bone strength Archives - Amazing Health Advances

How to Improve Your Bone, Skin and Hair Health Naturally

AHA Publisher — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 08:00:28 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – Horsetail – a tall, shaggy weed that grows in wetlands and woodlands throughout North America – may not appear particularly valuable, attractive, or therapeutic. Yet this common plant, botanically known as Equisetum arvense, has been valued by natural healers since the days of the Greek and Roman empires – and for a good reason. Did you know that the leaves of horsetail feature an extremely high concentration of silica, a mineral necessary for the growth and maintenance of bones? And that’s not all. A recent scientific study has highlighted the impressive antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of this plant. Let’s see how these properties translate into 21st-century applications and health benefits. Great Way to Improve Your Bone and Joint Health Horsetail contains an array of minerals needed for bone health, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, phosphorus, and – most importantly – silica. Silica – a combination of silicon and oxygen – accounts for 25 percent of the plant’s weight. Natural health experts maintain that this mineral can help promote bone strength and facilitate the healing of fractures. Research has been encouraging. Animal studies have shown that horsetail improves the density of bones, making them less susceptible to fracture. In addition, recent cell studies suggest that horsetail may even help discourage osteoporosis. The researchers reported that horsetail inhibited bone cells called osteoclasts – which break down bone through resorption – while stimulating the activity of bone-building osteoblasts. By the way, anti-inflammatory compounds in horsetail – such as epicatechins and kynurenic acid – may help ease the pain, swelling, and stiffness of arthritic joints. Best-Kept Beauty Secret: Silica Promotes Thicker, Shinier Hair and Stronger Nails The benefits of horsetail fern aren’t just medicinal but also cosmetic. Natural beauty experts have long insisted that silica-rich horsetail can help repair brittle nails and restore dull, thinning locks. After all, silica plays a role in producing collagen – a vital component of healthy hair, skin, and nails – and research suggests that raising the level of silicon in hair fibers may help prevent hair loss while increasing brightness and sheen. The antioxidants in horsetail help reduce the damage caused by free radicals, thereby limiting the premature aging and “wear-and-tear” of hair fibers. In an influential three-month study published in The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, women who complained of thinning hair were given a formulation high in horsetail-derived silica. The participants experienced increased hair growth and strength compared to the control group – with no adverse effects reported. Horsetail also benefits the fingernails by decreasing fragility, breakage, and unsightly ripples and grooves. Thicker, more lustrous hair and stronger, smoother fingernails – what’s not to love about that? Soothe Inflamed Gums and Boost Oral Health With Horsetail Research has shown that horsetail has potent activity against bacteria and fungi, including the Candida albicans fungus that causes oral thrush. It also has astringent effects, meaning that it can shrink inflamed tissues. As a result, natural healers advise using horsetail tea as an oral rinse to ease mouth sores and tender, irritated gums. For a soothing mouthwash, steep a teaspoon or two of dried horsetail in 8 ounces of boiling water for 5 to ten minutes. After being strained and cooled, the liquid can be used as a gargle. (If you prefer, you can simply brew horsetail tea using a pre-packaged commercial product). Incidentally, natural healers may also advise horsetail tea to treat fevers, bronchitis, flu, and conjunctivitis. With natural diuretic properties, horsetail is also believed to support bladder health and prevent kidney stones. Horsetail Can Provide “Head-to-Toe” Beauty Benefits In addition to using horsetail tea as a mouthwash, you can employ it topically as a soak to strengthen nails, as a facial toner to refresh skin, and as a volumizing hair rinse. You can also drink the tea, with experts advising up to two cups a day. However, consuming horsetail tea for more than seven days in a row is not recommended. It can cause health problems, including vitamin B1 deficiency if used long-term. Consult your knowledgeable integrative doctor before using horsetail tea or supplements. Here’s a fun fact: Horsetail is so sturdy that it was used in bygone days to scrub pans, pewter pots, and bottles. In fact, horsetail’s traditional names – pewterwort, bottle brush, and scouring rush – reflect this use. You may also see horsetail referred to as field horsetail, mare’s tail, candock, and shavegrass. Although you may see horsetail growing wild, leave the harvesting to qualified herbalists. A similar-looking variety of horsetail – Equisetum palustre, or marsh horsetail – is known to be poisonous. Fortunately, Equisetum arvense teabags and capsules are readily accessible online or at your favorite health food store. Horsetail, when used appropriately, is a remarkable herb that can enhance health, well-being, and appearance from the “inside out.” Sources for this article include: NIH.gov Healthyfocus.org Healthline.com NIH.com Therighttea.com To read the original article click here.

