Health Tips

HARMFUL EFFECTS OF RAW (UNPROCESSED) HONEY

Image Source: Siona Karen, CC-BY, via flickr - farm3.staticflickr.com honey.jpg

 

Everyone loves honey because apart from its sweet taste it has lots of health benefits. Ever imagined what raw honey tastes like? Oh yeah I have! But before you do that you will have to know why raw honey isn’t as completely safe as you think.

Honey is a sweet sticky substances produced by bees and other insects that collect nectar from flowers. Raw honey is honey that has not been pasteurized so spores and pollens naturally inside the honey are still there. Raw honey can pose some dangers to consumers such as:

Inherently Toxic

There are certain flowering plants like rhododendrons and oleanders that have certain substances that are toxic to humans but not bees. The nectar of these flowering plants contains a substance called grayanotoxin which is toxic to the nervous system thereby preventing your nerve cells from functioning properly. Less side effects include weakness, dizziness, vomiting, nausea. Severe effects can cause health problems and in worse cases death.

Food Poisoning

Eating raw honey can cause food poisoning. Raw honey contains spores of botulinum bacteria which causes botulism. Children under the age of 1 are more susceptible to botulism because they have no well-developed digestive system to deal with the bacteria unlike older children and adults. Symptoms of botulism include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and fever. In adults constant intake of raw honey containing botulinum bacteria may become life-threatening if left untreated.

Allergies

Most people have this strong belief that the tiny particles of pollen in raw honey can reduce the intensity of their allergies in a way that build up tolerance to these allergens that are allergic in the honey. Contrary to this belief, a nurse at Dallas Children medical center, Chris Wagner said that she has seen people with cases of Anaphylactic shock that eat raw honey with allergens. Symptoms of this include low blood pressure, heart failure, breathing difficulties and even death. Symptoms from less allergic reactions include itching and rash on skin.

 

HOW TO START TILAPIA FARMING IN NIGERIA

Tilapia is the oldest farmed fish in the world and it is the most productive and internationally traded fish in the world, contributing about 71% of the world total fish production. Bible scholars believe that Jesus used this fish to feed the 5000 men.  Presently, over 85 countries produce farmed-raised tilapia including Nigeria. Tilapia is the second most cultured fish species in Nigeria, this is because tilapia has a very fast growth rate and it’s not susceptible to disease.

 

Image Source: www.commons.wikimedia.org
 

There are three different species of tilapia: Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), Blue tilapia (O. aureus) and Mosambique or red tilapia (O. mossambicus). Among the three species, Nile tilapia is the most cultured specie in Nigeria this is because of its:

• Fast growth rate

• High reproduction rate

• High resistance to disease

• Tolerance to a wide range of environmental conditions and

•  Good market value.

There are three systems that can be employed in the culturing of tilapia: Extensive system (requires low capital and and it is influenced by environmental conditions. Earthen ponds are used in this system), semi-intensive system (ususally done in concrete ponds and the natural productivity of the pond is improved) and intensive system (usually done in fibre glass tanks, and allows the breeding together of both male and female to marketable size

  

Earthen pond

 Image Source: www.fisheriesmanagement.com

Concrete Pond

 Image Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leachate_Pond.JPG

Fibre Glass Tank

Image by Brandon Stafford (springdalewatergardens.com/ShopSite/fiberglass.html)

 The breeder should find a system that is most suitable for him in a cost- effective way.

 To start your tilapia fish farm you need to put into consideration the following:

1. Location

The first thing to think about is location because location is vital when considering fish farming business. It is important that where you site your farm is close to where you live for security reasons, close to market, and has easy access to clean water.

2. Pond Construction

It is less expensive to construct ponds than tanks and it allows natural biological activity to take place. Predators are low in the pond this is because it is well protected but one challenge with using pond is the tendency of overpopulation which stresses the fish and can reduce growth rate drastically. When constructing the pond, ensure that it is deep enough to allow water in.

3. Adequate Water Supply

Water is the natural environment that fish live, so their life solely depends on water to breathe, feed, grow, excrete and reproduce. To a great extent, water determines the success or failure of tilapia farming. There must be constant supply of clean water which can be gotten from springs, lakes, wells and municipal water.

4. Good Living Conditions

Ensure that the water temperature of your pond is between 23⁰C or 85⁰F to 32⁰C or 90⁰F. To obtain good growth, fish must be cultured at optimum levels of dissolved oxygen. Maintain DO levels at least 5 ppm. Dissolved oxygen levels less than 5 ppm can place stress on the fish, and levels less than 2 ppm will result in death.

pH levels for tilapia fish should be between 6.5-9.0. if pH levels is too low, agricultural lime can be added.

5. Know Your Market

This is one important step to consider before starting a fish farm. You need to know the size of fish they want, the quantity and price of fish in the market. You also need to know how your products will get to your customer.

What you will need to get started!

1. Land

You can start with half plot of land or any size of land that is convenient for you. For commercial fish farming a large expanse of land is needed. Ensure the topography of the land allows for easy draining. The water must flow from a place that is higher than the pond to allow direct inflow of water.

    2. Construct Pond

Ponds should be constructed at a manageable size. A good pond is 6m by 4m. You can build a bigger one once you’ve been able to properly manage a small one. When building your pond make sure:

·         The walls of the pond are slopped and it has a deep end at the bottom for drainage.

·         Depth of pond should be 0.5-1.0m at shallow end sloping to 1.5-2.0m at drainage end.

The walls of the pond should be high enough to prevent water from overflowing to prevent the escape of fish. However, the walls should not be too high to prevent them from getting eroded.

3. Water Supply

Water from wells, springs, and lake can be used for tilapia farming. Ensure the water is steady to promote growth and reproduction of the fish. To control the water level it is advised that you use a steady stand pipe system that can be pulled out when you want to drain the pond.

4. Fry or Juvenile

You will need to get your fry or juvenile from a trusted supplier. Ensure you are buying from a healthy farm.

5. Feed

Feed is needed for proper growth of fish. You can get local and foreign feeds from different suppliers.