In 1935, Percy L. Julian (1899-1975) synthesized physostigmine, the compound that was only available in its natural source, the Calabar bean, now used in the treatment of glaucoma. This pioneering research opened a door to widespread usage of chemical materials; however, it also started a “synthetic versus natural
Author: Maya Edberg
-
Efficiency and Benefits of Massage Therapy
When health is absent…Wisdom cannot reveal itself
Art cannot become manifest
Strength cannot be exerted
Wealth is useless and reason is powerless.
HeraphiliesThe advancements in medicine have provided numerous cures and treatments for diseases that were terminal just a hundred years ago. And while there is a pill that can solve many problems, there isn’t one that can give you what a simple old-fashioned massage can – a total relaxation. But, there is more to it.
Massage is so simple: it is natural, there are no chemicals involved and the person receiving the treatment needs to do absolutely nothing in order to feel the full effect. It has become a part of various aspects of everyday life, from free time to medicine, sports and even beauty treatments.
Illness is the most heeded of doctors:
to goodness and wisdom we only make promises;
pain we obey.
Marcel ProustAs one of the main alternative treatments, massage therapy is recommended and used for different problems, from coping with pain, cancer, fibromyalgia, HIV/AIDS and infant care to other conditions. Massage styles mostly performed today are Swedish, Deep tissue, Sports massage, Trigger point massage, Esalen, Pre-Natal, Acupressure, Shiatsu, Counterstrain, Ortho Bionomy, Reflexology and others.
Endocrine System. It is scientifically proven that massage regulates and stimulates hormone levels in the organism. Hormones such as serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine, oxytocin, cortisol and growth hormone are released into the organism during a massage session and they affect metabolism, mood, body temperature, the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, pancreas, reproductive glands, as well as kidneys, liver, heart and gonads. For example, high cortisol levels, associated with depression, are reduced while serotonin levels increase. More than 12 studies, mentioned in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry in 2010, indicate that massage reduces anxiety levels, as well as symptoms of depression, up to 50%.
Immune system. Massage enhances lymphocyte production, resulting in heightened immune response. Researchers in Cedars-Sinai’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience carried out a study with 29 participants. The results showed that a 45-minute session of deep-tissue Swedish massage decreases cortisol levels, while it increases white blood cells.
Muscles. Another research, published in “Science Translational Medicine
-
How the Internet Has Changed the World
The Internet revolutionised the way we live, learn, communicate and the way we do our business.Today, most of us can’t and won’t imagine our lives without it and we take the existence of the Internet for granted. Younger generations may not be aware of this fact – but us who were born in the 70s and 80s had no other means of communication except letters, telegrams and bulky desk phones when we were teenagers! No Wikipedia, MMO games, email, YouTube videos, social networks, liking, sharing and online courses – just good old books, face to face socialising and playing movies on our VHS player. The Internet has become an ultimate worldwide broadcast “entity
-
Going ‘Smart’: Interactive Home Technologies
The home is undergoing its greatest advancements since the 1950s. Instead of new appliances like the fridge and vacuum cleaner, we’re getting interactive technologies that are making our homes ‘smart’.
These developments are geared towards making our lives easier, cheaper (through lowered bills), and less hands-on. The following are just some of the technologies that will help homes look radically different in coming years.
Smart Thermostats
The smart thermostat is more than just managing the temperature of your home through a smartphone or tablet app. The Nest is the premiere example of what this technology can already achieve for your home today.
What really sets the Nest apart is that it’s a ‘learning’ thermostat. It takes notice of your schedule, knowing exactly when you leave your home, the typical temperatures you prefer at a given time of day and yes, it also allows you to tweak the settings from its app.
So how does it work? Nest uses a combination of activity and humidity sensors, current weather conditions (by checking forecasts through Wi-Fi), and temperature sensors to adjust the thermostat. As it begins to learn from your activity over time, you will need to be less involved in manually setting the temperature.
Image credit: Nest Superior Lock Technology
The so-called ‘smart lock’ discards the need for codes or keys, allowing you to manage your entire home security system from your computer, smartphone or tablet. This nifty technological advancement keeps your home safe – even when you’re not around.
In addition to the ability to lock and open your doors securely without the need for the traditional key, you also get log records to see who’s gone in and out, temporary access for short-term visitors, as well as the superior security from encryption (similar to what’s used in the banking industry). It beats the danger of someone copying a lost key or cracking entry codes.
