health briefs
Try Turmeric, Ginger and Help Recover from Stroke
with Ear Acupuncture Acupuncture in the ear can help speed rehabilitation of stroke patients, researchers from the Nanjing Uni- versity of Chinese Medicine have found. In a study of 42 stroke patients, those treated with auricular acupunc- ture for just six days showed significant improvements in range of motion for arms and legs compared to those given standard acupuncture treatments and conven- tional rehabilitation.
Avoid Chlorhexidine Mouthwash to
Reduce Cavity Risk
Chlorhexidine gluconate, a mouthwash commonly prescribed by dentists to treat the swelling, redness and bleeding gums of gingivitis, actually increases acidic lev- els in the mouth, leading to an increase in cavity-causing bacteria, reports a new study from the UK University of Plymouth, published in the journal Scientific Reports. The researchers analyzed saliva and blood samples of 36 healthy people that used the chlorhexidine twice a day for seven days and compared the results to using a placebo for the same amount of time. Other recent research has found that the germicidal mouthwash disrupted the ability of oral bacteria to turn nitrate into nitrite, a key molecule for reducing blood pressure, increasing the risk of higher systolic blood pressure. Chlorhexidine has been used increas- ingly as a pre-rinse before dental procedures due to COVID-19 concerns.
July 2020 7
Black Pepper for Osteoarthritis For people suffering from the crippling pain and disability of osteo- arthritis, the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug naproxen, marketed as Aleve and other products, is a common prescrip- tion or over-the-counter medication, but it comes with side effects that can include gastrointestinal distress and higher blood pressure. In a study of 60 patients with chronic
knee osteoarthritis, researchers at Iran’s Isfahan Univer- sity of Medical Sciences compared naproxen in a double- blind trial with a turmeric extract, ginger and black pep- per combination. After two doses a day of each for four weeks, the levels of prostaglandin in patients taking the herbs matched the improvements in those patients taking naproxen. Prostaglandin levels gauge joint inflammation in osteoarthritis.
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