Some of us get salt cravings once in a blue moon whilst for others it’s a commonly occurring craving. It may express itself as an overwhelming desire for ready-salted chips, salty popcorn or even olives. With others you may find yourself salting everything in sight! Either way, what does craving salty foods say about you?

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Possible causes of salt cravings

Behind every craving is a story. All cravings are your body’s way of telling you something. So what is a salt craving telling you?

There are many possibilities for what a salt craving means and nine possible causes are discussed below. In every particular person’s case there may be one or more factors driving the body’s call for salt.

1. Salt cravings may indicate that your recent salt intake is lower than usual

If you’re consuming less salt than your body is used to, you may experience salt cravings. For example, if you’re used to eating 4 teaspoons of salt a day (which could well happen even if you aren’t aware of it because there is so much hidden salt in many foods), and you have a day when you’ve only had 1 teaspoonful, you may start craving something salty. This happens regardless of the fact that 1 teaspoon of salt a day is more than enough to meet our body’s requirements for sodium.

What happens here is that over years of eating a high-salt diet, the body and tastebuds become accustomed to a certain amount of salt. When this habitual (albeit excessive) salt intake is not met, your body notices this and lets you know by creating a craving. It’s a bit like needing a “salt fix” and indeed some do call this type of craving a side effect of “salt addiction”.

Treatment for salt cravings of this kind:
You can retrain your body to get used to eating lower-salt diets. During the adjustment period, salt cravings often occur, but if you don’t give in to them, eventually the body gets used to lower salt levels and stops creating such frequent salt cravings. (1)

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2. Stress increases salt cravings

Researchers have found that craving salt could be a sign of stress. (2,3)

How can stress cause salt cravings? It seems that the connection is that both salt-levels and stress are largely controlled by the adrenal glands. The adrenals produce several hormones including the stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) and also the salt-controlling hormone, aldosterone.

There are a few possible theories about how stress may boost salt cravings:

• Theory 1: Normally, your adrenal glands produce aldosterone when your body needs to conserve sodium because aldosterone’s role is to prevent sodium from being lost in your urine.  Stress stimulates the adrenal glands to produce stress hormones, but in the process of activating the adrenals, stress also stimulates the production of other hormones. Stress and anxiety have been found to increase aldosterone production. (4) This likely means that the more stressed you are, the more aldosterone you have in your body, and so the more sodium it retains. My theory is that a similar process occurs to that when people are accustomed to a high salt intake in their diet. It may be possible that the body gets used to a higher stress-caused sodium-level. In someone who is often under stress, when there is a pause in life’s stresses, their sodium levels decrease beneath their customary elevated levels. The body may notice this drop and try to return it to that high usual state by getting you to eat more salt, thereby creating salt cravings.
• Theory 2: Consuming high levels of salt are known to reduce stress hormone levels. (5) It’s possible that in an attempt to return the body to a calmer state, the body creates salt cravings to reduce the stress hormone levels. What’s more, elevated sodium levels in the blood were found to increase the production of another hormone, oxytocin which is a powerful anti-stress hormone. (5)
• Theory 3: In constant stress the adrenal glands are continuously being worked very hard to produce more and more stress hormones. There comes a point when the adrenal glands become tired and although the need for adrenal hormones still exists, they can no longer produce them as we need because they are simply exhausted. This state is called adrenal exhaustion or adrenal fatigue resulting in adrenal insufficiency, and it means that amongst other adrenal hormones, aldosterone production is reduced. With aldosterone no longer able to retain sodium levels in the body, your body excretes more sodium than usual, which means you need more sodium than usual to maintain your body’s needs. Salt cravings occur to compensate for all the sodium the body’s low aldosterone levels are unable to keep hold of.

A good clue that stress may be a driving force behind your salt cravings is if you live a fast-paced, hectic life, or if you have a tendency to worry, or if you notice that you crave salt in direct response to a stressful activity.

Treatment for salt cravings of this kind:
Taking care to be as relaxed as possible should eliminate salt cravings if this is the driver behind the craving. Exercise, meditation, conscious thinking, and utilizing other relaxing activities can only be beneficial in any case.

If you are under a lot of stress you can help nourish your adrenal glands and ease the physiological stress on your body by eating plenty of protein, vitamin C, vitamin B5 and magnesium.

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3. Other adrenal problems behind salt cravings

Whilst stress can put some strain on the adrenals, potentially generating salt cravings, other adrenal problems also create salt cravings. These conditions include the rather rare Addison’s disease where your adrenals are unable to make aldosterone, meaning that you are unable to retain salt and as a result you constantly have salt cravings. (6) Note that this is rare and is unlikely to be behind most people’s salt cravings.

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4. Loss of sodium and other electrolytes causing salt cravings

There’s a group of minerals called the electrolytes, and sodium is within this group. The reason these minerals are lumped together is because they have common functions and they are often also lost from the body together. There are several ways you can lose electrolytes:

• Electrolyte loss in sweat: Electrolyte loss can actually be seen in people who have perspired profusely. It’s seen as white salty rings under arms or on backs and is most visible on dark clothes where sweat salts have precipitated. In extreme cases heavy sweating can lead to dehydration, and for this reason some books say that dehydration causes salt cravings.
• Electrolyte loss through vomiting
• Electrolyte loss through diarrhoea.

People who have lost electrolytes through prolonged episodes of any electrolyte-depleting conditions may crave salt as their body is calling to replenish their electrolyte stores. (7) After a serious bout of any of these conditions, it may be helpful to have an electrolyte-rich supplement such as Allergy Research Balanced Electrolyte Concentrate and remember to also top up your body’s fluid levels by drinking water.

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5. Other mineral deficiencies can manifest as salt cravings

In nature, unrefined salt is not only a source of sodium, it also contains many other minerals. Some say that unrefined natural sea or rock salt contains up to 60 different minerals. (8) Our cravings for salty flavors may therefore reflect a deficiency and a need in your body for any one of these minerals that occur naturally in salt. (9)

To solve any potential mineral deficiencies, you can ensure you eat a wholesome diet full of mineral-rich, unrefined, unprocessed, fresh foods. Make sure you substitute any salt you do use to a more mineral-rich unrefined salt like Himalayan salt and Celtic Sea Salt. You can also supplement your diet with a good multivitamin-mineral complex like Nature’s Plus: Source Of Life or Natures Plus Nutri-Genic Multi for Sensitive People.

Particular mineral deficiencies that may lead to salt cravings include:

• Magnesium (2)
• Calcium
• Zinc
• Iodine – Iodine is needed to make thyroid hormones, and low thyroid hormone levels (often caused by low iodine levels) have been correlated with salt cravings. (2) A good source of iodine is a small amount (a few short strips) of rehydrated wakame seaweed which you can add to any dish including soups, vegetables and salads.

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6. Low moods, Low serotonin and low protein levels may lead to salt cravings

Some researchers have noticed that low levels of “happy hormone”, serotonin, increase cravings for salt. Serotonin is a proteinaceous hormone, so consuming inadequate amounts of protein may mean that insufficient amounts of serotonin are made. This can contribute both to low moods and salt cravings. (2, 10)

Why would low serotonin levels trigger salt cravings? The answer to this is not clear but one possible connection may be that salt appears to have an anti-depressant effect by triggering off pleasure zones in the brain. The exact mechanism is yet to be elucidated but salt does seem to stimulate production of another “happy hormone” called oxytocin. (5)

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7. Oestrogen and progesterone hormone changes may cause salt cravings

It has been noticed that salt cravings are particularly common in women at certain points of their menstrual cycles (usually during the luteal phase (11,12)) and also in pregnant and breast-feeding women. (13) It therefore seems that levels of oestrogen and progesterone affect salt cravings, and that elevated hormone levels are correlated with increased salt cravings. (11, 14, 15)

The mechanism by which these hormones affect salt cravings still requires further research but Verma et al. hypothesize that “besides the direct effect of hormones on salt appetite there could be indirect effects of oestrogen on salt appetite through opioid receptors while that of progesterone is by affecting the membrane fluidity and flux of ions that may cause increased sodium requirement and its appetite.” (11)

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8. Salt cravings may indicate a Kidney imbalance

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), certain flavours are linked to particular organs. (Note that TCM organs are not the same as our Western organs with their anatomy and functions differing). The organ connected to salty flavors is the TCM Kidney, so a salt craving can indicate a TCM Kidney imbalance. The main emotion contributing to a TCM Kidney imbalance is fear. Problems with the TCM Kidney also manifest as issues with reproductive health, bone health, hair health, ear health and urinary health, so if you have any problems in these areas concurrent with a chronic salt craving, you may benefit from visiting a TCM practitioner.

