‘’That I may live in Health: Checkmating the Silent Killer’’: Professor Iwalewa Presents University of Ibadan’s 491st Professorial Inaugural Lecture
On Thursday 5 May, 2021 Professor Ezekiel O. Iwalewa of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics presented University of Ibadan’s 491st Inaugural Lecture titled “That I may live in Health: Checkmating the Silent Killer”. The event had in attendance Professor A.B. Ekanola (Acting Vice-Chancellor); Professor K.O. Adebowale (Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration); Mrs. Olubunmi Faluyi (Registrar); Dr. Helen Komolafe-Opadeji (Librarian) and Professor Olayinka Omigbodun (Provost, College of Medicine). Others present at the lecture were Professor J.O. Babalola (Provost, Postgraduate College); Deans of Faculties; as well as Directors of Institutes among other distinguished personalities.
Professor E.O. Iwalewa began by establishing the importance of natural nutritious foods in preventing inflammatory responses in the body. He affirmed the place of inflammation in the development of chronic diseases, including diabetes and hypertension. The Professor of Pharmacology added that what individuals ingest ultimately determines how they turn out. He observed that fueling the body with whole foods proven to boost health will help to support insulin regulation, reduce inflammation, optimize digestion and may even promote fat loss thus helping the body to function at its best.
The expert expressed that traditional medicinal herbal remedies, including spices such as garlic, turmeric and ‘chili’ pepper are natural products which individuals can harness in order to address chronic inflammation on their ways to attaining healthy and balanced lives. In his words, “for people who have mastered the life of healthy living, a healthy diet is not at all complicated, it simply contains mostly intake of water, fruits, vegetables and whole grains but little or no processed food or sweetened beverages. A healthy lifestyle includes getting exercise every day along with eating a healthy diet. We are what we eat, take into and upon our body.”
Further, he maintained that to appropriately douse the subtle but harsh condition of diverse forms of chronic inflammation, one needs to recognise its early symptoms, part of which are pain, fever, swelling of body parts and loss of bodily functions. He declared that sugary and processed food substances contribute immensely to chronic inflammatory disorders, and urged individuals to be watchful of what they eat.