You can also check everything is as it should be long after you’ve left the home (saving you the trip back to double check), you can let in guests at the touch of a button without having to be there, and should anything untoward happen the app instantly notifies you. It all works through an app you install on your smartphone and the inbuilt Bluetooth technology that allows the lock to synch with your device. It’s all password protected, meaning only you can manage your system.
Image credit: August One of the reasons these smart locks are so promising is that they ‘retrofit’ into existing single-cylinder deadbolts. This means you still have the capability of using the traditional key, as well as saving you the hassle of dismantling your entire doorway system from top to bottom in order to use the device.
We’ve already seeing a wave of start-ups and established brands offering devices that boast similar feature sets, and we only expect the demand to rise as the technology is further perfected. Don’t be surprised to see keys demoted to a museum display and out of day-to-day use.
Touch-Screen Fridge
The modern-day fridge has long offered more than just the ability to keep your foods chilled. The icemaker was an early break-through, but now the fridge is really starting to move into the 21st century.
The fridge has essentially become the manager of your entire diet. It keeps tabs on which foods are about to expire and even gives you recipe ideas based on what you’ve got in your fridge. When something’s about to run out (milk, for example) you get a warning so you can stock up early.
Image credit: Make it mine In terms of technology, it’s all based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). These days, many common food products have an RFID tag that can be automatically read by your smart fridge. Your stock list will be updated based on data gathered from a remote database of products. If you happen to buy something that doesn’t have a tag (such as organic food from a farmer’s market), then all you need to do is enter it manually.
Sleep Sensors
Ever wondered why you wake up groggy in the morning and can’t seem to get a good night’s rest? Perhaps the new wave sleep sensor technology can help. And if you’re already rolling your eyes, it does more than just track movement like some of the low-end apps for your smartphone.
This is a step up from anything we’ve seen on the market before. You don’t need to wear uncomfortable sensors on your body – all you need to do is attach it to your mattress. The device will then track your heart rate, breather, movement, and snoring. Not only that, it keeps track of your ambient environment. Your responses to noise and temperature will be tracked.
Image credit: Digital trends The device will then give suggestions as to why you’re struggling to get decent shuteye. Perhaps it’s that your room gets a little too hot at night? Or maybe your partner tends to start snoring in the middle of the night, disturbing your sleep. You can then make adjustments to your sleeping habits, which can make all the difference in the amount of actual rest you get.
-
Common Myths and Truths About Food
It seems that a new study or experiment comes out on a weekly basis, claiming to expose a common food ingredient or simply to support a new fad diet. How do you if the claims are true, or if you’re being fed myths?
It all comes down to due diligence. When you hear the latest claim, check out the scientific basis of the study and who was behind it. If McDonald’s comes out with a study that proves eating burgers all day is good for you, you may want to approach with a little caution.
The following claims are some of the most common, with some having just hit the scene while others have been around for what seems like centuries. Each can either be debunked or proven with just a little bit of research – check out the results below.
Claim: Carrots Improve Your Eyesight
Reality: Myth (At Least in the Way You Think)This is probably one of the most widely believed myths out there. It’s rare to find a child who wasn’t encouraged to eat their carrots while at the dinner table, with improved vision as the promise. Sadly, the dream of developing x-ray vision just like Superman simply never came true.
It’s easy to see why this myth has endured. Carrots are packed with beta carotene (aka Vitamin A), which is known to improve overall eye health. However, having healthy eyes doesn’t translate to 20/20 vision.
Carrots will improve your vision if you’re highly deficient of Vitamin A. And carrots aren’t the only vegetable that can help you boost your intake – broccoli, pumpkin, and most leafy greens can do the job equally well.
Claim: Peanut Butter Makes You Fat
Reality: MythDieters these days are so obsessed with numbers that they don’t look at ingredients. This has unfairly lumped peanut butters in the ‘it makes you fat’ camp. While it’s true that peanut butter contains fat, it’s also the case that it comes packed with the good kind of fat. Monounsaturated fat will actually help keep your heart healthy, as illustrated by Harvard Medical School.
Not only that, peanut butter also delivers a range of other benefits. For instance, you can protect yourself from developing benign breast disease. You’re also less likely to develop type-2 diabetes. Just make sure you get the good kind– avoid added fat or sugar if you can.