The post How to Improve Your Bone, Skin and Hair Health Naturally appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Heat and Gut Microbiota Promote Stronger Bones

AHA Publisher — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 07:00:01 +0000

University of Geneva via News-Medical Net – Osteoporosis, a bone disease linked to ageing, is characterized by a loss of bone density, micro-architectural deterioration of the bones and an increased risk of fractures. With one third of postmenopausal women affected, it is a major public health problem. Through epidemiological analyses, laboratory experiments and state-of-the-art metagenomic and metabolomics tools, a research team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in Switzerland, has observed that exposure to warmer ambient temperatures (34 °C) increases bone strength, while preventing the loss of bone density typical of osteoporosis. Moreover, this phenomenon, linked to a change in the composition of gut microbiota triggered by heat, could be replicated by transplanting the microbiota of mice living in a warm environment to mice suffering from osteoporosis. Indeed, after the transplant, their bones were stronger and denser. These results, to be discovered in Cell Metabolism, make it possible to imagine effective and innovative interventions for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Many biologists are familiar with Allen’s Rule, from 19th-century naturalist Joel Asaph Allen, according to which animals living in warm areas have a larger surface area in relation to their volume than animals living in colder environment. Indeed, a larger skin surface allows better evacuation of body heat. “In one experiment, we placed newborn mice at a temperature of 34 °C in order to minimise the heat shock associated with their birth. We found that they had longer and stronger bones, confirming that bone growth is affected by ambient temperature,” explains Mirko Trajkovski, Professor at the Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism and at the Diabetes Centre of the UNIGE Faculty of Medicine, who led the study. But what about adulthood? Consistent Epidemiological Data By placing several groups of adult mice in a warm environment, the scientists observed that while bone size remained unchanged, bone strength and density were largely improved. They then repeated their experiment with mice after an ovariectomy modelling post-menauposal osteoporosis. “The effect was very interesting. The simple fact of warming the living environment of our mice protected them from the bone loss typical of osteoporosis!” (Claire Chevalier, Study First Author and Researcher in Professor Trajkovski’s Laboratory) What about human beings? The research team analysed global epidemiological data on the incidence of osteoporosis in relation to the average temperature, latitude, calcium consumption and vitamin D levels. Interestingly, they found that the higher the temperature, the fewer hip fractures –one of the main consequences of osteoporosis– regardless of other factors. “We found a clear correlation between geographical latitude and hip fractures, meaning that in the northern countries the incidence is higher compared to the warmer south”, says Mirko Trajkovski. “Normalising the analysis of the known players such as vitamin D or calcium did not modify this correlation. However, when we excluded the temperature as the determinant, the correlation was lost. This is not to say that calcium or vitamin D do not play a role, either alone or in combination. However, the determining factor is heat -or lack thereof.” How the Microbiota Adapts Specialists in the microbiota, the Geneva scientists wanted to understand its role in these metabolic modifications. To this end, they transplanted the microbiota of mice living in a 34° environment to osteoporotic mice, whose bone quality was rapidly improved. “These findings may imply an extension to Allen’s rule, suggesting elongation-independent effects of the warmth, which predominantly favours bone density and strength during adulthood through microbiota alterations”, says Mirko Trajkovski. Thanks to the state-of-the-art metagenomic tools developed in their laboratory, the scientists then succeeded in understanding the role played by microbiota. When adapts to heat, it leads to a disruption in the synthesis and degradation of polyamines, molecules that are involved in ageing, and in particular in bone health. “With heat, the synthesis of polyamines increases, while their degradation is reduced. They thus affect the activity of osteoblasts (the cells that build bones) and reduce the number of osteoclasts (the cells that degrade bones). With age and menopause, the exquisite balance between the osteoclast and osteoblast activity is disrupted,” explains Claire Chevalier. “However, heat, by acting on the polyamines, which we found to be partly regulated by the microbiota, can maintain the balance between these two cell groups.” These data therefore indicate that exposure to warmth could be a prevention strategy against osteoporosis. Developing New Treatments The influence of microbiota on metabolism is being better understood. However, in order to be able to use this knowledge to develop therapeutic strategies, scientists must identify precisely the role of particular bacteria in particular diseases. In the context of their work on osteoporosis, Professor Trajkovski’s team has been able to identify certain important bacteria. “We still need to refine our analyses, but our relatively short-term goal would be to identify candidate bacteria, and develop several ‘bacterial cocktails’ to treat metabolic and bone disorders, such as osteoporosis, but also to improve insulin sensitivity, for example,” the authors conclude. To read the original article click here.

The post Heat and Gut Microbiota Promote Stronger Bones appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.