Natural Hair Loss Cures For Women

Submitted By: Rick Widner
Did you know that the people in the United States have the highest incidence of baldness compared to any country in the world? It's a sad fact but what is more disheartening is learning that these figures are caused our poor food choices and sedentary lifestyles.

You Are What You Eat

Studies have shown that hair loss is associated with high-protein, high-fat diets which cause kidney damage. In most cases, there is noone to blame for your hair loss but you. We have to avoid eating too much animal proteins and fats, and salt. Considering that our diet is one thing that we can control, albeit with great difficulty, having a hair-friendly diet can help us minimize the incidence of hair loss.

Hair loss is not just a man's problem, more and more women are experiencing it too. The only advantage women have is that they never become completely bald, unlike men who seem doomed to lose their whole head of hair. In the case of women, losing hair is harder to accept; and the emotional and psychological toll is much heavier.

Dealing With Hair Loss in Women

If you are a woman experiencing hair loss and you want to find natural cures, then looking at ways to improve your diet and your overall lifestyle may help you overcome this situation. If you think your diet is already healthy and you are still losing hair, you may have to examine other possible causes. Using harsh chemicals to dye your hair can cause hair fall. Try using a different kind of dye or stop dyeing your hair all together. You can also try changing your shampoo as this could be causing your hair to fall.

Pregnancy, birth control pills and a lot of stress can make your hair fall too. If you find that your hair loss is being influenced by any of these factors, then you may just have to wait until they are resolved because once they are, your hair loss symptoms will usually go away too.

Grow Your Hair Back Naturally

Taking vitamin supplements that help hair follicle stay healthy can improve the condition of your hair. This is one of the natural cures you could get. If you are looking for the best natural product for treating your hair loss, modern hair growth system which use two complementary products to help cure hair loss is highly recommended. It works two ways: First is through a liquid solution that is gently applied to the area in the scalp that needs treatment. Second is by taking the herbal dietary supplement in the form of pill which contains loads of vitamins, minerals and herbs that have been proven safe and effective in helping the hair follicles become active hair producers again.

The best hair loss treatments will not work effectively if you don't start using them as soon as you notice hair loss symptoms. You can get the best possible results if you diligently follow the directions for herbal hair supplements and topical solutions. Your hair will regrow fast so you can enjoy once more your beautiful tresses.

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Hair Loss in Women

Submitted By: Kristy Klien
Most women are all about maintaining a beautiful appearance. One of the common defining factors of a woman's beauty is her hair. Most women go to a lot of trouble to make their hair beautiful, from trying out different hairstyles to coloring their hair and making sure their hairs stays soft, smooth and manageable throughout the day. There are just so many things a woman will do to keep her hair in tip top condition. If these aren't hard enough, women also have to deal with hair problems like split ends, dandruff and hair loss.

Hair loss is common not only in men but also in women. While men do not give too much attention to receding hairlines and falling hair, women take hair loss seriously so much so that some would even consider laser surgery just to keep the natural thickness of their hair.

Studies have shown that in the United States alone, 40 % of people who experience hair loss are women. Because hair is very important to women, hair loss can have devastating effects on a woman's self esteem. If you are one these women who are experiencing hair loss and does not know what to do about this problem, you can stop worrying now. There are several treatments for hair loss that you can try. Like any other illness, it is better to catch and treat this condition early on.

You'll know you have hair loss problems if you are shedding more than the normal amount of hair everyday. Daily normal hair fall is usually between 50-100 strands a day. Of course, it will be impossible to count the number of strands you lose daily and you don't have to. Take notice of how much hair you lose when you shower or brush your hair. If you can pull out clumps of hair easily off your scalp then you may have to treat your hair loss already.

Treatments

There are numerous treatments for hair loss on the market. Depending on your budget, you can choose to take oral medications, topical applications, herbal treatments or laser surgery.

One of the most common treatments for hair loss is an over-the-counter drug known as Minoxidil. This drug is a topical medication that is applied directly on the scalp to stimulate hair growth. It is a very popular form of treatment and it seems to be more effective for women than it is for men. They are normally found in 2% and 5% concentration, but for women, the 2% concentration seems to be satisfactory.

Other treatments you can opt for are estrogen and progesterone topical solutions or tablets. These are stronger forms of treatment for severe hair loss and recommended especially for women in their menopausal stages who does not have enough estrogen and progesterone in their bodies.

