Natural Home Remedies for Sparkling Bright Eyes

Eyes are extremely important to lead a happy life. The inner beauty of a person is shown through the eyes. Sparkling and bright eyes are charming. It is a dream of every person to get rid of eye problems and have a bright pair of eyes. There are some great tips which our grandmothers have been telling us through out the years. The best way to deal with tired or unhealthy eyes is by using the best home remedies available. Lack of sleep is the main reason for tired looking, puffy eyes. Sleep is one of the best ways to have healthy and lovely eyes. In case your work forces you to cut down on your sleep, you can use these home remedies.

Home Remedies for Bright and Sparkling Eyes:

These home remedies will help to relieve tired eyes and eliminate puffiness. They will soothe your eyes from all kinds of pain. You need to be cautious about using any kind of home remedies around the eyes. It is better to check the remedy on your hand first to know the reaction. In case you experience redness or irritation in that particular area, choose a different remedy. Staying outdoors in the hot sun is unwise and acts as poison to the eyes. Your eyes tend to squint due to the bright sun light. Make it a habit of wearing sun glasses when outdoors. The common cause for eye strain is inadequate lighting. People tend to strain their eyes to look through dim light. Let the light fall on the paper or book which you are reading from.
Olive Oil Tea Bag:

Tea bags are the easiest and handy remedy to use. Both green tea and black tea contain bioflavonoinds. Tea bags will help to reduce bacteria and inflammation. Place wet tea bags in the freezer to chill. Apply olive oil with a cotton ball on your eyes, while you chill the tea bags. Remove the tea bags from the freezer after a few minutes. Find a place to relax and place these chilled tea bags on your eyes. Leave them on for ten minutes and wash your face. Dry it and moisturize as usual.

Olive Oil Tea Bags

Cold milk is a great remedy for puffy, tired eyes. If you feel that you are looking tired these days, try this great milk treatment to soothe and relax your eyes. Take a cup full of ice cold milk. Throw in few cotton balls and let them soak for a minute. Lie down in a relaxed position. Place a towel under your head and tightly close your eyes. Place these milk soaked cotton balls on your eyes for 10 to 15 minutes. Wash your face and moisturize as usual.

Strawberry:

Strawberries that are stored in the fridge are a treat on a summer day. But most people don’t know that strawberries can cure puffy and tired looking eyes. Strawberries will help your eyes appear brighter and healthy. Remove the tops of a few frozen strawberries and cut them into slices. Place these strawberries under your eyes and let them on for 5 minutes. Wash and moisturize your face after removing them.

Besides removing the swelling strawberries will also make your skin smoother and younger looking. This is because strawberries contain alpha-hydroxy, which is the same ingredient found in many facial expensive creams. So now you can have the same ingredient for a lower cost.

Exercise the Eyes:

You can try some simple eye exercises to relax your eyes. It works better if you can practice these just before going to bed. Take a pen and move it horizontally and vertically in front of your eyes. Try to focus your eyes on the tip of the pen.

Try to avoid staring at the computer screen for too long. However, you are doing it even now which just makes it really obvious that you cannot avoid the computer screen. What you can do instead is to blink often to avoid eyes from drying. Take a break from the computer screen after every 50 to 60 minutes.

Hydrate the eyes

Like cucumber the water content in potatoes helps in reducing the puffiness around the eyes. Potatoes also contain high amount of vitamin C and potassium. The potassium will help to keep all the fluids balanced in the body. The skin will absorb anything put on it. The skin will thus absorb all the essential nutrients. You will have bright and healthy eyes. This remedy will also help to eliminate the dark circles around the eyes.

Potato slices

Store a potato in the fridge over night (2 hours will do the job too). Cut it into thick slices. Close your eyes and rest your head on something comfortable. Place the cold slices on your eyelids. Leave it on for 10 minutes or till the slices become warm. Change the slices if you want a more relaxing effect and leave it on for another 10 minutes. Distract yourself from your eyes. Listen to music and wave a goodbye to your stress.

