scholarly journals Efficacy and safety of ashwagandha root extract in the treatment of insomnia, anxiety and reducing stress – literature review

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 197-202
Author(s):  
Karol Mazur ◽  
Marcin Lewicki ◽  
Dominika Mazur ◽  
Agata Smoleń

Insomnia, anxiety and stress are common complaints of people living today. Together, these factors can significantly reduce the quality of people's lives and disrupt relationships. Insomnia is a health problem connected with the difficulty falling asleep, waking early, waking during sleep, or poor quality of sleep, the consequences of which during the day are a feeling of being fatigue, reduced well-being, irritability, impaired concentration and learning ability. Anxiety is an emotional state related with anticipation of danger coming from the outside or coming from inside the organism, manifesting itself as feeling of uneasiness, tension, embarrassment, threat. Stress is a disturbance of body homeostasis caused by a physical or psychological factor. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of  ashwagandha root extract in the treatment of insomnia, anxiety and reducing stress. Our study material consisted of publications, which were found in PubMed, ResearchGate and Google Scholar databases. In order to find the proper publications, the search has been conducted with the use of a combination of key words like: ''ashawagandha'', ''insomnia'', ''anxiety'', ''stress". The first step was to find proper publications from the last 5 years. The second step was to carry out an overview of the found publications. Currently a lot of researches is being conducted to find natural substances that are just as effective as pharmacotherapy in the treatment of insomnia, anxiety and reducing stress, but without the side effects. Some researchers have focused their attention to the ashwagandha root extract.  Results of mentioned studies proved the efficacy and safety of ashwagandha root extract. However, further research is needed to estabilish the role of ashwagandha root extract in the treatment of insomnia, anxiety and reducing stress.

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
Fahrurrrazi Fahrurrrazi

Penelitian ini dilatarbelakangi oleh fenomena minat baca siswa dan pengaruh minat baca terhadap pertumbuhan kemampuan belajar siswa pada jenjang-jenjang pendidikan selanjutnya. Kepala sekolah sebagai lokomotif perkembangan mutu pendidikan memiliki peran strategi bagi pengumbuhan dan pengembangan minat baca peserta didik. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui peran kepala madrasah sebagai edukator, manajer, dan innovator dalam pengembangan minat baca peserta didik di MIT Nurul Islam Kota Semarang. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif lapangan, data dikumpulkan melalui observasi, wawancara, dokumentasi dan triangulasi, serta dianalisis dengan teknik analisis deskriptif. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa: 1) Peran kepala madrasah sebagai edukator dalam pengembangan minat baca peserta didik meliputi meliputi tiga pembinaan, yakni pembinaan mental dan moral, serta pembinaan artistik. 2) Peran kepala madrasah sebagai manajer dalam pengembangan minat baca peserta didik di MIT Nurul Islam meliputi penerapan fungsi-fungsi manajemen dengan didasarkan pada pada kerjasama dengan USAID dan UIN Walisongo Semarang. 3) Peran kepala madrasah sebagai innovator dalam pengembangan minat baca peserta didik di MIT Nurul Islam Kota Semarang meliputi inovasi strategi, pola pikir (mindset) dan struktur. Abstract This research is motivated by the phenomenon of reading interest of students and the influence of reading interest on the growth of students' learning ability in the next level of education. The principal as a locomotive of the development of the quality of education has a strategic role for the growth and development of reading interest of learners. This study aims to determine the role of principal as an educator, manager, and innovator in the development of reading interest of learners in MIT Nurul Islam Semarang City. This research is a qualitative field research, data collected through observation, interview, documentation and triangulation, and analyzed by descriptive analysis technique. The results of this study indicate that: 1) The role of principal as an educator in the development of reading interest of learners includes three activities are coaching, namely mental and moral coaching, and artistic coaching. 2) The role of principal as manager in the development of reading interest of learners at MIT Nurul Islam covers the application of management functions based on cooperation with USAID and UIN Walisongo Semarang. 3) The role of principal as innovator in the development of reading interest of learners at MIT Nurul Islam Semarang City includes innovation strategy, mindset, and structure.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 675-688
Author(s):  
Shamsi Abbasalizadeh ◽  
Behzad Ebrahimi ◽  
Aslan Azizi ◽  
Rogaye Dargahi ◽  
Maryam Tayebali ◽  
...  