If you have a serious hair loss condition, you may want to consult your doctor first before deciding on the treatment that you want to get. There shouldn't be any second-guessing when it comes to your hair and well-being.

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The Best On Natural Hemorrhoids Cure

Submitted By: Bennett I Michaels
If it happens that you have hemorrhoids you can be looking around for days and days and just finding no effective or useful cure. Let me tell you that there are many different treatments out there, although many of them don’t turn out to work as well as you wished for. People think that sometimes the cures need to be extremely complicated and/or expensive to work. But the truth is that sometimes the best cures there will ever be can be found right at your local grocery store.

You may have hemorrhoids if you are experience pain and itching in your rectal area, especially during bowel movements. But what are hemorrhoids? Hemorrhoids are actually small sacks in the rectal area that develop from putting too much stress on the veins around your anus. Sometimes they will only stay inside and you won’t notice them until they start to hurt. Other times they will be outside and here they do not need to hurt for you to notice them. The truth is this can be embarrassing but the real problem comes when these sacks burst open from bad cares and cause you bleedings.

There are many treatments for hemorrhoids, and some people have to resort to surgery as a final option. This hemorrhoids cure is usually not preferable due to the cost and risks of the procedure. Thankfully, you can find many different types of natural hemorrhoids relief with little difficulty.

To start, try adding a couple teaspoons of flaxseed to your diet. You usually can't even taste the grain when it is added. This treatment works by giving you a good dose of fiber, and fiber will help break up your bowels so they pass easier.

You will also want to start eating a more healthy high fiber diet. Almost anything with whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in it gives you more fiber. Anything that is as natural as possible and that do contains a lot of fiber will help you a lot. And an extra you can do is to reduce or stop completely drinking alcohol, smoking, and your caffeine intake.

Apple vinegar is a very useful direct hemorrhoids treatment, among all the other alignments it cures. By drinking a little of these each morning you will notice your hemorrhoids slowly going away. Keep in mind that apple vinegar is not the same as the regular vinegar you use for cleaning and cooking.

When the itching becomes unbearable you can try this next hemroid cure. Take a bath in warm water mixed with oils or Epsom salt. The water itself helps clean out the rectum so it can heal faster.

Another great natural hemorrhoids cure is to use a special toilet seat. This will really help you to reduce the stress put on your bottom while you go to the bathroom. This seat will reduce the pressure applied to the area when you have to sit to defecate. Remember to use the bathroom as regularly as you normally would so you don’t worsen your hemorrhoids.

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For Inattentive Attention Deficit Disorder (Inattentive ADD) A New Medication

Submitted By: Tess Messer
For treatment of Inattentive Attention Deficit Disorder, (Inattentive ADD and also sometimes called Inattentive ADHD), the gold standard of treatment is stimulant medication. Some individuals with Inattentive ADD, however, prefer to not take stimulant medication because they have increased anxiety or depression when treated with stimulants and for those people, Guanfacine is possibly a 'God Sent' drug to potentially help the inattentive symptoms.

The symptoms of ADHD-PI can not only cause difficulty at work and at school but these symptoms can also act as a significant aggravating factor that contributes to the likelyhood of a person developing symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Guanfacine is an Alpha2 receptor drugthat has been prescribed, in addition to the stimulant ,medicines to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Inattentive ADD. Tenex (Guanfacine) is a blood pressure drug that was coincidentally found to help people with ADHD and with Inattentive ADD. Tenex can be sedating and health care providers have also used this drug to help with the insomnia and sleep disorders experienced by some patients with a diagnosis of ADHD and Inattentive ADD. Though Guanfacine is often used to treat hypertension or high blood pressure, the vast majority of people with ADD Inattentive and ADHD who are medicated with this drug do not develop low blood pressure.

The research behind these drugs is brand new but some research scientist now understand that it possibly is the alpha2 receptor drugs, and not the stimulants, that better address the signs of inattention seen in patients with Inattentive ADD. Pharmacist believe that while the stimulants work to decrease inattention, they do not begin to treat the underlying issues at the Pre-frontal Cortex that are bringing on the problems seen in Inattentive ADD.

