I HAVE been eating two meals a day since I was 47 years of age. Now at 79, I am okay with just one meal a day. I want to know if this okay for my health or should I eat when I am not hungry
—- Ayo (by SMS)
Even though you may feel comfortable with one meal a day, medical experts believe that consuming one meal a day may do more harm than good. For example, studies suggest that this extreme restriction may lead to increased total and LDL “bad” cholesterol and higher blood pressure levels compared to normal eating patterns or less extreme fasting methods. Other studies have shown that eating one meal per day may increase fasting blood sugar levels leading to low blood sugar as well as various other complaints such as nausea, dizziness, irritability and constipation which at your age may be very difficult to manage. Overall, although there are benefits related to eating just one meal a day, research has shown that consuming 2 or 3 meals per day is likely a better option for overall health than eating one meal a day.
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Is napping good for my health?
I am a 45 -year old business man who believes in a regular afternoon nap of about 30 minutes. However, some of my friends are of the opinion that napping has no health values and that it is a sign of laziness. Kindly advise
— Adewale (by SMS)
Recent studies by experts have confirmed that napping two or three times a week might be good for your heart health. It is believed that as long as a person doesn’t have issues with sleeping at night, there’s nothing wrong with napping. Many experts recommend that people nap between 20 to 30 minutes or extend the nap to 90 minutes. That being said, quality night sleep has been recommended to be far better than afternoon napping.
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One testicle and reproduction
I am a 16-year- old student. My mother told me that I lost one of my testicles as a young boy while playing with my friends. My worry is whether I can reproduce with just one testicle when the time comes to raise a family.
— Chuks (by SMS)
Yes, people with one testicle can get someone pregnant. One testicle can provide enough testosterone for you to get an erection and ejaculate. This is also enough to produce adequate sperm for fertilization
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My daughter’s dandruff
My 5-year old daughter has dandruff on her head. This causes a lot of itching which sometimes leads to bleeding due to intense itching. Kindly advise me on what to do.
— Fatima (by SMS)
Medicated shampoo can treat dandruff in kids to a great extent. Just do not go with any shampoo; rather, consult a skincare specialist who will recommend an effective medicated shampoo based on your kid’s situation. Tell your kids to drink as much water they can. If they do not drink by themselves, give them water or juice in measured quantities to meet the daily need regularly. Keeping them hydrated can definitely reduce dandruff. Brush your kids’ hair properly before rinsing them with the medicated shampoo. Brushing will help eliminate the flakes to some extent, which in turn, will help better cleaning of the scalp after shampooing. Oil your kid’s scalp regularly or even on alternate days, as this will help keep the scalp moist, and thus make it dandruff-free. Kids are most susceptible to skin problems, and for the same reason, hair gels or creams should not be applied to kids’ hair as it may lead to dandruff or other hair related issues.
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Ivermectin and Covid infection
Many of my friends including those in the Medical Profession have given Ivermectin tablets a lot of praise as a wonderful drug for the prevention and treatment of COVID infection. This is against contrary claims by some scientists. Kindly advise.
— Nicholas (by SMS)
It is true that Ivermectin tablets have been rated as a good drug to prevent COVID infection as well as in the treatment of the early stages of the infection by those who have used the drug. However, scientists are still divided on this claim due to insufficient evidence from research. Since COVID is a relatively new infection, it may take some time to fully understand everything about the infection. It will therefore be more practical to do everything to avoid catching the infection than relying on any drug alone. Social distancing, use of facemasks, frequent hand washing as well as vaccination will be my areas of advise.
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