Rose Water:

Rose water is another effective way to soothe, reduce and heal eye strain. It has a pleasant fragrance that can benefit the skin in many different ways. It firms, tones, hydrates the skin. It also prevents stressed skin, acne, wrinkles and sunburns. Rose water is just wonderful for the eyes. It contains antibacterial and antiseptic properties.

Take a small bowl with a few teaspoons of cool rose water. Soak two cotton pads in the rose water and place them on your eye lids. Leave it on for 10 minutes. You will have a soothing experience with this home remedy.

Mint Leaves:

This is an age old Indian remedy for bright eyes. Use mint leaves, honey and almond oil together for healing and energizing the eyes. Your eyes will look bright and lovely every day, if you add this remedy to your bed time routine. Take few crushed mint leaves in a small bowl. Add some water and mix it well. Extract the juice and add few drops of almond oil and honey. Place this mixture on your eyes just before going to bed.

Lavender Oil:

Lavender oil is great to relieve for tired and strained eyes. Take ½ liter water in a bowl and add a drop of lavender oil to it. Mix it together and dip two cotton pads into this mixture. Place these cotton pads on your eye lids.

Honey and Cardamom:

The mixture of cardamom and honey will help to strengthen your eyesight. Mix a few seeds of cardamom with a tablespoon of honey. Eat this mixture everyday in the morning.

Turmeric:

Turmeric is a spice with a lot of benefits. With this remedy you will gain brighter eyes in a short period of time. You need to take a big piece of turmeric.  Wash it and soak it in lemon juice. You need to put it in a glass bowl and cover it for a month. After a month, take the turmeric piece and grind with one cup of rose water. Strain out the juice and use them as eye drops. This juice will give you bright and sparkling eyes.

Amla Remedy:

For sparkling eyes soak a teaspoon of dry amla in a cup of water overnight. Strain the juice and add another cup of water. Wash your eyes with this solution every morning. You will notice your eyes sparkling in a few days.
Hydrate Yourself :

Eyes can become puffy when it isn’t properly hydrated. When the body lacks water, it stores any water that it receives; this will cause water retention and swelling. You need to drink at least eight glasses of water every day. Drinking plenty of water is extremely helpful. It flushes out the harmful toxins from your body making your eyes clear and healthy.

Juice Intake:

Try to increase the intake of vitamin A and C. You need to keep it as a daily routine even when your eyes aren’t tired. These vitamins will brighten the whites around the pupil. Make your own fresh juice everyday. Try to make orange juice, carrot juice and lemon juice.

Consume enough proteins like meat, fish and eggs. Also dairy foods will help to maintain healthy eyes. Keep your body hydrated all the time. This will give a bright look to your eyes and will help to reduce eye puffiness. Stay healthy and active all the time. This will benefit you in many different ways. From keeping your body active to losing weight, everything comes with a price tag, a healthy lifestyle. Take care and enjoy a stress free life. Nothing is worth your health.

Sources: http://www.undergroundhealth.com/natural-home-remedies-sparkling-bright-eyes/

Purple potatoes pack serious antioxidants compared to their white-fleshed counterparts

Purple potatoes pack serious antioxidants compared to their white-fleshed counterparts

You may or may not have noticed a new potato in town at your local grocer or more likely at your local health food store. It is native to South America and is called the purple potato, named for its deep purple skin as well as the purple flesh within it. There are several types of the purple potato including the Purple Majesty, Purple Viking and Purple Peruvian varieties.



Purple potatoes are rich in antioxidant phytochemicals purple-potatoes



The rule of thumb with fruits and vegetables is that the deeper and richer the color, the more nutritious the content tends to be. The purple potato is no exception to this rule. It is rich in the antioxidant that is characteristic of deeply colored blue or purple produce called anthocyanin.