Guanfacine activates the Pre-frontal Cortex (PFC), the portion of the brain that oversees attention, impulsive behavior, hyperactivity, and working memory and by affecting the workings of the alpha2 receptors in the PFC portion of the brain, acts to improve symptoms such as poor working memory, inattention and the other often seen symptoms of ADD Inattentive and ADHD.

Alpha-2A adrenergic receptors also facilitate brain communications. These receptors are activated by Guanfacine and strengthen the connectivity of PFC networks and, in turn, facilitate working memory and lessen distractability. Faulty brain connectivity issues are thought to be a major problem with all the subtypes of ADHD and medicines that strengthen these connections will prove to be especially useful for the treatment of Inattentive ADD as well as for Hyperactive-Impulsive ADHD and Combined type ADHD.

Unlike the stimulants, Guanfacine brings these benefits to the PFC even in the event of stress. Stress has been shown to occasionally disconnect the PFC networks which can make the symptoms of Inattentive ADD much worse. Guanfacine is now made in a 'all day' acting form that can be prescribed once a day. Who knows? Guanfacine may become the future accepted treatment for the problems of Inattentive ADD. Only the future will tell.

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Prefect Curative Guide to Toothache

Submitted By: Meera Watts
Pain in teeth or toothache is known as the pain occurring in and around the jaws or teeth due to various dental problems like tooth decay, loosening of the tooth, gum disease or dental cavity. This pain could further get aggravated by the intake or chewing of intense cold or hot food items.

Causes of Toothache:

The toothache could be throbbing, constant, sharp or shooting in nature. In the event it is not been treated properly then the last option that is left with you is its extraction.

However, the prime cause of toothache is decaying of the tooth which mainly happens due to improper eating habits. The main food course which leads to the decaying of the tooth is soft drinks, candies, refined carbohydrates and sugar products. The bacteria present within the mouth break the sugar intake into acid that usually combines with the calcium present in the tooth enamel and leads to decomposition and erosion of the teeth.

Remedies for Curing Toothache:

Clove: Clove is found to be the effective home remedy for curing toothache. It is advised that clove oil should be applied over the affected area for pain relief and strengthening of gum.

Pepper: Pepper powder acts as the best home remedy for curing various teeth problems like foul breath, bleeding of the gums, dental carries, toothaches and painful gums. It is advised the pepper powder mixed with clove oil should be applied over teeth and gums to alleviate all the problems.

Garlic: For curing toothache, garlic acts as the effective home remedy. It is advised that garlic clove with a pinch of rock salt needed to be put over the affected area to get relieved from pain. Chewing of Garlic every morning may help in making teeth healthy and strong.

Onion: Onion has acted as an effective home remedy for treating toothache. For allaying the pain of the teeth or gum it is advised to place one piece of onion over the affected area.

Lime: Lime is very useful home remedy to cure bad tooth. Daily consumption of lime in the form of lime juice helps in curing dental carries, bleeding of gums, toothache and decaying and loosening of the teeth.

Wheat Grass: Wheat grass is really beneficial in curing the toothache. The consumption of wheat grass in the form of juice or chewing may help you get rid of all the teeth problems.

Asafoetida: Asafoetida is very useful in alleviating the toothache. It is advised that a small chunk of Asafoetida mixed with lemon juice and slightly heated should be placed over the affected area with cotton swab.

Bay Berry: For curing toothache it is advised that a thick paste of bay berry mixed with vinegar should be made and applied over the affected area.

Dietary Recommendations for Toothache:

In order to maintain the healthy teeth diet plays a very important role. The food we eat daily is mainly responsible for the teeth or gums we have. The teeth problems could eventually be avoided with the proper intake healthy and nutritious diet.

However, to maintain the teeth and gums in good and healthy condition it is important the sugar intake should be to the minimal. It is advised that one should consume whole wheat bread and raw vegetables more to have healthy teeth.

Apart from this it is very important that you should have proper cleaning regimen for teeth for preventing regular toothaches and decaying. For this you may consult your dentist, who may give you the proper guide to teeth maintenance, food to eat or avoid, cleaning of teeth, etc.

Therefore you can alleviate all the dental problems by making use of the above mentioned home remedies.

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Did You Know That Phosphatidyl Serine Can Help With ADHD?

