Rosemary often steals the headlines when it comes to strengthening hair health and stimulating hair growth. For decades, this aromatic herb has received praise for its ability to thicken hair and ward off thinning. And while rosemary certainly gets its due, there may be another herb that stands a better chance of improving hair health: ginseng. This age-old root is prized for its widespread benefits for health but has become part of the hair care regimen as a result of its strong influences on encouraging hair growth and scalp wellness.

For ages, ginseng is used as an effective adaptogen: this plant enhances general wellness, decreases stress, and boosts mental functioning. Newer research has shown another excellent advantage of ginseng: its promotion of hair growth. Most people have heard of ginseng in the Chinese traditional healing practices, but only over the last decade have researchers started to analyze it on a deeper level and look into its hair-related impacts. As it turns out, this humble root may hold the key to not just healthier hair, but more voluminous, thicker locks.

While genetics undeniably play a significant role in hair loss and thinning, factors such as stress, diet, scalp health, and circulation are all contributing elements that can exacerbate these conditions. This is where ginseng comes into play. It enhances the circulation of blood on its scalp, hence becomes fundamental in hair development and stimulating healthy growth in nourishing the scalp. That more blood flows into it thus enables the strong transport nutrients to the follicle site.

Recent studies have proven that ginseng is a potent herb that promotes hair growth. Red ginseng extract may significantly enhance hair growth, according to a study conducted in the Journal of Medicinal Food. It is crucial for those individuals who experience hair thinning or alopecia because such a discovery opens up a new window of possibilities through natural, herbal interventions.

Active ingredients of ginseng, especially ginsenosides, are considered to play a crucial role in this process. Ginsenosides enhance blood circulation towards the scalp, thereby stimulating hair follicles and increasing keratin production. The latter is a protein responsible for hair strength and structure. Moreover, the mentioned compounds inhibit the action of 5-alpha reductase, which causes male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss. This helps ginseng in reducing the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, a hormone that is responsible for hair loss.

Also Read: This Surprising Chilled Item Can Give You Shiny, Smooth Hair

Other Benefits of Ginseng for Hair Health

Aside from promoting hair growth, ginseng also offers a variety of other benefits that can help in creating a healthier scalp and stronger hair. Here are some reasons why ginseng should be part of your hair care routine:

1. Antioxidant Protection

Ginseng is full of antioxidants, which protect your hair from free radicals with harmful oxidative effects. In other words, these little molecules bring about oxidative damage, hair breakage and thinning, and unnatural aging of hair. All these problems are neutralized by powerful antioxidants in Ginseng from the inside hair cells outwards.

2. Keeps the Scalp Healthy

Ginseng has natural antimicrobial properties that keep the scalp clean and healthy. This is important in keeping conditions such as dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and folliculitis away from the scalp, thus impeding hair growth. A clean and balanced scalp ensures that hair follicles are not obstructed to create an optimal environment for hair to grow.

3. Hydration and Nourishment

Another property that is being provided by ginseng is to balance the scalp's natural oils. With fatty acids, it hydrates the scalp without getting greasy, making it ideal for people with both dry and oily scalps. This moisture balance will prevent hair breakage and split ends.

4. Stress Reduction

Stress is one of the most significant causes of hair loss, and ginseng is known to have an adaptogenic property. That is, it will make your body capable of resisting the effects of stress much more effectively. Ginseng would indirectly lead to a healthy scalp, as less stress would impact the body. This indirectly minimizes the chances of hair thinning due to the effect of stress factors.

How to Use Ginseng for Hair Health

If you want to add ginseng to your hair care process, then there are different ways through which you can do that. Many companies now create hair care products with added ginseng extract: shampoos, conditioners, hair masks- all of it. Thus, you'll be using ginseng without doing much.

Others prefer direct application of the ginseng-infused oils right on the scalp. However, pure ginseng oil can be quite strong, and blending it with a carrier oil like coconut or jojoba oil is suggested for the best results. Just apply this mixture to the scalp and massage it very gently to stimulate blood circulation and nourish the roots of the hair. The oil should be kept for an hour before it should be washed off the oily hair.

Another option is to create a nourishing ginseng hair mask. Combine ginseng powder with olive oil to create a mask that you can apply to your scalp. Leave it on for 20-30 minutes before rinsing thoroughly. This mask not only nourishes the scalp but also helps to repair damaged strands and improve overall hair health.

As with any hair care regimen, consistency is key when using ginseng for hair growth. To see the best results, these ginseng-based products should be used two or three times a week. One must be patient while using ginseng; hair growth is slow and gradual. If one suffers from hair thinning and scalp problems even after consuming ginseng, a visit to a dermatologist or trichologist to determine the underlying conditions will be advisable.

