• Corpus ID: 32299359

BENEFITS OF MUD/CLAY AND THERMAL SPRING WATER IN THE HUMAN HEALTH

@inproceedings{Forjaz2010BENEFITSOM,
  title={BENEFITS OF MUD/CLAY AND THERMAL SPRING WATER IN THE HUMAN HEALTH},
  author={Victor Forjaz and Denise Terroso and Sebasti{\'a}n Miguel},
  year={2010}
}

• V. Forjaz, D. Terroso, S. Miguel
• Published 2010
• Medicine

The appropriate use of minerals and other mineral resources in geomedicine can reduce both pharmacs consumption and the number of working days people miss due to health problems. The main goal of the present communication is the study of the muds/clays being used in Portugal for health treatments, outdoors in the geological sites where they naturally occur or indoors in Thalassotherapy Centres or in Thermal Spas. Portugal is rich in excellent minero -medicinal waters, some of them of marked thermal character. Their diversity is great, in terms of chemical and physical properties, and they are being the object of a fine characterisation programme by the authors of the present communication. Such characterisation has started with Vale das Furnas, S. Miguel island, Azores archipelago, where more than two dozens of springs of hyperthermal, mesothermal and hypothermal waters do occur. Some of the hyperthermal springs deposit muds that are being used in the treatment of certain diseases. The experimental data available so far allowed us to conclude that all the studied clays/muds have good potentialities to be used for specific mudtherapy applications. The appropriate use of minerals and other mineral resources in geomedicine can reduce both pharmacs consumption and the number of working days people miss due to health problems.