Submitted By: Darrell Miller
ADHD is now widely accepted as a legitimate human condition with records of its description dating back to at least the 18th century when it was considered a sustained restlessness of the mind. Early physicians advocated special education for children born with ADHD in that this condition was accounted for by the abnormalities of the nerves contrary to environmental factors such as upbringing practices.

With the advent of psychiatry in the 20th century surfaced a number of studies linking ADHD to physiological makeup and activities described as not normal. This continuing concern among parents and researchers alike led to researches on a number of chemical compounds that target specific brain functions, including phosphatidyl serine much known as a biochemical component of cell membranes in the body.

History of Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The first known scientific inquiry into this disorder was in 1798 when ADHD was referred to as fidgets. A Scottish-born physician, Sir Alexander Crichton, documented his observations on the inability of some children to keep attention even in environments making use of corporal punishment as a disciplinary measure. He noted that this condition seemed to get better with age while exhibited to a noticeable degree, if not intolerable, at young age, describing every possible stimulus contributing to the impairment of attention such as an otherwise unnoticeable change in room temperature and a need to meet a desirable level of comfort.

At the turn of the 20th century, Sir George Frederick Still published his lectures on, as he put it, an abnormal psychical conditions in children. He observed that the moral flaws evident in children not good in academics but equally as quick-witted as any other child outside the classroom were caused by a mental condition governing the ability of the human body to sustain attention, adding emphasis on the moral consciousness being “the control of action in conformity with the idea of the good of all”. This mental condition, as he proposed, was predetermined by genetics or resulted from injuries.

Targets of Ongoing ADHD Studies

ADHD as the mental condition varies in different levels but is commonly associated with hyperactivity. Up to now the scientific community hasn’t come to a conclusion as to which genetic factors are largely responsible for ADHD. However, studies underway point to ADHD implicating genes that have an effect on dopamine levels. Phosphatidyl serine being a phospholipid that promotes fluidity between cells, including nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord, is now tied to dopamine transporters and receptors, having yielded positive results among patients diagnosed with ADHD.

Since phosphatidyl serine displays no adverse effects, it has been granted a qualified health claim by the US Food and Drug Administration to possibly reduce the risk of certain mental disorders. In the past few years it has been in use as a therapeutic agent in dopamine-related disorders and added to dietary supplements specialized for ADHD patients.

Look for phosphatidyl serine is available at your local or internet vitamin store in softgel form. Always choose name brands to ensure quality and purity of the product you purchase for better health.

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Friendly Bacteria – Probiotics

Submitted By: Katarina Horakova, Dr.Sc.
The micro-flora of a digestive tube contains a very diverse group of micro-organisms, which includes more than 400 different types of bacteria. The number of bacteria is increasing. While there are about 103 per ml of them in stomach, there are as much as 105-106 per ml of them in small intestine; and the biggest number is to be found in colon - there are more than 1012 per ml.

Gut flora is very important for the functioning of digestive tract and for the supply of nutrients. Its role in colon is to ferment food elements which cannot be decomposed in small intestine. They include resistant starch, non-starch polysaccharides (fibre), oligosaccharides, proteins, etc.

About 60 to 80 g of food gets into a colon of an adult daily.

In the first part of colon the food is partially decomposed into lactic acid and short-chain fatty acids (such as acetic acid, propionic and butyric acid) thanks to the activity of bacteria, for example the representatives of genera Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. These acids have positive effects on the host organism. They provide energy to epithelial cells of colon, decrease pH, increase the absorption of calcium, iron and magnesium; and improve metabolism of glucose and lipids in liver. Other substances (carbon oxide, hydrogen, methane, phenolic compounds, amines and ammonia) also come into existence during the process of decomposition. However, phenolic and nitrogen compounds arise only in its downward part (descending colon) and S-shaped part (sigmoid colon), where many diseases may develop, e.g. colon cancer and ulcerative colitis.

Health benefits of lactic acid bacteria - probiotics

"Good" bacteria, mainly bacteria of lactic acid fermentation, are very important to keep our body healthy. The name refers to their ability to ferment lactose and several other sugars into lactic acid (and various organic acids). Lactic acids belong to the category of micro-organisms which keep microbial balance in our body; that is why they are called friendly bacteria - probiotics.

* Due to the production of lactic acid they decrease pH of the environment, which becomes acidic and thus unfavourable for bacteria.

