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DIET
IS FOR Nettle root has
N NETTLE been found to help
combat hay fever
Some evidence exists that stinging and osteoarthritis
nettle root is effective against male
urination problems caused by an
enlarged prostate, such as difficulty
urinating or incontinence. We don’t
know how this works yet, because
other studies have shown that nettle
definitely doesn’t actually reduce the
size of the prostate. Nettle also has
an antihistamine effect and some
studies have found that it helps against
osteoarthritis and hay fever.
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P PRIMROSE OIL
Extracted from the seeds of the evening
primrose plant, it contains gamma-
linolenic acid, which is also found
in borage oil and blackcurrant oil.
Coenzyme Q-10 can
Evening primrose has been heavily help treat high
IS FOR promoted in the past as a treatment for blood pressure
O ODOURLESS GARLIC pre-menstrual syndrome and eczema.
Diets naturally high in garlic are But the US National Institute of Health
known to be associated with low and the Food and Drug Administration IS FOR
incidence of colon cancer and there both agree that there isn’t enough Q Q-10
is some evidence that taking garlic in evidence to support either claim. Some Produced naturally in the body,
an odourless capsule form provides studies did find a benefit, but these coenzyme Q-10 is used by the
the same protection. Garlic capsules have subsequently been criticised as mitochondria in your cells to produce
also seem to lower blood pressure poorly designed. Most of the research energy. Studies show that it can be an
slightly, but we still don’t know if in support of evening primrose was effective treatment for chronic heart
this results in fewer deaths from heart sponsored by Efamol Ltd (a company failure or high blood pressure. But the
disease. And an extensive study at that marketed the supplement) and the evidence for its usefulness against a
Stanford, published in 2007, found that British Medical Journal has since called wide range of other diseases, such as
garlic, in any form, does not reduce
cancer and fibromyalgia, is currently
evening primrose oil “the remedy for
GETTY, ALAMY blood cholesterol. which there is no disease”. fairly inconclusive. 5
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BBC SCIENCE FOCUS MAGAZINE COLLECTION 69
