healthbriefs
Why Folk Remedies Rock W
hat do white tea, witch hazel and rose extract—long used as natural aids for preserving youth and well-
being—have in common? They all possess potential health and beauty properties that could be simply too good to ignore, say scientists from London’s Kingston University. The researchers, working in collaboration with British beauty brand Neal’s Yard Remedies, tested 21 plant extracts and discovered that their naturally occurring substances may offer new treatments to block the progression of inflammation. The findings are promising as potential treatments for aging skin, as well as more serious illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, neurodegenerative conditions and cardiovascular and pulmonary problems. Using human cells as their model, the researchers applied three different concen-
trations of white tea (freeze-dried powder), witch hazel (dried herb) and rose extract (in a medicinal tincture) to see what effect the mixtures might have on suppressing the rogue enzymes and oxidants that play key roles in cellular inflammation and aging. All three remedies were remarkably effective in keeping inflammation in check. Whenever inflammation starts—whether as a simple cut to a finger, exposure to the sun,
chemicals or pollutants, or irritation due to an arthritic joint—the body begins to produce a protein compound called interleukin 8 that exacerbates the process. The three substances tested appear to successfully interfere with this. White tea displayed the most marked results.
LESS SLEEP MEANS LOWER GRADES
R
esearch presented in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the 25th anniversary meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, suggests that poor sleep hygiene is associated with a lower grade-point average, both in high school and college. This can be prevented, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, by cultivating habits and behaviors that promote healthy sleep, such as establishing a relaxing bedtime routine and avoiding ingesting caffeine during the afternoon and at night.
DRIED PLUMS KEEP BONES HEALTHY
W
hen it comes to improving bone health in postmenopausal
women—and people of all ages, for that matter—eating dried plums is a simple, proactive solution to help prevent fractures and osteoporosis, reports a Florida State University researcher. “During my career, I have tested numerous fruits, including figs, dates, strawberries and raisins, and none of them come anywhere close to having the effect on bone density that dried plums, or prunes, have,” says Bahram H. Arjmandi, The Florida State University’s Margaret A. Sitton Professor and chair of the Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences.
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tested two groups of postmenopausal women over a 12-month period. The first group of 55 women consumed 100 grams of dried plums (about 10 prunes) each day, while the second, control group of 45 women ate 100 grams of dried apples. All partici- pants also received daily doses of calcium (500 milligrams) and vitamin D (400 international units). The group that consumed dried plums had significantly higher bone mineral density in the ulna (one of two long bones in the forearm) and spine, compared with the group that ate dried apples. According to Arjmandi, this was due in part to the ability of dried plums to sup- press the rate of bone resorption, or breakdown, which tends to exceed the rate of new bone growth as people age.
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