Categories
Herbs & Plants

Astragalus exscapus

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Botanical Name : Astragalus exscapus
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Galegeae
Subtribe: Astragalinae
Genus: Astragalus
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Fabales
Habitat :Astragalus exscapus is native to Central EuropeMoldavia and the Ukraine. It grows on steppe and foothills, on limestone soils.
Description:
Astragalus exscapus is a perennial herb growing to 0.3 m (1ft).
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It is in flower from Jul to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, lepidoptera.It can fix Nitrogen.
Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry soil.
Cultivation:
Requires a dry well-drained soil in a sunny position. Succeeds in poor soils. Plants are intolerant of root disturbance and are best planted in their final positions whilst still small. This plant is a sub-shrub and although it produces woody stems these tend to die back almost to the base each winter. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby. Many members of this genus can be difficult to grow, this may be due partly to a lack of their specific bacterial associations in the soil.

Propagation:
Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. A period of cold stratification may help stored seed to germinate. Stored seed, and perhaps also fresh seed, should be pre-soaked for 24 hours in hot water before sowing – but make sure that you do not cook the seed. Any seed that does not swell should be carefully pricked with a needle, taking care not to damage the embryo, and re-soaked for a further 24 hours. Germination can be slow and erratic but is usually within 4 – 9 weeks or more at 13°c if the seed is treated or sown fresh. As soon as it is large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Medicinal Uses: A decoction of the plant has been used in the treatment of syphilitic sores.

Other Uses:
A gum called morea tragacanth is obtained from the stem (see above). It has a wide range of uses including:- a thickening agent in preparing dyes for calico printing, textile dyes and for dressing fabrics, it is also a thickener in making glues, water colours, ink (where it supplies a gloss), it is a binding agent in paper making, a culture medium in laboratories etc

Known Hazards : Many members of this genus contain toxic glycosides. All species with edible seedpods can be distinguished by their fleshy round or oval seedpod that looks somewhat like a greengage. A number of species can also accumulate toxic levels of selenium when grown in soils that are relatively rich in that element.

Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astragalus
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Astragalus+exscapus

Categories
Featured Healthy Tips

Beetroot Juice Gives Stamina a Boost


Drinking beetroot juice boosts your stamina, concludes a new study, which adds that the magical drink can help you exercise for up to 16 percent longer.

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The University of Exeter led-study has for the first time shown how the nitrate contained in beetroot juice leads to a reduction in oxygen uptake, making exercise less tiring.

The study reveals that drinking beetroot juice reduces oxygen uptake to an extent that cannot be achieved by any other known means, including training.

To reach the conclusion, research team conducted their study with eight men aged between 19 and 38. They were given 500ml per day of organic beetroot juice for six consecutive days before completing a series of tests, involving cycling on an exercise bike. On another occasion, they were given a placebo of blackcurrant cordial for six consecutive days before completing the same cycling tests.

After drinking beetroot juice the group was able to cycle for an average of 11.25 minutes, which is 92 seconds longer than when they were given the placebo. This would translate into an approximate 2 percent reduction in the time taken to cover a set distance. The group that had consumed the beetroot juice also had lower resting blood pressure.

The researchers are not yet sure of the exact mechanism that causes the nitrate in the beetroot juice to boost stamina. However, they suspect it could be a result of the nitrate turning into nitric oxide in the body, reducing the oxygen cost of exercise.

Source :The research has been published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

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Categories
Diagnonistic Test

Oxygen Saturation Test

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Definition:
Your red blood cells must carry sufficient oxygen through your arteries to all of your internal organs to keep you alive. Normally, when red blood cells pass through the lungs, 95%-100% of them are loaded, or “saturated,” with oxygen to carry. If you have lung disease or other types of medical conditions, fewer of your red blood cells may be carrying their usual load of oxygen, and your oxygen saturation might be lower than 95%. Your blood oxygen level can be measured in two ways.

How  the test is performed?
An estimate of your oxygen saturation can be made easily and painlessly with a clip that fits on your finger. This clip shines a light through one side of your finger; a detector measures the light that comes through the other side. This machine can make a good guess about your oxygen saturation because blood cells that are saturated with oxygen absorb and reflect light differently than those that are not. Blood cells are a bright red when they are loaded with oxygen, and they change to a bluish color when they are no longer carrying a full load. This machine cannot give a perfect measurement of your oxygen saturation; it can give only a rough estimate, and its measurement can be affected by things as simple as red nail polish on your finger.