Constipation is a common public health concern experienced by all individuals during their life affecting the quality of life. In this paper, we aimed to provide an overview of the existing evidence regarding the role of food ingredients, including bran, prune, fig, kiwifruit, and flax-seed in constipation treatment. We searched Scopus, Pub Med, and Science Direct by using the keywords, “laxative foods” and “constipation”, for searching studies assessing laxative food ingredients and their beneficial effects on constipation treatment and/or control. Lifestyle modifications such as increasing dietary fiber and fluid intake and daily exercise are the proposed first line treatments for constipation. Optimizing ‘diet’ as an efficient lifestyle factor may contribute to the well-being of patients. The use of laxative food ingredients including bran, prune, fig, kiwifruit, flax-seed, probiotics, and prebiotics is a convenient alternative to cope with constipation. According to previous findings, laxative food ingredients could be considered as effective treatments for subjects suffering from constipation. Many studies have assessed the pharmacological and non-pharmacological roles of these ingredients in treating constipation, however, their importance has not been thoroughly investigated.


Uro ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-22
Author(s):  
Tommaso Cai ◽  
Paolo Verze ◽  
Truls E. Bjerklund Johansen

The quality of life (QoL) concept now includes new aspects related to patients’ well-being because QoL has become more of a personal perception than an an objective and measurable entity. Here, we discuss the principal aspects of QoL-related aspects in urology and andrology by using a narrative review. Some aspects concerning the QoL are essential when managing uro-andrological patients. The aim of treatments should not only include the absence of disease or symptoms relief but also the improvement of a patient’s QoL with regard to his/her internal status and relationship with others. In this sense, any therapeutic approach should be based on the patient’s perspectives and not only on the instrumental and laboratory findings. Finally, we discussed the role of a patient’s sexual partner adding an extra dimension to the patient-centerd approach as part of the QoL concept in andrology.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anjali Bansal ◽  
Laxmi Kant Dwivedi

Abstract Background According to United Nations, 19% of females in the world relied only on the permanent method of family planning, with 37% in India according to NFHS-4. Limited studies tried to measure the sterilization regret, and its correlated factors. The study tried to explore the trend of sterilization regret in India from 1992 to 2015 and to elicit the determining effects of various factors on sterilization regret, especially in context to perceived quality of care in the sterilization operations and type of providers. Data and methods The pooled data from NFHS-1, NFHS-3 and NFHS-4 was used to explore the regret by creating interaction between time and all the predictors. Predicted probabilities were calculated to show the trend of sterilization regret amounting to quality of care, type of health provider at the three time periods. Results The sterilization regret was increased from 5 % in NFHS-1 to 7 % in NFHS-4. According to NFHS-4, for those whose sterilization was performed in private health facility the regret was found to be less (OR-0.937; 95% CI- (0.882–0.996)) compared to public health facility. Also, the results show a two-fold increase in regret when women reported bad quality of care. The results from predicted probabilities provide enough evidence that the regret due to bad quality of care in sterilization operation had increased with each subsequent round of NFHS. Conclusion Many socio-economic and demographic factors have influenced the regret, but the poor quality of care contributed maximum to the regret from 1992 to 2015. The health facilities have seriously strayed from improving the health and well-being of women in providing the family planning methods. In addition, to public facilities, the regret amounting to private facilities have also increased from NFHS-1 to 4. The quality of care provided in the family planning operation should be standardized in every hospital to strengthen the health systems in the country. The couple should be motivated to adopt more of spacing methods.


Author(s):  
Anna Lipert ◽  
Remigiusz Kozłowski ◽  
Dariusz Timler ◽  
Michał Marczak ◽  
Kamila Musiał ◽  
...  

Background: The coronavirus pandemic and the government restrictions significantly disturbed the daily functioning of people, thereby influencing healthy behaviors, such as physical activity—the core indicator of well-being. This study evaluates the associations between physical activity (PA), the level of stress and quality of sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Methods: An online survey was distributed during the governmental lockdown in April 2020 and included measures for assessing physical activity, stress and sleep. The surveyed participants included all adults aged 18 years and over. The final data were collected from the 1959 respondents using: International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Findings: Almost half of the respondents indicated a low level of PA, performing only 60 min of PA daily. Most of the participants reported a moderate or high level of stress (57% and 29%, respectively) and 64% of them reported poor quality of sleep. People with low levels of stress performed on average 85.1 min/day of walking (WPA), 40.9 min/day of moderate PA (MPA) or 52.6 min/day of vigorous PA (VPA). People with good quality of sleep performed 82.9 min/day of WPA, 43.6 min/day MPA and 40.5 min/day VPA. Interpretation: The results from the study indicate that the volume of daily PA may be a predictor of the level of stress and sleep quality in adults during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. To retain a low level of stress and good quality of sleep, a lifestyle that allows to achieve a moderate level of physical activity should be maintained. The optimal daily dose of PA is at least 70 min per day, involving different intensities.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efstratia Arampatzi ◽  
Martijn J. Burger ◽  
Spyridon Stavropoulos ◽  
Frank G. van Oort