Claim: Aspartame Causes Cancer
Reality: MythAspartame and other artificial sweeteners are found in most diet drinks – it’s likely that if you don’t for the full-sugar version, you’re ingesting a hefty dosage of aspartame instead. The debate on whether it causes healthy problems is one of the most controversial.
The fact is that there is no conclusive evidence. Most studies conducted thus far have not shown any links between cancer and the artificial sweetener. Studies that purportedly do establish causation simply do not have a large enough data set or have other inconsistencies.
So should we discard the warnings and continue drinking diet sodas? We wouldn’t advise it, especially if you’re consuming soft drinks in large quantities – overdoing anything is never a good thing.
Claim: Eat Fish to Boost Your Brain
Reality: TruthCan fish really boost your brainpower? Yes, This is particularly applicable in those of us who are getting a bit long in the tooth. This study from Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center highlights the abundance of links between cognitive performance and the regular consumption of fish, including a 60% risk reduction of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
So if you’re suspecting your brain of feeling the knocks of old age, try and add fish to your diet. Once a week is enough to make a difference. Considering the overall benefits of fish anyway, there’s no reason not to include it in your menu.
Research Your Food
Before you take our claims and run with them, do your own research and verify the studies yourself. It’s all about knowing what you’re adding to your diet and being aware of the benefits and downsides of a particular food item. Don’t believe hype or unfounded claims – always look for the numbers and the scientific proof before buying into the next fad.
-
Resuscitation through the ages
Every 90 seconds, one person in the United States suffers from a cardiac arrest, and a large majority of those people will be given Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) as a first aid method (Cooper et al, 2006). Since modern resuscitation has been around, it has become the only reliable way to keep a patient alive long enough while they await for further treatment.
Despite it’s prevalence around the world, CPR as we know it today has own really been around for about 50 years. However, various forms of resuscitation have been in existence for centuries, with varying success rates.
Here we take a journey back through the ages to see just how far resuscitation has come.
Early Resuscitation
Very early in human history, our ancestors made some observations about the human body in its dying stages. They noticed that the body became cold when it was dying, and so connected heat with life. This observation was the basis for their resuscitation attempts, and they would use hot material laid on the body to try bring it back to life.
This early method is relatively tame compared to what came next over the following centuries.
Flagellation Method – 1500 AD
In one of the more extreme methods of resuscitation, the Flagellation Method was used – this involved whipping the victim to try and shock the body back to life (Gordon S., 1966). In some ways, the methods behind it are not completely dissimilar to the modern day defibrillators, however it rarely worked in resuscitating a patient.
Bellows Method – 1530 AD
In the 1530’s, the Bellows Method came about. At this stage they realised that air needed to reach the lungs, and developed a contraption called the bellows, which was actually used to put out fires in a fireplace. This method was not without its faults, however. Although used for over 300 years as the primary resuscitation method, the key problem it had was that few people would be carrying bellows with them at the right time. Doctors also had a much lesser understanding of the human respiratory system, and didn’t realise that the neck of the patient needed to be held back to open up the airways, minimise the life-saving effects. (Cooper J., 2006)
The bellows method was discontinued in 1829, after Leroy d’Etiolles demonstrated – using an animal – that it could actually cause death by providing too much air to the patient.
The method wasn’t completely lost in history, though – modern day bag-valve masks were based on the Bellows Method theory.
Trotting Horse Method – 1812 AD
One of the more unusual methods was the Trotting Horse Method. In the United States in 1812, lifeguards on beaches were equipped with a horse, which they would place a drowning victim on, and run them up and down the beach. The belief was that the movement would result in alternate compression and relaxation of the chest. It was banned just three years later due to complaints from the public about the cleanliness of the beaches. (Malek J., 2011)
Other methods
Other resuscitation techniques came and went throughout these years, too, including the fumigation method from 1711-1811, which involved blowing tobacco smoke into the victim’s rectum; the inversion method – first used by the Ancient Egyptians, but popularised again in the 1770’s – and had the victim hanging upside down.
Modern Resuscitation
Modern resuscitation, known as mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, was first proven to be an effective method of life saving in 1956, by James Elam and Peter Safar. Just a year later, the U.S. military adopted this method as it’s primary resuscitation technique.
