According to the latest theories, cellulite is not a disease. But most of us do not accept this norm of accumulating fat in women and try to fight it. This can be understood, because aesthetics for any woman above all else. What exactly is cellulite? And what can be done to make the problem skin - orange peel - not a serious problem for you and the cause of different complexes?
Any treatment is most effective when it begins in the first stage of the disease. In the case of cellulite - the same situation. The earlier you "take" for him, the better. Well, and of course, you need to approach the treatment with common sense. Getting rid of the orange peel in just a few days is just as unrealistic as buying it for the same period. Anti-cellulite preparation is very useful, but it is not able to eliminate even a gram of fat. It is aimed at releasing fat from fat cells, however, getting rid of it completely will be extremely difficult.
What is cellulite?
First, no woman will be harmed by some basic knowledge about the so-called orange peel. Cellulite is a hypertrophy of fat cells, which is caused mainly by the synthesis of fatty acids in connection with their spread. In fact, cellulite is a natural way of accumulating fat by a female body. "Frozen" in the skin of the hips and abdomen fat provides a reserve of energy used during pregnancy. The stores of this fat can be reduced naturally during breastfeeding, but this is not as easy as many women seem. The whole fault is our modern way of life. Small physical activity, long sitting in one place (in front of the TV, computer, driving a car), lack of a food culture - these are the reasons for the appearance of cellulite and other problems with skin and health in general. Earlier it was believed that this disease is associated with obesity, today we know that cellulite affects almost 80% of women, beginning with adolescence. Moreover, the complexion here absolutely does not matter.
Causes of cellulite
Currently, scientists know much more about cellulite. It is known that several factors contribute to its appearance.
1. Hormones. Cellulite affects most women during puberty, pregnancy and pre-menopause. And the reason is that the appointment of an orange peel is to make the greatest contribution of the female hormone - estrogen to the body. And, strictly speaking, its concentration is too high in comparison with progesterone (another female hormone of the ovaries). Since the imbalance starts a chain reaction, it results in irregularities on the hips, buttocks, abdomen, and sometimes even on the chest and shoulders. During puberty, a certain amount of fat should normally be collected in women to begin regular menstrual cycles. Just the weight of women has decreased over the last decade by 10-15% below the norm, and there are already frequent violations of the cycle. During pregnancy, the body is forced to accumulate energy in the form of fat, collecting it in the usual places for this. This is done in order to prepare for a long period of pregnancy and the subsequent production of milk for the child. Nevertheless, after menopause, the ovaries stop producing hormones, and their deficiency is at least partially compensated by the fat tissue. It is common knowledge that cellulite mainly affects women, while in men it happens very rarely. This is because the female hormone estrogen, among other things, has an effect on the elasticity and characteristics of the connective tissue of women. In men, the congestion of collagen and elastin fibers is arranged so that their active support by the blood vessels proceeds. So fat just does not have time to accumulate, not to mention the formation of cellulite. On the other hand, in women, the collagen and elastin zones are parallel in order to be able to place the child within themselves during pregnancy. On the one hand, this is a great advantage, but on the other - after the birth of a child, problems may arise. Rigid fat cells can easily move between collagen and elastin fibers, deforming connective tissue that gradually hardens and loses flexibility. This may compress the nerve endings in the skin, so massage in the area of ​​cellulite can cause severe pain.
2. Microcirculation. Estrogens also affect the increase in the permeability of blood vessels. The physiological fluid is drained from the blood into the tissues and accumulates in the intercellular spaces, causing edema that often occurs during menstruation. Swollen tissues press on the blood vessels, which leads to a violation of microcirculation in the skin and subcutaneous tissue, which, in turn, causes ischemia of fat cells. In the absence of oxygen and nutrients, they produce and accumulate toxic substances. That's why the problem of problem skin - orange peel - can affect even young slender girls. Isolated fat cells can grow over time in sizes up to 10 times or more. They become visible in the form of characteristic nodules on the skin. It's surprising that every fat cell can be enlarged even more than 60 times.
3. Problems in the functioning of the lymphatic system. The task of this system is to collect toxic substances in the lymph nodes, where they are transported to the kidneys and then removed from the body. The efficiency and flexibility of the connective tissue largely depends on how well the system works. If they are too soft and permeable to toxins and will not pass into lymph nodes at the same time - they will start to penetrate into other tissues, accumulate in fat cells. Thus, the functional actions of the lymphatic system contribute to the removal of toxins from fat cells, and thus indirectly inhibits the spread of cellulite.
Herbal ingredients that help in the fight against cellulite
Active plant components aimed at preparing the fight against cellulite have their own tasks:
- improve blood circulation, stimulating microcirculation in skin cells in order to speed up the elimination of waste (the so-called microbalance of the skin)
- stimulate lipolysis (fat burning) as a result of release from fat cells, free fatty acids.
