Archive for December, 2009

Are hair loss treatments just one big scam?

hair_lossThe hair loss industry is not one that inspires great confidence in most people. Are there no genuine treatments that sufferers can turn to in a bid to treat the ravages of premature hair loss? The simple answer is YES, there are several safe, affordable, accessible and effective hair loss treatments currently available. Some have even been approved by FDA for the treatment of hair loss conditions while others draw on natural remedies as the basis for commercially available products.

Given the fact that premature or excessive hair loss is often associated with underlying medical conditions, this is perhaps not the most sensible course of action.

Once the cause of hair loss has been properly diagnosed you will be in a position to choose a suitable form of treatment. This may range from the prescription of drugs aimed at balancing disrupted hormone levels to the topical application of minoxidil to reduce the symptoms of male pattern baldness.

Hair loss may be caused by many factors including changing hormone levels, illness, stress, overuse of strong chemicals, excessive traction, poor grooming practices, side effects of medical treatment, poor nutrition, weak immune system and the effects of aging..

The next article in this series will look closely at the various causes of excessive hair loss and outline suggested treatments that are both affordable and accessible. If you take only two things from this article, please take these suggestions on board:

1. Always seek the advice of your physician before undergoing a hair loss treatment regime.

2. Don’t despair, there’s often a simple explanation for excessive hair loss and even hereditary loss or male pattern-type baldness can be treated successfully for most people nowadays.

Antioxidant

antioxidantAn antioxidant is a chemical that reduces the rate of particular oxidation reactions in a specific context, where oxidation reactions are chemical reactions that involve the transfer of electrons from a substance to an oxidizing agent.

Antioxidants are particularly important in the context of organic chemistry and biology: all living cells contain complex systems of antioxidant chemicals and/or enzymes to prevent chemical damage to the cells’ components by oxidation.

A diet containing antioxidants from plants are required for good health since plants are an important source of organic antioxidant chemicals. Antioxidants are widely used as ingredients in dietary supplements that are used for health purposes such as preventing cancer and heart disease.

Antioxidants are chemicals that reduce oxidative damage to cells and biochemical. Researchers have found high correlation between oxidative damage and the occurrence of disease. For example, LDL oxidation is associated with cardiovascular disease. Research suggests that consumption of antioxidant-rich foods reduces damage to cells and biochemical from free radicals.

Many nutraceutical and health food companies now sell forms of antioxidants as dietary supplement. These supplements may include specific antioxidant chemicals, like resveratrol (from grape seeds), combinations of antioxidants, like the “ACES” products that contain beta carotene (provitamin A), vitamin C, vitamin E and Selenium, or specialty herbs that are known to contain antioxidants such as green tea and jiaogulan.

Alternative Medicine – What Happens During Acupuncture Treatment

accupuntureAcupuncture is one of several popular alternative therapies tracing its roots to traditional medicine in China more than 5,000 years ago.

1. The Basis Of Acupuncture, The treatment assumes something called qi (pronounced key) – energy in living beings that passes through twelve meridians or invisible energy lines in the body. The key component of acupuncture treatment is the insertion of needles into key points on the meridian lines to renew balance. These extremely thin, metallic needles are aimed at specific anatomical points and controlled manually or by electrical stimulation. An individual usually feels relaxed and energized after acupuncture.

2. Increasing Acceptance, Increasing acceptance of acupuncture was highlighted by the National Health Interview Survey in 2002, which indicated that the number of American adults turning to the treatment surged from 2.1 million in 2001 to about 8.2 million the following year.

3. How Does It Really Work? Acupuncture reportedly induces the release of endorphins in the body, relieving an indivudal from pain. Many common ailments and undesirable conditions are addressed by acupuncture treatment.

4. Procedure, Variations of the treatment may involve use of herbal medicine – capsules, tablets or tea made from Chinese herbs to boost the therapy. Some practitioners also integrate cupping – a suction effect created with the use of glass cups on the skin, in part to promote blood circulation and continuous qi flow.

This concern, combined with statements from the NIH and other government and health organizations that side effects from acupuncture are significantly lower, has made more individuals turn to the treatment, particularly for pain relief. Several studies have also shown how acupuncture has helped patients with osteoarthritis, post-chemotherapy nausea and even depression.

A Full Body Detox

body_detoxBody detox is among the best ways of keeping ourselves clean and healthy, besides other methods such as special diets, vitamin supplements, natural therapies, and so on. Bodies cleanse or body detox is also a great way to give your body a boost after a night of over-indulgence, eating all the wrong foods and consuming more alcohol than is healthy.  That is why body detox is needed because some mortals are having this kind of lifestyle.

The human body has a built in detox system that removes harmful substances from the body through excretion but when we put pressure on it by eating unhealthy foods, drinking too much alcohol and not getting enough sleep the system is weakened. A full body detox diet plan using raw vegetables and fresh fruits is especially recommended for young individuals whose bodies have been subjected to high levels of alcohol, burgers and pizzas.

There are numerous other methods to detox your body, such as through herbal tea and supplements, in addition to specialized diets and spa programs. Exercise increases oxygen to your system and raises your body temperature, in effect combining oxygen therapy and hyperthermia.

Some methods are used individually as body detox solutions while other individuals use several methods together to achieve the best possible results. If you want to receive optimum results from your detox, you should consider taking some supplements for detox.

While our body is not totally defenseless against toxins as we have an effective built-in natural detoxification system but body detox is still a must to help keep your body free of toxins. One of the much-desired benefits of body detox is weight loss. In conclusion, making your own home remedy for body detox is much better and less expensive way to pursue long term health as compared to eating detox pills.