A Nigerian health expert, Dr. Oladapo Ashiru,has warned that food must not be eaten after 8pm, saying that doing so is tantamount to taking poison.

Ashiru, who is a Professor ofAnatomy and Reproductive Endocrinologist, gave the warning as Guest Speaker at the 4th Allure Vanguard Women on Wellness held in Lagos, South-West Nigeria.

He said: “Any food eaten after 8pm is poison, as the intestine shuts down after 8pm. You should try to eat before 8 pm to avoid accumulation of undigested foods that are harmful to the organs.”

Ashiru, who spoke on the theme, “Defying Age” at the seminar held at the Pearl Crown Hotel, Parkview, Ikoyi, also advised that the best way to eat is to do so slowly, chew well and drink water 30 minutes to one hour after meals to allow the food be digested in its real state as water dilutes the nutrients.

“People often violate the rules of the body when they do not follow the law of nature. While it is natural that foods eaten should not go into the digestive system, swallowing our foods straight without chewing deprives the food from being broken down,” Vanguard quotes Asiru as saying.

He noted that “too much food and undigested food lead to fermentation and, subsequently, decay which eventually leads to other problems, as undigested foods poison the body and it shows in the skin.”

The erudite professor advised people to “only supply the body what it can take,” noting that the intestine is the root system of the human body that is responsible for the most common cause of systemic damage.

He listed factorsresponsible for promotion of ill health and aging to include food intake, environmental factors, such as diesel, gasoline, automobile fumes and radiators, as well as air pollution often caused by refineries, industries, waste.

The health expert identified bad eating habit and food incompatibility as the main causes of aging.

He frowned at the adoption of foreign lifestyle and penchant for foreign foods while also discouraging the mode of preparation and manner of serving food at publicparties, describing them as unhygienic.