Whereas rosemary has long been the darling of herb enthusiasts claiming to help your hair grow, ginseng has emerged as one of the most powerful tools in the quest for healthy, thick hair. Through its properties of enhancing circulation, feeding the scalp with nutrients, and stimulating growth, ginseng proves to be an excellent remedy for people looking to get healthier-looking hair. Whether you use a commercially available product or make your own DIY treatments, you can enjoy great long-term benefits from ginseng when added to your hair care routine. The good news? It's completely natural and very effective as it supports the overall health of your scalp while fostering thicker, fuller hair.

Active ginseng components in cognitive impairment. Oncotarget. 2018

Antifatigue effects of Panax ginseng. PLoS One. 2013

A simple biomarker blood test can now detect dementia in women 25 years before symptoms appear, a JAMA study suggests.

Researchers from the University of California San Diego have found a protein in the blood called plasma phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217), a protein linked to the brain changes seen in Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers found a strong association between higher levels of p-tau217 in the blood and a higher chance of developing both mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, a key contributer in the developemnt of Alzheimer’s.

Neuroscientist Linda McEvoy, from the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute: "Blood-based biomarkers like p-tau217 are especially promising because they are far less invasive and potentially more accessible than brain imaging or spinal fluid tests.

"This is important for accelerating research into the factors that affect risk of dementia and for evaluating strategies that may reduce risk."

The connection between higher p-tau217 and dementia was stronger in women over 70, the researchers also found, and in those carrying the APOE ε4 gene that has been linked to Alzheimer's disease in the past.

What Is Dementia?

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a significant decline in mental function that is serious enough to affect everyday life. It commonly impacts memory, thinking, and reasoning skills.

Dementia itself is not a single disease but a collection of symptoms caused by underlying conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia.

Common signs include memory problems, confusion, difficulty finding words, changes in mood or behaviour and trouble completing familiar tasks.

These symptoms usually worsen over time and are not considered a normal part of ageing. Although there is no cure, treatment options can help manage symptoms, and early diagnosis plays an important role in care planning.

Alzheimer’s Disease: The Leading Cause of Dementia

Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common forms of dementia and mostly affects adults over the age of 65.

About 8.8 million Indians aged 60 and above are estimated to be living with Alzheimer's disease. Over seven million people in the US 65 and older live with the condition and over 100,00 die from it annually.

Alzheimer's disease is believed to be caused by the development of toxic amyloid and beta proteins in the brain, which can accumulate in the brain and damage cells responsible for memory.

Amyloid protein molecules stick together in brain cells, forming clumps called plaques. At the same time, tau proteins twist together in fiber-like strands called tangles. The plaques and tangles block the brain's neurons from sending electrical and chemical signals back and forth.

Over time, this disruption causes permanent damage in the brain that leads to Alzheimer's disease and dementia, causing patients to lose their ability to speak, care for themselves or even respond to the world around them.

While there is no clear cause of Alzheimer's disease, experts believe it can develop due to genetic mutations and lifestyle choices, such as physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and social isolation.

Early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include forgetting recent events or conversations. Over time, Alzheimer's disease leads to serious memory loss and affects a person's ability to do everyday tasks.

There is no cure for this progressive brain disorder and in advanced stages, loss of brain function can cause dehydration, poor nutrition or infection. These complications can result in death.

Once seen only among the elderly, glaucoma, also known as irreversible blindness, is increasing among younger adults in their 20s and 30s, said experts.

Glaucoma is a chronic disease that affects an estimated 80 million individuals globally, according to the World Glaucoma Association.

Beyond the role of genetics, unhealthy lifestyles with increased screen time and stress are the major reasons for the rise in glaucoma cases in young adults.

"We have seen an increasing incidence of glaucoma among younger adults in their 20s and 30s because of lifestyle habits such as increased screen time and lack of sleep, an increase in diabetes and high blood pressure, and a genetic predisposition," Dr. Mahipal Singh Sachdev, Chairman & Medical Director, Centre For Sight Group of Eye Hospitals, told HealthandMe.

Why Is Treatment Difficult

A major challenge with glaucoma is its lack of symptoms in the initial stages. As a result, the condition is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, where treatment yields the least results.

More than 75 percent of glaucoma cases globally remain undiagnosed.

Although the condition does not directly lead to mortality, glaucoma-led blindness is categorized as a severe form of disability (category VI) out of seven World Health Organization (WHO) classifications on the global burden of diseases.

