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Eating too much processed foods could promote cancer
We process food into other form for many reasons to look good, taste better, smell good to consume, but importantly for the product to stay longer without getting rotten (preserve them) so we can make them available to people who either do not have access to that kind of food or have no food at all.
The processing (crushing, milling, drying, addition of preservatives or chemicals for taste and look) usually makes the foods lose some natural nutritional value.
Also, the additives, such as sugars, artificial sugars and amino acids, salts etc. may be detrimental to the human body when eaten often.
Numerous diseases including diabetes, obesity, heart diseases have been linked to some additives.
Dr Peter Lemaire, a Research Doctor, in an interview with The Spectator disclosed that eating too much processed foods could promote cancer.
According to him, cancer process happened in our bodies every minute, but it did not break out for many people because their immune system eliminated them, and added that, there had been a discovery in recent times that cancer could be prevented by a healthy immune system.
He noted that, the best form of treatment for cancer right now “are drugs that boost the immune system to enable them fight cancer, called the immune-oncology drugs including Yervoy, Opdivo and Keytruda”.
The Medical Researcher underscored that, any process that took away the nutrients needed to boost the immune system or weaken the immune system, may promote cancer.
Dr Lemaire indicated that there were three impacts of processing that were linked to cancer and mentioned loss of nutritional value as one of them, adding that fruits and vegetables contained vitamins and antioxidants that were also very unstable when exposed to air.
According to him, vitamins were destroyed over time, and even faster when heat was applied, and said that Vitamin C that was very necessary for building a strong immune system which could be destroyed in minutes when fruits were exposed to air, light, chemicals at high pH and heat.
Another impact he highlighted was harmful additives included sugars, salt and some chemicals which were added to enhance taste.
Sugar (glucose), he said, was a direct fuel to cancers as cancer cells used about 200 times more energy than normal cells, stressing that, too much artificial sweeteners such as saccharin, cyclamate, aspartame, and natural sweetener such as Stevia had been linked to mutagenesis and cancer.
He reiterated that some additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium benzoate, sodium nitrites, potassium bromate have been linked to cancer when eaten too much or often.
The research doctor explained that some artificial colours used in fruit juices, salad dressing, ice creams including blue 1&2-E133, green 3, red 3, red 40, yellow 6-E110, yellow tartrazine – E102 among others were also linked to cancer.
The third impact was, packaging, indicating that, heavy metals such as iron, copper, and nickel in trace amounts may trigger free radical reaction on unsaturated fats or cause reactive oxygen species that caused DNA damage and could lead to cancer.
He said that, metals used in packaging such as aluminum was linked to breast cancer.
“Cans are Tin-coated steel (iron + carbon alloy) or aluminum and their impact on free radical formation are minimal, when cutting the cans metals are filed into the food, potentially significant enough to trigger free radical formation”, he stated.
Dr Lemaire said processing made the foods lose their nutritional value and, value of protecting cells against cancer.
According to the Medical Doctor, some Ghanaians had the wrong notion that living rich meant eating processed or polished foods, instead, eating fresh foods like raw ground pepper, tomatoes, onions among others was rather rich and healthier than canned fish and canned vegetables.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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Speaker of Parliament inaugurates open Parliament Steering Committee, launches action plan
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has launched the Open Parliament Steering Committee and the Open Parliament Action Plan.
The ceremony was under the theme “Achieving Gender Equality: Action by Action.”
The Speaker highlighted the critical role Parliament plays in translating the will of the people into inclusive legislation, responsive policies, and accountable governance.
“The International Day of Parliamentarianism is worth celebrating, as it offers an opportunity not only to recognise and promote achievements in strengthening democratic governance, but also to pause and reflect on the remaining gaps in institutionalising parliamentary democracy,” he said.
He noted that the event was scheduled to coincide with the International Day of Parliamentarianism to reinforce the importance of open and inclusive governance.
The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, stated that the International Day of Parliamentarianism is intended to recognise the vital role Parliaments play globally as pillars of democratic governance.
He noted that this marks the first time Ghana is formally observing the day.
“The gravity of our observance is further accentuated as we convene to witness the launch of the Open Parliament Action Plan by the Open Government Partnership Caucus,” he said.
Delivering a statement on behalf of the Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Minority Leader, Patricia Appiagyei, described the Open Parliament Action Plan as a transformative initiative aimed at strengthening the relationship between Parliament and the public.
She said the plan represents a bold commitment to making Parliament more transparent, accessible, and responsive to the needs of Ghanaians.
The Clerk to Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, described the launch as a key milestone in the effort to build a citizen-focused and accountable Parliament.
He added that the International Day of Parliamentarianism is a call to action to recommit to the highest standards of public service and democratic accountability.
The inauguration was attended by a wide range of stakeholders, including the Majority and Minority Members of Parliament, members of the Open Parliament Steering Committee, the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Caucus, Parliamentary Network Africa, representatives from civil society organisations, members of the diplomatic corps, traditional and religious leaders, student bodies, the Parliamentary Press Corps, and other media partners.
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NACOC declares drug menace a national emergency
The Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Interior has paid a working visit to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to engage with its leadership and assess operational challenges hampering the fight against illicit drugs.
In a detailed presentation, Dr. Basha Ligbi, Head of the Commission’s Research Bureau, highlighted critical setbacks including broken body scanners at airport terminals, inadequate office infrastructure, overcrowded detention facilities, and deteriorating vehicles.
He also called for the Commission’s headquarters to be reclassified as a security zone, citing growing security risks due to private encroachment and nearby high-rise developments.
Director General of NACOC, Brigadier General Maxwell Obiba Mantey, described the escalating drug trade as a national emergency, warning that drug barons now rival armed robbers in threat level and are gaining influence at the highest levels.
He appealed for stronger institutional support and morale-boosting interventions to preserve the integrity of NACOC officers.
Chairman of the Committee and MP for Builsa North, James Agalga, assured the Commission of the Committee’s commitment to escalate the concerns to Parliament and engage key justice sector stakeholders to fast-track reforms in support of NACOC’s mandate.
