CHEWING GUM LINKED TO HEADACHE ? YES !

Headache can have many different causes : stress , fatigue, hormonal problems , and so on and so forth. Also chewing gum consumption can cause headache.

This is the clear result of a study on 30 teen- agers, victims of recurring headaches, that stopped consuming chewing gum.

The study showed, after one month without chewing gum,  significant improvements in the intensity and frequency of headaches for 7 individuals , and complete resolution of headache for 19 individuals. 

All those teen agers who have next resumed chewing gum consumption, had a bad surprise: headache again!

The relationship between chewing gum consumption and headache has been attributed by some experts to the contents of aspartame, which, however, is present in other foods, such as “light” sweetened beverages in higher amounts than in chewing gum. Another possible cause can be the overloading of the temporomandibular joint, due to prolonged use of masticatory muscles.

So, if you are always fighting with headache ... pay attention to chewing gum! Maybe, this is the long-awaited solution to headache!

Source:

American Friends of Tel Aviv University. (2013 , December 30). " Chewing gum is Often the culprit for migraine headaches in teens - 87 percent who quit experience significant relief" Medical News Today. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/270524 .

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ANXIETY ? THE MOST EFFECTIVE REMEDIES

Dietary supplements and herbs have proven to be effective natural remedies for treating anxiety and related disorders, without the side effects of anxiolytics. 

Which are the most effective natural remedies ?

Anxiety and related disorders, such as sleep disorders, are very common, even among the youngest.

While for occasional anxiety the use of natural remedies is frequent, in the case of most relevant anxiety disorders, psychotherapy and / or anxiolytic treatments are required.

Unfortunately anxiolytic drugs can cause unwanted side effects and, in some cases, dependence and abuse.

Considering these important side effects of anxiolytics, it is important to analyze which of the natural remedies (herbs , food supplements) on the market can be really effective in treating anxiety and anxiety disorders.

Unfortunately, in fact, in this period of economic crisis, people, hearing often different conflicting opinions about the effectiveness of natural remedies, tend to opt for the anxiolytic drugs, which may appear more effective and less expensive.

Considering a systematic review of 24 clinical studies on natural remedies for anxiety, conducted in part on patients who had been diagnosed with either an anxiety disorder or depression, and in part on healthy volunteers, results are really interesting.

Dietary supplements and herbs have proven to be effective natural remedies for treating anxiety and related disorders (insomnia, depressive symptoms , etc.).

But in particular, among various natural remedies investigated, extracts of passionflower and kava–kava and the combination of L-lysine and L-arginine showed to be the most effective in the treatment of anxiety.

For magnesium supplements and other herbal combinations, further evidences on their effectiveness for anxiety treatment are required.

St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum), successfully used for mood disorders, in monotherapy did not show to be effective against anxiety.

In conclusion, pointing out that in some countries, like Italy, selling kava-kava products has been prohibited since 2002, as a precautionary measure, and remembering that supplementation with amino acids can activate pathways that promote cell growth, passionflower seems to be the safest and most effective natural remedy for anxiety.

Sources:

Nutritional and herbal supplements for anxiety and anxiety- related disorders: systematic review

Lakhan and Vieira Nutrition Journal 2010 , 9:42

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GASTRITIS? IF YOU USE ANTIACIDS, PAY ATTENTION TO VITAMIN B12 !

Long-term intake of antacid drugs , commonly used for gastritis and for gastroesophageal reflux disease , seems to be linked to vitamin B12 deficiency .

Antiacids are commonly used to neutralize stomach acid and are an important tool to reduce the symptoms and damage due to gastritis and gastroesophageal reflux disease .

Unfortunately, a new study published from the journal JAMA , conducted on a sample of large size, highlights the downside about the long-term use of these medicines.

The long-term intake, for 2 years or more, of antacids, including a standard PPI ( proton pump inhibitors ) seems to be associated with vitamin B12 deficiency .

The lowering of gastric acidity may in fact be one of the causes of malabsorption of vitamin B12, which is essential for the health of the nervous system.

The deficiency of Vitamin B12 is normally widespread in the population , especially in the elderly.

This study , however, showed a significant association between long-term use of antacids and vitamin B12 deficiency in women and young people, identifying a new group at risk.

This association has " regressed " as a result of the interruption of antacid use .

The vitamin B12 deficiency , if untreated, can lead to dementia, neurological damage, pernicious anemia and other complications, sometimes fatal . In case of pregnancy it is also likely to have very dangerous effects on the unborn child.

In addition to a careful vigilance by clinicians, it is therefore essential a correct information of patients, because a very large number of people use antiacids, some of which are available without a prescription of clinicians.

Finally , we recall the dietary sources of Vitamin B12: it is in all foods of animal origin in small quantities, particularly in liver, meat, fish, in milk and eggs.

For this reason, vitamin B12 deficiency is common in those who practice a strict vegetarian or vegan diet, case in which dietary supplements of Vitamin B12 are necessary.

Its minimum daily requirement , normally covered by a balanced diet, is at least 2 mg per day.

Sources:

Ellis, M. (2013 , December 11). " Long-term antacid use linked to vitamin B12 deficiency . " Medical News Today. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270007 .

http://www.epicentro.iss.it

WALNUTS: NATURAL AID, EFSA SAID, FOR BLOOD VESSELS AND CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM

Walnuts help to improve the elasticity of blood vessels and to maintain cardiovascular health .

Walnuts are an old " home remedy " that, judging by the evidence, is absolutely not to be abandoned .

Walnuts are one of the few foods , and therefore complex matrices , which can currently boast an health claim authorized by EFSA ( European Food Safety Authority ), that therefore can also be written on product labels.

The health claim approved by EFSA on the function of blood vessels, according to which "walnuts contribute to the improvement of the elasticity of blood vessels", despite not being supported by an undisputed mechanism of action, has been authorized for strong evidence in favor of the effect of walnuts on normal endothelial function , which is essential for the prevention of thrombosis and atherosclerosis.

In particular interventional studies on healthy subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes showed a sustained effect of wanuts consumption on improving the "endothelium-dependent vasodilation ," the most studied endothelial function.

Based on the scientific evidences, the daily dose needed to get the effect shown in the claim is of 30 grams of walnuts, which can be consumed in the context of a balanced diet .

The only other nutrient that currently can boast a claim authorized by EFSA on the function of blood vessels in the label is Vitamin C, which is fundamental for collagen synthesis and therefore for the structure of blood vessels , and not only .

So off to walnuts, they are friends of  blood vessels and rich in nutrients such as high-quality omega-3 fatty acids , which are also essential for cardiovascular health.

Source:

EFSA Journal 2011

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