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Skin, Hair & Nails
Shingles - Micronutrients In Fruit & Vegetables Help Protect From Shingles
Date: 27/02/06
Most of us have experienced the maddening itchiness of coping with a bout of chicken pox when we were kids.
One of the only things that gave us comfort was that we've always heard that once you've had it, you're done with it. And while that's true - chicken pox almost never recurs it does lie dormant in your spinal cord and can be reactivated causing shingles. That is because shingles and chicken pox are caused by the same virus - herpes zoster.
According to the Herpes Viruses Association, about 250,000 people in the UK get shingles every year. Shingles is more likely to occur in older people and by the age of 85, and around 60 percent of us experience shingles.
Shingles is linked to weakened immune systems as when we age, our immune system weakens, this allows the virus to be more easily activated. So maintaining a strong immune system is essential to lowering your risk.
Goods news recently came in the form of a new study that suggests seven micronutrients could help protect us against shingles.
Micronutrients in fruit and vegetables help protect from shingles
Scientists from the Department of Infectious and Tropical Disease at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine examined the association between the risk of shingles and dietary intake of micronutrients and fruit and vegetable consumption.
The micronutrients they were specifically interested in studying were vitamins A, B6, C, E, folic acid, zinc and iron, all of which have been linked to good immune system health.
The researchers examined 243 people with shingles and 488 healthy people all aged 16 to 91, with the average age being 57. Intake of fruit and vegetables was recorded using a food frequency questionnaire.
They found that people who ate more fruit had a lower risk of shingles. Specifically, the volunteers who ate less than one piece of fruit per week had more than three times the risk of shingles when compared to those who ate more than three pieces of fruit a day.
The researchers also found that getting your micronutrients from your diet, mainly fruit and vegetables, was better at protecting the immune system than when taking supplements.
The researchers explained, Perhaps because supplements do not replicate the full mix of nutrients in fruit and vegetables, or because some participants with poor immune function took micronutrients to compensate for poor diet or for feeling unwell.
So make sure that you eat plenty of fruit and vegetables to keep your immune system strong and healthy. Also, make sure that you eat a wide variety of different fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables high in these nutrients include dark green leafy vegetables, apricots, cantaloupe, citrus fruits, kiwi, papaya, watermelon, pumpkins, squash, sweet potatoes, peaches, mangoes and carrots.
Chinese mushrooms and hypnosis may help relieve PNH
A case of shingles may last less than 10 days, but it's the post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) that can hang on and cause considerable pain for long periods. PNH causes a burning or stabbing sensation at the site where the shingles infection originally occurred - this is thought to be a result of damage to the nerves supplying that particular area of skin.
Many PHN patients have reported beneficial results after using a Chinese mushroom called Ling Zhi (ganoderma lucidum). Those who tried it, felt that it was particularly helpful in relieving pain. It you are interested in trying it, it should be used in dry powder form. Try adding 50 grams of the powder to your bath each day.
Another way you can try to relieve pain is by relaxation through hypnosis. It may be able to help you manage your pain more effectively. For a register of qualified hypnotherapists, call The British Society of Clinical Hypnosis on 0126 240 3103, or visit www.bsch.org.uk
And as always, check with your doctor or naturopathic healthcare professional before using any natural or over-the-counter treatment. It is important to keep your doctor fully informed about which treatments you decide youd like to try in order to avoid any possible contraindications, particularly if you are taking prescriptions drugs.
For more information on post herpetic neuralgia, contact the Herpes Viruses Association on 0845 123 2305, or visit www.herpes.org.uk
Back to topOne of the only things that gave us comfort was that we've always heard that once you've had it, you're done with it. And while that's true - chicken pox almost never recurs it does lie dormant in your spinal cord and can be reactivated causing shingles. That is because shingles and chicken pox are caused by the same virus - herpes zoster.
According to the Herpes Viruses Association, about 250,000 people in the UK get shingles every year. Shingles is more likely to occur in older people and by the age of 85, and around 60 percent of us experience shingles.
Shingles is linked to weakened immune systems as when we age, our immune system weakens, this allows the virus to be more easily activated. So maintaining a strong immune system is essential to lowering your risk.
Goods news recently came in the form of a new study that suggests seven micronutrients could help protect us against shingles.
Micronutrients in fruit and vegetables help protect from shingles
Scientists from the Department of Infectious and Tropical Disease at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine examined the association between the risk of shingles and dietary intake of micronutrients and fruit and vegetable consumption.
The micronutrients they were specifically interested in studying were vitamins A, B6, C, E, folic acid, zinc and iron, all of which have been linked to good immune system health.
The researchers examined 243 people with shingles and 488 healthy people all aged 16 to 91, with the average age being 57. Intake of fruit and vegetables was recorded using a food frequency questionnaire.
They found that people who ate more fruit had a lower risk of shingles. Specifically, the volunteers who ate less than one piece of fruit per week had more than three times the risk of shingles when compared to those who ate more than three pieces of fruit a day.
The researchers also found that getting your micronutrients from your diet, mainly fruit and vegetables, was better at protecting the immune system than when taking supplements.
The researchers explained, Perhaps because supplements do not replicate the full mix of nutrients in fruit and vegetables, or because some participants with poor immune function took micronutrients to compensate for poor diet or for feeling unwell.
So make sure that you eat plenty of fruit and vegetables to keep your immune system strong and healthy. Also, make sure that you eat a wide variety of different fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables high in these nutrients include dark green leafy vegetables, apricots, cantaloupe, citrus fruits, kiwi, papaya, watermelon, pumpkins, squash, sweet potatoes, peaches, mangoes and carrots.
Chinese mushrooms and hypnosis may help relieve PNH
A case of shingles may last less than 10 days, but it's the post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) that can hang on and cause considerable pain for long periods. PNH causes a burning or stabbing sensation at the site where the shingles infection originally occurred - this is thought to be a result of damage to the nerves supplying that particular area of skin.
Many PHN patients have reported beneficial results after using a Chinese mushroom called Ling Zhi (ganoderma lucidum). Those who tried it, felt that it was particularly helpful in relieving pain. It you are interested in trying it, it should be used in dry powder form. Try adding 50 grams of the powder to your bath each day.
Another way you can try to relieve pain is by relaxation through hypnosis. It may be able to help you manage your pain more effectively. For a register of qualified hypnotherapists, call The British Society of Clinical Hypnosis on 0126 240 3103, or visit www.bsch.org.uk
And as always, check with your doctor or naturopathic healthcare professional before using any natural or over-the-counter treatment. It is important to keep your doctor fully informed about which treatments you decide youd like to try in order to avoid any possible contraindications, particularly if you are taking prescriptions drugs.
For more information on post herpetic neuralgia, contact the Herpes Viruses Association on 0845 123 2305, or visit www.herpes.org.uk
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