Below, you'll
find extensive information on leading bad menstrual cramps articles and
products to help you on your way to success.
Chamomile Tea - New Evidence Supports Health Benefits
For centuries, people who've felt sick or stressed have tried drinking chamomile tea as a medicinal cure-all. Now, researchers in England have found new evidence that the popular herbal tea may actually help relieve a wide range of health ailments, including colds and menstrual cramps.
Their study was scheduled to appear in the Jan. 26, 2008 issue of the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, one of the Society's peer-reviewed journals. ACS is the world's largest scientific society.
"This is one of a growing number of studies that provide evidence that commonly used natural products really do contain chemicals that may be of medicinal value," says study leader Elaine Holmes, Ph.D., a chemist with Imperial College London. "The healthcare industry is placing increasing emphasis on functional foods including natural remedies, yet little work has been conducted on the long term effects of such products on human biology."
The herbal plant used in this study was German chamomile (Matricaria recutita), also known as manzanilla, whose flowers and leaves are brewed as a fragrant, flavorful tea. The study involved fourteen volunteers (seven women and seven men) who each drank five cups of the herbal tea daily for two consecutive weeks. Daily urine samples were taken and tested throughout the study, both before and after drinking chamomile tea.
The researchers found that drinking
Early Study Hints at Link Between Certain Sunscreens, Endometriosis Title: Early Study Hints at Link Between Certain Sunscreens, Endometriosis<br />Category: Health News<br />Created: 5/17/2012 2:05:00 PM<br />Last Editorial Review: 5/18/2012 12:00:00 AM
Bacterial Vaginosis Title: Bacterial Vaginosis<br />Category: Diseases and Conditions<br />Created: 11/7/2001 1:44:00 PM<br />Last Editorial Review: 5/16/2012 12:00:00 AM
Concussions: Girls Have Longer Recovery Time Title: Concussions: Girls Have Longer Recovery Time<br />Category: Health News<br />Created: 5/12/2012 11:00:00 AM<br />Last Editorial Review: 5/14/2012 12:00:00 AM
Sunscreen Ingredient Linked to Endometriosis Title: Sunscreen Ingredient Linked to Endometriosis<br />Category: Health News<br />Created: 5/12/2012 11:00:00 AM<br />Last Editorial Review: 5/14/2012 12:00:00 AM
Is Combining Hysterectomy and a Tummy Tuck Safe? Title: Is Combining Hysterectomy and a Tummy Tuck Safe?<br />Category: Health News<br />Created: 5/11/2012 10:05:00 AM<br />Last Editorial Review: 5/11/2012 12:00:00 AM
Screening Women for Domestic Violence Could Help Prevent Abuse Title: Screening Women for Domestic Violence Could Help Prevent Abuse<br />Category: Health News<br />Created: 5/8/2012 2:05:00 PM<br />Last Editorial Review: 5/9/2012 12:00:00 AM
Half of U.S. Counties Have No Ob-Gyn: Study Title: Half of U.S. Counties Have No Ob-Gyn: Study<br />Category: Health News<br />Created: 5/8/2012 10:05:00 AM<br />Last Editorial Review: 5/8/2012 12:00:00 AM
Germs Behind Urinary Tract Infections Becoming More Resistant to Drugs Title: Germs Behind Urinary Tract Infections Becoming More Resistant to Drugs<br />Category: Health News<br />Created: 5/4/2012 4:05:00 PM<br />Last Editorial Review: 5/7/2012 12:00:00 AM
More College-Educated Women Having Children Title: More College-Educated Women Having Children<br />Category: Health News<br />Created: 5/4/2012 6:06:00 PM<br />Last Editorial Review: 5/7/2012 12:00:00 AM
Study Redefines What a Healthy Vagina Is Title: Study Redefines What a Healthy Vagina Is<br />Category: Health News<br />Created: 5/2/2012 4:05:00 PM<br />Last Editorial Review: 5/3/2012 12:00:00 AM
Women Can Waive Test Before Incontinence Surgery: Study Title: Women Can Waive Test Before Incontinence Surgery: Study<br />Category: Health News<br />Created: 5/2/2012 6:05:00 PM<br />Last Editorial Review: 5/3/2012 12:00:00 AM
the tea was associated with a significant increase in urinary levels of hippurate, a breakdown product of certain plant-based compounds known as phenolics, some of which have been associated with increased antibacterial activity. This could help explain why the tea appears to boost the immune system and fight infections associated with colds, according to the researchers.
Drinking the tea also was associated with an increase in urinary levels of glycine, an amino acid that has been shown to relieve muscle spasms. This may explain why the tea appears to be helpful in relieving in women, probably by relaxing the uterus, say the researchers. Glycine also is known to act as a nerve relaxant, which may also explain why the tea seems to act as a mild sedative, the scientists note. Glycine supplements are sold in stores for that purpose, they add.
Levels of both hippurate and glycine remained elevated for up to two weeks after the study participants stopped drinking the tea, indicating that the compounds may remain active for quite some time, according to the researchers. Additional studies are needed before a more definitive link between the tea and its alleged health benefits can be established, they emphasize. Funding for this study was provided by Oxford Natural Products, a pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and technology company located in Oxford, England.
The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization, chartered by the U.S.
|