In 1960, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was invented, and the American Heart Foundation were at the forefront of the the new method – training healthcare professionals and the general public across the USA. CPR went global and it is still the primary first aid method for resuscitation.
CPR is a life-saving combination of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest compressions. As well as getting much-needed oxygen into the lungs, it also triggers artificial blood circulation. (Better Health, 2014)
Different countries and health organisations often recommend slightly varied methods of performing CPR – or more importantly, ways to remember CPR. In Australia, the New South Wales Ambulance Service recommends the acronym ‘DRS ABCD‘ : Danger, Response, Send for Help, Airway, Breathing, CPR, Defibrillation – as a way of remembering the CPR steps. Most other guidance is a variation on these key steps.
Despite modern day resuscitation largely staying the same for the last half century, it is constantly being reviewed and tweaked. For example, health organisations are currently promoting hands-only CPR methods as opposed to a combination with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. In 2008, the American Heart Foundation released guidelines on hands-only CPR, which advises the use of hard and fast chest compressions on a person who has gone into cardiac arrest.
One of the most recent developments in hands-only CPR came off the back of a study from the University of Illinois College of Medicine that found that hands-only CPR is most effective when done to the beat of the Bee Gee’s aptly-named classic, ‘Stayin’ Alive’. The British Heart Foundation hired Vinnie Jones to front their effective television campaign to promote the method.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR0aZX1_TD8
-
The Health Risks of Energy Drinks
The slim-lined cans promise an energy hit that will have you flying through your day of study, work or play. Energy drinks are now a popular choice for teenagers and young adults as opposed to a good old cup of coffee. One study found energy drinks are consumed by 30-50% of adolescents and young adults (Seifert SM, Schaechter JL, Hershorin ER and Lipshultz SE). But do these fizzy, sugary and caffeine-loaded “supplements
-
Tools of the Future
Like they say, a carpenter is only as good as his tools – and this sentiment stands true in almost every profession we work in. Whether it’s something as simple as a pen and paper or more complex scientific equipment, we rely heavily on tools in both our personal and business lives. So what lies in the not-so-distant future? We take a look.
Technology tools
One type of technology that has been verging on the edge of mainstream usage for the past couple of years is holograms. Web-conferencing tools such as Skype have become a home and office staple – but could we soon be seeing people in three dimensions? The technology is there – it has been used to great effect particularly in music concerts as well as at some airports – so it’s not a question of if they will , but when will holograms become the norm.
Credit: Image courtesy of: Science Daily The biggest changes in technology tools are predicted to come in the form of communication. It’s hard to imagine life without the internet – and it’s only been properly available for less than 20 years. As communication channels become faster and more powerful, the need for on-site offices will diminish and people will increasingly work from home.
Tools for future disasters
There’s nothing we can do to prevent natural disasters, but we can minimise the damage caused. In recent years, geographical information systems (GIS) have been crucial to pre- and post- disaster management, and this area is certainly one that will continue to advance, grow, and save millions of lives.
Credit: Image courtesy of: NYTimes Aside from complex GIS software, innovative scientists and inventors are hard-at-work creating real-life tools that can save lives on the ground when disaster strikes. One of the most positive creations has been developed by a Japanese engineering company. After surviving the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, they have designed survival pods, called ‘Noah’, which work like buoys; up to four people can get inside them and float atop a tsunami for up to two hours, potentially saving their lives.
Hand tools
There will always be a place for the good ol’ hammer and nail (although you never know), but with everything else seemingly going digital or robotically-driven, what is the future for hand tools?
Credit: Image courtesy of: Tool Bloke Already, robots are taking over a lot of manual labour, particularly in large factories such as car manufacturing plants. They are more efficient and after the initial costs, are cheaper to run.
But there is still room for something else lying somewhere between robots and humans. This is most evident in the fast developing technology in the world of medical science. To overcome the problem of health practitioner shortages, particularly in remote areas, robotic surgery is becoming the next big thing. A surgeon doesn’t even need to be in the room to perform complex surgeries. The technology is already being used, but there is still huge room for growth, with millions being invested into it.
Credit: Image courtesy of: Wired As Guang-Zhong Yang from the Hamlyn Centre for Robotic Surgery said, ‘You have a human, which is pretty good in terms of decision-making, and learning. You have a robot, which is good at doing precise movements. Why not use a combination of both?’. Precisely. There’s plenty of space for the two of us – both in medicine and elsewhere.