In rare cases, a salt craving may also indicate conventional medicine kidney problems too. One uncommon kidney disorder called Bartter syndrome that is usually diagnosed in childhood, has salt cravings as one of its symptoms.

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9. Salt cravings may indicate Water Element Imbalances or Sacral Chakra imbalances

On the less scientific, ancient-traditional-medicine side of things, there is the meaning of salt cravings according to Five Elements Theory and Chakra Theory. The TCM Kidney is associated with the element of Water, and Water is associated with the Sacral Chakra. Tying all these together, Minich (2009) suggests that salt cravings may point to imbalances in the Sacral Chakra. (16) An imbalanced Sacral Chakra can manifest in behaviours like inflexibility, not “going with the flow” and feeling stagnant, a tendency to repress or control your feelings, or simply not being in touch with feelings, senses and sexuality. There is a theory that food cravings may occur in Sacral Chakra imbalances because people are unable to express their emotions and feelings, so the feelings leak out as other expressions such as physical food cravings. Other Sacral Chakra issues include having trouble with setting boundaries and experiencing blocks in creativity. One of the most common things that can cause sacral chakra imbalances is stress. (17)

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References
(1) Editors of The Wellness Letter. 1995. The New Wellness Encyclopedia: The Best-Selling Guide to Preventing Disease and Maintaining Your Health and Well-Being. University of California, Berkeley. Mariner Books; Rev Upd edition
(2) Braverman & Braverman 2009. The Amazing Way to Reverse Heart Disease Naturally: Beyond the Hypertension Hype: Why Drugs Are Not the Answer. Basic Health Publications.
(3) Stutman. F. 2006. One hundred weight-loss tips that really work. McGraw-Hill; 1 edition.
(4) Venning EH, DyrenfurthY I, Beck JC. 1957. Effect of anxiety upon aldosterone excretion in man. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 17 (8): 1005–8.
(5) Brouker S. 2011. Salt cravings signify stress. University of Florida Health Science Center News & Communication
(6) ) Owen. 1980. Sodium-restricted Diets and the Use of Diuretics: Rationale, Complications and Practical Aspects of Their Use. Nat. Academy of Sciences, US
(7) Blackburn RE, Samson WK, Fulton RJ, Stricker EM, Verbalis JG. 1993. Central oxytocin inhibition of salt appetite in rats: evidence for differential sensing of plasma sodium and osmolality. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993 Nov 1;90(21):10380-4.
(8) Rosenthal J. 2007. Integrative Nutrition: Feed Your Hunger for Health and Happiness. Integrative Nutrition Publishing; 1 edition
(9) (9) Pitchford P. 2003. Healing with whole foods: Asian traditions and modern nutrition. North Atlantic Books; 3 Rev Upd edition
(10) Sharma AM et al 1993. Effect of dietary salt restriction on urinary serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid excretion. Man. Journal of hypertension. 11: 1381-86
(11) Verma et al. 2005. Salt preference across different phases of menstrual cycle. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 2005; 49 (1) : 99–102
(12) Frye CA, Demolar GL.1994. Menstrual cycle and Sex Differences Influence Salt Preference. Physiol and Behav 55: 193–197.
(13) Brown JE, Toma RB. 1986. Taste changes during pregnancy. Am J Clin Nutr. 43: 414–418.
(14) Denton DA, Nelson JF. 1978. The control of salt appetite in wild rabbits during lactation. Endocrinology 103: 1880–1887.
(15) Kare M, Fregly MJ, Bernard RA, 1980. Biological and behavioural aspects of salt intake. New York : Academic Press: 248–272.
(16) Minich D. 2009. Chakra Foods for Optimum Health: A Guide to the Foods That Can Improve Your Energy, Inspire Creative Changes, Open Your Heart, and Heal Body, Mind, and Spirit. Conari Press
(17) Lilly & Lilly 2010. Crystal, Color and Chakra Healing: How to harness the transforming powers of crystals, colour and your body’s own subtle energies to increase health and well-being. Southwater

Conventional thought on why I have big ears: It’s all down to genetics

Most people will tell you that the size of your ears is mostly attributed to your genes. If your parents, grandparents and extended family have big ears, it is likely that you will too. This can be clearly seen in the example of Katie Holmes and her daughter Suri Cruise.

Less conventional thought: Traditional Chinese Medicine’s take on why I have big ears:

The Ancient practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) incorporates the study of Face Reading, and according to this, the size of your ears are determined by how much “Jing” you have. And the more Jing you have, the better!

What is this Jing?
Jing is believed to be the “life energy”. The theory is that as long as we have Jing we have life, and once we use it all up, we die.

TCM teaches that we are all born with a certain amount of Jing and some are born with more than others. The more Jing you have, the more life energy and strength you have. If you look at videos by YouTuber ijustine, who is famous for her impromptu dancing escapades in Apple stores around the world, it is evident that she has heaps of Jing and life energy:

In other words, being born with abundant Jing gives you a strong constitution and this improves your chances of having a longer life span. No wonder Mickey Mouse is looking so healthy in his 80′s! If you look at pictures of centenarians, you’ll find that almost all of them have exceptionally large ears. According to TCM this is not only because ears grow with age, but also because often these people had larger ears to start off with.

Why does Jing manifest in ear size?

TCM tells us that Jing is stored in the Kidneys, and according to Chinese anatomy (which is very different from Western anatomy), the Kidneys are strongly connected to the ears. Theoretically the more Jing you have stored in your Kidneys at birth, the larger your ears will be throughout your life.

What determines how much Jing you’ll have at birth?
This depends on many things including the age and health of your parents when they conceived you and the conditions surrounding your growth as a foetus.

So what does TCM say about my big ears?
TCM basically teaches that if you have big ears, display them with pride, because it signifies your strength!

It should be noted though that being born with high levels of Jing does not make a person invincible. Mistreating your body with unhealthy foods and beverages, drugs, smoking, pollution, stress, overwork, lack of sleep and negative thoughts, emotions and behaviors, all use up Jing. Even if you are born with abundant supplies of Jing, you may still use it up quickly if you live a lifestyle that drains Jing speedily.

A little note for small-eared readers:
If you have small ears and are worried that you haven’t been born with a lot of Jing, worry not. Although small ears are associated with lower amounts of Jing at birth, as long as you live in ways that conserve Jing, small-eared folk can conserve their health and strength, and can live long healthy lives. Amongst centenarians you can still find some with smaller ears. In fact, the smallness of your ears can play a part in maintaining your health: Small-eared people tend to be more interested in health and wellness related issues because they are more prone to feeling the effects of little deviations from a “healthy lifestyle” on their bodies. Large-eared people have a tendency to be less in-tune with how their body is feeling, because it takes a lot more to “shake” their body into feeling that something is wrong.

Related products

References
- Khaw, K-T. 1996. Why do old men have big ears? The Chinese believe that long ears predict longevity. BMJ 312:582, 2 March
- Weeks. P. 2007. Face Diagnosis Seminar.
- Weeks. P. 2008. Advanced Face Diagnosis Seminar.

Note:
This site is working in affiliation with Amazon.com and Zazzle. If you like a product that was recommended anywhere on this website, please consider buying these products via the links on this site, to help keep this website running. Thanks

Have you ever wondered why you get a spot exactly at a particular location on your face?

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the spots on your face do not pop up randomly. Their position on your face is meaningful because in TCM different areas of the face relate to certain TCM organs. Each TCM organ carries with it both an emotional meaning and a connection to related body systems that need strengthening if a weakness (i.e. a pimple) is evident. The face is like a mirror of the body and mind.

Which TCM organs link to which areas of the face? Here is a Chinese face map to help with acne mapping:

It’s important to note that when we talk about TCM organs like the “Liver”, “Gall Bladder”, “Lungs”, “Heart” etc., we don’t mean the Western anatomical organs which we are familiar with. The TCM organs may have the same names but they relate to a theoretical “organ” which (slightly confusingly) has the same name. So just to clarify, when it is written below that there’s something wrong with your “Heart” region, this doesn’t mean you actually have something wrong with your anatomical heart, but rather with the TCM definition of the “Heart”. In addition, the related health and emotional implications of each TCM organ may sound bewilderingly unrelated to the organ in question (for example TCM “Kidneys” affect ear health and reproduction). Though it may sound strange given our knowledge of medicine and science, through thousands of years of carefully developed TCM theory, it all makes sense, so an open mind respecting the potential of ancient wisdoms is needed whilst reading this article.

