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Ayurvedic Healthy Tips

Herbal Power of Ashwagandha

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Herbal Power  of  Ashwagandha is standardized to contain the highest percentage of Withanolides (8%), the active compounds in Withania Somnifera that is responsible for the adaptogenic & tonic effects. Most Ashwagandha in the market contains <5% Withanolides.

Ashwagandha–Rejuvenating Tonifier

The name Ashwagandha is from the Sanskrit language and is a combination of the word ashva, meaning horse, and gandha, meaning smell. The root has a strong aroma that is described as “horse-like”. In Ayurvedic, Indian, and Unani medicine, ashwagandha is described as “Indian ginseng“.

Traditional Use of Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha has been used throughout India for thousands of years as a rejuvenating tonifier (rasayana in Ayurvedic herbalism). It was widely used to support vitality in people of all ages, including children, and to enhance reproductive function in both men and women. Traditionally, this herb has been used as an aphrodisiac, liver tonic, anti-inflammatory agent, and astringent. The results of clinical trials indicate that ashwagandha has anti-aging, immunomodulatory, antidepressive, and other therapeutic effects.

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Pharmacological Effects of Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha contains several active constituents including alkaloids (isopelletierine, anaferine), steroidal lactones (withanolides, withaferins), and saponins. Withanolides serve as hormone precursors that can convert into human physiologic hormones as necessary. Preliminary animal evidence suggests ashwagandha may have a variety of pharmacological effects including analgesic, antipyretic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects.

Ashwagandha– Powerful Adaptogen
The high stress levels of our society have a profound impact on well-being, impacting our bodies and health in ways that are continually being revealed by new research. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is widely used in modern Western herbalism as an adaptogen—a substance that can help our bodies healthfully adapt to physiological and psychological stress, thus increasing resistance to stressors. Adaptogenic botanicals are increasingly important in today’s society, where high stress levels negatively impact many different body systems. Many health practitioners believe adaptogens are just as important to our health as better-known nutrients and botanicals, such as antioxidants. Research suggests the mechanism of action of adaptogens may include modulation of the pituitary-hypothalamus-adrenal gland axis. They increase resistance against external stressors, have a balancing effect and stabilize normal body functions.

Ashwagandha: Anti-Stressor

Ashwagandha has been shown to increase stress resistance, improve memory-related performance, and protect against stress induced responses such as anxiety, and physiological imbalances, according to numerous animal studies and several human studies. Some researchers think ashwagandha has a so-called “anti-stressor” effect. Preliminary evidence suggests ashwagandha might suppress stress-induced increases of dopamine receptors in the corpus striatum of the brain. A comparison of the anxiety-reducing and antidepressive actions of ashwagandha with those of the benzodiazepine lorazepam was made in mice. Mice treated with both agents exhibited a reduction in brain concentrations of a marker of clinical anxiety. In addition, ashwagandha exhibited an antidepressive effect. The results of similar studies support the use of ashwagandha as an anti-stress adaptogen. In a rat model of chronic stress, the stress-reducing activities of extracts from ashwagandha were compared with those of Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng). Both agents reduced the number and severity of chronic stress–induced ulcers, reversed the chronic stress–induced inhibition of male sexual behavior, and inhibited the adverse effects of chronic stress on the retention of learned tasks. Well-controlled clinical studies are needed to further confirm ashwagandha’s benefits for humans.

Ashwagandha: Anti-Aging herb

The anti-aging effects of Ashwagandha were shown in a double-blind clinical trial in which 101 healthy men aged 50–59 years received a dosage of 3 grams Ashwagandha for 1 year. Specifically, significant improvements in hemoglobin, red blood cell counts, hair melanin concentrations, and serum cholesterol concentrations were observed.

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Source:/www.ayurvediccure.com

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News on Health & Science

Many Turn to Meditation, Non-Conventional Treatments for Ailments

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At 81, Carmela Hilbert has chronic heart problems and neuropathy in her feet. Yet, she says, in some ways she’s never felt better………..click & see

“I think a lot of it has to with attitude,” Hilbert explains. “I think a lot of it has to do with learning   ” with the fact that you never stop trying something new.”