This compound is from the powerful flavonoid family of antioxidants and is found in other nutritional powerhouse foods such as blueberries and pomegranates. It is most well-known for its immunity boosting and cancer fighting properties.



Further, this deeply pigmented antioxidant has shown great promise in protecting the integrity and structure of DNA and encouraging the production of cytokines which are vital to proper immune response. It also shows impressive anti-inflammatory properties, helps to protect the health and integrity of the capillaries and strengthen membranes, and may have a role in regulating estrogenic activity which can help lower risk of hormone-related disease.



Study shows purple potatoes aid in lowering blood pressure


A small study that was presented at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in Denver in 2012 found that eating these potatoes lowered the blood pressure of the subjects who consumed them compared to non-consumers. This is likely due to their therapeutic effect on the capillaries and blood vessels as mentioned earlier and the purple potato’s high concentration of another phytochemical called chlorogenic acid which has been linked to lower blood pressure in mice.



Potatoes are typically associated with weight gain and by some as a “forbidden food” due to their high starch content. So to many it was a surprising outcome that consuming six to eight small purple potatoes per day not only lowered the blood pressure of the participants but also caused no weight gain at all.



Is there a flavor or texture compromise for the increased nutrition?



So you may be thinking since the purple potato has so much more nutrition than the standard white potato that there must be some flavor or texture compromise? It turns out that the purple potato tastes remarkably similar to standard white-fleshed potatoes.



It has a slightly nutty flavor and a creamier texture when compared to traditional potatoes. This makes it ideal for baking, mashing, pan frying and doing pretty much anything else that you might do with a standard potato. It can be delicious when blended with various herbs and garlic and makes a great mashed potato dish since it has a creamier texture when cooked.



As with other varieties of potatoes, try to keep the skin on when cooking. Keeping the skin on when cooking helps seal the nutrients and moisture in the potato. In addition, the skin of any potato is rich in fiber and may also contain additional vitamins and minerals. The skin of the purple potato is rich in vitamin C and contains a lot of the polyphenols and potassium that makes it so beneficial.

Sources: http://www.undergroundhealth.com/purple-potatoes-pack-serious-antioxidants-compared-to-their-white-fleshed-counterparts/

The Dangers Of High Blood Pressure

The Dangers Of High Blood Pressure

 

Hypertension is classified as blood pressure greater than 139/89 mm Hg. 

It is now reported that once you are older than 50, a systolic (top number) blood pressure higher than 140 mm Hg is a greater cardiovascular risk factor than diastolic (bottom number) pressure.⁴² As blood pressure increases, cardiovascular disease risk rises rapidly. Beginning at 115/75, risk doubles for each additional 20/10 mm Hg rise. Even among those with normal pressures at age 55, the lifetime risk for developing hypertension is 90%.⁴²

Although the consequences of untreated hypertension take time to develop, they are deadly when they arise and can include coronary artery disease, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation, a common arrhythmia.⁴⁵

 

There is now evidence that cardiac disease related to hypertension has its origins early in life.⁴⁵ Arterial stiffening, occurring with age and advancing atherosclerosis, is a major underlying cause of adult hypertension, especially so-called “isolated systolic hypertension,” in which only the systolic (top) number in the measurement is elevated.⁴⁶ Stiff arteries create “back pressure” on the heart, which not only further raises blood pressure, but also puts extreme stress on the heart muscle, leading eventually to heart failure, coronary artery disease, stroke, vascular dementia, and chronic kidney disease.⁴⁶

^{Sources: http://www.lef.org/Magazine/2014/10/Two-Natural-Plant-Extracts-Lower-Blood-Pressure/Page-01} 

 

Celery Seed Extract: A Natural Calcium Channel Blocker

Celery Seed Extract: A Natural Calcium Channel Blocker

Celery is a simple food with a complex chemical makeup. Studies show that celery seed components produce a relaxing, dilating effect that lowers blood pressure. This appears to occur, at least in part, by blocking or antagonizing the flow of calcium into muscle cells lining blood vessels—similar to the action performed by calcium channel blocking drugs.^7,24,25 One key blood pressure-lowering compound in celery seeds has the technical name of L-3-n-butylphthalide, abbreviated as 3nB.^26,27

