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

India has reported its second human fatality due to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) or bird flu, marking the first such death in four years. While bird flu infections in humans are rare, they are highly lethal, with a fatality rate of one in two cases. The most recent victim was a two-year-old girl from Palnadu, Andhra Pradesh, who passed away in mid-March after being hospitalized for over 10 days at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Mangalgiri.

The pathogen responsible for the infection and subsequent deaths was confirmed only on 31 March, following a survey by the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV). According to details shared by the state government, the child, who had a habit of consuming raw chicken, was admitted to the hospital on 4 March with symptoms including fever, breathlessness, nasal discharge, seizures, diarrhea, and reduced feeding. Two days before falling ill, she had reportedly consumed raw chicken. She succumbed to the infection 12 days later.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the state government noted that no abnormal cases of respiratory infections had been identified in the ongoing survey. However, surveillance will continue for the next two weeks, with testing arranged for any suspected cases. Union health ministry officials stated that, based on data from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), no unusual surge in influenza-like illness (ILI) or severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) cases has been observed in the district in recent weeks.

A national joint outbreak response (NJOR) team has been deployed to conduct an epidemiological investigation and provide assistance to the state.

3 States Impacted By Bird Flu

This year, outbreaks of HPAI—also known as Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 or bird flu—have been reported in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. The trend follows a similar pattern observed in 2024, when states such as Jharkhand and Kerala, along with the aforementioned three states, recorded widespread H5N1 infections in poultry, prompting authorities to cull thousands of birds.

The Union government emphasized that "human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 virus is uncommon, and the risk of any other epidemiologically linked case being reported is assessed to be low."

India's first recorded human infection of the H5N1 influenza virus occurred in 2021 when an 18-year-old boy in Haryana succumbed to the infection within days of contracting it.

In May last year, Australia reported its first human infection with H5N1, stating that the patient had acquired the virus in India. Towards the end of 2024, the deaths of four big cats—three tigers and a leopard—were attributed to H5N1 infection.

Oxytocin, commonly referred to as the "love hormone" because it is involved in bonding and social behavior, is now being investigated for its surprise effect on pregnancy. Although oxytocin is traditionally linked to childbirth, milk letdown during lactation, and emotional bonding, recent findings indicate that this hormone can possibly delay early pregnancy. A study on mice conducted recently has helped explain how the hormone can stop embryonic growth, which may provide new understanding of human fertility and pregnancy.

In a few mammals, such as marsupials, bats, and more than 130 others, a process called "diapause" takes place. This is a natural biological phenomenon that sees embryos suspend their development in order to wait until the right conditions prevail for pregnancy to resume. Although very uncommon and hard to monitor in human beings, clinical experience from in vitro fertilization clinics indicates that human embryos might at times show delayed implantation. One highly documented case in 1996 showed that an embryo implanted in a uterus was in a suspended state for five weeks before implantation took place.

The new research by scientists at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine investigated oxytocin's possible role in inducing this pause in pregnancy. Their results indicate that oxytocin could be a major player in controlling diapause in mice, and they raise questions about its possible role in human pregnancies.

Oxytocin-Induced Pregnancy Pause

To study the impact of oxytocin on pregnancy, scientists tested female mice who had recently given birth by letting them be mated while still lactating. The research revealed that nursing females had pregnancies that lasted about a week longer than those of the non-nursing mice. Since the normal pregnancy in mice takes only 19 to 21 days, this postponement is a drastic halt to embryonic development.

The research team then sought to determine how this pause occurred. Using optogenetics, a technique that enables the activation of specific neurons through light stimulation, they artificially triggered the release of oxytocin in pregnant mice. After five days of oxytocin stimulation, the researchers examined the mice’s uteruses and found that five out of six had embryos in a dormant state, indicative of diapause. Conversely, pregnant mice that were not administered oxytocin stimulation did not exhibit any indication of developmental arrest.

In further confirmation of their research findings, the scientists administered oxytocin to early-stage mouse embryos in the laboratory setting. They detected identical cellular alteration related to diapause, implying that oxytocin has a direct influence on suspended embryonic development.

How Oxytocin Affects Embryonic Development?

The research showed that oxytocin slows down the process through which embryonic cells convert genetic information into proteins. This process, essential for growth and development of the cell, is copying DNA instructions into RNA, which then guides protein synthesis. By suppressing this process, oxytocin puts the embryo into suspended animation.