* Their ability to produce bacteriocins - peptides and proteins with qualities of antibiotics is also very important. In this way they prevent pathogenic and putrefying bacteria from multiplying.

* Apart from this, they produce vitamin K, perform dehydroxilation and deconjugation of bile acids. In this way they decrease their ability to modify into faecal bile acids, which contribute to the development of colon cancer.

While common gut bacteria are able to live long and multiply in digestive tract; probiotic is a live bacterium, which stays in it only for a short period. Here it performs beneficial activities, but is unable to colonize in the long term. It means that it's necessary to take probiotics over a longer period of time in order to feel their positive effects.

Bifidobacteria (Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium breve) and lactobacilli (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus etc.) are among lactic acid bacteria which are most commonly used. These beneficial lactic acid bacteria can be found mainly in fermented dairy products. Yoghurts with live probiotic cultures, cottage cheese, but also non-pickled sauerkraut have curative properties. At the moment there are also many other ways how to supply our guts with beneficial bacteria, mainly in the form of high-quality dietary supplements. Probiotic products, live bacteria of which have the form of freeze-dried capsules and thus can resist acidic environment in stomach, are among the most stable ones.

The composition of micro-flora changes during the lifetime

Immediately after the birth our digestive tube is sterile and bacteria settle in the tube gradually during breast-feeding; later they get into our body through the contact with the environment and food consumption. During the aging process the composition of gut flora changes considerably. Older people have lower or zero number of bifidobacteria; while the number of lactobacilli, enterococci, enterobacteria and clostridia increases. This can lead to the accumulation of pathogenic and toxic substances, development of colon cancer and liver disorder. It was found out that if the number of undesirable bacteria is higher than the number of probiotics, the risk of developing a wide range of diseases increases significantly. They include for example:

* Irritable bowel disease
* Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis)
* Colon cancer
* Gastroenteritis (inflammation of stomach and small intestine)

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Did You Know That Stevia is Safe For Diabetes?

Submitted By: Darrell Miller
If you love sweet foods and beverages but hate the weight-increasing effects that they bring, then you must have heard about stevia. Lately it has been taken on to provide alternative to aspartame as a sugar substitute. Japan in particular has used it as a sweetener over the years. Now there is good evidence in support of it use not only as a dietary supplement but also as a food additive.

Historical Use

Stevia, or Ka’a he’ as known to some tribes native to Latin America, has been cultivated and harvested for its sweet extracts as well a number of herbal uses over the centuries. The Guarani tribes make use of ka’a he’e to treat heartburn, aid digestion, and keep skin healthy-looking. The first European to take note of it as a natural sweetener was the Italian Dr. Moises Santiago Bertoni, and it was later commonly used as the sweetener Yelba Dulce, sweet herb, in Erva Mate teas.

Sweetening Substances

The Royal Botanical Gardens in London, England supervised the cultivation of stevia in an attempt to understand its sweetening effects in the 1940’s. The researchers were hoping to utilize stevia as an alternative to sugar as the latter proved to be inadequate to meet commodity demands when the Second World War broke out, but the research was later abandoned. It was in Japan where the herb Stevia rebaudiana was successfully grown in hothouses to yield commercial results as early as the 1970’s, and, since its production by the company Morita Kagaku Kogyo, has accounted for fifty per cent of all sweetening products.

Two compounds are largely responsible for the sweetness in stevia’s extracts: (1) stevioside, up to 300 times sweeter than the sugar sucrose, accounts for 5 to 10 per cent and (2) rebaudioside A, up to 450 times sweeter, accounts for 2-4%. These compounds produce the non-sugar compounds now called steviol glycosides being used as the commercial sweetener. Steviol does not get altered by heat and acid-base states, making it ideal as a sweetener to a huge list of foods and beverages. In addition, steviol exhibit properties that are known to obstruct the growth of microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and protozoans, and reduces inflammation in the human body.

Safety Concerns

In Japan, which has a strict regulatory body governing the use of food additives, the use of steviol glycosides has never been associated with any harmful effects. The Japanese have been adding steviol in virtually all sweetened products, from table top sweeteners to soft drinks, including Coca Cola. Stevia’s centuries-old ethnomedical uses in South America have not shown any interference in insulin’s job to lower blood sugar. Now it is alleged that they may even play a crucial role in promoting insulin production. One thing is for sure: steviol compounds do not add to the levels of glucose in the blood at all, hence the popularity among diabetic patients and carb-conscious people alike.

