We are going to provide you with some intriguing information regarding a strange combination of fanta (or Cola) with tomato paste. There are some studies that show the mentioned mixture which is consumed by Africans might impact our blood.
There’s evidence that combining tomato paste with cola could help treat anemia.
Scientists from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology’s Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology reached this result through their research.
Researchers were curious about alternatives to the standard practice of administering blood tonics to treat anemia.
Reproductive women have reported an increase in their menstruation flow after using the combo.
I had an operation because doctors said I had a problem in my stomach. I felt dizzy and began bleeding soon after the operation. The nurses determined that my blood sugar was 4.7 g/dl. “It was very scary,” Josephine, a first-grade teacher, said.
She had a low blood level following the surgery, which made her look pale.
It is against royal protocol for her to have blood transfusions from anyone other than a member of her own royal family.
I am a princess. My family does not donate blood to anyone who is not a member. “But time was of the essence, so I had to find a way to replenish my blood supply,” she explained.
Low amounts of red blood cells are medically referred to as anemia.
Women, pregnant moms, and children are disproportionately affected by this public health emergency.
About 40 percent of children under the age of five, according to the World Health Organization, are anemic.
Malaria and other infectious disorders are among the most common reasons for this. Another common cause is a lack of iron in the diet.
My daughter said she felt lightheaded after giving birth because her blood pressure was low. Eno Yaa, a pepper vendor at Ayigya market, stated, “So I boiled turkey berries in water and created a cocoa beverage with it for her.”
According to Abena Dufie, another market vendor, “my daughter is pregnant. The doctor told her she had a lower blood level during her recent visit to the hospital. Nonetheless, I made her a drink of turkey berries because I knew it would help raise her blood pressure.
Have you, however, heard of the cola drink and tomato paste mix for curing anemia?
Josephine is only one of many people whose lives have been saved in Ghana thanks to a mixture made from scoops of tomato paste diluted in several milliliters of the coca beverage.
It resembles blood when blended together. Therefore, I believe that when you ingest it, your body will interpret it as blood and cause a natural rise in blood pressure. Josephine, who was previously weak, stated, “I can’t tell if it’s psychological.”
According to her, she now keeps the concoction on hand as a blood tonic for times when she feels faint due to low blood pressure.
I took some recently when I felt faint. Despite the fact that it has a foul flavor. Now I’m used to it,” she said.
Interestingly, a study just published in the journal Scientect is supporting the effectiveness of this age-old treatment.
Researchers from KNUST’s Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology found that red blood cell volume increased dramatically during their investigation.
Prof. Felix Mills-Robertson said that the mixture’s Vitamin C and Iron help raise blood pressure.
It was noted that overall hemoglobin concentration, red blood cell count, and packed cell volume improved. Anti-anemic potential may be due to the presence of minerals and vitamins, according to some research. Ascorbic acid, folate, vitamin B12, magnesium, and vitamin D are the primary nutrients found in cola drinks and tomato paste, respectively. These factors promote RBC development, leading to elevated blood and hemoglobin levels.
He assured them that the concoction was non-toxic and safe to consume.
Half a billion women of childbearing age have anemia, so this mixture is useful.
Roberta Nyarkoaa, a teacher’s aide, said her menstrual flow was typical and heavy after taking the concoction.
“Strangely enough, I started menstruating that week. When I had a complete blood count after taking the mixture, it was higher than in the weeks prior, when I hadn’t taken it.
Whenever this particular Achimota School student gets her period, she sometimes passes out. Then, “after taking it, she’s fine,” Prof. Mills-Robertson reassured the audience.
The researchers hope that by include pregnant women in their study, they may be able to minimize the 45 percent or more of Ghanaian women who suffer from anemia.
Additionally, it has the potential to reduce the number of maternal deaths caused by anemia in Ghana.
Tomato paste and Coca-Cola have been recommended as a “emergency blood tonic” in a social media post from Nigeria.
Blood donors, those who have just lost a lot of blood, and those who are feeling lightheaded are told to drink a mixture of tomato paste and Coca-Cola (or sometimes tomato paste and malt) as an emergency blood tonic.
Africa Check’s Nigeria WhatsApp group, where this message first appeared, helps us monitor the spread of misinformation about health in the country.
To the students who “sold their blood,”
The information was relayed via a 2016 blog post by Health Rapport Naija, which claimed that students at the Kwara State Polytechnic in Nigeria had used the compound. With this formula, you get “The Fastest Working Blood Tonic,” according to the advertisement.
When asked how they replace their blood within a short period, students who sell blood in blood banks to make ends meet answered, “it was the mixture of one bottle of cola (or malt) and one tin tomato paste (the smallest size).”
However, the blog included the following disclaimer: “This content should not be treated as a professional counsel.” Tin Tomato paste mixed with milk, malt, or Coca-Cola can be used as a blood tonic, but you should check with a dietitian beforehand.
There are three WHO-recognized categories of blood donors. There are three types of donors: relatives who step in as a substitute, businesses or individuals who receive compensation for their services, and regular people who give of themselves without expecting anything in return.
The two together have “no medical basis.”
Professor Akanmu Sulaimon of the University of Lagos College of Medicine’s Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion argued that the concoction was not a blood tonic.
I find the idea amusing. This is an unheard of flavor profile, to my knowledge. What I’m looking for isn’t in my textbook. No one at work has ever made such assertion to me. It is not a blood tonic that should be used in an emergency. Firstly, it’s not rational.
Dr. Madu Anazoezo, of the University of Nigeria’s haematology and immunology department, was similarly unaware of it.
The combination has not been scientifically proven to be a blood tonic in an emergency, he said.
Hematologist Dr. Angela Ogechukwu from the University of Nigeria concurred that there was no scientific basis for the mixture.
As there is “no demonstrated proof” that it works, she discouraged potential blood donors from doing so.
Recommendations to Blood Donors from the World Health Organization and the United Nations
According to the World Health Organization, blood donors should replenish their fluid stores before and after giving blood.
Donors who feel lightheaded should rest with their feet elevated, either in a chair or on the floor, until the feeling subsides.
According to Africa Check, a technical officer at the UN agency’s department of nutrition for health and development said, “absolutely, we have no suggestion on drinking Coca-Cola.”
The high sugar content of products like ketchup (tomato paste?) and Coca-Cola puts them in direct conflict with World Health Organization recommendations.
