Archive for February 2014
A full head of beautiful hair and an attractive appearance are highly desirable things. For some people, losing their hair can cause a great deal of stress. Among the causes of hair loss are heredity, hormones, aging, poor circulation, a poor diet, and illness. While drugs can be used to regrow a bit of hair, they also have side effects.
Many health-minded people have spent some time searching for a natural treatment solution that could regrow hair. According to a recent study in the “Archives of Dermatology”, their search just may be over.
Alopecia is a general word that means loss of the hair on the head or baldness. Loss of all of the scalp hair is known as alopecia totalis. Loss of all body hair is termed alopecia universalis. Alopecia areata occurs when the hair falls out in patches.
Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils to achieve therapeutic health benefits. It dates back thousands of years to the time of Cleopatra. Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts which are derived from the flowers, leaves, bark and roots of various plants. They contain the plant’s active “lifelike” properties and are said to be the “blood” of the plant.
Among these essential oils are cedarwood, lavender, rosemary and thyme, all of which have been used to treat alopecia for over a hundred years. However, no scientific study has been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of these substances until now.
A revolutionary aromatherapy study was recently published in the “Archives of Dermatology.” Isabelle C. Hay and co-researchers from the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in Scotland studied 86 people with diagnosed alopecia areata. The trial lasted seven months and while the trial took place, the participants stopped using topical (skin) and oral alopecia medications.
Instead, half of the people used a blend of cedarwood (2 drops), lavender (3 drops), rosemary (3 drops) and thyme (2 drops), in a carrier oil mix of jojoba oil (1/2 teaspoon) and grapeseed oil (4 teaspoons). The placebo group used just the carrier oils. Patients were taught to massage the oil into the bare areas of their scalp for two minutes each evening and then wrap a warm towel around their head to enhance absorption.
At the beginning of the study, and again after three and seven months, professional photographs were taken of each patient’s scalp. Changes as seen in the photographs served as the primary outcome measure. Mapping and measuring of the bald patches was also done to determine results.
An impressive 44 percent of the group using the essential oils significantly improved. The average area of hair regrowth with the essential oils was 104 square centimeters, compared with nearly zero for those using the placebo. According to one intriguing photograph provided by the researchers, considerable hair regrowth occurred with one male patient who had both alopecia areata and severe male pattern hair loss.
These results show aromatherapy to be a safe and effective treatment for alopecia areata. The researchers were proud to have successfully applied an evidence-based method to an alternative therapy. Evidently, one or more of the essential oils is able to promote hair regrowth. And unlike standard medical therapies, the essential oils have a very low risk of side effects and are not nearly as costly.
This health news is brought to you by NutritionBreakthroughs.com. Since 2001 Nutrition Breakthroughs has been providing natural health articles and effective natural remedies. Their mission is to provide nutritional supplements that actually work and get results, and therefore help people to avoid drugs and their side effects.
Since 2009, their natural sleep remedy Sleep Minerals II has been keeping that promise — by soothing even the worst insomnia and helping everyone from teenagers to seniors to get a good night’s sleep.
For more information on the effective natural insomnia remedy Sleep Minerals II, visit the natural sleepremedies page.
Some people as they approach middle age may find it more difficult to stay asleep during the night. This may be due to the decline of hormones in the body, such as estrogen in women or testosterone in men. They can fall asleep okay and the first part of their night is fine, but at around 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. or at multiple times, some find themselves habitually awake and unable to get back to sleep. Here are some sleep tips that may help:
1. Use a black eye mask to cover your eyes and use earplugs to keep the noise out. A dark, cool room is most ideal to help the body produce melatonin, the hormone produced by the brain which helps to regulate sleep and wake cycles.
2. Get some sunlight by taking a walk during the day. Being out in the sun will also set your wake-sleep cycle in a good way. Additionally, the exercise and body movement helps with a better, more restful sleep at night.
3. If headaches or tension are keeping you up, try using some magnesium. One German study found that 42 percent of the people taking magnesium reduced the duration and intensity of their migraine headaches.
4. For females that experience hot flashes and night sweats during the night, take some extra steps to keep yourself and your bedroom cool at night. Wear lighter bedclothes, use less blankets, and you can also use a slightly damp washcloth on your forehead or neck.
5. Calcium is directly related to our cycles of sleep, therefore highly absorbable calcium and magnesium supplements are effective. The pioneering nutritionist Adelle Davis advises that during pre-menopause or menopause, the lack of estrogen and progesterone can cause severe calcium deficiency symptoms to occur such as irritability, leg cramps, insomnia, hot flashes and night sweats.
6. It can work well for some people to take a calcium and magnesium supplement before bed. These minerals are natural relaxants that can carry one through the night better, and with less sleep interruptions. Softgels that use natural oils mixed with the minerals are more fully absorbed. These should have a 2 to 1 calcium to magnesium ratio (twice as much calcium as magnesium).
An example of an effective mineral-based insomnia remedy is Sleep Minerals II by www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com. This natural sleep aid contains absorbable forms of calcium and magnesium, the best minerals for sleep and insomnia, heart health, restless legs syndrome, bone strength, and menopause insomnia. The formula is delivered in a softgel form with healthy carrier oils, making it more quickly absorbable than tablets or capsules and providing a deeper, longer-lasting sleep.
Richard P. of Parkville, Maryland says: “The Sleep Minerals are making quite a difference. I was regularly waking up at around 3:00 a.m. and after a few days use my sleep improved quite a lot. I wake up once a night to go to the bathroom, but the great thing is, I then fall back asleep and sleep several more hours. This has been a great improvement.”
