Doctor warns Nigerians: “Reduce salt intake, don’t consume carbohydrates after 2pm&#8221

Medical experts from the United states of America have raised the alarm over increasing cases of hypertension and diabetes in Nigeria and called on the government to arrest the trend.

They raised the alarm during a free medical intervention programme in Ogun East Senatorial District organised by Senator Gbenga Kaka for people in his constituency.

The team, led by Dr. Abdulrasheed Abassi and Dr. ‎Tunde Adenuga, while speaking with journalists at the end of the six-day exercise, said majority of Nigerians were living with chronic diseases without knowing the implications.

Abassi, who is the Medical Director US-based Sisimi Medical Foundation, said, “Most of those attended to have cases of hypertension and diabetes, and if it is not controlled, would lead to untimely deaths.”

He added that this trend was similar to what obtained in some other African countries.

He advised Nigerians to refrain from excessive intake of salt, which he explained, make people prone to hypertension and diabetes.

He said,”We need to watch the intake of salt; for those of us who are Africans, we need to avoid it. If one continues to take excessive salt, one’s blood pressure will go up, and that leads to stroke.”

Abassi recommended organic foods that are processed without fertilizers or chemicals but his concern was the way, the amount and the time people eat them.

While he warned people not to consume carbonhydrate after 2pm, he added that the rationale behind this “is that it takes about six to eight hours before these foods start to digest.”

Abassi appealed to the Federal Government and other stakeholders in the health sector ‎ for massive enlightenment programme and an action plan to control such chronic ailments.

On his part, Kaka called for a collaborative approach to health care delivery in the country.

No fewer than 5,000 people from Ijebu-Igbo, Sagamu, Iperu, Ijebu Ode and Isara benefited from the free health service.