The TCM theory is based on years of observation rather than hard scientific fact, so whilst it may be wise to take things with a pinch of salt, from personal experience I believe that being open-minded about it could lead to some interesting realizations about yourself and your current emotional and physical state.

So without further ado, let us look at what it means if you have acne, spots or pimples within the certain TCM organ zones of the face:

Spots in the Lung areas (on the lower cheek)

If you have spots in the lung zones it could indicate lung imbalances which are often found together with one or more of the following possible things:

Spots in the liver areas

(At the mouth corners, around the eyebrow area and under the eyes)

If you have spots in the liver zones it could indicate liver imbalances which can be found together with one or more of the following possible things:

Spots in the heart areas (on the upper cheeks or nose)

If you have spots in the heart zones it could indicate general heart imbalances which may be found alongside one or more of the following possible things:

Spots in the spleen & stomach areas

(around lips and mouth, between the eyebrows, under the eyes and on the side of the face on the jawline)

If you have spots in the spleen or stomach zones it could indicate general spleen/stomach imbalances which may be found alongside one or more of the following possible things:

Spots in the Kidney zone and also to some extent the bladder areas (chin, under eyes and ears)

If you have spots in the kidney zones it could indicate kidney imbalance which may manifest alongside one or more of the following things:

Spots in the Colon area

In TCM the colon is closely linked to the lungs so properties described in the lung-section somewhat echo those of the colon region. The main emotional issues relating to spots arising in the colon areas are feeling stuck, or grieving, much like the lungs.

Spots in Gall Bladder area

If you have spots in the gall baldder zones it could indicate a TCM gall bladder imbalance which may manifest alongside one or more of the following things:

How can we utilize this acne face mapping knowledge? What can we do about these TCM organ imbalances and their related spots?

It’s natural for us to go through periods of grief, anger, willpower struggles and other emotions. Sometimes a spot that arises in response to a temporary situation such as this will just pass once the person has dealt with that particular issue.

At other times, the trigger for spots in certain regions of your face are longer term problems, with spots repeatedly coming up in the same locations. According to TCM, this is a sign that the problem related to the TCM organ zone of your face has not been dealt with and it will continue to come up until you sort it out.

If you believe in the spiritual concept of “the body speaks the mind” and “signposts of the universe”, spots on your face are signposts telling you something. They’re telling you something is wrong that needs rebalancing, and they’ll keep showing up in the same locations until you do something about the recurring issue they’re reaching out to you about. The “signposts of the universe” theory states that it starts with little signs like spots on your face reaching out to you, but if you don’t listen to their message, the signs appear in other ways so that hopefully you’ll notice them. This is when symptoms may start expressing in other areas of your body.

In all these TCM organ imbalances described above, going to a TCM practitioner to balance the TCM organ under stress will help set you on the right path. Most TCM practitioners work with particular nutrition, Chinese herbs*, acupuncture, mental exercises and other lifestyle advice that can help re-balance the situation. It requires a holistic approach and almost always begins with treating your state of mind and emotions.

* NB Take care with Chinese herbs because some of them can be dangerous. Make sure you’re working with a highly respected practitioner and safe sources of herbs. Treatment can also be conducted without herbs.

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Note:
This site is working in affiliation with Amazon.com and Zazzle. If you like a product that was recommended anywhere on this website, please consider buying these products via the links on this site, to help keep this website running. Thanks

Disclaimer:
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this article is accurate. However the information contained in this article is for educational purposes only. Suggestions contained in this article are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a health professional. All matters regarding health and supplementation require medical supervision and careful examination of contraindications. The author does not accept responsibility for the use of this information, nor shall the author be liable for any loss, injury or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestions in this article.

You might get them before an exam, interview, date, oral presentation or before a debut on stage. Maybe you feel them when you speak to someone cute, or when you’re in line to go on a rollercoaster. Regardless of what triggers them, the fluttery sensation of butterflies in the stomach is a familiar one to most of us.

Have you ever wondered what exactly goes on inside you to give that “butterfly in the stomach” feeling?

What causes butterflies in the stomach?

The answer is not butterflies fluttering around in your gut, nor even the slightly more plausible trampolining gut bacteria or partying parasites. The causes behind the butterflies in your stomach are changes in muscle contractions around the gut. Let me explain:

There is one thing in common to all the vast number of possible triggers for butterflies: stress. Whether it’s the scary stress of an exam, interview or presentation, or whether it’s the excited, positive stress of talking to someone you like, the excitement of a first kiss, or the thrill of riding on a rollercoaster, it is nonetheless stress, and the body reacts to both positive and negative stress in very similar ways.

When we’re stressed, the stressed thoughts trigger certain parts of the brain. If you want to get technical, feel free to read the bit in brackets, otherwise skip ahead! (The part of the brain which is stimulated is called the hippocampus, and this sends a signal to the hypothalamus hormone gland. In response, the hypothalamus releases certain hormones like CRH which communicate with another hormone gland called the pituitary. The pituitary then releases other hormones like ACTH which travel in the blood to the kidney where they send a signal to the adrenal glands telling the adrenals to make stress hormones. There is also another means of communication of the brain to the adrenals via the sympathetic nervous). In short, stress that is picked up by the brain triggers the release of the stress hormones in the body. Three main adrenal hormones are responsible for the stress response:

• Adrenaline (aka epinephrine)
• Noradrenaline (aka norepinephrine)
• Cortisol

These hormones have several effects on the body, and all these effects have evolved to increase chances of survival when caught in a life-threatening, stressful situation. These exact same mechanisms are fired off even in non-life-threatening situations because, as already mentioned, the body cannot differentiate between the different types of stress.

One of the actions the body takes to help you get away is to divert the blood away from the gut’s intestinal muscles and towards organs involved in “fight or flight”, like to your running-muscles. When your priority is to run away from tigers, lions and bears, digesting your food properly becomes a lower concern than getting your legs moving quickly. The way that blood is diverted away from the intestines is that the blood vessels in the intestines contract to allow less blood to flow here. Although the mechanism is not entirely clear, it seems that the muscle contraction of the blood vessels around the gut is linked to the sensation of butterflies in the stomach.

This diversion of the body’s resources away from the gut, incidentally, may also having something to do with why appetite is often lost in times of stress.

It may also be that the intestinal muscles themselves are affected by stress because the muscles in the walls of the intestines are smooth muscle, just like the muscles that are behind the blood vessel constriction. One of the responses of the body to extreme stress is that in order to help you run faster from danger, the body tries to make you lighter by triggering the release of bowel and bladder contents. This is why when people are stressed, nervous or scared, they feel they need to go to the bathroom more often. It also somewhat explains the phrases “scared s**tless”, “bricking it” and being “so scared I almost wet myself”. Stress can be quite the laxative! This stress response is also why people can get nervous diarrhoea and IBS-like symptoms when stressed. It may be that a mild version of this muscle contraction in the gut also contributes towards the sensation of butterflies in the stomach.

There may also be non-stress hormones involved

There is another hormone in the body that is normally responsible for keeping the bowel moving regularly, and that is the happiness hormone, serotonin. The gut is known to be the main secretor of serotonin, and when stressed, serotonin levels are affected. This is likely to have an effect on the contractility of the intestinal muscles, which may contribute to the “butterflies in the stomach” effect.

Butterflies in the stomach do NOT necessarily mean you’re in love
A common misconception is that feeling that you’ve got butterflies in your stomach when you speak to someone or when you see someone looking at you, it must mean you like them. This isn’t necessarily the case. All that the butterflies mean is that you’re excited by the exchange.

Can you get rid of butterflies in the stomach?

You might enjoy the feeling of butterflies and not even think about wanting to get rid of them, but for some with an anxious disposition, constant flip-flopping tummies can be a nuisance. So is there a way to decrease the butterflies?

