It s been long known about the numerous health benefits of beetroot. Surprisingly though, beetroot has some not-so-known qualities such as increasing stamina, removing skin blemishes and increasing the glow of the face. Apart from this, it can fetch benefits to the skin, hair and the overall health. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of beetroot consumption in vivid detail.

Reduces the impact of aging: Beetroot being a great antioxidant successfully blocks free radicals and helps to fight the symptoms of aging. All it requires is a medium slice beetroot. The juice should be extracted from it and the pulp needs to be removed. The juice then could be applied to the face using cotton balls. Applying this simple solution once in a week can fetch dramatic results.
Reduces blemish and pigmentation: Beetroot is one of the few vegetables that have a large amount of vitamin C embedded in it. It helps the skin to retain its original color, reduces blemishes and pigmentation. 3-4 cubes of beetroot serving twice a week should do the trick.
Hair loss: Beetroot is a great source of food to stay away from hair loss. Being a good source of potassium, beetroot can prevent hair loss and enhance hair growth. A weekly serving of 3-4 cube of beetroot over a span of few months will show visible results.
Improves liver function: Beetroot contains glutathione that is known to be a great agent for the liver. It acts as a detox diet and helps in functioning of the liver. This liver, in turn, helps the body to detox. Beetroot also helps in the regeneration of cells of the liver.
Boost hemoglobin: Beetroot is an excellent source of iron and folate. These are the nutrients that are required for the body to maintain an adequate amount of hemoglobin in the body. A deficiency in the hemoglobin level can lead to anemia. Regular consumption of beetroot can ensure that a person refrains from deadly diseases such as anemia.
Fight inflammation: Some typical symptoms of inflammation include infection, trauma etc. This is a sign of the immune system not acting efficiently against sudden panic. Some typical symptoms include pain, redness, swelling etc. Beetroot in known to have a super-efficient anti-inflammatory response. Injection of beetroot is often suggested by medical practitioners.
Cancer prevention: Beetroot can elevate the level of oxygen in the blood. Since cancer cells are acidic in nature, beetroot can successfully neutralize them due to its alkaline nature. Owing to this anti-cancer properties, oncologists often suggests the intake of beetroot juice on a regular basis to patients suffering from liver, rectal, colon and various other types of cancer. 2 glasses of beetroot juice are often recommended for cancer patients.

Beetroot (Chukundar) - 7 Reasons Why You Must Eat Them!

Interstitial cystitis (IC), also known as painful bladder syndrome, is a difficult condition. It is difficult to diagnose and though there are treatments that can make life easier, there is no long-term cure. Interstitial cystitis is a lifelong bladder problem, that causes pressure and pain below the belly button. Symptoms can be constant, or they may fluctuate. It causes painful and urgent trips to the bathroom. In severe cases, you may need to urinate about 40 to 60 times in a day.

What causes interstitial cystitis (IC)?

The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ that holds the urine your body needs to dispose. The reason why IC occurs isn t that clear, but there a few ideas:
1. An issue with bladder tissue allows chemicals in your urine to irritate the bladder.
2. Chemicals that are released when there is an inflammation in your body can cause the symptoms.
3. The bladder can be attacked by your immune system
4. Substances in your urine can damage your bladder
5. Nerve problems can wreak havoc on your bladder

Signs and Symptoms
People suffering from IC don t display the same symptoms. The symptoms keep changing, be it every day, every week or every month. Sometimes, the symptoms may entirely disappear without treatment. Some common IC symptoms include:
1. Bladder pressure and pain that worsens after the bladder gets filled with urine
2. Pain in your urethra (the tube that drains the urine from your bladder), pelvis, lower back and lower tummy
3. Women experience vaginal pain (or the area behind it) or in the vulva
4. In men, a sensation of pain in the penis, testicles, scrotum or the region behind the scrotum
5. The urge to urinate, even if you had urinated a few moments ago
6. Women experience pain during intercourse
7. Men experience pain after sex or during orgasm

One common symptom shared by all people suffering from IC is a swollen bladder. There are certain things that can worsen your condition. These include:
1. Certain drinks or foods
2. Physical or mental stress
3. Menstrual cycles

Interstitial Cystitis (IC) - 5 Things That Can Cause it

Cirrhosis of the liver is a chronic and progressive condition in which the liver gets damaged and healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue, ultimately causing dysfunction of the liver. Liver damage obstructs the circulation to the liver and also hinders the processing of nutrients, hormones, drugs, toxins as well as the production of proteins and other substances made by the liver. Liver cirrhosis is caused due to hepatitis C, fatty liver, alcohol abuse, viral infections, inherited diseases, and as a toxic reaction to drugs and environmental waste products. The modern management of this condition involves diet modification, reduction in salt intake, total abstinence from alcohol, and avoiding all the causative factors of this condition.

Cirrhosis of liver causes multiple symptoms in the body including fluid collection in the abdomen, bleeding varices in the stomach, chronic heart failure, damage to the central nervous system, and various metabolic disorders in the body. Advanced cirrhosis of liver is ultimately fatal.