 

3nB has been used in a number of studies for the management of vascular diseases in the brain, such as stroke and vascular dementia.^26,28,29 And even now, a synthetic form of 3nB is being developed as a drug in China for the treatment of cerebral ischemic stroke and mild cognitive impairment as well as for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease—all of which have components of abnormalities in blood flow.^26,30-33

 

Animal and lab studies reveal that 3nB-rich extracts of celery seeds produce blood pressure reductions of up to 38 mm Hg in hypertensive rats (this effect was not seen in those with normal blood pressures).²⁷ Animal studies also demonstrate that celery seed extract has no significant toxic effects even at very high doses.³⁴

 

A human study demonstrating the effectiveness of a celery seed extract standardized to 85% 3nB recently appeared in the Natural Medicine Journal.⁹ For the study, 30 middle-aged patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension took 75 mg doses of a celery seed extract twice daily for six weeks. To obtain an equivalent amount of 3nB, one would have to consume approximately 530 stalks (nearly 50 pounds) of celery. 

Mean blood pressures at baseline were 139.4/85.4 mm Hg. At three weeks, they fell to 134.8/80.9, and at six weeks they fell to 131.2/76.9. This represents total drops of 8.2 mm Hg systolic and 8.5 diastolic from baseline. 

Of great importance, while pharmacological calcium channel blockers and ACE inhibitors are known to reduce blood flow to the brain—which can leave patients feeling tired, depressed, dizzy, or forgetful—celery seed extracts rich in 3nB appear to improve brain blood flow, prevent stroke, and may protect brain cells and enhance their energy consumption.^9,30,33,35

^{Sources: http://www.lef.org/Magazine/2014/10/Two-Natural-Plant-Extracts-Lower-Blood-Pressure/Page-01} 

Current Treatments For Hypertension

Current Treatments For Hypertension

Numerous recent, large, randomized clinical trials have indicated that treating hypertension in older adults can reduce the risk of kidney disease, stroke, and cardiovascular events.¹⁰ Unfortunately, bringing blood pressure down to healthy levels is easier said than done. Many clinicians start therapy with a mild diuretic (“water pill”) at low doses, then gradually increase doses until either blood pressure is controlled or the maximum dose is reached.¹⁰

 

However, nearly 75% of patients do not get adequate blood pressure control on a single drug, which means a second medication is often necessary.¹¹ This process may continue until a person finds himself or herself on three, four, or more drugs.^2,11,12

 

A frequently prescribed class of antihypertensives used today are the angiotensin II receptor blockers. These drugs block the angiotensin II receptor and often induce more profound and sustained blood pressure control than older classes of medications. However, there are side effect risks associated with angiotensin II receptor blocker drugs. In some individuals, angiotensin II receptor blockers can cause an increase in potassium and changes in kidney function. Also, do not take angiotensin receptor blockers if you are pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant because this class of medication can cause harm to the fetus. 

One of the most commonly used approaches to treating hypertension involves the combination of two drugs: an ACE inhibitor and a calcium channel blocker.^2,3 A large 2013 study demonstrated that for most people, this combination was more effective at reducing cardiovascular consequences of hypertension than using either drug with a diuretic.¹³ This combination also demonstrated the greatest probability of reducing death.¹⁴

 

Here’s how the combination drug therapy works. 