Only if you can get rid of your tendency to get stressed or excited. Butterflies can be reduced however with the application of stress-coping tricks and tips. Some of these include:

• Experience: The more you do something, the more familiar it becomes and the less stress-inducing you may find it. With time, it will stop triggering butterflies as your body stops perceiving the event as stressful.
• Positive self-talk: Positive affirmations to tell yourself everything will be ok, and affirming all the positive skills you have to deal with a stressful situation can be helpful. Also taking a mental note that the worst that can happen isn’t so bad and that things will work out no matter what happens, can help attenuate stress.
• Deep breathing: Taking slow, deep breaths right from your belly can be helpful in reducing butterflies because it helps calm you down.
• Positive visualizations: Imagining the stressful event and visualizing it all working out perfectly can be helpful in reducing tension and butterflies. Visualize the “best case” situation in your mind.
• Bach flower remedies: Certain Bach flowers can help with acute stress. Rescue Remedy is the main one used for immediate stress relief, whilst other remedies are more targeted, like Mimulus for known fears, Aspen for fear of the unknown, and Star of Bethlehem for shock. For acute problems you can drop two drops of the remedy into a glass or bottle of water, shake, and sip it as needed.

• Nutritional Relaxants: The greatest nutritonal relaxant is Magnesium and it is often nicknamed “nature’s tranquilizer”. If you have a generally nervous disposition and are prone to lots of butterflies, magnesium may be helpful because it helps with muscle relaxation. Taking 400-600mg magnesium a day can be useful (which is 2-3 tablets of the magnesium citrate product I’ve linked to). Vitamin C and Vitamin B5 also particularly support the adrenals and can therefore be useful for people prone to feeling anxious.
• Essential oil relaxants: I am a big fan of Young Living essential oils because their effects can be immediate and powerful. Oils like Valor, Peace & Calming, Joy and Harmony can be helpful in times of stress.
• Herbal relaxants: There are some herbal remedies which can help people with generally nervous dispositions. These include skullcap, valerian, passionflower, ashwaganda (aka withania) and rhodiola, although I’d recommend seeing a trained Herbalist or Naturopath before taking these.

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Note:
This site is working in affiliation with Amazon.com (for USA visitors) and The Nutri Centre (for UK visitors). If you like a product that was recommended anywhere on this website, please consider buying these products via the links on this site, to help keep this website running. Thanks

Disclaimer:
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this article is accurate. However the information contained in this article is for educational purposes only. Suggestions contained in this article are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a health professional. All matters regarding health and supplementation require medical supervision and careful examination of contraindications and possible interactions. The author does not accept responsibility for the use of this information, nor shall the author be liable for any loss, injury or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestions in this article.

The causes of grey hair in each of these instances often differ.

This article will examine what causes grey hair in prematurely greying people. You can read about appropriate-age hair greying here.

How do you know if you’re greying prematurely or if it’s just your time?

The average age of grey hairs to first appear seems to be around the late 20s, early 30s, but usually at this age the odd white hair is not really noticeable. It becomes noticeable when a large percentage of your head hair turns grey.

Premature grey hair is broadly classified as a situation where more than 50% of a person’s hair is grey before they are 40 years old.

Causes of prematurely grey hair

There are many possible reasons for premature greying. The main ones are described below:

1.) Dietary causes for premature greying

Malnutrition can be behind prematurely greying hair.¹

Particularly in cases where your parents do not have a history of early greying, diet should be examined carefully as a potential cause.

Some nutritional deficiencies that may be behind premature greying include:

• Copper deficiency²,
• Protein deficiency: Since protein is a major raw material for hair health, it may be linked to greying hair when it is deficient. When protein deficiency is severe it can result in the disease, kwashiorkor, which is known for changes in hair pigmentation.³
• B5 deficiency^4-6
• PABA deficiency: Several studies have found that supplementation of the B-vitamin-like nutrient, PABA, has reversed hair greying as long as the supplement was taken. Results seem inconsistent and the mechanism by which it sometimes works is unknown but studies found that about 25% of people experience grey-hair reversal after around 6 weeks of supplementation at large doses of PABA.¹⁵ Unfortunately the colour was lost again within 3-4 weeks of stopping PABA supplementation. It may be that the people who responded to treatment were those who were deficient in PABA to begin with, and those with sufficient PABA levels did not respond to treatment. The dosage used by the researcher in the described experiment was 6 – 24g of PABA a day, which is an extremely high dose. Other authors reported positive results with only 200 mg of PABA a day.¹⁶ It should also be noted that high PABA dosage can cause diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, skin irritation and liver irritation, and in children doses of 20g can be lethal, so I would avoid supplementing high doses in adults too. It seems research is still inconclusive about what the best, safe dosage of PABA would be. Naturopathic Nutritionist, Dr Elson Haas suggests that some authorities supplementing with PABA for the purpose of reversing premature greying give 1000mg of PABA a day¹⁷, whilst others recommend not going over 400mg a day.
• Iodine deficiency⁷ : This causes hypothyroidism, which may decrease circulation of nutrients to the hair follicle as mentioned below (see Poor nourishment of hair due to poor circulation)

It is possible that other nutrient deficiencies may contribute to premature greying too.

It is interesting to note that often appetite and state of nourishment decrease with age, which makes me wonder if this may be a contributing factor to increased greying with old age.

In some cases, a person may be eating a good diet, rich in nutrients, but their gut health and digestion isn’t functioning well which means they may not be absorbing enough nutrients, and may therefore exhibit premature greying from nutritional deficiencies. In such cases, working on improving digestion with a Nutritionist or Naturopath can be helpful in preventing premature greying.

Things that deplete nutrients may also increase risk of nutritional deficiencies and associated premature greying. The main thing that depletes nutrients is stress. Stress can come in many forms, from internal stressors like inflammation, certain psychological states and disease (e.g. hyperthyroidism which uses up the body’s resources at an elevated rate), to external stressors like sun exposure, radiation, pollution and smoking. When stressors enter the equation, nutrients are used up faster than usual so you need more nutrients to replenish those that are used, otherwise deficiencies may result.

The good news is that prematurely greying due to malnourishment may be temporary, and potentially resolvable upon correction of the dietary deficiencies.

Note that these nutrients may help prevention of prematurely greying hair *only if* their deficiency is the driver behind it in the first place. Nevertheless, a good multivitamin like Nature’s Plus’ Nutri-Genic Softgels (iodine-free) or Nature’s Plus’ Source Of Life Liquid (contains iodine) would be beneficial for most people, and an occasional protein shake like “Whey To Go” can be a great snack.

2.) Poor nourishment of hair due to poor circulation

Sometimes you have enough nutrients in your body but due to poor circulation, they don’t make their way to the head in abundant amounts. This makes me wonder if this may partly have something to do with why as you get older and are less active, you are more prone to get grey hair.

Hypothyroidism is linked to poor circulation of nutrients, and it too has sometimes been associated with premature greying of hair.⁷

To get circulation going you can apply the following:

• Exercise: Make sure you’re active, and getting at least 30 minutes exercise 3 times a week.
• Deep breathing: Every day do 5-10 minuets of deep breathing exercises to encourage good circulation. It’s also great for stress management. If you combine deep breathing with a clearing of your mind and concentration on your breath, it is equivalent in its beneficial stress-fighting effect to meditation.
• Massage: Full body massage helps get your juices flowing! You could also do just a scalp massage if your focus is on hair health. There are Indian Head Massages for this purpose, or you could do it yourself: Whilst washing your hair, take time out to massage your head gently with your fingertips for 5-10 minutes to improve circulation to your scalp.
• Eat circulation-boosting foods. These include pungent and spicy foods like Chilli, ginger, cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic, apple cider vinegar, rosemary and turmeric.
• Dry skin brushing can aid circulation. Some nice brushes you can get in the US include Body Brush Purest Palm 9″ L and Body Brush Natural Bristles.
• Hot/Cold therapy: Alternating between hot and cold temperatures stimulates circulation. This is why alternating saunas and steam rooms with a plunge in a cool pool can be good to get circulation going.

3.) Oxidation and free radical damage

There is a theory that oxidative and free radical damage of cells are behind premature greying of hair.⁸ The theory here is that hairs go grey because somewhere in the hair pigment production pathway, cells are damaged due to oxidative stress. The damaged cells are unable to carry out their functions, pigment cannot be made and cells go grey. Not only have Arck et al.⁸ found evidence for this free radical theory of greying, but also several activities that increase oxidation and free radical formation have been associated with premature greying of hair. These activities are listed below:

a.) Smoking

Smoking has been found to increase risk of premature greying of hair.^9, The mechanism is unclear, though it may be linked to the “cell damage by oxidation and free radical formation” theory. Other possible mechanisms could be that smoking puts the body under stress, and this stress may deplete the body’s nutrients, contributing to nutritional deficiencies which can cause premature greying, as already discussed. Another possible mechanism is that smoking contributes to poor circulation of blood which also increases risk of premature greying.

b.) Hydrogen peroxide build-up

Hydrogen peroxide is a strong oxidant, and although it is uncertain whether dying your hair blonde with it increases the risk of premature greying, some studies suggest hydrogen peroxide is linked to premature ageing of cells.¹¹ Extrapolation of this could suggest hydrogen peroxide build-up may contribute to the destruction of pigment-producing cells.

