Helix Clinic blog

Most of us have heard of the numberous health benefits afforded by green tea and now some new research from the Institute of Chinese Medicine has added another one to the list.  The Institute looked at some of the key compounds found in Green Tea and discovered that one in particular (called EGC) had a role to play in slowing the breakdown of bones and in helping to stimulate new bone formation.  They found that the EGC boosted the activity of a key enzyme that promotes bone growth by up to 79 percent. It also boosted the levels of bone mineralization in the cells, and  inhibited the formation of bone destroying osteoclast cells.

Green tea boasts many other benefits so including a cup or two a day is an easy way to promote and maintain good health!

Tags: green tea

A recent research study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility has given support to nutritionists who have long advised that eating a healthy diet is important for good sperm quality for couples trying to get pregnant. In essence, men who eat a lot of fruit and vegetables have higher quality sperm that also swims faster.

The Spanish scientists found good quality sperm is a direct result of a diet high in antioxidants found in fruit and vegetables and especially in peppers, citrus fruits and spinach. Alternatively, sperm are fewer and slower in men who eat few antioxidants and instead feast on meat and full-fat dairy products such as cream or cheese.

Lead researcher Jaime Mendiola, of the University of Murcia, Spain, said: “A healthy diet is not only a good way of avoiding illness, but improves the quality of semen.

“Men who eat lots of meat and full-fat dairy products have much poorer quality sperm than those who eat lots of fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. People who eat more fruits and vegetables are ingesting more antioxidants, and this is the important point.”

The scientists spent four years studying men in two fertility clinics in Spain to see if anything in their diets or exposure to pollution at work was making it difficult for some to father children.  The study included 61 men, 30 of whom had reproductive problems and 31 who didn’t.

Tags: antioxidants, fertility, infertility, sperm quality

Low back pain is very common and affects one in three adults in the UK every year. An estimated 2.5 million people seek help for this condition from their GP. For many people the pain goes away after a short time but for some, the pain can become chronic and very debilitating.

In a recent guideline, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has said that anyone whose pain persists for more than six weeks and up to a year should be given a choice of several treatments to try on the NHS.

In addition to painkillers and regular advice to stay active and carry on with normal activities as much as possible, patients, together with their doctor, can decide to try up to 10 sessions of acupuncture over a 12 week period.

Professor Peter Littlejohns, NICE Clinical and Public Health Director said: “This new NICE guideline means that for the first time we now have the means for a consistent national approach to managing low back pain.

“Importantly, patients whose pain is not improving should have access to a choice of different therapies including acupuncture, structured exercise and manual therapy.”

This news is very positive for the public perception of acupuncture, as it implicitly acknowledges a number of research studies that show acupuncture is effective in the treatment of back pain.

Tags: back pain, NHS, NICE

At this time of year, pollen starts to affect thousands of hayfever sufferers across the country. Before heading to the local chemist to pick up a box of anti-histamines, why not try a natural anti-histamine to see if it helps you at all?

Not many people have heard of the exotically named Quercetin, a phytochemical that is part of the coloring found in the skins of apples and red onions. It is a powerful anti-oxidant and is also a natural anti-histamine as well as being anti-inflammatory.

It has been isolated and is sold as a dietary supplement, but is also found in high quantities in apples and red onions. Quercetin’s antihistamine action may help to relieve allergic symptoms and asthma symptoms, and the anti-inflammatory properties may help to reduce pain and discomfort.

We would also recommend a diet high in other anti-oxidants and vitamin C. From the point of view of Chinese medicine, the herb Astragalus can also be a useful supplement, because of its strong immunity building properties.

Tags: astragalus, hayfever, quercetin

Why does the body crave foods that could be causing us harm? Often people find they love eating a particular food only later to find out that they are intolerant or allergic to it.

They key to this strange effect may lie with endorphins, chemicals that are produced by the body to relieve pain. Endorphins are our natural pleasure chemicals that give us a high and a sense of well-being, and studies have been done that suggest endorphin production increases during allergic reaction.

If this is the case, then the possibility of addiction to foods that are harming us becomes more understandable. As the body adapts to the higher levels of endorphins associated with a particular food, it starts to feel withdrawal symptoms if those endorphin levels are not maintained. When we finally succumb and eat the food that our body is craving, the release of endorphins will give us a temporary boost and a sense of well-being, but this is most likely followed by an imminent crash. The classic sugar boost and crash that most people have experienced is the most obvious example.

The trouble is though, as we continue to crave and eat the foods that we are allergic to, longer term cumulative allergic symptoms start to build up. Headaches, asthma, chronic tiredness, eczema are all common allergy-related symptoms.

If one can break the addiction cycle related to food allergies, these more chronic long term symptoms should start to disappear. Acupuncture and especially ear acupuncture have been shown to be effective in combating addiction, partly because acupuncture also helps to release endorphins that can help to combat the periodic cravings.

Tags: addiction, allergies, endorphins