Angiotensin converting enzyme, or ACE, is a natural enzyme in the body that activates the hormone angiotensin, which causes blood vessels to constrict, thus increasing blood pressure.¹⁵ Inhibiting ACE can return blood pressure to lower levels. ACE inhibitors alone, however, are not always entirely effective, which is why doctors often combine them with a second drug called a calcium channel blocker.¹⁶

 

Calcium channel blockers lower blood pressure by a different mechanism than ACE inhibitors. They prevent the entry of calcium ions into muscle cells in the arterial wall. Since calcium ions are a major signal telling those cells to contract and raise muscle tone in the artery, blocking calcium influx into the cells will prevent contraction and lower blood pressure.¹⁷

 

Use of the combination of an ACE inhibitor and a calcium channel blocker has become one of the mainstays of modern pharmacological blood pressure control, since the two drugs act in parallel, but different ways. Unfortunately, as is usually the case, both drugs bring with them side effects.^17,18

Scientists have discovered two natural ingredients that work in ways similar to mainstream drugs, but without the numerous side effects. Olive leaf extract and celery seed extract act as ACE inhibitors and calcium channel blockers, respectively.^6,7 Each has been shown in clinical studies to lower blood pressure. 

Sources: http://www.lef.org/Magazine/2014/10/Two-Natural-Plant-Extracts-Lower-Blood-Pressure/Page-01

Natural Extracts Lower Blood Pressure

Olive Leaf Extract: A Natural ACE Inhibitor

Extracts from leaves of the olive tree (Olea europaea) contain compounds known as secoiridoid glycosides.⁶ When ingested, these substances break down into molecules with the ability to inhibit angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and its harmful effects on blood vessels.^6,19 Studies now show that olive leaf extract is effective at lowering blood pressure, just as would be expected from an ACE inhibitor.²⁰

 

In preclinical trials, researchers found that when they gave rats an olive leaf extract at the same time as hypertension-inducing chemicals, it prevented them from developing experimentally induced hypertension.²¹ Similarly, in rats that had already been hypertensive for six weeks, administration of olive leaf extract normalized blood pressure, even when the rats continued receiving the hypertension-inducing chemical.²¹ Animal studies have also shown that olive leaf extract is effective at reducing the signs of metabolic syndrome, a major cardiovascular risk factor.²²

 

Human studies have been extremely encouraging as well. A cleverly designed human trial using identical twins demonstrated the antihypertensive effects of olive leaf extract, with one twin serving as a control.⁸ Treated twins received either 500 or 1,000 mg/day of the extract while the other received advice regarding a “favorable lifestyle.” 

After eight weeks, compared to their controls, twins taking 500 mg/day saw an average drop in systolic pressure of 6 mm Hg, while the twins taking 1,000 mg/day saw an average drop in systolic pressure of 13 mm Hg. In the group taking the higher dose, blood pressure fell from an average of 137/80 at baseline to 126/76 after eight weeks and LDL cholesterol was also reduced. 

Olive leaf extract was recently compared directly with the ACE inhibitor captopril in patients with Stage I hypertension and it was found to be almost equally as effective.²⁰ The extract dose was fixed at 500 mg twice daily for the eight weeks of the study, while captopril dosing started at 12.5 mg twice daily, and increased to 25 mg twice daily if needed for blood pressure control. 

At the end of the study, both groups experienced significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure as compared to baseline. The olive leaf extract group experienced a mean systolic blood pressure reduction of 11.5 mm Hg, while the captopril group reduced systolic blood pressure by 13.7 mm Hg. Diastolic pressures fell 4.8 mm Hg in the olive leaf extract group and 6.4 mm Hg in the captopril group. The differences between groups were not statistically significant.²⁰

 

In addition, triglyceride levels fell significantly from baseline in the olive leaf supplemented group but not in the drug group. This important study showed that olive leaf extract was similar in effect to the ACE-inhibiting drug, but with the added benefit of triglyceride reduction. 

A subsequent human study showed that olive leaf extract could also improve insulin sensitivity by 15% in overweight middle-aged men, an important step in further reducing cardiovascular risk.²³ It also led to a 28% improvement in pancreatic responses to blood sugar. 

Sources: http://www.lef.org/Magazine/2014/10/Two-Natural-Plant-Extracts-Lower-Blood-Pressure/Page-01