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Journalism of Courage
The claim: Cocoa butter can remove stretch marks
Cocoa butter has many uses,but one of the most common is combating the linear marks that result from rapid growth,especially in pregnancy,and weight gain.The problem afflicts most pregnant women,not to mention many body builders,teenagers going through puberty and people who are overweight. Cocoa butter is a popular solution,but studies have found that it produces rather unimpressive results.
The largest study on the subject was published in 2008 by a team of dermatologists and obstetricians. It followed 175 women in their first pregnancies,some randomly assigned to apply a cocoa butter lotion each day and others assigned to use a placebo. Neither the subjects nor the researchers knew who was using which treatment. After many months,the researchers found no difference in the development or severity of marks,known medically as striae,over the abdomen,breasts or thighs.
For those looking for an alternative,scientists have found that vitamin E creams are more effective. Surgical and radiofrequency treatments are available,too,but they carry a higher price.
The bottom line:
According to research,regular application of cocoa butter does not reduce stretch marks.
CINNAMON TO THE RESCUE
Some researchers recommend sanitizers made with cinnamon oil,which has been shown in many studies to have powerful antimicrobial properties. A recent study by a team of surgeons,for example,found that a solution made with cinnamon oil killed a number of common and hospital-acquired infections,like streptococcus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus,or MRSA. The study found it was just as effective as several antiseptics widely used in hospitals.
Dr Lawrence D. Rosen,a pediatrician in New Jersey recommends a tried-and-true recipe for homemade hand sanitiser called thieves oil. I add cinnamon bark,lemon oil and eucalyptus, he said,adding,The recipe goes back to the Middle Ages,where it was used by these thieves who would go around stealing jewelry from dead bodies,and they never got sick.
Cinnamon oil,when applied topically,is generally safe. But in some people it can cause an allergic reaction.
The bottom line:
Cinnamon oil has antiseptic properties.
NYT
