By DADA AYOKHAI
The Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma recently held it’s 95th inaugural lecture delivered by Prof. Marshall Arebojie Azeke with the title “Functional Foods : Making Food Your Medicine”.
The 95th Edition of the Inaugural Lecture taken by a professor of Nutrition and biochemist was designed to explain the various research works executed by the scholar, aimed at providing possible solutions to food consumption related health challenges as well as accertaining that many foods consumed these days are injurious to health.
Prof. Marshall Arebojie Azeke’s lecture of well over 80pages dialectically analysing types of foods, it’s chemical/nutritional components and it’s effects on our good and healthy living.
He said research works have shown lately that unregulated consumption pattern and modernity has compromised greatly our health.
According to Prof. Azeke who is also the acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor,(Academic) AAU, EKPOMA, “Our researches have focused on the use of plant-based extracts as foods be regularly consumed as part of healthy diets.
“This is because Functional Foods as our Medicine in order to reduce the risk of these nutraceuticals will deprive the consumers the health benefits of
Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals.”
Our findings have shown that with access to information on social, print and electronic media, there
has been increased awareness on the benefits of good nutrition. As a result of increase in literacy rate other food components such as dietary fibres.
“It is hereby recommended that these antioxidant rich in their natural environment, the phytochemicals are present in nutraceuticals in the form of supplements. Considering the potential
dependcy mainly on extracts, concentrates and supplements
has led many to the extremes of getting nutrients and indeed many of these extracts have health benefits.
Prof. Marshall Arebojie Azeke however warned that “the use of these extracts or concentrates should be with caution. Some of these extracts may contain antioxidants and other yet uncharacterized phytochemicals in concentrations higher than the concentrations that are not above the liver thresholds.”
The inaugural lecturer then advised Nigerians and most especially, Africans to retrace their feeding habits steps backward to the period when Man was more dependent on Natural foods of more vegetables, fruits and all other home grown food while still advising that each and every one of us should cultivate “the backyard gardens where household vegetables are planted.
Delaring the Inaugural Lecture open the Acting Vice Chancellor, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Prof. Asomwan Sonnie Adagbonyin said the University is breaking new grounds and growing in it’s academic and administration.
Prof Adagbonyin said the AAU, Ekpoma is one of the few institutions in Nigeria and Africa that has gone digital completely. ” Our students do everything here digitally. Is it registration, examination, checking of results and everything you need to do here are digital”.
The 95th Inaugural Lecture was attended by prominent scholars and university administrators in and around Edo State.
