bitterleaf although certain flavonoids are present only in the old leaves .
As far as dosage is concerned , different African traditional pharmacologists have different dosage recommendations for their patients . Scientifically , bitterleaf extracts research has not gone through human clinical trials in order for the permissible dosage to be established . However , experience , research and anecdotal evidence point to the fact that drinking bitterleaf water extract over a period of time is beneficial as a supplement in the preventive treatment of various diseases . Researchers have proven that bitterleaf water extract is non-toxic , which makes it safe for regular consumption as part of a healthy diet . Extraction can be done by blending the leaves in water and draining it to make it ready for drinking . It also helps to squeeze the leaves in running water afterwards in order to extract more of the juice .
Essentially however , , it remains important for Africans to reverse the trend of adoption of western foods making their way to the plates of most families across the continent . There is a popular saying that “ you are what you eat ,” and that is especially true where diabetes is concerned . Presently , white rice and white flour-based foods ( such as bread , spaghetti , chapatti , mandazi ) are among the top staple foods consumed in African households . In some countries , even fufu , previously made of wholesome tubers and grains , are now made of white wheat flour ( semolina / semovita in West Africa etc ). Sugar-laden drinks , formerly considered a luxury , are now more affordable to many and consumed more regularly . For snacks , children are daily given socalled packets of juice – which in many cases are mostly sugar – and some white wheat flour products still laden with sugar . Indeed , there is a popular misconception that children need to ingest sugar since they are growing and need a lot of energy . The exponential rise in diabetes across age brackets is only one of the numerous outcomes of this unhealthy diet trend .
Africans must go back to eating wholesome foods , such as vegetables , fruits , tubers , legumes . This is not to discount the necessity for culinary innovation but to demand that such innovation , rather than put profits first as is the case in most ultra-capitalist western countries , should put the health and well-being of Africans in the forefront . If that were to be the case , then new food recipes will ensure that all the ingredients utilized are wholesome and will bring nourishment rather than diseases to the consumer .
Africans must again adopt healthy lifestyles such as frequent exercise , which can be got through farming , walking , traditional sporting events and other outdoor community-based activities .
African traditional medicine ’ s ageold use of the extracts of Vernonia amygdalina in treating diabetes is only one of the numerous examples of the wealth of knowledge that lies in Africa ’ s indigenous knowledge system . As Africans begin to increasingly value their own knowledge , there will be exponential innovations from the continent which will solve numerous challenges the world faces today across sectors .
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