Impressive Benefits Of Mustard Essential Oil

The health benefits of mustard essential oil can be attributed to its properties as a stimulant, irritant, appetizer, antibacterial, antifungal, insect repellant, hair vitalizer, cordial, diaphoretic, antirheumatic, and tonic substance.

About Mustard Essential Oil

Mustard oil had contradictory reputations in different parts of the world over the years. It is a very popular oil in the Indian subcontinent and in Bangladesh. It is used as an edible oil and is considered very healthy, whereas, in the rest of the world, it is often considered toxic, irritable, and not suitable for edible purposes. In some parts of Europe, there is a ban on selling this oil and in some other countries; it is sold as a massage oil reserved for external application only.

Mustard essential oil is totally different from mustard oil, not because it is extracted from anything else, but in terms of the process of extraction, chemical composition, and medicinal properties. Both of these oils are extracted from the seeds of mustard, which bears the scientific name Brassica Nigra (Black Mustard) or Brassica Hirta (White Mustard).

While mustard oil is extracted by cold compression of mustard seeds, its essential oil is extracted by steam distillation of mustard seeds soaked in water, and that is where the major difference occurs. Mustard seeds (black or white) contain an enzyme called myrosinase and a glucosinolate called sinigrin. These two remain isolated in mustard seeds under normal conditions but react when the seeds are subjected to pressure or heat. In the presence of water, these two components react to form allyl isothiocyanate (in case of black mustard) and normal isothiocyanate (in case of white mustard), which is a toxic compound.

Allyl isothiocyanate present in mustard essential oil, accompanied by certain fatty acids like oleic, linoleic, and erucic acid, has been proven to have certain health benefits, which are discussed in greater detail below.

Health Benefits Of Mustard Essential Oil

The health benefits of mustard essential oil are mentioned below in detail;

Stimulates Circulation

Mustard essential oil is a very strong stimulant, just like mustard oil. If used externally for the purpose of massage, it boosts circulation very well. It also promotes digestion by stimulating the secretion of gastric juices and bile from the spleen and liver. The excretory system is also aided by this oil since the peristaltic motion of the intestines is activated, thus benefiting digestion.

Acts as an Irritant

Although being an irritant is not often seen as a good thing, it can be beneficial in some cases. Irritation is nothing but a way that an organ reacts to an external agent or stimulus. It also shows that the organ is responding to external stimuli. This property can be used to bring sensation back to the organs suffering from numbness or lack of sensation. Mustard essential oil is also used to pump up muscles and stimulate muscle growth or excitation.

Boosts Appetite

Mustard essential oil acts as an appetizer and boosts hunger. This can also be a side effect of the irritant and stimulant qualities of this oil. It irritates the inner lining of the stomach and intestines, stimulates digestive juices, and creates a feeling of hunger.

Fights Bacterial Infections

This essential oil has bactericidal or antibacterial properties. Internally, it fights bacterial infections in the colon, digestive system, excretory system, and urinary tract. When applied externally, it can treat bacterial infections on the skin.

Prevents Fungal Infections

This oil serves as an antifungal agent, due to the presence of allyl isothiocyanate. It does not allow fungal growth and also inhibits the spread of infection if it has already formed.

Useful Insect Repellent

Mustard essential oil acts as a useful insect repellent as well. It can be used in fumigants and vaporizers to drive away insects.

Hair Care

The presence of fatty acids such as oleic and linoleic acid make mustard essential oil an efficient hair revitalizer. Its stimulating effects increase blood circulation in the scalp while the fatty acids nourish the hair roots. It has been repeatedly shown that prolonged use of this oil can effectively prevent hair loss.

Prevents Phlegm

The feeling of warmth that this oil provides makes it very cordial. It warms up the respiratory system and protects it from the formation and accumulation of phlegm. This may be partially due to its stimulating and mildly irritating effects.

Promotes Sweating

Mustard essential oil promotes sweating, both when consumed and when applied externally. It stimulates sweat glands to produce more sweat as well as enlarges the openings of the pores on the skin. This property is helpful in lowering body temperature as well as for removing toxins, excess salts, and water from the body.

Excellent Toner

This oil serves as an all-around tonic for your body’s health. It tones up all the systems operating in the body, gives strength, and boosts the immune function.

Reduces Symptoms of Arthritis

Mustard essential oil provides relief for symptoms of rheumatism and arthritis and has been used for this purpose since ancient times.