-
Changing Time Zones: The Health Effects of Jet Lag
As a human race, we have only been able to cross such large distances and multiple time zones in the past century. Before commercial flights were a common way of travelling overseas, we would have been able to cope with changing time zones better during a lengthy voyage by sea.
Besides the lack of hydration, uncomfortable seating position and questionable food we are subjected to during an economy flight, the main reason why jetlag catches up on us is to do with our circadian rhythm being desynchronised. Until we evolve to adapt to frequent travel between time zones, this cannot be ignored.
Time Zones A lot of our body’s physiology is regulated by neurotransmitters that can be classified as amino acids, peptides and monoamines. One example of a monoamine is melatonin, which is affected by sunlight over a 24-hour period (circadian rhythm). A disruption in this circadian rhythm can profoundly affect body temperature, digestion, heart rate, blood pressure, hormones and state of mind (source –The State Government of Victoria).
Naturally corresponding with the amount of hours in the day, there 24 time zones around the world. It has been documented that travelling over two time zones will have a marginal effect to a person’s circadian rhtyhm but travelling over any more than three can cause desynchronisation to a substantial degree (source – Reilly T).
The Effects
Travelling west will also make jetlag easier to recover from due to the circadian rhythm being temporarily prolonged to about 27 hours, making it easier for the body to adapt (Reilly T). When experiencing a shift of any more than 12 time zones however, travelling east or west does not make a difference. That would be the equivalent of flying from Adelaide to Sao Paulo, Brazil. It would be hard not to pull up a bit rough after a marathon flight such as that.
After travelling east, it is also common for people to have trouble getting out of bed at a normal time in the morning while flying back from the west will result in waking up before dawn (Libassi L, Emad YA).
Suffering from jet lag may be inconvenient for someone coming back from a holiday or the occasional business trip but it can have further implications for those travelling more regularly as a part of their day-to-day lifestyle.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), the amount of days jet lag could last for can be calculated.
In the United States, where sporting teams could experience up to four different time zone changes on a flight to an away game, the overall effect of disrupted circadian rhythms to the whole team can impact results and change the course of a season.
A three-year study on 19 North American Major League Baseball (MLB) teams found the home team could expect to score 1.24 more rune than usual when the visitor had just completed eastward travel. Home teams also scored 0.62 more runs during the day than the night (source – Recht LD, Lew RA, Schwartz WJ).
A more recent 10-year study found MLB teams that travelled through three time zones have as much as a 60% chance of losing their first game upon arrival (Winter WC, Hammond WR, Green NH, Zhang Z, Bliwise DL).
Jet lag can no doubt take its toll for sporting teams and businessmen who must travel as part of their job but there usually is a period of rest for the body to recover from crossing multiple time zones. Cabin crew members on international flights regularly do this more than anyone with as little as two days break before their next flight.
A study on 62 experienced female cabin crew members found increased secretion of the stress hormone, cortisol, and impaired nonverbal cognitive processing for cabin crew members who travelled on more transmeridian flights with less days off. The results showed the body could not even adapt to the stress of jet lag with some participants having as much as four years experience in the field (Cho K, Ennaceur A, Cole JC, Suh CK).
Another study on 45 female flight attendants and 26 teachers confirmed the variability in melatonin production as high as 25% was twice as likely to be associated with flight attendants (Blosser F).
The Treatment
As mentioned previously, melatonin is a key factor for regulating sleep. It also promotes the release of antioxidant enzymes and can act as a defense against free radicals (Rodriguez C, Mayo JC, Sainz RM, Antolín I, Herrera F, Martín V, Reiter RJ).
Available as a 2mg prescription tablet in Australia, melatonin can help combat jet lag easily and with minimal side-effects. Although, the Therapeutic Goods Administration does not advise taking melatonin in combination with alcohol, Thioridazine and Imipramine, and benzodiazepine or other hypnotics.
Nine out of ten randomised trials on airline passengers, airline staff and military personnel crossing five or more time zones saw decreased jet lag symptoms in subjects when melatonin was taken one hour before the destination bedtime (10pm to midnight). Doses of melatonin closer to 5mg were seen to be significantly more effective than a slow-release 2mg dose (Herxheimer A, Petrie KJ).