The newest thing she’s trying is meditation. She walks in a specially built meditation circle called a labyrinth every day near her Bedford, Mass., home.

“You come out of that with a feeling of relaxation and peace that’s very helpful,” she says.

It also helps alleviate pain and symptoms from her ailments, she adds.

Like Hilbert, millions of senior citizens are frustrated with conventional medicine. In fact, research shows more than 60 percent of adults have turned to non-conventional therapy like meditation, perhaps because 30 percent believe traditional medicine can’t help them.

They’re flocking to programs offering spiritual wellness   like meditation, yoga and tai chi.

Frank Rinato, 73, has been practicing tai chi in Brooklyn for 11 years.

“I’ve had bursitis, arthritis, the gout, and I don’t have any of it now,” he says.

Ruth Mitchell, 86, practices with Rinato.

“You know, at one time I felt, ‘Well, this is my life and that’s it,’ ” she says. “But I feel alive again.”

Going Mainstream
None of these therapies is new, but in the past five years mainstream medicine has started giving them scientific attention and support. And insurers are starting to cover the new approaches, looking for ways to contain the rising costs of standard medical treatments.

In 1999, the National Institutes of Health created a Center for Alternative Medicine to study nonconventional treatments. This year, the institute has a $122 million budget.

Dr. Herbert Benson, the president of the Mind/Body Medical Institute and a Harvard Medical School associate professor, has studied the body’s “relaxation response” for nearly 40 years. He says it’s so important because more than 60 percent of visits to the doctor are stress related.

“Thirty-five years ago, mind/body medicine was considered off the radar, flaky,” he says. “Now, there are sufficient data to point out that mind/body medicine can be effective in a number of different conditions in which surgeries and medications are ineffective.”

Academic researchers have recently found that meditation may provide a broad array of benefits   everything from relieving pain to fighting the flu. But many of the studies are preliminary. And skeptics warn against seeing these treatments as a panacea.
Richard Sloan, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University says it is fine for patients to pray or meditate if it makes them feel better.

But he adds, “The question is whether there’s any evidence that it has any medical benefit, and the answer generally is ‘No, it doesn’t have any particular medical benefit.’ ”

Tell that to Hilbert.

“Meditation gives me the energy and the strength to do all the things I do in my life,” she says, “and my life is very full.”
Source:ABC News

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Suppliments our body needs

Selenium

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What is selenium?…..click & see
An essential trace element, selenium is nonmetallic, gray in appearance, and similar to sulfur in its chemical composition. It is often available in single or multivitamin supplements.

Why do we need it?
Selenium is needed to activate a number of hormones produced by the thyroid gland. It also activates an antioxidant enzyme called glutathione peroxidase, which may help protect the body from cancer, and has been shown to induce “apoptosis” (programmed cell death) in cancer cells. Selenium also plays a vital role in the functioning of the immune system. Studies have found that selenium supplementation stimulates the activity of white blood cells. It also enhances the effect of vitamin E, one of three vitamins that act as antioxidants.

How much selenium should I take?
According to the National Academy of Sciences, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of selenium is as follows:

Adult men: 55 micrograms/day
Adult women: 55 micrograms/day
Children aged 7-10: 30 micrograms/day
Infants: between 10-15 micrograms/day
Pregnant/lactating women: between 65-75 micrograms/day


What are some good sources of selenium?
Brazil nuts are the best source of selenium. Yeast, whole grains, garlic and seafood are also good sources. Some vegetables may contain considerable amounts of selenium depending on the content of selenium in the soil.

What can happen if I don’t get enough selenium?
While most people do not consume enough selenium on a daily basis, severe deficiency is rare. Soils in some areas are selenium deficient, and people who eat foods grown primarily on selenium-poor soils can be at greater risk for deficiency. The most notable condition caused by selenium deficiency is Keshan disease, which causes an abnormality of the heart muscle. Some studies have shown that patients with AIDS have abnormally low levels of selenium. Other research has demonstrated an association between heart disease and depleted levels of selenium.

