Don’t eat suya without vegetables, expert warns

Don’t eat suya without vegetables, expert warns

Consumers of barbecued beef popularly called “ Suya ” have been advised to always ensure that generous portions of onions, cabbage , tomatoes and other vegetables were eaten along with it.
Suya is generally made with skewered beef , ram, or chicken . Innards such as kidney , liver and tripe are also used .
The thinly sliced meat is marinated in various spices which include peanut cake , salt , vegetable oil and other flavorings , and then barbecued.
A Professor of Community and Public Health Nutrition at the University of Nigeria , Nsukka , Ngozi Nnam , who gave the advice on Monday in Abuja said that there was a link between its consumption and increased risk of cancer , noting that consumption of suya garnished with onions and other vegetables has a strong cancer -lowering effect .
She said , “ Eating Suya can actually cause cancer . This comes from the reaction of meat and the smoke during Suya preparation which results in a toxic compound that can cause cancer .
“ Smoking of the meat is what causes cancer . Some metabolites from food can cause cancer .
“ What is important is to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to increase antioxidants in the body .
“ The antioxidants can neutralise or react with the toxic metabolite from food to prevent cancer . ”
According to her , Suya is good to eat with onions and cabbage because they react with the toxic substance produced by smoke to prevent cancer .
She said , “ It is good to eat Suya with onions and other fruits and vegetables. ’’
The nutritionist, however , urged Nigerians to consume more of fish than beef .
She said that the major benefit of eating beef was that it provided needed protein for the individual .
She said , “It is however healthier to eat fish than meat because some fish e . g srumbia fish contain omega 6 fatty acid which is good for the body .
“ Omega 6 fatty acid is also very good for infants because it is required for proper brain development. ’’
In addition , she warned against the consumption of smoked fish , saying “ again the problem with smoked fish is the toxic substance produced by the smoke .
“ If we can grill it, it will be better than smoking it, ’’ she advised.
Nnam , also the President of Nutrition Society of Nigeria , said that the National Policy on Food and Nutrition has been implemented across the country.
“ The National Policy on Food and Nutrition was launched during the Nutrition Week in September 2016 by the Wife of the President , Mrs Aisha Buhari .
“ After the launch, the policy has been domesticated and being implemented in different states of the Federation .
“ The Ministry of Budget and National Planning is overseeing this activity with state nutrition officers , ’’ she said .
The policy seeks to improve the nutritional status of all Nigerians , with particular emphasis on the most vulnerable groups including children , women , and the elderly.
( NAN)