Adjusting to a new time zone before arrival, known as preentrainment, can be another way of dealing with jet lag. This is to do with our chronosense, a biological response to light generated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus that can be active even in blind newborn babies (Sernagor E).
Circadian rhythm labeled A study on 28 participants trialled a three-day treatment of exposing differing amounts of light in the first 3.5 hours of waking, advancing normal wake time by one hour each day. Participants who received the greatest amount of bright light over the three days experienced a phase shift of nearly two hours, which can be particularly helpful for those travelling east and arriving in the morning (Burgess HJ, Crowley SJ, Gazda CJ, Fogg LF, Eastman CI)
The disadvantage of this treatment is the inconvenience of being exposed to bright light and still carrying out normal morning duties.
Another study from the same research team combined morning bright light exposure with afternoon doses of melatonin over three days before a flight. Participants experienced a phase advancement of nearly 2.5 hours and no jet lag symptoms with a 0.5mg dose of melatonin and alternating exposure of bright and dim light for 30 minutes (Revell VL, Eastman CI).
Previously, the typical method of dealing with jet lag would be drinking yourself to sleep on the flight followed by a stupendous amount of coffee consumed on arrival. The health implications of these methods are obviously detrimental. Until we make genetic advances to cope with jet lag however, the other options available today are safe and effective for returning back to your regular time zone.
Images courtesy of visual.dichotomy, Will Fisher and Wikimedia. -
Alternative therapies – the facts
People have been using alternative therapies for thousands of years, long before scientific-based medicine became the norm. Defined as any form of medical treatment not covered by top medical school courses, alternative therapies come under many guises, from acupuncture and chiropractic to homeopathy and naturopathy.
Many people will only use alternative therapies whereas others believe in a complementary approach, whereby elements of conventional and alternative therapies are used to get the desired result.
Are alternative therapies a safe and effective choice? Here are the facts.
Types of alternative therapies
There are dozens of types of alternative therapies, which range from practitioner-based to therapies that can be completed in the home. Many of these therapies are closely aligned with each other, whereas others have very different thoughts and methods of diagnosis and treatment.
Some of the more common types of therapies used in the developed world, as listed by the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicines, include acupuncture, hypnosis, diet-based therapies (e.g. Atkins diet, South Beach diet), massage, meditation, naturopathy, yoga, chiropractic and energy healing therapy.
Alternative therapies today
In an American study, the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, it was found that 38 per cent of adults and 12 per cent of children had used some form of complementary or alternative therapy in the 12 months prior to the survey.
Additionally, the survey found that Americans had spent $33.9 billion on alternative therapy services and products. As an increasing amount of funding is put into researching the benefits of alternative therapies, more people, including medical doctors, are taking it seriously.
As an example of the effects that research can have on the uptake of an alternative medicine in the general public, in 2002 the most commonly used natural product was echinacea. By 2007, echinacea had dropped to third place and omega 3 fish oil use had drastically increased. This came after several positive studies proved the benefits of fish oil and the mainstream media jumped on it (NCCAM, 2008).
What can alternative therapies help with
Alternative therapies can offer relief from a wide range of health problems, and can also assist in the prevention of illness. While many of the types of alternative therapies can offer a very broad spectrum of health benefits (e.g. naturopathy), others are much more specific (e.g. chiropractic for spine-related pain relief)
The most commonly used alternative therapies are used to treat back and neck pain, largely through the use of a chiropractor. Arthritis, anxiety, insomnia and head or chest colds are also on the list of commonly treated illnesses. (NCCAM, 2008).
Scientific evidence
The main problem that has always inhibited the large-scale uptake of alternative therapies is the lack and quality of scientific evidence. Instead, a lot of the claims made by providers of services and products are anecdotal.
The popularity of alternative therapies in recent years has demanded for a more serious, scientific look into their benefits. In a positive move for the industry, the National Centre for Contemporary and Alternative Medicines (NCCAM) was established in 1999 to help fund detailed scientific-based research into the safety and efficacy of alternative and complementary therapies.
Since then, a range of therapies have been endorsed and scientifically proven. For example, several studies into the benefits of chiropractic therapy found that spinal manipulation could provide mild-to-moderate relief from low-back pain and was proven to be as effective as conventional medical treatments (Rubinstein et al, 2011).