What can happen if I take too much?
Taking large amounts (more than 1,000 micrograms) of selenium per day can cause the loss of fingernails, teeth, and hair; nausea; and fatigue. In conjunction with iodine-deficiency induced goiter, selenium supplementation has been reported to increase the severity of low thyroid function.

Source:CheroFind.com

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Therapetic treatment

Foot Problems

What causes foot problems?

Your feet are extremely complex structures composed of bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, and skin. They may develop certain disorders (some of which originate in other parts of the body). They are also subject to injuries and other problems caused by normal wear and tear over years of supporting the weight of your body and making it possible for you to stand, walk, run, and jump.

The most obvious symptoms of foot trouble are pain and dysfunction (limping, favoring one foot or the other, inability to put weight on the heel and/or the toes). Foot pain can be due to ill-fitting, inappropriate footwear that cramps your feet; injuries that keep you from walking well–or at all; sprains which stretch or tear ligaments (which connect bones); and stress fractures of bones in the foot, which can result from accidents or overuse while engaging in sports or exercise. Just as foot disorders may originate elsewhere in the body, problems experienced in the feet can cause difficulties in other parts of the body.

How can foot problems endanger other parts of your body?

Foot pain and dysfunction caused by illness or injury can force you to modify your gait (the way you walk) and create significant stresses on the joints of your legs, hips, and lower spine. Your feet are the foundation for your entire body. When they suffer from pain, misalignments, malformations, and malfunctions, your whole body is placed in jeopardy. Even without pain, foot dysfunction can cause your whole body to overcompensate, which can lead to back pain and even headache, not to mention the emotional stress of discomfort and limitations on movement that can spread from the feet upward.

Who suffers from foot problems?

No one is safe from foot problems. But older or overweight individuals, diabetics, and serious athletes and dancers who place great demands on their feet are more prone to foot disorders than others are. If you are troubled by chronic or recurrent foot pain and/or dysfunction, you would be wise to consult a chiropractor, who has experience relieving such pain and preventing it from causing even more painful and disabling joint, muscle, connective tissue, and nerve problems in other areas of your body.

What can chiropractic do?

A chiropractor can help you overcome foot and ankle problems that can cause additional problems in other structures: your legs, hips, lower back. Your chiropractor will employ a number of diagnostic tests, including examining your gait and foot function, and take a thorough history to assess the nature of your foot problem. He or she will palpate (move) your feet and ankles to measure any limitations in range of motion, to identify what is causing your pain, and determine the best course of treatment or if referral to a specialist is called for.

Chiropractic adjustments of your feet–and elsewhere in your body, as required–can restore function and relieve pain. As a result, other body structures can be relieved of or protected from painful disorders stemming from or causing your foot problems. In addition, your chiropractor may recommend shoe inserts (orthotics) to help solve some of your foot problems and can provide nutritional and lifestyle counseling that could help reduce biological and psychological stresses on your body as a whole, improving your overall well-being, including your foot health.

Source:ChiroFind.com

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Ailmemts & Remedies Pediatric

Child Feverish? Keep cool

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Even in an age of medical sophistication, there still exists fear and misunderstanding about fever in children. “Fever phobia” makes it difficult for parents to know when to be worried and when to stay calm when the thermometer starts to climb. Take the following true/false quiz; knowing the facts will help take the worry about caring for a feverish child.

Any temperature over 98.6 degrees is a fever………..CLICK & SEE

FALSE. Most doctors feel that a temperature is not considered a fever until it is at least 100.4 degrees F. taken twice, thirty minutes apart, and the child is unbundled, quiet, and in a normally cooled room. Many body variables determine a child’s “normal” temperature. For example, temperatures up to 101 degrees F can be caused by exercise, excessive clothing, a hot bath, or hot weather. Warm foods or drinks can also raise an oral temperature. In addition, a child’s temperature may vary depending on the time of day it is taken (higher at night) and the age of the child (younger children generally have somewhat higher temperatures than school-age children.) A young child’s thermostat is far more sensitive than an adult’s; consequently a 1040F temperature in a 9 month old is equivalent to about 1010F in an adult.

Placing a hand on a child’s forehead is an accurate way to read a fever.