Stevia and related sweeteners like xylitol is available at your local or internet vitamin store in liquild and bulk powder forms. Always choose name brands to ensure quality of the sweetener product you purchase for your tea.

Stevia powder is available at VitaNet(R), LLC Vitamin Store.

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Did You Know That Kudzu is Good For Alcohol Addiction?

Submitted By: Darrell Miller
Addiction to alcohol is a disorder that entails on the alcohol dependent serious health issues, both physical and mental, in addition to social ramifications. Alcoholism is now tied to substance abuse in that it has almost always been associated with the harmful use of drugs in medical definitions. In fact, the term alcoholism first came into use to enumerate the negative effects of alcohol on health. There has been increased social concern in connection with alcoholism in the past few years, inspiring the developments of group work technologies that aim to attain sobriety among alcohol dependents worldwide, take for example Alcoholics Anonymous. With that, the recent discovery of Kudzu as an agent in fighting off alcohol cravings at the molecular level promises to bring sobering effects.

Popular Uses of Kudzu

Kudzu has in fact been reputed as a traditional remedy against alcohol consumptions in the East, where it is dubbed one of the most fundamental among all herbs. Every part of the plant has different roles in Japanese culinary practices. The leaves are a prized ingredient as they add flavor to sautéed vegetable dishes and pressed salads. Powdery extracts of the root are either used to coat deep-fried tempuras or added to local desserts and fruit preserves as well as being served in the winter season as a popular sweet beverage known as kuzuyu tea. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) widely practiced by physicians in Asia nowadays, it is believed to be the active ingredient in powdered medicines touted as hangover busters with an added emphasis on its role in remedying alcohol cravings.

Medicinal Properties

There are chemical compounds called polyphenols noted for their activities against cancer that are found in high concentrations in kudzu. Isoflavones are naturally occurring polyphenols, making Kudzu an ideal source of antioxidants. In a chemical process called oxidation-reduction there are by-products called reactive oxygen species that aid in metabolic processes in the body. Some reactive oxygen species, however, are deployed in large numbers, rendering the body unable to detoxify them in time. These species called free radicals alters highly reactive non-radical molecules into harmful radicals, and propagates a chain reaction at the cellular level, usually targeting lipids that protect the cells and damaging the cells in the process. Antioxidants like isoflavones keep this process from continuing.

Kudzu and Alcohol

Apart from its significant role in anti-cancer researches today, Kudzu is also the subject of a recent study conducted by Harvard Medical School. The study has yielded preliminary results that back up the centuries-old medicinal practice of the Chinese in curbing excessive consumptions of alcohol. After getting desirable outcomes with in vivo trials involving golden hamster, the researchers distributed kudzu extracts to human beings. The results were overwhelming. Participants of the study who took kudzu had their alcohol consumption was significantly reduced in that their attitude toward binge drinking had changed, convincing researchers that a certain substance in kudzu controls the brain’s mechanisms in connection with alcohol intake.

Look for kudzu in capsule or tablet forms at your local or internet vitamin store. Always choose name brands like Planetary formulas and Solaray to ensure quality, purity, and authenticity of the product you purchase for personal use.

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Curcumin Can Help With Pain!

Submitted By: Darrell Miller
Make no mistake about it: curcumin has long been identified as the compound responsible for the anti-inflammatory benefits of the ginger plant turmeric. The herb turmeric has been around for ages, cultivated for its wide array of culinary and medicinal uses that transcend regional and cultural boundaries. Apart from the popular use of its powdery form in bread, cakes, ale, and beer as a flavoring, the plant contains up to 5 per cent curcumin, which is one type of polyphenols now being looked into for its antioxidant properties.

Prostaglandin and Inflammation Pain

Autocrines and paracrines are contained in almost all tissues and organs to effectively participate in bodily defenses every time the systems call for them, for example in treating wounds. Prostaglandins are either autrocrines or paracrines that take on the job of signaling the tissues and systems implicated in defensive reactions when the body detects unwanted and harmful stimuli. Cells release autocrines to have an effect on the same cells and paracrines to aid nearby cells, making these compounds function as effective chemical messengers in immediate vicinities anywhere in the body as they are short-lived.