Natural hydrogen peroxide is produced in the body too in normal metabolism. Usually it is broken down by an enzyme called catalase so that it doesn’t accumulate, however in conditions like vitiligo it is known to accumulate to higher-than-normal levels, potentially contributing to premature greying in vitilgo patients. In ageing cells, their breakdown of hydrogen peroxide is also less efficient which may partly contribute to increased greying of hair with age.¹¹

c.) Stress

Psychological stress may give rise to oxidative stress¹². Although stress has not been formally linked to greying of hair scientifically, anecdotal stories of such occurrences do exist.

It could be that greying of hair that has been associated with stress may be related to hair loss in response to stress. Hair loss is a known side effect of stress, and mass hair loss gives the opportunity for mass new hair growth. If a person has lost melanocytes, usually it takes a while to perceive this change because you have to wait until a pigmented hair falls out in order for the new unpigmented hair to grow in its place. But if there has been hair loss, then lots of new hairs grow at once, none of which have melanocytes behind them to make melanin, so it appears as though suddenly you have a lot of grey hairs, but this wouldn’t have occurred if you didn’t have that mass hair loss that was brought on by stress.

d.) Sun exposure

Dr. Bihova, the assistant professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center, says that whilst there’s no unequivocal evidence for this, overexposure to the sun may increase risk of premature greying.¹³

If this is true, perhaps there may be a link to the oxidative effect of sunlight and the greying of hair.

4.) Genetics

(a.) The Bcl2 gene deficiency

Genes do seem to play a factor in the age of onset of greying hair. One particular gene contributing to greying is the Bcl2 gene. People with a specific genetic mutation for this gene, (a mutation known as “Bcl2 deficiency”) have been found to have increased destruction of the pigment-producing cells in hair follicles; cells known as melanocyte stem cells.¹⁴ (These cells are discussed in “Why does hair go grey?”). The more melanocytes stem cells are destroyed, the more grey the individual is likely to become.

(b.) Werner syndrome genetic disorder

Another genetic reason for prematurely grey hair and ageing is the rare Werner syndrome, where individuals can look elderly by age 30-40.

(c.) Vitiligo
Genetic predisposition to develop the autoimmune disease vitiligo increases risk of premature greying of hair which is seen together with skin colour changes.

Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective: Kidney Problems

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), TCM kidney health controls hair health, and premature greying of hair is a clear indicator of a TCM Kidney pathology, like Kidney Jing Deficiency. A visit to a TCM practitioner can treat the problem from this perspective.

NB. It’s important to remember that the TCM Kidney is not the literal equivalent of what we consider to be the kidney organs in Western Medicine.

There’s a very interesting-sounding Chinese herb called He Shou Wu (also known as Fo Ti or Ho Shou Wu) which may be appropriate for some people in dealing with greying hair, but I would certainly recommend seeing a practitioner before taking a herb like this.

Ayurvedic perspective: Excess Pitta

An Ayurvedic practitioner may conclude that premature greying is the result of too much “pitta” in the system. A visit to an Ayurvedic practitioner will be helpful if you want to go for treatment via the Ayurvedic approach.

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Note:
This site is working in affiliation with Amazon.com (for USA visitors) and The Nutri Centre (for UK visitors). If you like a product that was recommended anywhere on this website, please consider buying these products via the links on this site, to help keep this website running. Thanks

Disclaimer:
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this article is accurate. However the information contained in this article is for educational purposes only. Suggestions contained in this article are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a health professional. All matters regarding health and supplementation require medical supervision and careful examination of contraindications and possible interactions. The author does not accept responsibility for the use of this information, nor shall the author be liable for any loss, injury or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestions in this article.

References

1.)    McKenzie et al. 2007. Childhood malnutrition is associated with a reduction in the total melanin content of scalp hair. Br J Nutr. Jul;98(1):159-64.

2.)    Uauy et al. 1998. Essentialilty of copper in humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 67(Supplement):952S-959S.

3.)    Lunn et al. 1998. A case of kwashiorkor in the UK. Clin Nutr.  Jun;17(3):131-3.

4.)    Braun 2006. Herbs and Natural Supplements. Elsevier Health; 2nd edition

5.)    Kelly et al. 1997.  Pantethine: a review of its biochemistry and therapeutic applications.  Alternative Medicine Review.  2(5):365-377.

6.)    Linder 1991. Nutrition and metabolism of vitamins. In: Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism, 2nd Edition. Maria C. Linder (editor). Simon Schuster, Connecticut, USA, 1991:122.

7.)    Fundukian 2008. The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. 3rd edition.

8.)    Arck et al. 2006. Towards a “free radical theory of graying”: melanocyte apoptosis in the aging human hair follicle is an indicator of oxidative stress induced tissue damage. FASEB J. 20, 1567–1569

9.)    Blechman et al. 2000. Smoking accelerates aging process. Muscular Development. 37(12):52

10.)    Mosley & Gibbs 1996. Premature grey hair and hair loss among smokers: a new opportunity for health education?  BMJ 313 : 1616

11.)    Schallreuter et al. 2009. FASEB Journal. The Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology. Research by researchers of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany and the University of Bradford in Great Britain

12.)    Ellard et al. 2006. Perceived stress, psychological wellbeing and the activity of neutrophils in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. Stress and Health 2006;22:143-52

13.)    Fisher 1997. Age Erasers for Women: Actions You Can Take Right Now to Look Younger and Feel Great . Prevention Magazine Health Books, Rodale Center for Women’s Health. St. Martin’s Press

14.)    Nishimura et al. 2005. Mechanisms of Hair Graying: Incomplete Melanocyte Stem Cell Maintenance in the Niche.  Science 4 February 2005: Vol. 307 no. 5710 pp. 720-724

15.) Zarafonetis. 1964. Darkening of gray hair during para-amino-benzoic acid therapy. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 399-401.

16.) Sieve. 1941. Clinical achromotrichia. Science. 94:257.

17.) Haas. 2006. Staying Healthy with Nutrition, rev: The Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine

1.)    Grey hair that occurs with increasing age
2.)    Premature grey hair that occurs long before the appropriate age sets in. Some say premature greying is considered applicable where over 50% of your hair is grey before the age of 40.

The causes of grey hair in each of these instances often differ.

This article will examine what causes grey hair with increasing age. You can read about premature greying here

What age is normal for hair to go grey?

There comes an age when it is expected to see a grey hair or two without it being considered “premature greying”.

Whilst it’s true that this age differs from person to person depending on their genetics and race, statistics show that around a white-skinned person’s late 20s to early 30s, the first grey hairs are often seen. Dark-skinned races often have an extra grace period of about 10 years before their first greys set in.

Past the age of 30, each decade sees an increased 10-20% risk of gaining grey hairs.

Whilst it is considered premature greying for a person to have 50% grey hair before the age of 40, if this is the case by the age of 50, it is considered quite normal.

But why do hairs go white with age?

Causes of grey hair with increasing age

In order for hair to have colour, it must have the pigment molecule melanin in the hair follicle. Melanin is produced by special cells called melanocytes. The melanocytes pass the pigments they make to the nearby cells called keratinocytes whose job it is to build the pigments into the hair.

With increasing age, it has been observed that melanocytes die off, so that they no longer pass pigment to the hair. Without a pigment present, the hair appears white. The question is:

Why do the melanocytes die as you get older?

To answer this question we first need to ask: What makes the melanocytes?
The answer is: stem cells.
Stem cells are special cells because they are often pluripotent, meaning that they have the potential to turn into a wide range of other cells (pluri = many; potent = potential). In other words, stem cells are like an immature bud-cell which can grow up to become one of many cell types. One of the cell types that it can become is the melanocyte.

When melanocytes die as you get older, what happens to the stem cells from which they grow? Researchers have found that as people grow older, the number of stem cells in the location where they differentiate into melanocytes, also decreases.