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 520-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Henshall ◽  
Sheila Greenfield ◽  
Nicola Gale

This article explores the relationship between cancer survivors’ use of self-management practices and their search for normality. Using Frank’s illness narratives and other theoretical literature on normality in chronic illness, it draws on findings from a qualitative study to explore different ways cancer survivors use self-management practices to re-establish normality in their lives post-cancer. The findings suggest that “normality” represents different things to cancer survivors. We suggest that normality in survivorship is not a static concept but is fluid, and at certain times, cancer survivors may display some or all of these different versions of normality. The findings show that self-management practices can help cancer survivors experiment with different health and lifestyle processes to help support their “normal” daily lifestyle activities, quality of life, and well-being.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e046547
Author(s):  
Luke Johnson ◽  
Kerry Gutridge ◽  
Julie Parkes ◽  
Anjana Roy ◽  
Emma Plugge

ObjectiveTo examine the extent, nature and quality of literature on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of imprisoned people and prison staff.DesignScoping review.Data sourcesPubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Global Health, Cochrane, PsycINFO, PsychExtra, Web of Science and Scopus were searched for any paper from 2019 onwards that focused on the mental health impact of COVID-19 on imprisoned people and prison staff. A grey literature search focused on international and government sources and professional bodies representing healthcare, public health and prison staff was also performed. We also performed hand searching of the reference lists of included studies.Eligibility criteria for selection of studiesAll papers, regardless of study design, were included if they examined the mental health of imprisoned people or prison staff specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Imprisoned people could be of any age and from any countries. All languages were included. Two independent reviewers quality assessed appropriate papers.ResultsOf 647 articles found, 83 were eligible for inclusion, the majority (58%) of which were opinion pieces. The articles focused on the challenges to prisoner mental health. Fear of COVID-19, the impact of isolation, discontinuation of prison visits and reduced mental health services were all likely to have an adverse effect on the mental well-being of imprisoned people. The limited research and poor quality of articles included mean that the findings are not conclusive. However, they suggest a significant adverse impact on the mental health and well-being of those who live and work in prisons.ConclusionsIt is key to address the mental health impacts of the pandemic on people who live and work in prisons. These findings are discussed in terms of implications for getting the balance between infection control imperatives and the fundamental human rights of prison populations.


Author(s):  
Ieva Ančevska

The article examines the depiction of gratitude and related events in Latvian folklore through comparative evaluation. Gratitude is considered in a psychological context, comparing the attitude expressed in folklore with the findings of modern scientific research. Gratitude is a concept that is usually associated with a relationship or a benefit, it is most often aimed outwards, dedicated to someone else, but at the same time, it creates a pleasant feeling within the person. In modern psychology, gratitude is receiving more and more attention from researchers because its manifestations stimulate the formation of positive emotions and contribute to the improvement of the person’s overall well-being. Research and clinical studies in psychotherapy confirm that gratitude plays an important role in improving mental health and reducing depressive, destructive feelings. In turn, neuroscience research shows the potential of a grateful and positive attitude in strengthening psycho-emotional health and well-being in general. In Latvian folklore, gratitude is depicted as an important part of ritual events, which helps to ensure a positive, balanced connection with the forces of nature, gods, and society. In folklore, the importance of gratitude is emphasised more when building family relationships or accepting various situations and occurrences in life. In both psychological research and the practice of systemic therapy, as well as in folklore, gratitude appears as one of the most important values of interpersonal connection, which promotes the formation of harmonious relationships. Similar to the opinions of psychology, the folk world views emphasise the motivational role of gratitude in improving the quality of human life and health in general.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 830-832
Author(s):  
Jing Tang

ABSTRACT Introduction: Difficulty falling asleep is connected to the malfunctioning of the sleep and wakefulness mechanism of the human body caused by various reasons. There are a series of adverse reactions resulting from abnormal or poor quality of sleep during sleep per se. This symptom severely affects an individual's physical condition and mental health. Objective: To explore the effect of physical exercise on patients with difficulty falling asleep. Methods: Mathematical statistics were used to analyze 60 patients with difficulty falling asleep. We divided the patients into a sports group and a control group. The patients in the sports group took sports training, while the control group did not. After two weeks of intervention and comparison, we used mathematical statistics to evaluate the groups’ cognitive function. Results: After physical exercise, the patient's sleep quality was higher and sleep disorders were reduced. Conclusion: Physical activity is a simple and popular way of exercising. It is effective in improving the cognitive function of patients with difficulty falling asleep. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment results.


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