Foods for healthy hair

Hair loss can be down to hormonal changes, a medical condition, stress or nutritional deficiencies. Experts recommend foods with antioxidant flavonoids to strengthen hair follicles, iron-rich foods to boost red blood cells, and protein and silica-abundant foods to promote hair growth. Hair loss and thinning may be distressing, simple dietary changes could be all it takes to prevent fall outs, according to Neal's Yards Remedies' team of naturopaths, herbalists and nutritional therapists.

Mango-it provides the mineral silica, which is a component of connective tissue that helps to strengthen hair and promote its growth. Having two slices of mango as a snack can strengthen hair tissue and promote growth. Sprinkling a tablespoon of flaxseeds over meals nourishes hair and prevents it from becoming weak or brittle.

Foods derived from soy, such as edamame beans and tempeh, are thought to inhibit the formation of a hormone known as dihydrotestosterone (DHT). An imbalance of DHT Collage contribute to hair loss.
Eggsis full of protein, eggs help to boost collagen production. Collagen surrounds hair strands, but breaks down as people age, leaving them vulnerable to breaking. Iron ensures healthy red blood cell production, while L-lysine facilitates iron absorption. A deficiency in both can impact hair loss.

Figs are a great source of iron, which is essential for healthy hair growth and shiny locks. Other good sources include dried fruits and berries. Flaxseeds - high in omega-3, these help nourish hair, which prevents it from drying out and becoming weak. Pumpkin seed-protein-rich seeds provide zinc, which supports cellular reproduction and enhances immunity, leading to hair growth.

Berries-high in collagen-boosting vitamin C, berries aid iron absorption. Vitamin C boosts scalp circulation, while its antioxidant action protects follicles from free-radical damage. Creamy avocados supply vitamin E, which increases oxygen uptake and improves circulation to the scalp to promote healthy hair growth. Leafy greens like greens such as Swiss chard, watercress, spinach and cabbage, promote the production of keratin, which is a hair protein that strengthens follicles.
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How diabetes causes fracture

Type 2 diabetes is known to be a risk factor for bone fractures. New research in animal models by a team of scientists at UC San Francisco, UC Davis, and UC Berkeley suggests that the disease compromises the collagen within bones, making the bones less flexible and more likely to break.
Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

Adults with Type 2 diabetes have a higher fracture risk for a given bone density, which is otherwise the main clinical predictor of fracture risk. This is a widespread and growing issue now that these individuals are living longer with better insulin management.

Fields and colleagues looked at factors outside of bone density that could explain bone fragility in diabetes. In healthy bones, networks of collagen fibers stretch and slide in response to strain, which helps the bones resist cracking. But hyperglycemia in diabetes leads to the accumulation of advanced glycation end products, which bind collagen fibers to each other and impair their stretching and sliding, according to the new findings.

The researchers examined bones from the lower back and forearm of lean, obese and diabetic obese rat models. They imaged the bones with high-resolution CT scans, tested their biomechanical properties, and measured the collagen networks' response to strain using small-angle X-ray scattering at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Advanced Light Source.

They then simulated the contribution of these various factors to bone strength using supercomputers at the Texas Advanced Computing Center at the University of Texas. Both the obese rats and the diabetic obese rats had overall weaker bones for a given bone mineral content. In obese rats, the reduced strength was attributable to structural deficits, such as changes to the microarchitecture of the bones and inefficient distribution of bone mass.

In the diabetic obese rats, however, these structural deficits were compounded by material deficits -changes to the collagen networks that were previously not well documented. By comparing the obese rats with the diabetic obese rats, the researchers could isolate the effect of hyperglycemia on bone fragility. In the forearm bones, for example, the collagen changes were responsible for significant reductions in the elastic, yield and ultimate tensile properties of the bone tissue.

The researchers note that they did not study animals with an advanced duration and severity of diabetes, which may limit generalizability, but they expect that long-term diabetes would only further impair bone strength.
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Effects of smoking on facial beauty

The latest evidence shows that smoking actually makes you less attractive to the opposite sex. Telltale wrinkles from puffing on a cigarette may be to blame for people judging non-smokers to be better-looking.This was the result of a study asking people to pick the most attractive of twins where one smoked and the other did not. Men found female non-smokers the most attractive in two-thirds of cases, while women chose non-smoking men as the most attractive.

Smoking can speed up the normal ageing, even after only a decade. Nicotine causes narrowing of the blood vessels in the outermost layers of the skin, while the chemicals in tobacco smoke damage collagen and elastin, fibres which give the skin its elasticity. The wrinkles this causes are added to by facial expressions made when smoking- such as pursing the lips when inhaling or squinting to keep smoke out of your eyes.

