If you have been on the receiving end of a sore ‘charley horse’ in the middle of the night, you will appreciate the importance of being able to soothe leg cramps in double quick time. No matter the source of your leg cramps – whether they be a symptom of pregnancy, old age, restless leg syndrome, or something else – the hurtful nuisances can be prevented and relieved with the right techniques.

Relieving leg cramps

Should you be lying in bed and get a leg cramp, the best method to relieve it is to massage the cramping muscle. Usually the muscles that cramp are in your upper calf. Sit up in bed and place the ankle of the cramping leg across your other knee. Using both hands, massage the painful muscle until it starts to relax.

When you gotten the muscle to unclench, you can provide further relief by flexing your foot forward and back. Be sure to do this carefully as stretching too hard may cause another cramp. To finish walk around a little to ensure the cramp is fully gone.

If your muscles are still painful even after you relieve leg cramps, use an OTC anti-inflammatory (e.g. Ibuprofen) for the pain. This may also help prevent  flare ups that might potentially arrive later.

Preventing Leg Cramps

The best way to rid yourself of leg cramp pain is to stop them from happening in the first place. Most cramps happen due to dehydration or because of a lack of certain nutrients.

If you’re concerned about dehydration, make an effort to make sure you’re drinking enough water every day. Start with 6-8 glasses per day. If cramps are still happening your body may need more fluid so try increasing up to 10-12 glasses each day to see if that helps.

With regards to nutrients make sure you’re getting enough calcium, magnesium, and potassium in your diet.  A lack of any one or a combination of these nutrients may lead to leg cramps. If you’re not sure you’re getting enough or you’re still having cramps, try taking supplements. This should help ensure you get the nutrients you need. A potent source of all these nutrients along with vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C and other important minerals is acai berry.

Another consideration is to ensure that you are keeping yourself warm enough. When you are cold you will naturally tense your muscles. Though the tensing might be so light that you barely even notice that you’re doing it, over time your muscles may get tired and cramp. Therefore make sure you have sufficient blankets and heating.

The important thing is to keep the muscles in your legs relaxed. You can do this through stretches, the use of a heating pad, or by having a hot shower. Relaxed muscles are not as likely to cramp.

Get Further Help if Needed

If you’re getting constant leg cramps, be sure that you see a doctor. While the advice given here is relevant, it’s important to make sure the leg cramps are not a symptom of something else. Hopefully the techniques here will help you relieve leg cramps so you can rest, exercise, and live life in comfort.

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Recent studies have shown that the skin of mangosteen has high antioxidant and antibacterial properties.  Initial results also reveal that they have antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties, raising the popularity of mangosteen capsules as a skin care product.  This may be a result of a compound found called xanthones which may provide many more times  the anti-oxidant punch than vitamin C and vitamin E.  The capsule form includes the exterior skin of the mangosteen fruit containing the highest concentration of xanthones. It benefits every organ in the body and helps to fight free radicals which strengthens the immune system and promotes joints and cartilage function.

At this point there are no human studies which have conclusively define the benefits to the skin in using either juice, powder or spa soap.  However, there also have been no studies which disproves the case studies and the beliefs of individuals who continue to use mangosteen in order to improve the condition of their overall health as well as benefit from the anti-acne, antibacterial and anti-free radical properties.

At this time case studies seem to indicate that the mangosteen fruit helps treat acne in teenagers who are most commonly affected with this skin disorder.  The mangosteen fruit has been found to have antibacterial properties against the acne causing bacteria, P. acnes and S. epidermides.  The strong anti-oxidants also help to reduce the effect of environmental stressors and toxins which build up in the body and also aggravate acne.

Another of the skin conditions which are reported to respond positively from the use of mangosteen fruit and juice are eczema and psoriasis.  The fruit reportedly helps to decrease the number of flare-ups and complications from eczema while the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties can help to decrease the inflammatory process of psoriasis while keeping the body at optimal health.

While there has been no conclusive studies which show that mangosteen fruit has a significant positive benefit on the overall health of the skin, researchers do you know that the anti-oxidant and vitamins contained in the mangosteen juice do have an overall positive benefit to the treatment of eczema, psoriasis and acne. 

Because there are no side effects to mangosteen juice it is well worth the effort of giving it a trial to determine whether or not you will individually respond to the improved health benefits of the supplement.  As with any supplement, if you are currently taking any medications or have any underlying health issues it is important to discuss the relationship of taking mangosteen with your pharmacist or primary care physician

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As with other super fruits or superfoods, proponents of mangosteen juice and mangosteen capsules believe that it may cure everything from cancer to bacterial infections.  Users also say that it can decrease the pain and inflammation caused from arthritis.  There are over 100 different types of arthritic conditions but the majority of individuals refer to rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis as the two major groups.

Mangosteen is rich in vitamins and minerals including vitamin B-1, B-2, B6, calcium, potassium and iron.  It is also packed with antioxidants that assist in fighting free radicals in the body linked to heart disease and cancer, as well as being a good source of xanthones.  Researchers have found that xanthones have a potent anti-inflammatory effect in the body which may be linked to the positive effects found arthritis pain relief.

While there have been no major studies on humans to prove that drinking the mangosteen juice on a daily basis would offer significant improvement, researchers have found that it’s daily dosages of antioxidants and vitamins will improve the ability of the body’s immune system to fight the disease. Such properties also improve the body’s ability to absorb other vitamins and minerals essential to to overall health.

Mangosteen offers the user an incredibly powerful antioxidant fruit cocktail which helps the body to remain healthy.  And, while there have been no major studies on humans to prove the effects of mangosteen juice in the treatment of arthritis, there have been significant case studies that point researchers to the possibility of improved overall health and decreased pain and inflammation.

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