Interestingly, scientists also learned that embryos without oxytocin receptors were still able to enter diapause, suggesting that more than one biological pathway is used to trigger the pause. Still, having working oxytocin receptors seemed to increase the embryo's chances of surviving the halted state. When oxytocin receptors in the embryos were deactivated, survival rates while in diapause fell to 11% from 42%.

Implications for Human Fertility and Pregnancy

Although this research is in its infancy, it presents exciting possibilities for human fertility studies. A better grasp of the role oxytocin plays during early pregnancy may lead to significant advances in treating unexplained infertility and recurrent miscarriage. If human embryos can enter a state of diapause, further study could reveal how hormonal or environmental influences are responsible for early pregnancy loss.

Also, these discoveries may have greater implications outside pregnancy. As oxytocin is implicated in cell survival, researchers now want to know if what it does in diapause can help understand how to keep nerve cells from dying in the developing nervous system. What stops cells from dying early on might help neurobiology and regenerative medicine advance.

Even with these thrilling findings, much remains to be answered. How long can diapause be in various species, including humans? What are other biochemical signals that cooperate with oxytocin to control embryonic development? And might this information one day lead to targeted fertility treatments or interventions?

More studies are needed to uncover these secrets. As researchers learn more about the multifaceted functions of oxytocin, its image as just the "love hormone" is changing. This potent molecule seems to play a much more intricate function in reproductive biology than has been known, and it may play a role not only in when life starts, but in when it temporarily gets suspended.

Oxytocin's role in pregnancy is turning out to be more complex than originally thought. Though still a primary force behind labor and maternal attachment, it has also recently been found to retard embryonic development, which could have far-reaching consequences for reproductive science. As more research unfolds, the hormone could provide new insights into fertility, enhance IVF success, and even prevent early miscarriage. The possibility of oxytocin-based fertility therapies is an exciting one, and future research will be important to determine how this information can be translated to human pregnancy.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has listed five key factors that impact the longevity of individuals. The research tracked participants for up to 47 years, assessing how five specific factors influenced their risk of death, longevity, and the number of healthy years they could gain by altering these habits. The conclusions of this study were based on data analyzed from over two million adults aged 18 and above across 39 countries.

Five Factors That Influence Longevity

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Bodyweight, including being overweight and underweight

Women Could Add 14 Years To Their Lives

As per the researchers, women who didn't have these five risk factors at age 50 could potentially add more than 14 years to their lives, and men could gain almost 12 additional years. Men were most affected by these factors as those with all five faced a 94% chance of dying before 90, while their counterparts without these issues had just a 68% chance. Women with all five risk factors at age 50 had an 88% chance of dying before 90, whereas those without these problems had a 53% chance.

Diabetes Is The Main Factor

Out of all the factors, cholesterol was the least impactful of all. As per the study, people who lowered their cholesterol levels could only add 1.2 extra healthy years to their lifespan. On the contrary, individuals who quit smoking could potentially extend their lives by up to six years. Women who do not have diabetes could gain an extra 6.4 years, while men without the condition might see an increase of 5.8 years. Even a slight reduction in blood pressure could lead to an additional 1.8 healthy years, and achieving a normal BMI could contribute an extra 2.6 years, with variations depending on the region.

Importance Of Lifestyle Changes

The study reinforces the importance of lifestyle modifications in extending a healthy lifespan. The researchers noted that small but consistent changes in daily habits could significantly impact longevity. For example, maintaining an optimal weight through a balanced diet and regular physical activity helps control blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol levels, reducing overall health risks.

Smoking cessation emerged as the most crucial lifestyle change that could dramatically influence lifespan. Quitting smoking, even later in life, significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, lung disorders, and certain cancers, contributing to longer and healthier lives. Similarly, diabetes management through dietary changes, regular exercise, and proper medical intervention plays a vital role in preventing complications and enhancing longevity.

Regional And Gender-Based Differences

The study also highlighted variations in longevity gains based on gender and geographical regions. For instance, men were more susceptible to the adverse effects of these five risk factors than women. This disparity could be attributed to lifestyle differences, genetic predisposition, or healthcare access.

Additionally, in certain countries with high obesity rates, maintaining a normal BMI was one of the most significant contributors to longevity. Meanwhile, in regions with lower tobacco consumption, factors like high blood pressure and diabetes had a more prominent role in affecting lifespan.