Additionally, women are turning to acupuncture as a fertility and miscarriage prevention treatment, even more so now after scientific evidence has proven it helpful. Manheimer et al (2008) found that women who are using IVF treatment could benefit from the use of specialist fertility acupuncture.
5 Quick facts about alternative therapies
- Between 60 and 80 per cent of the world’s population rely on alternative therapies as their primary choice of health care (World Health Organization, 2005)
- Almost 20 per cent of Fortune 500 companies offer alternative therapies as part of their health care packages for employees
- The National Institute of Health (NIH) currently invests about $40 million per year in complementary and alternative medicine related research (NCBI, 2012)
- Studies have shown that regular yoga practice can improve a variety of health problems including back pain, headaches and stress, as well as improve quality of life (Lipton, 2008)
- Omega 3 is the most commonly used natural product among adults in the United States, followed by glucosamine and echinacea (NCCAM, 2008)
Additional Sources:
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-facts-of-the-alternative-medicine-industry/http://report.nih.gov/nihfactsheets/ViewFactSheet.aspx?csid=85
-
Advances in health technologies: Saunas
For many, saunas are the epitome of health and wellbeing luxury. Originating in Scandinavia, they are now a staple in day spas and gyms around the world.
However, new health technologies are coming out all the time, many offering similar health benefits to saunas but often at inflated prices. The question is, are we better off sticking to the tried and tested benefits of saunas or should we be seeking out more advanced technologies? Here are the facts.
Health benefits of saunas
With a sauna’s dry heat reaching temperatures of around 80C, pushing skin temperature up to 40C within minutes, are these warm, cosy rooms actually good for you?
Studies by naturopathic physician, Dr Walter Crinnion, showed that sauna-induced sweating can help to lower blood pressure and assist with a range of chronic and acute health problems.
Sauna therapy for chronic heart failure
Several researchers and health practitioners praise the benefits of sauna therapy for a range of health problems.
A study by Takashi Ohori (2011) and colleagues found that repeated sauna use could help patients with chronic heart failure. Heart failure occurs when the heart can’t pump enough blood around the body, resulting in fatigue and shortness of breath. Saunas help to increase the heart’s ability to pump blood.
Common cold prevention
A study by Ernst et al (1990) found that regular sauna use could probably help reduce the prevalence of the common cold. Although the authors concluded that more research was necessary, it was a good step forward in potentially preventing the thousands of deaths that occur each year from the common cold, most of which are elderly patients.
Weight loss
There are varying opinions on the benefits of saunas for weight loss. Most people will lose approximately one pint of sweat during an average sauna session, which can give the illusion of almost immediate weight loss. However, this weight will go back on as soon as you consume any food or fluids (JAMA, 1981).
However, it can cause weight loss in another way. When the body is exposed to high heats, it causes the pulse rate to increase by 30 per cent or more. This causes an increase in metabolism, resulting in more calories being burned per minute than if you were sitting in front of the television, for example (Harvard University, 2005).
Your increased metabolic rate will also continue after the sauna should you then exercise, meaning a better result from a workout.
Muscle pain relief
When put in a warm environment, a body’s blood circulation is increased causing strained muscles to relax. After a workout, the heat of a sauna can help relax muscles and prevent the buildup of lactic acid and potential strains.
Flushes toxins
Toxins can build up in our bodies over time and one of the best ways to remove them is through deep sweating. While normal sweating will contain almost only water, deep sweating, which can be achieved in a sauna, may allow the release of chemicals such as lead, copper, zinc, nickel and mercury. These toxins get into the skin just by being surrounded by our everyday environment.
However, some argue that although you sweat a lot in a sauna, the toxins stay in the body. Professor Donald Smith from the University of California said that almost all toxins are excreted through urine and feces, and only 1 per cent through sweat (LA Times, 2008).
Neck and head pain reduction
New Zealand researchers found that saunas could help ease neck and head pain in chronic sufferers. The study, led by Dr Giresh Kanji, concluded that not only could sauna sessions minimise the intensity of a headache, but could shorten its duration too.
In his analysis, Dr Kanji said that saunas could be more effective than painkillers as they helped to treat the cause of the pain rather than mask it.
Additional Sources:
http://www.finnleo.com/pages/health-and-wellness.aspx#q4
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/7-dangers-of-the-sauna/
http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/07853899009148930