Why do these stem cell numbers decrease with age?
Research is still trying to come up with answers.

One clue may be in a recent discovery of the role of a protein called Wnt, which is important for the interaction and signalling between stem cells. Insufficient Wnt protein has been associated with inhibition of melanocyte stem cell activation.

If decreased Wnt signalling is behind grey hair, it’s a good question to ask: Why would Wnt signalling at these stem cells be decreased with increasing age?
Wnt may be inhibited from being formed or it may be inhibited from carrying out its functions in spite of being around, but these questions are still under research.

If you’d like to have a go at solving the great Wnt mystery, you can start by reading more about the Wnt signalling pathway here although it gets extremely technical.

The bottom line on why do we get grey hair as we get older
At the time of this article, we don’t really know! But it seems to be something to do with the reasons behind Wnt protein signalling pathways being disrupted with age.

Theories about why we adapted to get grey hair with age

Although we don’t fully understand the biological mechanisms, this doesn’t stop us from hypothesizing about why it might be a beneficial evolutionary change to have grey hair with increasing age.

The main theory regarding why older humans have grey hair parallels one of the main theories of why we age.

This theory of ageing is that the longer we are around on Earth, the more time there is for oxidation, and wear and tear of cells to build up over time.

It could be that the drivers behind hair pigment formation (melanocytes, melanocytes stem cells and components of the Wnt signalling pathway) are also affected by accumulating cell damage that occurs with age. In this sense, greying hair may be a mechanism brought on by the removal of damaged cell components somewhere deep in the pathway that determines hair coloration. Since the removal of damaged cell components is protective of the body, it may be that the greying of hair is therefore a side effect of this safety mechanism in our body.

This theory is consistent with the fact that grey hair happens as we reach more mature years (by which time we are more likely to accumulate DNA damage). It is also consistent with the observation that greying of hair increases with smoking, hair-bleaching and excess sun exposure, all of which increase risk of oxidation, DNA and cell damage.

If oxidation is the driver behind the greying of hair, then avoidance of oxidizing activities that produce free radicals should reduce greying of hair. Such activities include smoking, excess sun exposure, exposure to hydrogen peroxide, excess exposure to ozone, exposure to radiation e.g. X-rays, excess consumption of oxidizing minerals like iron and copper (although you need sufficient levels for good health), and excess consumption of pro-oxidative foods like sugar.

Even if it doesn’t reduce grey hair, avoiding free radical formation is good practice for maintaining optimal health. Similarly, eating plenty of antioxidants may also be helpful.

You can read more about drivers of greying hair in the companion article on premature greying. It may be that some drivers of premature greying also contribute to greying of hair at more appropriate ages.

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Note:
This site is working in affiliation with Amazon.com (for USA visitors) and The Nutri Centre (for UK visitors). If you like a product that was recommended anywhere on this website, please consider buying these products via the links on this site, to help keep this website running. Thanks

Disclaimer:
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this article is accurate. However the information contained in this article is for educational purposes only. Suggestions contained in this article are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a health professional. All matters regarding health and supplementation require medical supervision and careful examination of contraindications and possible interactions. The author does not accept responsibility for the use of this information, nor shall the author be liable for any loss, injury or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestions in this article.

Now that’s out the way , we can answer the next question: why do we poop?

Why we poop

You might think the answer to this question is obvious: what goes in must come out, right? Well, almost. After all, a lot of what we eat is converted to energy and building materials for our body. So why do we still poop? Why can’t we just convert everything we put into our bodies into useful materials?

The reason for this is that not all materials can be broken down by the body to be used. Although the body is an amazing machine that can interconvert lots of materials, it has its limits. It lacks certain enzymes and other tools to break down some molecules. One of the most well-known examples is fiber, an often-used aid in constipation exactly because it cannot be broken down and must therefore be eliminated in your faeces.

So is it just fiber that we can’t break down that makes its way to our poop? No – our poop is so much more than just fiber! Some statistics say that human excrement is made up of only about 8% fiber. What makes up the rest? Perhaps surprisingly, a lot of the stool is made up of water (about 75% of its bulk is water!), but that still leaves about 17% of stool materials that are unaccounted for. This includes stuff like:

• Dead bacteria: Our gut is full of bacteria, some of which help our digestion, and they constantly reproduce and die as they go through their short lifespan. When these die, they pass into the stool. Dead bacteria release endotoxins called lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) which can be harmful to the body, so it’s important these are eliminated.
• Live bacteria: Some live bacteria from the gut also make their way into the stool.
• Old cells and old cell components: Like bacteria, the body’s cells also have lifespans. The gut-lining cells for example have a lifespan of about 3-4 days, after which they are shed to join the stool in its passage out the body. Remnants of other cells also find their way into the stool. The brown colour of poop is due to the breakdown products of old red blood cells that find their to the stool.
• Mucus: Mucus is made by cells in the gut to act as a lubricant, helping to move the stool along. It also protects the lining of the gut from the friction as it passes, and from chemical interactions with chemicals in the stool. Some of this mucus finds its way into the stool. A stool that is well-coated with a thin layer of mucus explains the phenomenon of the “clean poop effect”, where there is nothing on the toilet paper after wiping.
• Waste products made by the body: This is perhaps the most important component of poop which explains why it’s so important to have good bowel movements regularly. Let’s go into a bit more detail on this point:

What waste products do we need to eliminate?

Every day we are exposed to chemicals in our environment from pollution, additives in food, medications and more and many of these chemicals cannot be recycled into useful chemicals in the body.

In our food, some naturally occurring food chemicals like alcohol, caffeine and benzopyrene (a carcinogen from charcoal-broiled meat) also need to be detoxified and eliminated.

There are even naturally-made substances in the body that are not 100% re-used by the body, like certain hormones (e.g. oestrogen) and other chemicals we make (e.g. histamine, cholesterol).

There are two options for the fate of these materials: Either they are eliminated through routes like defecation (although other routes also exist like via urine, sweat and exhalation), or they stay in the body and accumulate, where they can potentially cause problems.  When they build up to detrimental levels in the body, these chemicals are often nicknamed “toxins” in the complementary health world.

Several conditions have been linked with unexcreted bowel contents and retained bowel-related toxins, including:

• Faecal impaction from intestinal obstruction of unpooped poo. This is dangerous because there comes a point where the bowel is so full of waste that there’s nowhere for it to go, and the gut walls can rupture.
• Dysbiosis , which is the overproliferation of unhelpful bacteria in the gut that can occur. Bacteria thrive on the stagnating bowel contents, and as they feed they make gaseous byproducts which can make you feel bloated and gassy.
• Hormonal imbalances from unexcreted hormonal residues (from excess oestrogen and its side effects, to thyroid problems),
• Cancer from unexcreted carcinogens, particularly bowel cancer (aka colorectal cancer).
• Mood affectations : unexcreted waste materials that travel in the blood also find their way to the brain where they can have an effect on the nervous system and your mood.  Negative impacts on mood may also result from hormonal changes and from feeling generally sub par because of the accumulating wastes in your body.
• The circulation of toxins in the blood can aggravate the immune system which detects unwanted substances in the blood and responds by fighting against these chemicals, creating constant low-grade inflammation in the body and using up energy which could be better spent used elsewhere. When the body is busy fighting such things, there are less resources to fight other problems, and immunity is therefore reduced. The result is a tendency to catch any bugs flying around.
  The side effects of low-grade inflammation can exhibit as tonsil stones, excess mucus production in the nose and throat, feverishness, and generally feeling a bit under the weather.
• If not eliminated, some chemicals circulate in the blood and are deposited elsewhere, like in the skin, where they can increase the risk of acne.
• And others… Murray & Pizzorno² say that antigens and toxins from bowel bacteria have been found to be possibly related to the development of Diabetes mellitus, Meningitis, Myasthenia gravis, Thyroid disease, Ulcerative colitis and other diseases.

The bottom line on why we poop:

It’s essential in order to eliminate harmful chemicals, so that our systems are clean and healthy, and so that we feel light and full of vitality.

References

1. Urban Dictionary

2. Murray & Pizzorno. 1999. Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine. Prima Publishing,U.S.; 2Rev Ed edition

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Note:
This site is working in affiliation with Amazon.com (for USA visitors) and The Nutri Centre (for UK visitors). If you like a product that was recommended anywhere on this website, please consider buying these products via the links on this site, to help keep this website running. Thanks

Disclaimer:
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this article is accurate. However the information contained in this article is for educational purposes only. Suggestions contained in this article are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a health professional. All matters regarding health and supplementation require medical supervision and careful examination of contraindications and possible interactions. The author does not accept responsibility for the use of this information, nor shall the author be liable for any loss, injury or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestions in this article.