Ayurvedic Treatment

It is therefore of prime importance to commence treatment at the earliest possible. It is of utmost importance to treat the known cause of the condition. Ayurvedic herbal medicines have a definite action on the hepatic cells and can effectively treat inflammation within the liver. Ayurvedic medicines can also treat infection as well as metabolic dysfunction of the liver, and protect it from the toxic effects of drugs and environmental wastes. Ayurvedic medicines can therefore be effectively used to treat all the known causes of liver cirrhosis.
Liver damage causes healthy cells to be replaced with scar tissue. This is preceded by a process of inflammation, swellingand gradual death of the liver cells. Early institution of Ayurvedic treatment can help dramatically reduce inflammation and swelling and thereby preserve the liver cells and prevent unnecessary damage. Even in the early phase of scar deposition. Ayurvedic herbal medicines can help remove scar tissue, minimize permanent liver damage, and help regenerate damaged or near-dead cells Ayurvedic herbal medicines, therefore, form a comprehensive treatment therapy for liver cirrhosis.
The other symptoms resulting from liver cirrhosis such as ascites, esophageal varices, congestive cardiac failure and metabolic disorders start improving automatically when the obstruction in the liver is treated and removed. However, Ayurvedic medicines can treat these symptoms independently too, if these are observed to be severe in the affected individual and require urgent medical care. Improved functioning of the liver also helps to improve the overall metabolism and nutrition of the body and metabolize toxic substances within the body. Prompt and aggressive Ayurvedic treatment, therefore, helps comprehensively treat liver cirrhosis and significantly reduce morbidity and mortality resulting from this disease.
Cirrhosis can also adversely affect the central nervous system and cause psychotic symptoms and permanent nerve damage. Prompt treatment with Ayurvedic herbal medicines also helps to preserve the brain function and treat the associated symptoms. If required, brain damage can be treated separately with herbal medicines which strengthen the nervous system and help rejuvenate nerve cells. Medicines which act on the nervous system also help improve confidence and self-control and are therefore equally useful in helping the affected individual abstain completely from alcohol, which is a known and predominant cause of cirrhosis.
Depending upon the severity of the condition, most individuals affected with cirrhosis require regular and aggressive Ayurvedic herbal treatment for periods ranging from six to eighteen months, in order to obtain significant benefit and a possible complete cure from the condition. Ayurvedic treatment thus has a definite role to play in the management and treatment of cirrhosis.

Cirrhosis Liver - Ayurvedic Remedies That Can Help!

Recurrent pregnancy loss refers to the situation when three consecutive pregnancy loss takes place. A pregnancy loss is a clinically defined pregnancy which ends before twenty weeks.

Causes of recurrent pregnancy loss

Major cases of pregnancy loss occur due to genetic abnormalities and chromosomal abnormalities. The abnormality may occur from the sperm, egg or the early developed embryo.
Recurrent pregnancy loss may occur in a woman due to ascending maternal age. This happens because of poor quality of the egg, which further leads to chromosomal abnormalities. In some cases, the pregnant mother or the father can have some gene irregularities. In such cases, the would-be-born infant is affected, and this causes pregnancy loss or miscarriage.
Uterus abnormalities also lead to recurrent pregnancy loss. This may happen because of poor supply of blood to the uterus. Abnormalities in the uterus are in-born in some women and in others these may develop over time.
Women having a poor immune system are likely to suffer pregnancy loss. Abnormalities in hormone secretion like thyroid or diabetes may also cause pregnancy loss in women.
If a woman suffers from abnormalities in blood clotting, the chances of miscarriage are enhanced.
Testing for recurrent pregnancy loss
Several tests and examinations should be carried out for detection of pregnancy loss. 

Karyotype analysis of the woman and her male partner has to be conducted. Karyotype refers to the genetic or chromosomal constituents of an individual and this test is carried out to detect abnormalities in genes and chromosomes of the parents, which cause miscarriage when passed on to the developing infant.
Another test includes the evaluation of the uterus and the uterine cavity. This is done by ultrasound, saline ultrasound, MRI, hysterosalpingogram X  ray or by hysteroscopy. These tests help to get information on the uterus shape, about fibroid presence, detect abnormalities within the uterus and observe the opening and closing of the tubes. Tests to detect the functioning of hormones are also carried out.
Treatment
The treatment for women with recurrent pregnancy loss depends upon the underlying causes of the pregnancy loss.

In case of patients with karyotypic abnormalities, genetic counselling is recommended, where a specialist is consulted to know about chromosomal abnormalities.
Prenatal genetic studies are carried out by some couples to know about the offspring s genetic make-up. This is done with chorionic villus sampling or with amniocentesis. A process known as in vitro fertilization can be carried out.
In case of uterine abnormalities, a surgery may be performed and medications for reducing blood clot are used if antiphospolipid syndrome is detected.
Recurrent pregnancy loss may happen due to various reasons and proper tests, and treatment procedures should be carried out for curing pregnancy loss. This phenomenon affects a woman and her partner deeply.

