Often used in Indian households, Star anise a spice commonly used in Asian cuisine, has been explored for its potential benefits for hair growth. While more scientific research is needed to fully validate its effectiveness, anecdotal evidence suggests that star anise may help nourish and strengthen hair.

It's believed to have properties that can promote a healthier scalp and stimulate hair growth. However, before incorporating star anise into your hair care routine, it's essential to conduct a patch test to ensure you're not allergic to any of its components.

Star anise can be used in various ways to promote hair growth. You can create a star anise-infused oil by heating coconut or olive oil with star anise pods. Alternatively, you can brew star anise tea and use it as a hair rinse after shampooing. For a nourishing mask, mix ground star anise with olive oil or castor oil and apply it to your scalp. You can also combine star anise powder with henna powder to create a hair pack.

5 Benefits of using Star Anise

If you use the correct blend, Star Anise can fix your hair issues and give you healthy and strong hair. Here are some benefits,

Nutrient-Rich Composition

Star anise is a treasure trove of essential nutrients that can benefit hair health. It contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, including vitamin A, vitamin C, and flavonoids. These nutrients can nourish the scalp, strengthen hair follicles, and promote healthy hair growth. By providing essential building blocks for hair growth, star anise can help address issues like hair thinning and breakage.

Anti-inflammatory Properties

Inflammation of the scalp can hinder hair growth and contribute to conditions like dandruff and scalp irritation. Star anise contains compounds with anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce inflammation and create a healthier environment for hair follicles to thrive. By soothing the scalp and reducing inflammation, star anise can promote a more conducive environment for hair growth.

Antioxidant Protection

Free radicals, harmful molecules that can damage cells, can contribute to hair loss and premature graying. Star anise is rich in antioxidants that can neutralize free radicals, protecting the scalp and hair from oxidative damage. By shielding the scalp and hair from harmful environmental factors, star anise can help maintain hair health and vitality.

Stimulates Blood Flow

Increased blood flow to the scalp is essential for delivering essential nutrients to hair follicles and promoting healthy hair growth. Star anise has been shown to stimulate blood circulation, which can enhance nutrient delivery and support hair growth. By improving blood flow to the scalp, star anise can create a more favorable environment for hair follicles to thrive.

Traditional Use and Anecdotal Evidence

While more scientific research is needed to fully validate its benefits, star anise has been used traditionally for hair care for centuries. Anecdotal evidence suggests that incorporating star anise into hair care routines may help promote hair growth and improve hair health. While individual results may vary, many people have reported positive outcomes when using star anise for hair growth.

When it comes to health, most of us are familiar with the usual suspects: fevers, colds, maybe a sprain or two. But the human body and brain are capable of some truly strange malfunctions that sound more like plots from horror movies or fairy tales than real medical diagnoses. Yet, as odd as they may sound, these conditions are very real, with documented cases and medical research to back them up.

Here are five of the weirdest medical conditions that prove truth can sometimes be stranger than fiction.

Werewolf Syndrome (Hypertrichosis or Ambras Syndrome)

Imagine waking up one day with hair covering nearly every inch of your body, except your palms and the soles of your feet. That is what life can look like for people with Werewolf Syndrome. Officially known as Hypertrichosis or Ambras Syndrome, the condition leads to abnormal and excessive hair growth.

According to the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, individuals may also develop a triangular face, a bulbous nose, or even suffer from missing teeth. It’s a rare genetic disorder, passed down as a dominant trait. So, if one parent has it, there’s a chance the child could inherit it too.

Cases of this syndrome have fueled myths and legends about wolf-men for centuries, and even inspired characters like Lon Chaney Jr.’s iconic “Wolf Man” in Hollywood. But for those living with it, it is a lifelong medical reality rather than a mythical curse.

Facial Blindness (Prosopagnosia)

Most of us forget names occasionally, but what if you couldn’t recognize faces at all—even those of close family or friends? That’s the reality for people with Prosopagnosia, commonly called facial blindness.

The condition stems from abnormalities or damage in the brain, often due to injury, stroke, or neurodegenerative diseases. In some cases, people are simply born with it, a form known as congenital prosopagnosia.

Prosopagnosia doesn’t mean poor memory in general. A person with it may recall voices, clothing, or mannerisms perfectly but be unable to identify someone by their face. In severe cases, some patients struggle to distinguish between a face and an inanimate object, or even fail to recognize their own reflection.

It’s a condition that can make everyday interactions complicated, sometimes isolating, as people often mistake it for rudeness or disinterest.