Prostaglandin is known as the chemical messenger causing pain and igniting fever among others. Defensive mechanisms start when cells release mediators, including prostaglandin, which brings about the known signs of inflammation. Prostaglandins relax smooth muscle cells within the walls of blood vessels in the area of inflammation and promote the flow of needed fluids like blood and plasma proteins into the spot, leading to the subsequent redness and swelling. They continue to mediate the healing process by permitting the entrance of neutrophil granulocytes, the front-line soldiers against harmful stimuli, and consequently put an end to invading pathogens. The same group of chemicals also increases pain at the same time, for example the joint pains associated with inflammation called arthritis.

Curcumin and Anti-inflammation

Painkillers, classified as analgesic drugs, work in a number of ways that in the end relieve the continual sensitization of certain body parts to pain. One group called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen targets the enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of prostaglandins aim to reduce levels of prostaglandins.

Curcumin works on the same principle. Take for example, joint pains caused by arthritis. Be reminded that individuals who complain about joint pains are suffering from varied forms of medical conditions, which one way or another contribute to the pain in addition to having excessive levels of prostaglandins in the joints involved. Damage to the joint brought about by wear and tear or forced movement involving joints spurs the body to take defensive measures that include inflammatory effects, thus the pain. The intake of curcumin and its derivatives act on the cells in its production of prostaglandins, resulting in both the easing of pain and the lessening of inflammation.

Always choose curcumin in standardized extract form to ensure you buy a herbal product that contains what is on the label. Look for curcumin at your local or internet vitamin store in capsule, tablet, bulk powder or liquid extract forms.

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Did You Know That Tongue Cleaners Can Help Prevent Bad Breath?

Submitted By: Darrell Miller
Bad breath is a serious problem, getting in the way of your social interactions. Also called halitosis, it can develop into a chronic condition and may be a symptom of other diseases. Don’t worry, it is not infrequent. As a matter of fact, it accounts for a significant fraction of visits to the dentist. Modifying your oral hygiene practices, such as using tongue cleaner, is important when you think that you have bad breath, and a trip to the dentist is highly recommended if bad breath still persists after.

Known Causes

It is generally accepted that most cases of halitosis directly involve the tongue and the neighboring tissues. The tongue plays host to millions of microorganisms, and bacteria lead the pack in giving off the fetid smell in the mouth. The human body has very efficient defense mechanisms that counter invasive bacteria in the mouth, the release of saliva, for instance. Sometimes food particles and related debris collect in our mouth especially when we don’t give enough attention to proper oral hygiene, encouraging bacterial activities such as producing chemical compounds that emit all sorts of foul gases.

Saliva aids in ridding your mouth of unwanted food deposits, and in the process fight off bacteria feeding on these traces of foods. Decreased levels of saliva causes dry mouth, giving rise to proliferation of bacteria. Take for example: at night when we are asleep the absence of saliva is the reason why we have a slightly unpleasant odor on the breath the morning after.

The back of the tongue is a particularly hospitable niche for anaerobic bacteria in the mouth in that it is drier in comparison with other parts of the tongue. Also, this part is frequently left out when brushing our teeth, resulting in the buildup of a combination of food remnants, dead cells, and bacteria. It should also be noted that the same bacteria creates plaque on our teeth and significantly contributes to tooth decay and periodontal diseases.

Not all cases of bad breath are attributed to tongue bacteria though. Bad breath is also associated with sinus infections, tonsillitis, and systematic diseases, such as liver failure, lung infections, and diabetes mellitus, among others.

Oral Hygiene

You would have understood by now an optimum oral hygiene helps in removing bad breath, but you may not have realized as yet that the use of a tongue cleaner rids your mouth of up to 500 different types of bacteria. The back of the tongue appears convoluted, making it ideal for the aggregation of bacteria and difficult to clean at the same time. Scraping your tongue with a toothbrush may lead to irritating and damaging the tissues, and the bristles just cast the bacteria everywhere else in the mouth. There’s a reason why it’s called a tongue cleaner: it was developed to remove unwanted debris sticking to the tongue. Furthermore, studies show a link between the use of a tongue cleaner and the decrease in bad breath.

Look for quality durable tongue cleaners at your local or internet vitamin store. Always choose name brands to ensure durability.

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