History of the Baths and Thermal Medicine

Gianfaldoni, Serena; Tchernev, Georgi; Wollina, Uwe; Roccia, Maria Grazia; Fioranelli, Massimo; Gianfaldoni, Roberto; Lotti, Torello

doi:10.3889/oamjms.2017.126

Cited by 43 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…From a Western societal perspective, the fundamental principles of nature-based therapies can be traced back to the Hippocratic era (460-370 BC), when changing environments and lifestyle practices were advised by the physicians of the time [18]. Furthermore, the Greeks and Romans established thermal spa baths to improve health and well-being [19][20][21]. From a traditional ecological knowledge perspective, indigenous Australians recognised the deep connections between mental and physical health and the "land and river", and Canadian First Nations' holistic view of health highlights the interrelatedness of human well-being and the environment [22,23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Let Nature Be Thy Medicine: A Socioecological Exploration of Green Prescribing in the UK

Robinson

Jørgensen

Cameron

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Prescribing nature-based health interventions (green prescribing)—such as therapeutic horticulture or conservation activities—is an emerging transdisciplinary strategy focussed on reducing noncommunicable diseases. However, little is known about the practice of, and socioecological constraints/opportunities associated with, green prescribing in the UK. Furthermore, the distribution of green prescribing has yet to be comprehensively mapped. In this study, we conducted a socioecological exploration of green prescribing. We deployed online questionnaires to collect data from general practitioners (GPs) and nature-based organisations (NBOs) around the UK and conducted spatial analyses. Our results indicate that GPs and NBOs perceive and express some common and distinct constraints to green prescribing. This highlights the need to promote cross-disciplinary communication pathways. Greenspace presence and abundance within close proximity (100 and 250 m) to GP surgeries (but not greenness—as a proxy for vegetation cover) and NBO presence within 5 km were associated with higher levels of green prescribing provision. Lower levels of deprivation were associated with higher frequency of NBOs. This suggests that the availability of greenspaces and NBOs could be important for green prescribing provision, but there could be greater opportunities in less deprived areas. Important foci for future research should be to establish transdisciplinary collaborative pathways, efficient infrastructure management and a common vocabulary in green prescribing—with the overall aim of reducing inequalities and enhancing planetary health.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Let Nature Be Thy Medicine: A Socioecological Exploration of Green Prescribing in the UK

Robinson

Jørgensen

Cameron

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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“…Our work provides experimental evidence that H 2 S contained in sulfur-rich spa waters is a bio-active component able to modify the immunological status of non-diseased human keratinocytes. Further studies are needed to establish causal links between the above-identified biological effects and the previously reported medical benefits afforded by sulfur-rich spa waters in conditions such as psoriasis, eczema or wound healing [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. In particular, it would be interesting to assess the effects of NaHS on keratinocytes derived from psoriatic lesions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sulfur-rich thermal waters are an ancestral dermatological therapy which nowadays is used as an adjunct treatment for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ] but also chronic skin wounds [ 4 , 5 ]. Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), the main bioactive component specific to sulfur-rich thermal waters, belongs to the small family of physiological gaseous transmitters, which also comprises nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Mapping of Hydrogen Sulfide Targets in Normal Human Keratinocytes

Gross-Amat

Guillen

Gimeno

et al. 2020

IJMS

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Although sulfur-rich thermal waters have ancestrally been used in the context of dermatological conditions, a global mapping of the molecular effects exerted by H2S on human keratinocytes is still lacking. To fill this knowledge gap, we subjected cultured human keratinocytes to distinct amounts of the non-gaseous hydrogen sulfur donor NaHS. We first checked that H2S accumulated in the cytoplasm of keratinocytes under our experimental conditions andused a combination of proteomics, genomics and biochemical approaches to unravel functionally relevant H2S targets in human keratinocytes. We found that the identified targets fall into two main categories: (i) the oxidative stress response molecules superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1) and culin 3 (CUL3) and (ii) the chemokines interleukin-8 (IL-8) and CXCL2. Interestingly, NaHS also stimulated the caspase-1 inflammasome pathway, leading to increased secretion of the pro-inflammatory molecule interleukin-18 (IL-18). Interestingly, the secretion of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) was only modestly impacted by NaHS exposure despite a significant accumulation of IL-1β pro-form. Finally, we observed that NaHS significantly hampered the growth of human keratinocyte progenitors and stem cells cultured under clonogenic conditions or as epidermal cell sheets. We conclude that H2S exerts specific molecular effects on normal human keratinocytes.

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“…However, over time, humans began to observe the beneficial effects that some waters had on health, these waters became known as the thermal waters and some civilizations even attributed to them a strong religious and sacred character [5][6][7]. Both the ancient Greeks and the Romans surmised the beneficial properties of the thermal waters well and used them to alleviate joint pain, muscle pain or the treatment of skin diseases [8,9]. Thermal waters are all-natural mineral waters with therapeutic applications or health beneficial effects, emerging from the inside of a thermal spring, independently of the source temperature, according to Medical Hydrology [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are There Benefits from Thermal Bacteria for Health? The Hydrogenome Role

Ferreira

Peña

Miranda

et al. 2021

Water

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In recent years, natural thermal mineral waters have been gaining the special attention of the scientific community, namely in the prevention and treatment of some diseases, due to the microbial properties that exist in these habitats. The aim of this work was to characterize the physicochemical composition and the microbial taxonomic communities present in three thermal waters of the Galician region in Spain and two samples of the northern region in Portugal. These collected water samples were analyzed for physicochemical characterization and the respective hydrogenome of the waters using next generation sequencing together with 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The sequencing showed a high diversity of microorganisms in all analyzed waters; however, there is a clear bacterial predominance of Proteobacteria phylum, followed by Firmicutes, Deinococcus-Thermus, Aquificae and Nitrospira. The main physicochemical parameters responsible for the clustering within the Spanish waters were sulfur compounds (SO32− and S2−), CO32− and neutral pH, and in the Portuguese waters were Mg, Ca and Sr, nitrogen compounds (NO3− and NH4+), Na, Rb, conductivity and dry residue. This work will allow for a better understanding of the microbial community’s composition and how these microorganisms interfere in the physicochemical constitution of these waters often associated with medicinal properties. Furthermore, the hydrogenome may be used as an auxiliary tool in the practice of medical hydrology, increasing the likelihood of safe use of these unique water types.

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History of the Baths and Thermal Medicine

Abstract: Hot Springs and Thermal Medicine are an important cultural background all around the world. The authors briefly describe the history of the spa from its origins to today.

Cited by 43 publications

References 6 publications

Let Nature Be Thy Medicine: A Socioecological Exploration of Green Prescribing in the UK

Let Nature Be Thy Medicine: A Socioecological Exploration of Green Prescribing in the UK

Molecular Mapping of Hydrogen Sulfide Targets in Normal Human Keratinocytes

Are There Benefits from Thermal Bacteria for Health? The Hydrogenome Role

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