The Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences (FNHS) at Notre Dame University-Louaize Shouf Campus (NDU-SC) organized on Tuesday, December 5, 2017, in the Conference Room, its annual “Nutrition Fair 2017” to help create awareness about health issues.
In her welcome note, Professor and Coordinator of the FNHS at the SC Dr. Lara Youssef welcomed the attendees and thanked SC Director Fr. Naji Khalil for supporting and encouraging the many rewarding academic initiatives that serve both NDU and the community at large.
Continuing in the same spirit as every semester, and under the supervision of Rita Helou, NTR 201/210 students showed extreme enthusiasm to present their nutrition topics, ranging from the benefits of pomegranate and aloe vera, acai berries, and uses and benefits of broccoli to the side effects of sesame seeds.
Dr. Youssef emphasized the warnings of drinking pomegranate juice in patients with borderline blood pressure, as it might lead to hypotension.
She went on to explain the benefits of aloe vera in blood sugar reduction and skin healing while keeping in mind that studies have shown that consumption of its juice may inhibit the absorption of some medications in the body.
She recommended a moderate consumption of acai berries as regards weight loss given that more research is required to learn more about how well it works. Preliminary evidence, however, suggests acai may promote healthy blood sugar and cholesterol. She warned about the consumption of broccoli in kidney failure patients, as it might cause hyperkalemia. In the case of sesame seeds, although found to be high in antioxidants, several studies have shown that its components can promote the growth of breast cancer cells, which are estrogen-dependent.
Afterward, the topic posters prepared by the students were evaluated based on the overall look, content, uniqueness, and asocial vote. The event became even tastier as students offered together with the nutritional information, healthy foods and beverages.