Related Articles
- Why do I need fiber?

In spite of our best efforts to perfect our poses and our facial expressions when a camera is pointing our way, sometimes photos come back to us with our eyes glowing mysteriously ruby-red. Why do we sometimes get red eyes in photos?

The red eye effect happens when a photo has been taken using a flash. Usually in bright light the eye’s iris contracts to make the pupil appear small so that less light enters the eye. However when a flash is used, the iris doesn’t have enough time to adjust to the lighting so often the pupil remains large when the shot is taken.

What has pupil size got to do with red eyes? The bigger the pupil, the more light enters the eye and bounces off the back of the eye. Since the back of the eye (technically the choroid of the eye) is nourished by red blood vessels, the red surface absorbs all non-red light frequencies and reflects red light back. The red light that bounces off the back of the eye is detected by the camera, and voila! red eye effect is born.

How come animals don’t have red eyes when photographed?

In many animals, including common pets like dogs and cats, their eyes appear white in photos. Their eyes are built differently from ours because they have a layer in their eye called the tapetum lucidum which reflects all light back, not just the red light. When all light is reflected, the effect is a white light shining back in photos.

How the red eye effect can save a life

There is one rare cancer called retinoblastoma, most often found in children, which can be detected by seeing whether a child displays red eyes in flash photos or not. Children who have one or two eyes with a “white eye” in photos instead of a red eye should be checked for retinoblastoma. This white-eye effect is known as leukocoria and in the case of retinoblastoma it occurs because there is a cancerous tumour which is reflecting the light back out of the eye. When caught in time (often thanks to family photos) retinoblastoma has a really good cure rate.

Leukocoria need not always indicate cancer. It can indicate other health conditions so if it is spotted, it’s always advisable to have your eyes checked further. Other conditions which leukocoria could indicate include: cataracts, Coloboma, Persistent primary hyperplastic vitreous (PHPV), Retinopathy of prematurity, Norrie disease, Coat’s disease, a cloudy cornea from corneal scarring, Medullated nerve fibers, melanoma, ocular toxocariasis, Toxocara canis (infection caused by a parasite), Uveitis (aka Chorioretinitis) and retrolental fibroplasia.

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Can I do anything to prevent liver spots?

Prevention is always better than cure, and if you’re at a stage in your life where you don’t yet have liver spots (also known as age spots, sun spots or solar lentigo), you have a good chance of preventing them from occurring by doing the following:

1.) Protect yourself from the sun:
By minimizing sun exposure, wearing protective clothing and sunscreen with a broad-sprectrum UVA and UVB sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 on exposed skin, you will be reducing the risk of liver spots. Higher SPFs like 30, or ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of 40 or 50 would be even better. A few sunscreens with more natural ingredients are:

If you’re out for several hours, reapplication of sunscreen may be necessary after about 2 hours in intense sunlight, especially if there is a lot of sweating going on that may be washing off some of the sunscreen.

The risk of sun exposure causing free radicals is greatest when the sun’s rays are most intense, and this is often between 10am and 4pm. Vigilance about sun protection is most important at these hours.

Other precautions you can take against the sun aside from sunscreen include:

• Hats: You can wear a broad-rimmed hat to protect your face from the sunlight.
• Anti-UVA films on windows: You can have anti-UV-A-film installed on your car windows to help minimize exposure when driving.

2.) Avoid products that increase skin sensitivity to the sun if you know you’re going to be out in the sunshine:

Some chemicals in food increase the skin’s sensitivity to the sun. These chemicals are called psoralens. Certain people are genetically predisposed to be sensitive to psoralens. You’d know if you’re sensitive to psoralens if you notice that you’re more prone to getting sunburned after eating certain foods. If you are one of these sensitive people, foods to avoid before going out into the sun include: figs, celery, parsley, dill, lime and other citrus fruits, and also the herbs, Angelica and St John’s wort.

3.) Eat a lot of antioxidants:
Age spots are strongly linked to free radical damage, so eating lots of antioxidants which help neutralize free radicals, is one tool for preventing age spots.

There are plenty of antioxidants to choose from which you can eat through food, or supplement if desired. Some of the main antioxidants for skin health include:

(a.) Vitamin E:
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, and for this reason it the #1 antioxidant to protect fatty acids, which are the main contributors to lipofuscin liver spot production. Eating vitamin E-rich foods is great to help you get your antioxidant levels up.

If desired vitamin E can be supplemented with 200-400IU a day. At a dosage of 400IU, this supplement is recommended only in the short-term (i.e. for a couple of weeks or so) rather than the long-term (i.e. years and years). Studies have found possible links to heart problems in long-term vitamin E supplementation at doses of over 400IU. Short-term supplementation at this dose however, for example when on holiday and spending more time in the sun, could be useful. Good vitamin E supplements to use are those with mixed tocopherols rather than just alpha-tocopherol. A good brand of vitamin E is Solgar’s Natural Vitamin E (Mixed Tocopherols), 400 IU.
Please note: You should not supplement vitamin E if you are taking anticoagulant drugs.

Alternatively, a lower dose in a multivitamin in the long-term should be safe. Some good brands of multivitamins containing vitamin E are given below.

(b.) Alpha lipoic acid:
This is a potent antioxidant that’s only found in quite low levels in food. It is best supplemented, and a good brand is Metagenics’ Meta Lipoate 300, and a good dose would be two of these 300mg tablets a day (to get a therapeutic dose of 600mg). Lipoic acid also has other benefits including sugar balancing and improving energy production.

(c.) Vitamin C:
Vitamin C is one of the best known antioxidants and it has a role in making the skin’s collagen, so is an important skin-health nutrient.

It’s worth seeing which foods contain high vitamin C levels and incorporating more of these foods into your diet. Having said that, getting sufficient vitamin C from food is very difficult because vitamin C is very sensitive to destruction by heat and time exposed to air. This means that it’s often quite low in foods by the time you eat them. You can supplement with a vitamin C supplement that contains 500mg. Choose a brand of vitamin C in the “buffered” form of magnesium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate, or “mixed ascorbates”. Avoid forms that are “ascorbic acid” because these are acidic. Choose one that contains bioflavonoids, because these increase vitamin C absorption. A good vitamin C brand that meets these requirements is Solgar – Bio-Ascorbate Buffered Vitamin C Complex, 500 mg, .

(d.) Selenium:
Selenium is another antioxidant which also has a role in skin health. So it’s great to include some selenium-containing foods in your diet. If you have 1-4 Brazil nuts a day, that would be a good start.

(e.) Other antioxidants
The list of possible antioxidants can go on and on, and it includes also Zinc, carotenoids, reservatrol, polyphenols like OPC, anthocyanidins, curcuminoids, Epigallocatechin, EGCG and Quercetin to name but a few.

There is a measure of “antioxidant capacity” of foods which takes into consideration all these antioxidants together and measures the total antioxidant-effect of the food. This “antioxidant capacity” is known as ORAC (Oxygen radical absorbance capacity). You can find lists of antioxidant-rich foods organized by ORAC values which can be useful to check out.

You can get general antioxidant supplements containing several antioxidants in one tablet which can be helpful. Most multivitamins are rich in antioxidant molecules. Some good multis include: Nature’s Plus’ Nutri-Genic Softgels, which is iodine-free, or if you’re certain you have no autoimmune antibodies, you can go for an iodine-containing multi like Nature’s Plus’ Source Of Life Liquid , or Solgar’s Female Multiple . Please note that smokers should not use multis that contain beta-carotene because the interaction between smoking and this nutrient has been associated with increased risk of lung cancer.

Can I do anything to treat liver spots once I have them?

Unfortunately, once you have them, liver spots are notoriously difficult to shift naturally. Whilst there are the extreme options in allopathic medicine for treatment like skin bleaching, freezing the spots off, lasering them off or going for chemical peels, there are also milder treatment alternatives to try:

1.) Rosehip oil:
A study by Pareja et al (1988) entitled “Contributions to identification and application of active components contained in Rosa aff. rubiginosa”, found that spots faded upon application of rosehip oil for a minimum of 3 weeks. They write: “Significant changes were noted starting on the third week. Firstly, surface wrinkles started to disappear, spots started to fade until, at the end of the fourth month, the disappearance was complete. Skin presented a smooth and fresh aspect and the spots had almost disappeared.”