To test if smokers did look worse, the researchers asked more than people to pick the smoker and non-smoker from sets of twins. After finding smokers were easily identified, they created prototype pictures to make sure the twins’ facial expressions or poses could not alter the results. Using these images, tweaked by a computer to standardise how smokers and non-smokers looked, they asked which people found ‘more attractive’. The results show men and women both found the opposite sex more attractive when they did not smoke. But women also judged other females who did not smoke as more beautiful.
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Age and diseases may be responsible for curve penis

According to a doctor, the penis can become curve naturally as a man gets older, it can be a sign of a serious disease which has recently been linked to cancer. Some men have a more bent penis for a harmless reason-the two tubes that fill with blood to give an erection can be different sizes. The skin on the organ can affect how curved it appears, aging makes skin gets looser, the curve can look more pronounced.

But a bent penis can be a symptom of a condition known as Peyronie's disease, which is estimated to affect up to seven percent of males. Researchers recently linked this with a higher risk of various cancers-including testicular, melanoma and stomach. Signs of  Peyronie's include scar tissue, a significant bend, erection problems and pain.

When the penis becomes erect, it's because two tubes called the corpora cavernosa fill up with blood,
the resultant curve may not be too noticeable when a man is flaccid but become more obvious when he is hard. As we all age, the skin all over our body produces less collagen and as a result, the skin becomes thinner and more fragile and starts to sag. So the natural curve can be more prominent as the skin hangs down looser.

Peyronie's disease occurs when a scar formation in penis prevents straight erection. It can make sex painful and cause erectile dysfunction. But in many cases men have no recollection of a specific trauma. In some, Peyronie's comes on gradually and doesn't seem to be related to an injury. Researchers therefore suspect it can be related to genes. In some men, injury and genetics could both be involved.

A recent study of different men found Peyronie's disease brought a higher risk of testicular cancer by 40 percent, melanoma by 29 percent and stomach cancer by 40 percent. A gene that may trigger the complaint could also be linked to the development of tumors.
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Grape seed can reduce tooth loss

A natural compound found in grapes has been found to strengthen teeth and prevent tooth decay. Grape seed extract,
a byproduct of the wine making industry has been linked to reduction in tooth extractions.

The extract has been found to toughen dentin, the tissue that makes up the bulk of the tooth which lies beneath the hard external enamel.

Tooth decay occur when acid is produced from plaque, which builds up on teeth. When we consume food high in sugar the bacteria in plaque turn the sugar into energy they need to produce acid.

If the plaque is allowed to build up, the acid can begin to break down the surface of tooth, causing cavities. The cavity begins to eat away at the second level of tooth material that lies beneath the enamel: the dentin.

Damage collagen can repair itself with a combination of plant-based oligomeric proanthocyanidins – flavonoids found in most foods and vegetables and extracts from grape seeds.

How to remove impact of stress on your skin

 Stress can cause dry, flaky and acne on skin surface by releasing damaging free radicals and hormone like cortisol that speed up aging skin, eczema and psoriasis

Frowning and clenching of jaw when we are stressed increase wrinkles and cause premature ageing of the skin.

Prolonged stress can slow down the production of collagen and elastin, leading to sagging.

 Facial massage is one of the ways of managing skin stress, it helps in blood circulation and prevents toxins from the complexion.

Smiling or laughing can reduce effects of stress on your skin. Taking warm bath before bed can also revive your skin.

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High sugar intake and your facial beauty

High sugar intake can cause obesity, chronic disease, tooth decay, cause wrinkles on your face and change your complexion.

Glycation is when sugar in your bloodstream bonds onto proteins in the body. The more sugar we eat, the more glycation end products we produce.

Since collagen that keeps our skin plump and firm is the body’s most prevalent protein, it will be affected most and can result in saggy, loose and red facial skin.

Glycation can cause other skin problems, like redness, rosacea and acne. Foods with higher glycemic index
can trigger breakouts.

Sugar triggers the pancreas to produce more insulin, which increases the hormones that stimulate sebum production. Sugar changes complexion by depleting water in the cells causing dark under-eye circles.

Natural cure for high blood pressure

Having high blood pressure increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. It can also lead to other problems, like kidney failure, heart failure and blurred vision.

The British Heart Foundation said: “Blood pressure is the pressure of blood running through your arteries. You need a certain amount of pressure in your arteries to keep the blood flowing.”

Experts have revealed a supplement - which is the extract of French Maritime pine bark has been used to normalise blood pressure.

Pycnogenol was investigated in a double-blind, placebo controlled study for patients with borderline hypertension.

The participants were not yet receiving
hypotensive medication. Researchers
have revealed use of Pycnogenol over a period of eight weeks lowered blood systolic blood pressure as compared to placebo.

Experts also found diastolic pressure was found to be lowered as well. Diastolic pressure is the lowest pressure, which occurs between heartbeats when your heart is relaxing.

The innermost layer of our blood vessels are lined with collagen and elastin which help our veins to expand and contract in response to blood flow and keep blood pressure within a normal range.

Pycnogenol, French maritime pine bark extract has been shown in multiple studies to supports the production of collagen and elastin in the body which results in stronger blood vessels.

Pycnogenol improves blood pressure and kidney function in patients with diabetes and metabolic syndrome. The
active ingredients in Pycnogenol can also be extracted from peanut skin, grape seed, and witch hazel bark.