For more information on Sleep Minerals II visit: http://www.nutritionbreakthroughs.com/html/sleep_remedy
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced it is requiring users of the insomnia drug Ambien and its generic counterparts (all drugs containing the active ingredient zolpidem), to take a lower recommended dose of these medications. They are particularly aiming this toward women, as the drug stays in their system much longer than with men. Women at the time of menopause frequently have sleep problems and insomnia, and some may turn to sleep medications.
Ellis Unger, M.D., director of the Office of Drug Evaluation in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said: “Over the years FDA has received spontaneous adverse event reports of driving impairment and motor vehicle accidents associated with zolpidem, but these reports lacked the information necessary to fully understand whether and how zolpidem affected people’s mental alertness and ability to drive. Recently, data from clinical trials and other types of studies have become available, which allowed FDA to better characterize the risk of next-morning impairment.”
According to the FDA press release: “The FDA has informed the manufacturers that the recommended dosage of zolpidem for women should be lowered from 10 milligrams (mg) to 5 mg for immediate-release products (Ambien, Edluar, and Zolpimist) and from 12.5 mg to 6.25 mg for extended-release products (Ambien CR). For men, the FDA has informed the manufacturers that the labeling should recommend that health care professionals consider prescribing these lower doses.”
Along the lines of natural insomnia remedies, nature has provided us with some natural sleep aids and relaxants that have stood the test of time. Regarding mineral deficiency as we age and at the time of menopause, the pioneering nutritionist Adelle Davis says, “The amount of calcium in a woman’s blood parallels the activity of the ovaries. During the menopause, the lack of ovarian hormones (estrogen and progesterone) can cause severe calcium deficiency symptoms to occur, including irritability, hot flashes, night sweats, leg cramps, and insomnia. These problems can be easily overcome if the intakes of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D are all generously increased and are well absorbed.”
Chronic insomnia is one of the main symptoms of magnesium deficiency. Sleeping with a magnesium deficiency is usually agitated, with frequent nighttime awakenings. On the other hand, a high magnesium diet has been found to be associated with deeper, less interrupted sleep. This was shown in a study done by James Penland at the Human Nutrition Research Center in North Dakota.
One natural sleep aid that is gaining in popularity is Sleep Minerals II from www.NutritionBreakthroughs. It contains highly absorbable forms of calcium and magnesium, the best minerals for sleeplessness and insomnia, as well as for restless leg syndrome, bone strength, aches and pains, and menopause insomnia. The formula also includes vitamin D and zinc and is delivered in a softgel form with healthy carrier oils, making the minerals more quickly assimilated than tablets or capsules. The softgel formulation provides a deeper, longer-lasting sleep and is an effective alternative to medications.
L.R.C. of Massachusetts says: “Due to some very stressful issues in my life, I hadn’t slept much in two and a half months before being prescribed sleeping drugs. I had become dependent on them and couldn’t sleep without them. I did my research on the Internet and came across Sleep Minerals II. I take this before bed and now I can sleep through the night without drugs. If I do have to get up, I can fall right back asleep. Another benefit is it also helps alleviate my chronic fatigue and aches and pains.”
Natural sleep aids can be effective against insomnia, without risking the side effects of drugs.
For more information on Sleep Minerals II visit this web site:
An estimated 50 million U.S. adults (about 1 of 5) report having doctor-diagnosed arthritis. Arthritis is the nation’s most common cause of disability and is defined as painful inflammation, aching, stiffness, and swelling in or around the joints.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It causes pain, swelling, and reduced motion in joints. It can occur in any joint, but usually it affects hands, knees, hips or spine.
Osteoarthritis breaks down the cartilage in the joints. Cartilage is the slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones in a joint. Healthy cartilage absorbs the shock of movement. When cartilage is lost, the bones rub together which can damage the joint.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, which means the arthritis results from the immune system attacking the body’s own tissues. It can affect body parts besides the joints, such as the eyes, mouth and lungs.
A recent study published in the journal “Arthritis” has found that a standardized ginger extract is as effective as the anti-inflammatory drug betamethasone for arthritis, but without the long list of side effects the drug is known for.
This test tube study used cells from joint fluid in three different types of people — those with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and healthy joints. The cells were exposed to special inflammatory triggers in the presence of either betamethasone (an anti-inflammatory drug), ibuprofen (an over the counter pain relief drug such as Advil), or a standardized herbal ginger extract.
The researchers discovered that Ginger extract was an equally effective anti-inflammatory agent as the drug betamethasone in this test. Ginger was able to reduce the cellular causes of joint pain and swelling. This makes it a good natural arthritis remedy, as according to Drugs .com, side effects of betamethasone can include fluid accumulation, glucose intolerance (a pre-diabetic state), nausea, vomiting, eye diseases, adrenal gland suppression, insomnia, nervousness and depression.
Ginger extract is available in capsules, tablets and tea, and fresh ginger root is often available in grocery stores and can be added to cooked dishes.
This health news is provided by www.NutritionBreakthroughs. Since 2001 Nutrition Breakthroughs has been providing natural health articles and effective natural remedies. Their mission is to provide nutritional supplements that actually work and get results, and therefore help people to avoid harmful drugs and their side effects.
Since 2009, their natural sleep remedy SleepMinerals II has been keeping that promise — by soothing even the worst insomnia and helping everyone from teenagers to seniors to get a good night’s sleep.
News on Natural Remedies, Good Sleep and Good Health 