FALSE. Studies have shown that most parents could tell if their child did not have a fever by touch, but could not tell how high body temperature was if their child did have a fever. Fever makes the child’s face hot and a 101 degree temperature might feel the same as a 103 degree F temperature.

High fever can cause brain damage.

FALSE. There have been numerous scientific studies done to show that fever is not harmful at levels seen with most infections. Temperatures reaching 104 degrees F are commonly found in athletes during strenuous exercise. Therefore, it is not true that fever causes brain or any other organ damage. Certain infections, such as meningitis and encephalitis, may damage the brain, but it is the infection and not the fever that caused the problem.

Fevers can trigger seizures

TRUE Actually it is not the height of the fever that causes febrile convulsions but how fast it goes up or down. Only 20% of youngsters are susceptible to this type of seizure which occurs more frequently if there is a family history of seizures with fever. They are unusual after the age of three years.

Any fever in a child under two months is important

TRUE. Because of their immature immune system, a young infant will not handle infections well and may not show any other signs of a serious illness other than the fever. Therefore, when a little one has a temperature over 100 degrees, the youngster’s physician will want to know what other symptoms are present (poor feeding, vomiting, pale color, lethargy, etc.) and may want to examine the infant to determine the source of the fever.

All fevers should be treated

FALSE. Remember, fever is not an illness but a symptom and almost never harms a child. The only reason to lower a youngster’s temperature is to make the child more comfortable or avoid a febrile seizure (in the seizure prone child). New research has shown that fever may actually be beneficial. Elevated body temperature increases metabolism and produces infection fighting cells. Viruses have been seen to explode under a microscope in 104 degree F heat. Some antibiotics work better in the presence of a fever. Therefore, lowering body temperature may prolong the illness!The best advice when dealing with fever is to “treat the child, not the thermometer.”

The higher the temperature, the more serious the illness.

FALSE. The numbers on the thermometer do not indicate the severity of the disease. A youngster could have walking pneumonia or an ear infection with no temperature and meningitis with 101 degrees F. On the other hand, pediatricians see children many times a day with fevers over 104 degrees F caused by a viral infection that will run its course without treatment. The general condition of the child is the main determining factor between a “very sick” and a “somewhat ill” youngster, not the youngster’s temperature.

A child’s behavior is a better indicator of sickness than temperature.

TRUE Probably the best indicator of a child’s illness is their level of activity and behavior. A youngster whose temperature is 104 degrees F but seems active and normal is probably healthier than a child who is listless, refuses food or drink, and has a body temperature of 101 degrees F. Fever is one sign of illness but it is certainly not the only or the best one.

Teething causes fever.

FALSE Sorry grandma, but there is very little scientific evidence to prove that teething causes a fever. Although some physicians feel that the baby’s inflamed gums can cause a low grade fever, the temperature is probably caused by a mild viral infection modified by maternal antibody’s passed on to the baby during the pregnancy.

An alcohol rub is a safe way to reduce a fever

FALSE The alcohol rub is now considered dangerous since alcohol can be absorbed through the skin and cause intoxication. The best ways to lower temperature include:

* Pushing fluids. Babies should continue drinking breast milk or formula; older children can have water, juice, Jell-O, ice cubes, Popsicles, or flat 7UP.

* Keeping them cool by removing heavy clothing and blankets and by turning on a fan.

* Giving medication to lover fever such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

* Trying a sponge bath that contains an inch or two of lukewarm water.

One medication to avoid is in lowering body temperature is aspirin (including children’s aspirin), which has been linked with Reye’s syndrome in children and teens. This serious viral illness develops as flulike symptoms and can cause brain damage and, in some cases, death.

A child with a fever should not receive a routine immunization.

FALSE Immunizations are only contraindicated when the illness causing the fever is severe. A mild illness (such as an ear infection) is not a reason to withhold a vaccine, even if the child has a fever.

It is difficult to eliminate all the myths regarding fever. Nevertheless, it is important for parents to realize that they should not panic when their youngster develops a temperature. The only time to worry about fever is if the child is less than two months old.

Source:KidsGrowth.com

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