Sleeping Beauty Syndrome (Kleine-Levin Syndrome)

Fairy tales speak of Sleeping Beauty drifting into years of slumber. In reality, a rare disorder named Kleine-Levin Syndrome, also known as Sleeping Beauty Syndrome, causes people to sleep for extraordinarily long stretches of time.

Episodes can last days or even weeks, with affected individuals sleeping up to 20 hours a day. When awake, they may display unusual behaviors such as binge eating, hallucinating, or even acting childishly. Strikingly, the majority of those affected are adolescent males, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

There is no permanent cure, but stimulant medications may help manage symptoms. Fortunately, the episodes tend to decrease with age, often fading by adulthood. Still, for those experiencing it, life can feel like being trapped in a storybook, only without the happily-ever-after.

Mad Cow Disease and Its Human Counterpart

Most people have heard of Mad Cow Disease, scientifically known as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), which affects the brain and spinal cord of cattle, causing them to behave erratically or aggressively.

While humans don’t catch BSE itself, a related illness called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) can occur. This rare but fatal brain disorder is thought to be linked to eating beef contaminated with infected tissue.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization both note strong evidence connecting vCJD with mad cow outbreaks, though proving direct transmission remains complex. Infected brain tissue develops spongy holes, leading to memory loss, personality changes, and severe neurological decline.

Thankfully, the number of cases worldwide is small. Still, its very existence once sparked widespread fear about food safety, making it one of the most infamous “weird” diseases of modern times.

Alien Hand Syndrome

Of all the bizarre conditions, Alien Hand Syndrome may be the most unsettling. Imagine one of your hands moving on its own, buttoning a shirt, grabbing objects, or even hitting you, without your conscious control.

That is what people with Alien Hand Syndrome experience. The disorder arises from brain damage due to stroke, tumors, or neurodegenerative diseases. Patients often describe the rogue limb as if it has its own will, and some even give their “alien” hand a name.

While treatments exist, such as Botox injections, behavioral therapy, or simply keeping the hand occupied, there is no permanent cure. Pop culture famously depicted this in the movie Dr. Strangelove, where a character’s hand keeps saluting against his will.

What happens in the brain at the moment of death has fascinated doctors, philosophers, and ordinary people for centuries. Myths and religious traditions have long spoken of a “life review,” where your past flashes before your eyes. Modern science, for the first time, is beginning to catch glimpses of what really unfolds in the final minutes after the heart stops.

A widely discussed idea is that the brain may continue working for about seven minutes after death, potentially giving rise to vivid flashes of memory and awareness. Recent studies suggest this may not be just folklore.

Recording the Dying Brain

In 2022, doctors in Canada made a startling discovery. They were monitoring an 87-year-old patient with epilepsy when he suddenly suffered cardiac arrest. As his heart stopped, the electroencephalogram (EEG) kept recording his brain activity. What they saw was astonishing: rhythmic brain waves that resembled those seen during memory recall, dreaming, or meditation.

The researchers noted surges in gamma oscillations, which are linked to conscious processing, learning, and memory retrieval. It was as if the man’s brain was playing back moments of his life in a final act of reflection. This provided the first direct evidence that the dying brain may remain active, even organized, after the heart has stopped.

Also Read: What Happens To Human Bodies After Death?

Seven Minutes of Life

The “seven minutes of life” theory emerged from similar findings. When the heart ceases to beat, blood flow to the brain stops, but neurons do not die immediately. Instead, they enter a state of frantic activity as they are starved of oxygen. During this short window, electrical surges ripple across the cortex, creating what some scientists describe as a last burst of consciousness .

Some neurologists believe this window could be responsible for the life-flashing-before-your-eyes phenomenon reported in near-death experiences. Memories may be triggered by abnormal synchronization of neurons, creating vivid, movie-like recollections.

Near-Death Experiences and Life Reviews

The connection between this brain activity and near-death experiences (NDEs) is striking. Studies of cardiac arrest survivors show many report floating above their bodies, seeing tunnels of light, or meeting deceased loved ones. Others describe a panoramic replay of their life events, sometimes accompanied by feelings of peace and detachment.

Dr. Sam Parnia’s large-scale AWARE studies monitored hundreds of patients across multiple hospitals during cardiac arrest. While most did not survive, some who were revived reported precise details of events in the room while they were clinically dead, as well as intense memory flashbacks. These reports align with the idea that the brain, far from shutting down instantly, lingers in a state of heightened, unusual activity.

