 | | | | Related Healthscout Videos | |
|
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Spearmint tea may provide some relief for women with hair in places it just shouldn't be.
Women with hirsutism have excess hair on their faces, breasts and stomachs. This extra hair can be a source of distress, and even more importantly, it could signal a more serious medical condition. Hirsutism is a symptom, not a disease. The hair grows in unwanted places because of abnormally high levels of androgen hormones, which stimulate and maintain masculine characteristics.
Text Continues Below
In a new study, researchers from the Suleyman Demirel University in Isparta, Turkey, report spearmint tea can actually reduce the level of these androgen hormones in women with hirsutism.
Researchers decided to use spearmint tea for hirsutism because earlier studies have shown spearmint can reduce libido in men, which could be caused by its effects on lowering androgen.
Results reveal drinking just two cups of spearmint tea a day for five days reduced androgen levels in women with hirsutism. Study authors write current therapies for this condition involve oral contraceptives to suppress androgen production, or medications to prevent body's response to male hormones. "This study shows that spearmint could be a good natural alternative for women who have mild symptoms," researchers report.
More studies are needed to confirm these findings and to learn more about the effects of spearmint tea in women with mild hirsutism.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Phytotherapy Research, 2007; DOI: 10.1002/ptr.2074
|
.gif)