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A better test for measuring your oxygen saturation is an arterial blood gas test. For this test, a small sample of blood must be drawn directly out of an artery. Most routine blood tests use blood that is drawn out of a vein, so this test is a little different. The artery that is sampled most often is the radial artery in your wrist, the one you can feel when you take your pulse. To draw blood from this artery, your doctor or a technician feels your pulse before inserting the needle. Some patients find that it hurts a little more to have blood taken from an artery instead of a vein, but the procedure takes only a few seconds. Your arterial blood can be directly tested for its oxygen level, and other tests (such as the level of carbon dioxide and the pH of the blood) can be done as well.

How do you prepare for the test?
No preparation  is needed.

Risk Factors:
Measurement made with a fingerclip has no risks. The risks of an arterial blood gas test are very small. Even temporary injury to your artery is unlikely to cause a problem, because most patients pump blood to their hand through more than one artery.

Before drawing your blood, your doctor may do a brief physical examination to make sure that you still get good blood flow to your hand even when one wrist artery is blocked. To do this test, the doctor presses down first on both sides of your wrist to block blood flow, until your hand becomes pale. Then he or she lifts off the pressure from one side to see if that is enough to let your hand turn pink again.

Must you do anything special after the test is over?
You will need to have pressure held over the artery for a few minutes after the blood is drawn, because arteries are more likely than veins to bleed afterward.

How long is it before the result of the test is known?
The results of the arterial blood gas test are processed very quickly and are available within 15 minutes in most laboratories. The fingerclip estimate of oxygen is available immediately.

Resources:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diagnostic-tests/oxygen-saturation-test.htm

Categories
Exercise Featured Healthy Tips

Deep Breathing For Fast Back Pain Relief

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Deep breathing practice is essential to our overall general health. It can provide fast back pain relief for two very important reasons:

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1) It accelerates the intake of oxygen and puts more oxygen into your bloodstream to feed your cells.
2) It helps the lymph system eliminate the waste products produced by the cells.

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Oxygen Food For Your Body‘s Cells

Oxygen is the most important chemical in the body. Its main function is to purify the cells. It is like a food for the cells.

Amazingly, the body requires about 88 pounds of oxygen a day. Deep breathing recharges the hemoglobin which is the red element in the blood. Hemoglobin, an iron molecule that is magnetic, reacts to vibration to produce the oxygen carrying component of the blood.

We take approximately 21,600 breaths of air each day. It is said that the slower and deeper your breathing, the longer the life span. Deep rhythmic breathing is like a natural tranquilizer and can be used to reduce stress and release pain.

The movement created by deep breathing stimulates the blood throughout the body. With deep breathing, more oxygen is carried into your bloodstream. Then more wastes and toxins are removed. And if you are afflicted with pain, you may experience more relief from your pain.

When the cells are starved for oxygen, they are weak. They do not function enough to eliminate the 70% of the wastes produced your body they were intended.

Also, your cells need a lot of oxygen to create the energy-storing molecule, Adenosine TriPhosphate (ATP), which fuels your body and gives it the energy needed to be healthy.

ATP is the energy source that keeps everything going. It powers virtually every activity of each cell in your body including the mechanical work performed by your muscles.

Without Adenosine TriPhosphate your bodies would shut down. And without oxygen, there would be no Adenosine TriPhosphate.

The Lymph System – “Your Body’s Garbage Removal System”

Your Lymph System circulates all the toxins and waste products in your cells.

Did you know you have 4 times more lymph than you do blood in your body. As you know, you have a heart to pump your blood. But your lymph system has no pump to remove your bodys waste products. The only way lymph moves and is cleansed in your body is by exercising and deep breathing.

According to Dr. Jack Shields, a Lymphologist, deep breathing that moves your diaphragm sucks lymph up through your thoracic tract and stimulates the lymph in your body. He says that deep breathing is 10 times more effective than any other activity in stimulating the lymph system and doing its “garbage removal job” for the cells in your body.

Conclusion
As you can see deep breathing is important to your cell health. It can go a long way to reduce your back pain fast by removing toxins and fueling your cells. However, it does take a bit of practice to do deep breathing correctly.

Most of us do not breathe deeply. We only breathe in the upper chest, and it is in the lower chest where the blood supply is richer and where we can produce more “food” for our cells.

So look for an article in the near future to help you do proper deep breathing. It can change your life – not only to reduce your back pain but also to improve your health in every way.

Sources:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/
why-deep-breathing-for-fast-back-pain-relief-582458.html

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