Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, a former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, emphasized the importance of sufficient sleep for maintaining good health. He clarified that sleep should not be viewed as a dull period, citing MRI technology which shows that the mind is most active during sleep.
“That is when it organizes all the information gathered during the day. If you sleep well, your mind organizes well, allowing you to recall information better in the morning.” He noted that adequate sleep consists of eight hours of deep sleep and dreaming, suggesting that a lack of dreams indicates poor sleep quality.
He offered advice for achieving good sleep, such as adjusting the room temperature to a comfortable level using an air conditioner and then turning it off, or lowering a fan to minimize noise. He warned that sleeping with the television on could result in only shallow sleep rather than deep sleep.
Additionally, Prof. Akosa discussed the impact of vegetable oils on cholesterol levels, noting that these oils contain polyunsaturated fats which can raise cholesterol. He recommended that people consume local traditional oils such as coconut, palm kernel, shea butter, and palm oil, which he described as the best choices. In contrast, he pointed out that industrially produced oils like corn oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, and rapeseed oil are less beneficial.