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Chickenpox - an overview
Overview of Chickenpox
Chickenpox is a highly contagious and very common disease that
is often described as one of the "classic" children's diseases,
because so many people suffer from it during their childhood.
However, chickenpox is...
Does Someone You Care About Have Anorexia?
Anorexia is an eating disorder that develops when someone stops
eating enough food for adequate nutrition. It can happen slowly,
over several months or even years, as when some people grow
older or develop an underlying disease like cancer. As...
Health - Top Herbal Supplements
Top Herb Supplements Sold in America
Every year millions of people try and use herbal supplements.
Herbal supplements are big business bringing in millions of
dollars each year. Herbal supplements are usually not regulated
by the government...
Pure Water--A Great Alternative to Bottled Water
Is Bottled Water the Answer? Nothing is more important to our health than drinking lots of pure water. All of the complex biochemical functions in our bodies depend on this key substance. Along with regulating the many micro-processes in our cells,...
The Truth About the Meat You Eat Pt. 1
There are so many topics to discuss which affect our health that
it is hard to choose just one at a time.
First, I want to remind everyone that the premise of this site
is Unhealthy Soil = Unhealthy Plants and Animals = Unhealthy
People.
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Hyaluronic Acid - The Latest Craze In "Natural" Skin Care
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is making news. Once again the skin care
industry is promoting the latest and greatest anti-aging
ingredient - Hyaluronic Acid as the anti-aging ingredient to
reverse the aging clock.
So what is Hyaluronic acid? How does it work? Does it work as an
anti-aging product for your skin? If so, is hyaluronic acid safe
to use or are there site effects? What forms of hyaluronic acid
are being promoted to consumers of 'natural' skin care products?
Let's start out by looking at what hyaluronic acid actually
is.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a naturally occurring biopolymer, which
serves important biological functions in bacteria and higher
animals including humans. Naturally occurring, hyaluronic acid
may be found in the tissue of higher animals, in particular as
intercellular space filler. HA is found in greatest
concentrations in the vitreous humour of the eye and in the
synovial fluid of articular joints, but is also found in the
skin, connective tissue and elsewhere in the body.
Hyaluronic acid was made 'famous' by an ABC News report in which
Connie Chung visited a Japanese village by the name of
Yuzurihara. She found that the people there were living longer,
looked younger, and were more flexible and active than their
western counterparts. These Japanese villagers, in their 80s and
90s, have smooth wrinkle-less skin, a full head of hair and
apparently no need for glasses.
So what is it, that allows these Japanese to be so much more
youthful, lead active, productive lives at their advanced age,
where as in western countries most people in their 80s and
beyond are in old-age homes?
The conclusion drawn in the ABC report was that these people ate
'sticky vegetables' and that this factor was the secret to their
apparent youth. In addition, the oestrogen-like molecules in
their diet, fermented forms of soy in miso paste and tofu, seem
to play an important role. These molecules, along with natural
oestrogen, send a signal to the fibroblast cells to make more
hyaluronic acid. But is this the whole answer? - I don't think
so, but I'll get to this a little later.
Next, let's look at what Hyaluronic acid does.
According to scientific research by a variety of Universities
and researchers, hyaluronic acid is used in the human body to
cushion and lubricate joints, eyes, the skin, and heart valves
(see http://www.ctds.info/hyaluronic_acid.html for an in-depth
look at all the different diseases, syndromes and conditions).
Some treatments, which involve the use of hyaluronic acid
include: treatment for osteoarthritis and other joint problems,
as well as a range of eye disorders, retinal detachment, and
some cardiovascular disorders.
However, it is in the ant
i-aging effect on the skin that we are focusing on in this
article and the effect hyaluronic acid seems to have on the skin
is at the level of promoting the formation of collagen. These
are the fibres that firm the skin. Now, hyaluronidase, an enzyme
that breaks down collagen fibres, is produced by free radicals
and UV radiation.
These factors breaks down fibres of collagen can cause prematu
re wrinkles and sagging of the skin. Focusing on hyaluronic
acid, it would seem reasonable therefore, that reducing the free
radicals is a major key to reducing the hyaluronidase enzyme and
secondly to promote normal levels of hyaluronic acid in the
skin.
Plant substances known as bioflavonoids, contained in foods such
as grape seed extract, blueberry, cranberry, citrus
bioflavonoids and milk thistle, etc.,
inhibit the production of
hyaluronidase, which helps to achieve the first aim of reducing
the free radicals. In addition, reducing processed foods from
our diet, increasing the level of exercise and living a more
balanced life style will help in promoting natural levels of
hyaluronic acid in our system, not just in the skin.
When considering injecting hyaluronic acid into the skin to
treat fine lines and wrinkles, we are once again loosing sight
of the holistic approach to treating our bodies and thus run a
serious risk of introducing factors, which may lead to side
effects or other health problems. Further, we also run the risk
of creating an imbalance in the chemical composition of the skin
and who knows what possible problems await us as a result.
Some known side effects of hyaluronic acid injection therapy
for aging skin include: * swelling
* infection
* redness
* tenderness
* acne
* lumps
* tissue hardening
* unknown risks when used in combination with collagen
These side effects are serious enough to reconsider using
injection therapy of hyaluronic acid as an anti-aging treatment
for the skin.
Remember too, that the people in the Japanese village do not use
injection therapy... They life an holistic life style
incorporating unprocessed foods and physical activity together
with a balanced mind-set and life style.
So where can you get a holistic source of hyaluronic acid
from?
There are a couple of ways. The first is from "starchy root
vegetables" such as the ones mentioned by the village doctor in
the ABC report which include: Satsumaimo, a type of sweet
potato; Satoimo, a sticky white potato; Konyaku, a gelatinous
root vegetable concoction; and Imoji, a potato root.
These vegetables help the cells of the body to thrive and retain
moisture. Further, they keep joints lubricated, protect the
retina of the eye and keep the skin smooth and elastic by
promoting collagen.
Another source of hyaluronic acid, for non-vegetarians, is to
eat animal parts known to contain a lot of hyaluronic acid. You
could make a broth from fish bones. That is, once you've taken
off the fillets, boil the rest of the fish, including their head
and make a fish stock. Similarly, you can make a meat broth
using animal joints, sinews and tendons, then adding a few root
and other vegetables to create a healthy, nourishing soup.
In conclusion, at Wildcrafted Herbal Products we do not believe
that adding isolated ingredients in elevated concentrations to
our natural skin care products is a preferred option. Rather,
using a holistically
natural approach to skin care and for that matter health
care is a far more preferable option.
Skin care is as much about taking care of your skin as it is
taking responsibility and care of your overall health and
wellbeing. Your skin is not an isolated part of your body and
should not be treated as such.
Again I would like to remind you of the Japanese villagers -
they do not inject themselves with hyaluronic acid, they do not
use hyaluronic acid in isolation, they do however life a
healthy, active and mostly balanced life style.
About the author:
Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine
and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and
Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products
by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of
combined expertise with you.
© Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2005
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