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss - Know the Reasons Behind it!

The largest internal organ in the body, the liver, is also one of the silent heroes, which performs close to 500 functions. It produces energy, fights infections, gets rid of wastes, and is a metabolic factory.

There are four major types of liver diseases out of which alcoholic liver disease accounts for about 40% of them. Other types include non-alcoholic liver disease, viral hepatitis and autoimmune (chronic) hepatitis.

Risk factors: The severity of drinking habit is directly proportional to the chances of developing alcoholic liver disease. People who consume more amount of alcohol are more likely to develop the disease. However, it is also not necessary that every person who consumes alcohol develops liver disease.

Following are obvious risk factors for developing alcoholic liver disease.

1. Alcohol dependency: While enjoying a drink is not barred, getting the body dependent on alcohol for regular functioning is definitely a no-no. The rate of developing the disease in people dependent on alcohol is as high as 70%.

2. Females: The way alcohol is metabolized in females could have an effect on the higher risk they face in developing alcoholic liver disease.

3. Obesity: Excessive weight puts additional stress on the metabolic effects of the liver and therefore has a higher tendency to develop alcoholic liver disease.

4. Family history: Strong familial history increases the risk of developing alcoholic liver disease.

Symptoms: The difficulty in diagnosing the disease lies in the fact that there are no clear-cut symptoms that can indicate the diagnosis. Initial general symptoms include fatigue, poor appetite, abdominal pain, nausea, weight loss, loss of energy, and red spider nevi (spider-like blood vessels) on the skin.

As the liver function continues to worsen, there are additional symptoms like swelling of the legs due to fluid accumulation, swelling of the abdomen, jaundice (yellow mucous membranes and skin), redness of palms, impotence, breast swelling, easy bruising, cognitive problems and clay-colored stools. This stage will see liver scarring and subsequent cirrhosis. The second set of symptoms is more diagnostic. An experienced practitioner will be able to suspect and diagnose the alcoholic disease with a detailed history and some liver function tests.

Treatment: If identified early and alcohol habits are reversed, the damages of the liver can be completely reversed. In addition, the following lifestyle changes are suggested:

1. Low-salt diet

2. Hepatitis vaccines (A and B)

3. Medications to manage fluid retention, spontaneous bleeding and infections as the case may be

4. Excessive fluid accumulation in the abdomen may require removal

5. Shunt in the liver to repair blood flow

6. If cirrhosis stage is reached, a liver transplant may be required

While there are many ways to manage alcoholic liver disease, prevention is the best way. Limiting alcohol consumption can definitely help in the prevention of the disease.

All About Alcoholic Liver Disease

The build-up of fat in the liver may lead to the development of a condition known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH. This condition is not related to the consumption of alcohol and the inflammation is due to the buildup of fats in the liver. In most cases, there are no symptoms till the stage when the fat deposition causes inflammation and damages the liver cells. This also hinders the normal functioning of the liver and if not treated, it may lead to an extreme condition known as cirrhosis. However, NASH does not always get worse and with some precaution, it can be treated.

The cause behind the development of this disease is not alcohol consumption and it could be some environmental factor that triggers liver inflammation or heredity might be another reason. However, the risk of developing this disease is high for people who are obese, have metabolic syndrome, have high cholesterol or are resistant to insulin.

There are hardly any symptoms of NASH that are seen in the early stage of this condition. However, at a much-progressed stage, the following symptoms may be seen:

Weight loss
Fatigue and weakness
Upper abdomen pain
Diagnosing NASH requires undergoing several tests that include a blood test, a CT scan, an MRI scan and also an abdominal ultrasound.

Benefits of Ayurvedic remedies in managing NASH



There are remedies which help in detoxification of the liver. They also enhance the body s capacity to digest fats and prevent it from accumulating in the liver.
A few remedies are rich in vitamin C content as they are very effective in treating liver problems.
Some remedies are packed with the antioxidant and vitamin C. And, it is this vitamin C that helps the liver in producing the enzyme, glutathione, which neutralizes the toxins and detoxifies the liver of all of the toxins.
Some remedies contain catechins, which are known to enhance the functioning of the liver. They are great for blocking the fat stored in the liver and works wonder in fighting against diseases associated with the fatty liver disease.
There are some fruits that are effective in treating fatty liver diseases. These fruits burn the dietary fat rapidly and also improves the functioning of the liver if consumed regularly.
Some Ayurvedic remedies are a storehouse of the fat-soluble Vitamin E, and are known to protect your liver against the accumulation of fats and will keep your liver healthy.
Apart from including these natural ingredients in your diet, you will also have to reduce your body weight, reduce cholesterol level, control your diabetes, exercise regularly and stop consuming alcohol. However, home remedies are just supportive, but not a complete line of treatment for NASH so you cannot depend completely only on them. As mentioned NASH can disturb your normal liver functioning and if not treated it can lead to liver cirrhosis so take proper Ayurvedic treatment under the guidance of an Ayurvedic doctor.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) - Home Remedies That Can Help Treat It!

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