"Often referred to as a silent thief of sight, glaucoma usually has no warning signs until the damage to the optic nerve has already caused permanent vision loss," Sachdev said.

"Because there are no noticeable symptoms in the early stages of glaucoma, many people have been unaware that they are developing it until it has progressed to a point where there is already significant damage and vision loss; this often translates to blindness," he added.

However, increased awareness of glaucoma and increased frequency of eye examinations have helped reduce the time between the onset of the disease and the diagnosis, the expert said.

Glaucoma: Are Children At Risk?

Although rare, children can be born with congenital or paediatric glaucoma as a result of ocular drainage abnormalities.

Dr Devindra Sood, Senior Consultant — Ophthalmology, Max Multi Speciality Centre, Panchsheel Park, told HealthandMe that glaucoma in children is uncommon.

"Its presentation for diagnosis and treatment is also different from that in adults," Sood said.

The symptoms of pediatric glaucoma include:

• enlargement of the globe,
• excessive lacrimation,
• photophobia,
• corneal cloudiness.

Sood stated that traditionally, large eyes are considered to harbor glaucoma.

These children usually do not respond to medical treatment, and surgical intervention is required.

However, early detection and treatment of congenital glaucoma are vital to reducing the risk of permanent visual impairment, Sachdeva said.

Glaucoma: A Global Health Burden

It is a progressive, degenerative disorder of the optic nerve that produces characteristic visual field damage.

The chronic disease affects an estimated 80 million individuals globally. By the year 2040, it is estimated that there will be 22 million individuals worldwide who are blind from glaucoma.

In India, around 12 million people suffer from glaucoma, and 1.5 million are blind due to it.

When to see a doctor for glaucoma:

• Vision suddenly gets blurry

• Severe eye pain

• Headache

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Rainbow-colored rings or halos around lights.

A team of researchers in the US has developed a nanoparticle-based technique that could make laser surgeries for kidney stones faster, safer, and potentially reduce the chances of recurrence.

Engineers from the University of Chicago and doctors from Duke University added dark nanoparticles to a common saline solution used in kidney stone laser surgeries. Their method also promised less recurrence of disease.

The research focused on laser lithotripsy, a widely used surgical method in which lasers are used to break kidney or urinary tract stones into tiny fragments that can then be removed by suctioning or pass naturally.

How Nanofluid Boosts Lasery Surgery

Traditionally, surgeons use a small video-guided laser to fragment the stones. However, achieving effective fragmentation often requires higher laser power, which generates additional heat and causes damage to the surrounding tissues.

Thus the new method “is a way to better utilize the laser energy that is already being employed,” said Po-Chun Hsu, assistant professor at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME).

Hsu noted that their nanoparticle-based “nanofluid” also has the potential to enhance the performance of lasers without increasing power levels. This will effectively fragment the stones and remove the dust particles.

The study, published in the journal Advanced Science, describes an innovative saline solution that enhances the performance of existing laser systems without requiring modifications to the equipment.

By adding dark nanoparticles that absorb laser wavelengths, the solution ensures that more of the laser energy is directed at the kidney stone rather than being reflected or dispersed.

“This improves the amount of laser energy that is transmitted to and absorbed by the stones,” said corresponding author Pei Zhong, a professor of engineering at Duke University.

“Nanofluid introduces a new dimension that can influence this complex physical process, independent of the stone composition or the laser being used,” Zhong said.

Kidney Stone Laser Surgery In 10 Minutes

Laboratory tests using artificial kidney stones showed that the nanofluid increased stone ablation efficiency by between 38 and 727 percent in spot treatments and by 26 to 75 percent in scanning treatments.

The researchers also tested the nanoparticle solution on living cells for up to 24 hours and found it to be non-toxic and safe.

In clinical settings, however, exposure would be much shorter. Laser lithotripsy is typically an outpatient procedure lasting about 30 minutes. The researchers believe that improved laser absorption could reduce the procedure time to around 10 minutes.

“If surgeries take too long, waste heat from the laser can accumulate and cause more harm than the stone removal itself,” Hsu said.

Kidney Stones: Symptoms And Prevention

Kidney stones are hard mineral or acid salt deposits formed in the kidneys. It occurs due to concentrated urine, and causes intense, radiating back/side pain, nausea, and blood in urine.

Common causes include

• dehydration,
• diet,
• obesity,
• family history
• metabolic issues

• staying well-hydrated
• reducing sodium levels
• eating fewer oxalate-rich foods
• consuming sufficient calcium-rich foods
• increasing citrus intake.