Other Benefits

It is beneficial in treating cold & cough, headache, congestion resulting from cold, body pain, and is helpful for muscle growth. It can also be rubbed on gums to strengthen them. It also protects the teeth from germs. This oil contains a good percentage of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamin E, which have their exclusive health benefits.

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Impressive Benefits Of Sodium

Sodium is an extremely important electrolyte and an essential ion present in the extracellular fluid (ECF). One of the health benefits of sodium is the pivotal role it plays in enzyme operations and muscle contraction. It is very important for osmoregulation and fluid maintenance within the human body. Other health benefits include improved heart performance, nervous system, and glucose absorption.

What Is The Importance Of Sodium?

Sodium is needed for blood regulation and its absence can cause serious impairment of bodily functions. It is a versatile element and occurs in more than eighty different forms. As an electrolyte, it regulates the bodily fluids and transmits electrical impulses in the body. Unlike other vitamins and minerals, heat has no effect on it. Therefore, it can be used in different ways and preparations without losing its effects. Also, it is an important constituent of nerves and helps to regulate muscle contractions.

Although sodium is an essential nutrient in any balanced diet, it can also cause stomach cancer and hypertension. People suffering from kidney problems or edema should restrict their intake to protect against those health risks. In short, it is a vital component in the human diet for the regulation of cellular activity and nervous system function.  Supplemental doses of this nutrient are necessary when you sweat profusely, have sunstroke or suffer from adrenal insufficiency. It is regularly excreted in the urine and poses no inherent toxicity or risk.

Deficiency Symptoms Of Sodium

The recommended intake of sodium is 2400mg/day. If you do not supply your body with enough sodium, the deficiency symptoms can range from irritating to fatal. One of the most seriously impacted areas of the body is the nervous system, which will begin to shut down. In general, its deficiency leads to diarrhea, vomiting, headache, weakness, low blood pressure, lethargy, weight loss, confusion, dizziness, and muscular irritability.

While the deficiency of sodium is dangerous, excess levels can also cause high blood pressure, swelling of the neural tissues and nerves, and cerebral edema. If the situation is not alleviated, it can even lead to a coma.

Reduction in the amount of sodium also reduces the fat accumulated in the peripheral parts of the body. Furthermore, excess sodium elevates the chances of lung infection. Depletion of the level of sodium is an invitation to a host of diseases that can cause exhaustion, exertion, and mental apathy.

Important Sources Of Sodium

The best sources of sodium are apples, common salt, homemade soups, cabbage, egg yolks, pulses, and bananas. Even carrots, baking powder and baking soda, turnips, leafy vegetables and dried peas are good sources. Processed cheese, smoked fish, salty meats, snacks, pickles, and sauce contain ample amount, but they come with other health concerns.

Health Benefits Of Sodium

Sodium is generally present in very small quantities in nearly every natural food. When it is added in the form of a common salt, it not only increases the flavor but also completes the necessary requirement of a balanced diet. The health benefits include:

Regulates Fluid Levels

Sodium is one of the minerals that helps to regulate fluid levels in the human body. Sodium and water balance are closely linked. Sodium gateways and channels are what pump water into the cell and regulate the amount of extracellular fluid in the body.

Prevents Sunstroke

It is caused due to the failure of the heat regulating system in the human body. This form of heat exhaustion is caused due to continuous exposure to very high temperatures. This exposure causes the body to lose its capacity to maintain a normal temperature. This condition is further aggravated due to the loss of salt and water from the body. Thus, sodium plays a vital role in preventing sunstroke or heat exhaustion by replacing the loss of essential electrolytes. Besides water, drinking fluids containing salt and sugar is favorable against sunstroke. Salt can also be mixed with the juice of raw mangos to provide even more relief. Sodium levels and fluid balance are very important for endurance athletes as well as those who live extremely active lifestyles.

Improves Brain Function

The brain is very sensitive to change in sodium levels of the body; deficiency of sodium often manifests as confusion and lethargy. It aids in keeping the mind sharp, and it is an important element for the development of the brain since it works to improve brain function.

Relieves Muscle Cramps

These are caused mostly during the hot summer months due to electrolyte imbalance and dehydration. Along with properly hydrating the body, it is also important to supplement one’s body with sodium-rich juices and fluids to restore a number of electrolytes.

Skin Care

Sodium is an important hydrating product in many anti-aging creams. It defends against the free radicals that accelerate the aging process. Furthermore, it helps to restore youthful and healthy skin.