With regard to measures to improve blood circulation, strengthen the walls of blood vessels and anti-retention of water in the skin - most often used in this case, the following substances and plant extracts:
- Blackberry - eliminates excess water in the intercellular spaces
- Green and brown algae - reduce the tendency to fluid stagnation, improve lymphatic circulation, alginic acid has the ability to bind toxins
- The medicinal herb contains a large amount of coumarin, which has a strengthening effect on the lymphatic capillaries; except that it stimulates blood circulation and cleanses the veins
- Ivy - improves blood circulation
- Japanese ginkgo biloba - improves blood circulation
- Holly - improves blood circulation
- Arnica (Ruta fragrant) - is especially useful for people who have problems with dilated capillaries on the legs, strengthens the walls of blood vessels and has an anti-inflammatory effect. People with orange peel problems should avoid heating preparations containing caffeine and xanthine, which act on blood capillaries, causing the risk of destruction of their walls.
The main objective of the fight against cellulite is to stimulate a uniform distribution of fat in the tissues. Recently, many cosmetic companies are considering this issue, which leads to the emergence of a large number of new drugs. To understand their actions, we must be closer to the processes associated with the metabolism of fats in the body.
Fat metabolism
For man, fats are the main store of energy. The fat metabolism is closely related to the glycolysis process, the glucose degradation occurring in every cell of our body. It turns out that when we observe a diet rich in carbohydrates (glucose) and low in fat, the body increases the synthesis of fatty acids. Of these, fats are subsequently formed, which are then stored as a reserve of energy in the fat cells. This leads to an increase in the fat mass. With a large amount of carbohydrates, the body uses them primarily as a source of energy. So he does not need to store fat as a spare energy tank for a "rainy day". Synthesis of fatty acids in the body is regulated by three hormones: insulin, glucagon and adrenaline. In the case of a shortage of energy and, consequently, at a low level of glucose, glucagon and epinephrine, the enzymes responsible for the synthesis of fatty acids inhibit their production. At a high level of glucose in insulin, in turn, the activity of this enzyme is stimulated, which leads to an increase in the synthesis of fatty acids and, consequently, the accumulation of fats in fat cells. Elimination of excess fat also depends on the two types of receptors located on the fat cells. This alpha receptor - which combines insulin and stimulates the accumulation of fat, and thus contributes to the increase in the volume of fat cells and receptors, and the beta receptor - that binds glucagon and adrenaline that stimulate metabolism and fat and affect the size of fat cells.
Plant components that stimulate fat burning
As already mentioned, the problem of effective fat elimination has become the main topic of many studies in the laboratories of pharmaceutical companies in the world. These studies were conducted in two directions:
- The first goal is to find substances that block the alpha receptor
- The second goal is to find ways to reduce the level of glucose in the cells - for example, insulin, which reduces excessive amounts of glucose in the blood
Compounds blocking the alpha receptors were substances obtained from plants, such as:
- green coffee
- routine
- Black tea
- horse chestnut
The latter is especially characterized by high blocking activity of the alpha receptor, prevents the accumulation of excess fat in the tissues. Caffeine also has the ability to block one of the enzymes that contribute to the accumulation of fat. It should also be noted L-carnitine, which, however, does not have the ability to block alpha receptors, but plays a big role in the process of decomposition and burning of fat cells, which facilitates the flow of these processes. That is why it is so often found in many anti-cellulite drugs.
In the work to reduce blood glucose levels, modern science has advanced far ahead. It turned out that the active substances obtained from some plants have such properties. These plants were divided into two groups. The first group includes plant extracts that can stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin, which lowers blood glucose levels. These plants play an important role, for example, in the treatment of diabetes. Unlike scientific laboratories, cosmetic companies are mainly interested in other groups of plants that can lower the glucose level in cells completely independently of the route of the hormone. Such plants include, in particular
- ginseng
- momordica
- yambol
Extracts from these plants are used in anti-cellulite preparations. The exact effect of these extracts and how they affect fat distribution in fat cells has not yet been fully understood. It is only known that they play an important role in this process.
Rules for the use of anti-cellulite drugs
When using such medications, please be patient and very consistent. Be sure to start with a massage. Scientists have found a link between weight loss and massage, which stimulates the production of endorphins, the so-called hormones of happiness. They work soothing and serve as an analgesic, accelerate the burning of fat. And, the more pleasure you get from a massage - the more the effect of losing weight. Creams promote the spread of fatty acids and eliminate fat stores in certain areas of the body. So the question with a problem skin - orange peel - for a long time is solved. Fat enters the circulatory system, where it becomes an easily accessible source of energy. During exercise, most of the fat is burned, so that the body gets rid of it forever. If you do not combine the use of these drugs with exercise - you will not get the proper effect. Fat will return quickly and again accumulate in the tissues of the body.