The Brain’s Last Burst

Neuroscientists suggest that this “last burst” could be explained by the physiology of dying neurons. As oxygen levels plummet, neurotransmitters like glutamate flood the brain. This overstimulates neurons, causing them to fire in abnormal, synchronized ways. Gamma oscillations may peak during this time, briefly sustaining complex conscious experiences.

In animal studies, rats that suffered cardiac arrest showed spikes of coherent brain activity within 30 seconds of death. Human data now confirm similar patterns. Although brief, this activity may be enough to produce vivid subjective experiences.

Consciousness After Death: Science or Spirituality?

These findings raise profound questions. If the brain continues to generate conscious-like activity minutes after death, does this blur the boundary between life and death? Is the “life review” a final, natural brain function, or does it hint at something beyond?

While many scientists caution against overinterpreting the results, others see the possibility of bridging neuroscience and spirituality. The universality of near-death reports across cultures suggests there may be common biological mechanisms at work, yet their meaning remains open to interpretation.

Some traditions describe this as the soul’s transition, while neurologists see it as a natural byproduct of oxygen-starved neurons. Either way, the dying brain appears far from silent.

Redefining Death

Traditionally, death was declared when the heart stopped beating. Today, medicine recognizes that death is a process rather than an instant. Brain activity may persist for minutes, and in rare cases of resuscitation, patients return with memories of those moments. This challenges both how we define death and how long doctors should wait before making the declaration.

Modern guidelines already recommend observing a patient for several minutes after cardiac arrest before pronouncing death. Discoveries about lingering brain activity add further weight to this caution.

A new study suggests that the risk for diabetes often exists within entire households. Researchers found that more than three-quarters of people at risk for type 2 diabetes live with at least one other person who either already has diabetes or is at high risk for it.

International Diabetes Federation states that one in nine adults from the ages of 20-79 years are living with diabetes while four out of 10 remain unaware that they have the condition. It is estimated that by 2050, 853 million people globally will have diabetes.

According to the study published in the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, many of these people may not even know they have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. This finding presents a big opportunity for public health, as identifying and helping these households could have a significant impact.

How Does Diabetes Impact One’s Family?

For the study, researchers looked at the health records of people living in the same homes as a person diagnosed with prediabetes. They found that of the over 356,000 people with prediabetes, more than 75% had at least one other household member with a risk factor for diabetes. The study showed that shared risk factors were found in:

• 65% of adults and 35% of children
• Overweight or obesity was the most common risk factor, found in 55% of adults and 34% of children
• Abnormal blood sugar levels were found in 32% of adults
• The study also revealed that nearly 30,000 adults with full-blown type 2 diabetes were living in the same households as someone with prediabetes.

How To Know You Have Diabetes – Spotting First Symptoms

According to Diabetes UK, if you, or someone you know is showing possible signs of diabetes, it’s important to contact a doctor to be sure. Having some of these symptoms doesn’t automatically mean you have diabetes, but it's always best to get checked out. The most common symptoms of diabetes are:

• Going to the toilet a lot, especially at night.
• Feeling very thirsty.
• Feeling more tired than usual.
• Losing weight without trying to.
• Genital itching or thrush.
• Cuts and wounds that heal slowly.
• Blurred vision.
• Increased hunger.

These symptoms can affect anyone, whether they are an adult or a child. It’s worth noting that some of these symptoms, particularly the "4 Ts" (toilet, thirsty, tired, and thinner), can appear very quickly in people with type 1 diabetes. While you may experience other symptoms, the most common ones are increased thirst, frequent urination, tiredness, and weight loss.

What Causes The Symptoms of Diabetes?

Diabetes symptoms appear because your body isn't using sugar (glucose) for energy properly, so it stays in your blood. To get rid of this extra sugar, your body flushes it out through your urine. This process makes you feel very thirsty and causes you to urinate more often.

The high sugar levels in your urine can also lead to a fungal infection called thrush. However, not everyone with diabetes experiences symptoms. In fact, 6 out of 10 people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms at all when they are diagnosed.

Can These Risk Factors Help Us Prevent Diabetes?

The study highlights that households often share habits that increase the risk of diabetes, such as eating diets high in sugar and carbohydrates or not getting enough exercise. This also provides a chance for entire households to make healthy changes together.

Based on these findings, researchers suggest that health systems could use this approach to screen for diabetes. By identifying high-risk households, they can create prevention programs and provide resources for everyone in the family, rather than just focusing on one person.