Eliminates Carbon Dioxide

Sodium plays an important role in the removal of any excess carbon dioxide that has accumulated in the body.

Controls Glucose Absorption

Sodium helps to facilitate the absorption of glucose by cells, resulting in the smooth transportation of nutrients in the body’s cell membranes.

Maintains Acid-base Balance

By altering the proportions of acid-base alkali phosphates in the body, sodium controls the reaction of the kidneys and the frequency and content of urination.

Regulates Fluids

One of the most notable health benefits of sodium is its ability to balance the osmotic pressure in the human body due to the regulation of fluid in the body’s cells.

Balances Ions

Sodium shares an association with chlorides and bicarbonates in maintaining a sound balance between two types of ions, both positively charged ions, and negatively charged ones.

Controls Blood Pressure

Sodium can help to maintain normal contractions of the heart. It plays a vital role in maintaining the blood pressure of the human body, but an excessive increase in its content can dramatically boost the blood pressure and result in serious health complications.

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Amazing Benefits Of Kola Nut

The important health benefits of the kola nut include its ability to boost the metabolism, optimize digestion, increase heart rate, help with weight loss, prevent certain cancers, boost the immune system, protect the respiratory system, raise energy levels, improve cognition, and increase circulation.

What Is A Kola Nut?

Although many people are familiar with the word “cola”, they may not realize that the source of that name is actually the Cola genus, which includes the kola tree where the kola nut comes from. The tree is native to the tropical rainforests of Africa and contains caffeine, which makes it desirable as both, a food source and an element in alternative medicine for some cultures around the world.

Kola nuts are used as flavoring agents in soda of many varieties, which is where the name “cola” arose. Kola nuts are often chewed or eaten in traditional ceremonies. While its most common application is as the flavoring agent, its medicinal benefits have begun to make it a popular dietary supplement for health, despite its slightly bitter taste. Kola nut can be found in energy drinks, dietary supplements, and performance enhancers.

Health Benefits Of Kola Nut

Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the health benefits of the kola nut.

Boosts Metabolism

One of the unique effects of the kola nut, largely due to its caffeine content, is its ability to stimulate the body and increase heart rate. While this can potentially be dangerous for people who suffer from pre-existing heart conditions, it can provide a necessary metabolic boost for those with a slow metabolism. This can actually optimize heart health, as caffeine can be a health stimulant in moderate doses. This also helps the metabolism optimize itself, which has a wide range of positive enzymatic and physiological effects on the body.

Increases Circulation

Kola nuts were traditionally consumed because they “cleared the mind”. By stimulating heart rate and increasing circulation, kola nuts are able to boost oxygenation to certain essential parts of the body, including the skin, organs, and even the brain. This is why kola nuts are sometimes referred to as cognitive boosters, as increased levels of oxygen in the brain have been connected with higher levels of cognition and concentration. This can also promote healing of wounds and cellular repair through the increased flow of oxygen and nutrients.

Improves Digestion

For thousands of years, kola nuts have been chewed or consumed by indigenous cultures in Africa both in ceremonies and in the treatment of digestive problems. The active ingredients of the kola nut are able to improve digestion and nutrient uptake, while also reducing constipation, bloating, cramping, and other, more serious, gastrointestinal issues.

Prevents Prostate Cancer

Although research is still in its early stages and is still a matter of debate in some circles, some of the phytoestrogens and phytoandrogens found in kola nuts are able to stimulate apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. This line of study is relatively new, but applications for other types of cancerous cells are also being explored.

Boosts the Immune System

The roots, stem, and leaves of the kola tree have volatile compounds that can prevent certain bacterial infections in the human body. These bacterial infections include those responsible for causing a wide range of respiratory illnesses like bronchitis, meningitis, and tuberculosis. Kola nut extracts are available in most health stores, but the nuts themselves have not been directly connected to this medicinal benefit.

Although caffeine has long been known as an appetite suppressant to a certain degree, kola nut extracts have also been connected with increasedfat-burning in the body, possibly due to the positive impact on metabolism that these nuts can have. This can be an ideal option for those people who are trying to lose weight or improve the quality of their diet.

Word of Caution: The significant level of caffeine found in kola nut extracts and supplements can be a risk for those who already suffer from high blood pressure or a sensitivity to caffeine. Its side effects include shaky hands, upset stomach, and insomnia, as caffeine is a powerful stimulant. Consult a medical professional before a kola nut addition to your dietary regimen.

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