One brand of rosehip oil on the market is NZ Fusion Botanicals’ Pure Organic Rosehip Oil although there are several other brands available.

2.) Things that break down lipofuscin:
There are certain things that have been shown to break down lipofuscin deposits in various places in the body.
One drug that is used for this purpose is DMAE, although it has been reported to potentially have some minor temporary side effects (like headaches, insomnia and muscle tension), and is advised to be used with caution and medical supervision where epileptics are concerned. Some people who use DMAE for the removal of lipofuscin from their skin report that a daily dose of 300 mg (of 100% DMAE) causes the disappearance of liver spots after a few months. Other researchers report that a minimum of 1,600mg per day is required for this purpose. I would recommend medical supervision if going down this route. A few examples of DMAE cream on the market include derma e Retexturizing Creme, DMAE- Alpha Lipoic – C-Ester , DMAE skin cream , and Perricone MD High Potency Evening Facial Repair; but I would advise consulting a dermatologist for picking a product with the right dosage of DMAE in it.

There are other reports of certain nutrients helping to break down lipofuscin in areas of the body such as the brain (eg. Acetyl-L-Carnitine and many of the antioxidants mentioned above). However more research is needed to find out if these work on skin lipofuscin.

3.) Glycolic acid:
Glycolic acid is actually one of the acids used in acid-chemical peels when at high concentrations, but it can be bought at low concentrations over the counter and is said to be effective in helping liver spots fade when applied topically. Although it is one of the gentler, “light” chemical peels, it is still a peel, so if you’re going down this route, personally I think you really ought to be under supervision of a skin specialist because if not carried out at the right, safe concentrations, glycolic acid can burn the skin. One example of a glycolic cream on the market is Reviva – 10% Glycolic Acid Night Cream .

4.) Retin-A:
Like glycolic acid, retin A, also known as retinoic acid, is used in chemical peels when at high concentrations, but is available in lower concentrations as a prescription-cream. Treatment duration depends on the individual, but benefits can be seen within about a month for some people, or after 10 months for others. There are several creams available but 0.025% concentration is said to cause less irritation than the stronger concentration creams.

The problem with retin-A is that it does irritate the skin, causing redness, dryness, peeling, or even blisters initially, although these effects are said to decrease with ongoing use. The idea of how retin-A works is that it peels away the old skin to reveal new, liver-spot-free skin underneath. One side effect that does not diminish is the fact that retin-A makes the skin sensitive to sunlight, so that you are more prone to sunburn if you are unprotected in sunlight.
Retin-A is also potentially dangerous in pregnancy where too much retinoic acid may harm the baby.

Again, I would definitely advise seeking professional advice before using strong chemicals like this.

The Integrative Medicine specialist, Dr Andrew Weil, recommends the drug Retin-A as a tried and tested way of fading liver spots. (You can see his article on this topic here). As a side-benefit, retin-A also helps reduce wrinkles and other blemishes.

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Note:
This site is working in affiliation with Amazon.com (for USA visitors) and The Nutri Centre (for UK visitors). If you like a product that was recommended anywhere on this website, please consider buying these products via the links on this site, to help keep this website running. Thanks

Disclaimer:
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this article is accurate. However the information contained in this article is for educational purposes only. Suggestions contained in this article are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a health professional. All matters regarding health and supplementation require medical supervision and careful examination of contraindications and possible interactions. The author does not accept responsibility for the use of this information, nor shall the author be liable for any loss, injury or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestions in this article.

Liver spot causes

First of all, it has nothing to do with the liver. Although it was once believed these spots arose due to liver problems, today we know this is not true. The name however, stuck!

The answer to why we get liver spots is a simple one: sun exposure.

If you notice where liver spots are most prevalent, you’ll find they occur on areas of skin that are exposed to the sun. The backs of hands, arms, the face, shoulders, and tops of bald heads are often the favourite places for liver spots to spring up.

How does the sun cause liver spots?

When the sun shines on your skin, penetrating ultraviolet rays cause the molecules in your body to become excited by this source of energy. If you have plenty of melanin pigment in your skin (i.e. if you’re dark skinned), the melanin molecules intercept much of this energy safely and transforms the UV-photons into harmless by-products. But in fair-skinned people the energization of the body’s molecules can lead to what’s known as “photodissociation” or “photolysis” of the molecules, which is where the high-energy UV photons break down molecules in the skin into free radicals.

With free radicals running loose in your body, they wreak havoc on the surrounding skin cells. Free radicals cause other molecules (often molecules that are parts of body cells) to dissociate and therefore leave behind a trail of damaged cells.

One group of the molecules that is often a casualty of sun-induced free radical damage are the unsaturated fatty acid molecules in the skin, found in the cell membranes amongst other places. When free radicals come in contact with them, these unsaturated fatty acids can become oxidized in the process known as “lipid peroxidation”. Sometimes, if you have enough antioxidants around, the body can curb the damage here, but if there aren’t enough antioxidants, the damaged fat molecules go to a place in the cells called the “lysosome” which is sort of like the waste disposal unit of the cell. The lysosome breaks down the unusuable sun-damaged fatty debris into waste products. One waste product that the lysosomes make is a “lipopigment” molecule called lipofuscin. Lipofuscin is the brown pigment that gives liver spots their brown colour.

When your body is exposed to sun-induced free radical damage repeatedly over years, lipofuscin accumulates in your skin, and when you have enough around, it starts to become visible as brown spots on your skin. Thus the liver spot is born.

So why do some people get more liver spots than others?

How many liver spots you have, or how old you are when you get them depends on a few factors:

• Your genetic predisposition:
  People may have a genetic predisposition to be more or less sensitive to the sun’s rays. One example of this is that some people have genes coding for low melanin production and therefore these people are more “photosensitive” and less protected from the sun’s UV rays.
• Your skin colour:
  Fair-coloured skin types are more prone to free radical sun damage than dark skin types because of the different levels of protective melanin.
• How much time you’ve spent in the sun without sun protection in your life:
  If you’re in your 20s but have spent every day of your life sunbathing on the beach without proper sun protection, it is entirely possible that you could have more liver spots at 20-something than a person in their 60s who has had little sun-exposure throughout their lifetime. Note that we need some time in the sun without protection in order to make vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin. It is generally said that 15 minutes in the sun is enough for this purpose, and this minimal sun exposure shouldn’t cause liver spots. It is recommended that the daily 15 minute sun-bathe should be done when the sun is not at its hottest (10am-4pm), so early morning or late afternoon is best.
• How often you’ve been in sun beds to get a tan:
  Sunbeds which emit UV-rays have the same free-radical-producing effect on skin. The more often people spend time in sunbeds, the more likely they are to have liver spots.
• How many antioxidants are in your diet to carry out sun-damage control
  Antioxidants are like the firemen of the body, putting out the fires free radicals produce, and hopefully stopping the sun-damage before lipofuscin-production occurs. The more antioxidants you have in your diet, the better your chances are of evading age spots, but of course it is a combination of high antioxidants and protection from sun exposure which is optimal.
• How many psoralens you eat before being in the sun, and how sensitive you are to psoralens:
  Psoralens are chemicals found in some foods and herbs which increase the skin’s sensitivity to the sun. Foods containing psoralens include figs, citrus fruits e.g. lime, celery, carrots, dill, fennel, and herbs rich in psoralens are angelica and St Johns Wort. Whilst for most of us this sensitivity is negligible, some people are more sensitive to the effects of psoralens than others, and for them, psoralen-rich food consumption on a regular basis combined with time in the sun may increase risk of liver spots.

How do you prevent liver spots or rid of them once you have them?
For information on this see the follow-up article: Preventing Age spots and Age spot removal.

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Note:
This site is working in affiliation with Amazon.com (for USA visitors) and The Nutri Centre (for UK visitors). If you like a product that was recommended anywhere on this website, please consider buying these products via the links on this site, to help keep this website running. Thanks

Disclaimer:
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this article is accurate. However the information contained in this article is for educational purposes only. Suggestions contained in this article are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a health professional. All matters regarding health and supplementation require medical supervision and careful examination of contraindications and possible interactions. The author does not accept responsibility for the use of this information, nor shall the author be liable for any loss, injury or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestions in this article.