Rude Health News & Events

The latest news, research and events from the world of natural health

And the winner is...

We'd like to say a huge thank you to all our readers and followers who voted for their favourite products in our Rude Health Product Awards 2020. One lucky reader has won a fabulous hamper of lavera natural and organic beauty goodies worth over €160.

The hamper contains lavera Hydro Effect Cleansing Milk, Hydro Effect Serum,Hydro Effect Mask, Hand Balm SOS, Body Smoothing Scrub, Firming Body Milk, Pampering Shower Gel, Pampering Body Lotion, Deodorant Spray, Basis Sensitiv All-Round Cream, Soft Eyeliner Pencil in Black, and NEW Matt'n Stay Lips in Matt’n Berry.

The winner of this fabulous prize is Marese Mckiernan. Congratulations from everyone at Rude Health and we hope you enjoy using the products!

I was recently diagnosed with PCOS whilst trying to conceive my second child. I'm having acupuncture. What else can I do to help improve my chances of conceiving?

Naturopath Gemma Hurditch answers for CNM (College of Naturopathic Medicine)

There have been significant gains for Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) problems using acupuncture. Other things you can do include lifestyle and diet changes:

Try a low Glycaemic Load (GL) diet to help keep your blood sugar levels on a more even keel and reduce the amount of insulin in your blood stream. Insulin stimulates the ovaries; this can result in excessive male hormone production (androgens), which makes ovulation more difficult (amongst other problems). Spearmint tea can help metabolise androgens, so sip 2-3 cups a day.

Read the full story here...

Spring into Health

27-29 February marks the annual Spring Into Health event at health store Evolv in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford. Customers can enjoy three days filled with full body health scans, heart and cholesterol checks, allergy tests with nutritional consultations - all greatly reduced.

There are also reduced priced treatments such as facials, iridology, massage, ear candling, reflexology and reiki.

Plus tarot and astrology and 30% off gifts. Taste great food and join the fun.

Check out www.evolv.ie for a full programme of events.

Hope for hair loss

Diffuse hair loss in women is a common and significant health issue that negatively affects body image, self-confidence and perceived quality of life. According to newly published clinical research by Thom E and Wadstein J, published in the HSOA Journal of Clinical Dermatology and Therapy, Proteoglycan Replacement Therapy - drug-free oral supplement Nourkrin® with Marilex® - promotes hair growth and quality, which leads to improved hair satisfaction and self-confidence among women with hair loss.

The new clinical paper is based on an outcome study where women with diffuse hair loss voluntarily started a six-month course of treatment with Nourkrin® Woman (600 mg Marilex® per day). After three months, the participants reported significant results and overall satisfaction with their hair growth recovery and appearance.

After six months, treatment satisfaction with Nourkrin® Woman increased further as 96.49% of participants reported improvement in hair growth, and 97.37% reported improvement in hair appearance and quality.

No significant treatment related side-effects were reported in this study.

An apple a day...

A study carried out by researchers from the University of Reading, and the Fondazione Edmund Mach in Italy and published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared apple consumption with apple juice. Forty healthy volunteers with slightly raised cholesterol were split into two groups - half were asked to eat two apples a day for eight weeks and the other group were asked to drink apple juice with the same amount of calories. After eight weeks, the group on two apples a day had better cholesterol readings compared with the group on apple juice.

Study reveals children's activity levels drop with age

Researchers from the University of Bristol and the University of Birmingham undertook a study of children's activity levels at age 6, 9 and 11 by asking children to wear accelerometers to measure levels of movement. The study results were published in the International Journal of Obesity.

The researchers recruited children in 57 schools in and around Bristol in England and collected data for 2,132 children in total, 512 of whom were included in all three phases of the study. The study found that all children became less active as they grew older, but the activity levels of girls and children who were overweight dropped most.

Children are encouraged to partake in moderate or vigorous activity for at least an hour a day - this might include playground activities, walking briskly to school, dancing, cycling, playing football, and physical education at school.

How fitness apps affect our attitude to exercise

A study carried out by Dr Eoin Whelan at the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics at NUI Galway and published in the journal Information Technology & People has examined how fitness apps can affect the wellbeing of the user based on 272 people involved in cardio-intense physical activity. The research focused on identifying how the social features of fitness apps predict the type of passion (harmonious and obsessive) we have for physical exercise, and what the resulting positive and negative implications are for our wellbeing.

To motivate people to exercise, modern physical fitness apps provide a variety of rewards to users based on the tracking and analysis of the number of steps walked per day, calories burned, or average speed of a cycle or run.

The research found that fitness apps can lead to both positive and negative wellbeing outcomes, depending on the person's social motivation for using the app. People who use fitness apps for reciprocation (i.e. giving support and encouragement to other exercisers), are more likely to have a harmonious passion for their exercise, and ultimately lower life stress. In contrast, people who use the app for social recognition (i.e. to receive praise and public endorsements for their exercise activities) are more likely to develop an obsessive passion for physical exercise, and suffer higher life stress in the long run.

March & April Events

World Sleep Day
13 March

Mother's Day
22 March

Find more natural health events here...

Read news stories from previous issues of Rude Health Magazine here