Archive for May 2012
via: http://www.ScienceDaily.com
Elevated blood pressure or hypertension is a major risk factor ….from cardiovascular and renal (kidney) disease. Causes of hypertension include (but are not limited to) smoking, sedentary lifestyle, a diet high in sodium and an inadequate intake of other minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium.
“Until now, there’s been inconclusive evidence regarding the effect of magnesium supplements on blood pressure,” said Lindsy Kass, Senior Lecturer and registered nutritionist at the University of Hertfordshire. “So we conducted an ….analysis by analysing data from twenty-two trials involving 1,173 people to assess the effect of magnesium on blood pressure.”
In the trials, the magnesium supplementation doses ranged from 120 to 973 mg with between 3 to 24 weeks of follow-up. Although not all individual trials showed significance in blood pressure reduction, by combining the trials, the overall data indicated that magnesium supplementation reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. With the best results observed at the higher dosages.
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Comment from the blog author Nutrition Breakthroughs:
According to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, magnesium deficiency can also contribute to insomnia. The Dept. says that:
“Researchers have found in both human and animal studies that magnesium deficiency results in sleep disturbances, such as agitated sleep and frequent periods of awakenings. This has been related to changes in electrical activity in the brain. It looks like magnesium is important for a good night sleep.”
Sleep Minerals II from http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com is an effective sleep remedy for insomnia that contains absorbable forms of magnesium and calcium. For more information on Sleep Minerals II, visit this link:
http://www.nutritionbreakthroughs.com/html/sleep_remedy_for_insomnia_help.htm
The type of foods we eat in the evening can have a pronounced effect on the quality of our sleep. One of the keys to a restful night’s sleep is to calm and relax the brain, rather than stimulating it. Certain foods are a natural insomnia remedy that contributes to restful sleep, while others keep us alert and awake. The calming foods contain the amino acid tryptophan, which is a precursor to the sleep-inducing substances serotonin and melatonin. Two recent studies confirm that eating more carbohydrates than protein increases tryptophan production, while eating a higher protein ratio increases tyrosine – an amino acid related to a stimulated, alert frame of mind.
One key study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is titled “High-Glycemic-Index Carbohydrate Meals Shorten Sleep Onset”. The glycemic index measures the effect of different types of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. Researchers at the University of Sydney Australia gave two different kinds of meals to the study participants, a few hours before bedtime. They found that a carbohydrate-based, high glycemic index meal resulted in a significant shortening of the time needed to fall asleep, compared with a low glycemic meal. (Feb. 2007, Vol. 85, No. 2).
In another study done at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, scientists honed in on specific measurements of tryptophan vs. tyrosine in the brain, based on whether carbohydrates or proteins were eaten at breakfast. Blood samples were collected after the meals, and the researchers concluded that a carbohydrate-rich diet raises tryptophan levels, while high-protein foods depress it. (Amer. J. of Clinical Nutrition, Jan 2003, Vol. 77, No. 1).
For those who need to stay alert and sharp during the day, high protein, medium-carbohydrate meals are best eaten for breakfast and lunch. For dinner and bedtime snacks, eat a meal or snack that is high in healthy carbohydrates, with a small amount of protein that contains just enough tryptophan to relax the brain.
According to William Sears, M.D., “The best bedtime snack is one that has both complex carbohydrates and protein, and perhaps some calcium. Calcium helps the brain use the tryptophan to manufacture melatonin. This explains why dairy products, which contain both tryptophan and calcium, are one of the top sleep-inducing foods.”
Dr. Sears recommends that foods high in carbohydrates and calcium, and medium-to-low in protein, make the most ideal sleep-inducing bedtime snacks. Some examples are whole-grain cereal with milk, hazelnuts and tofu, oatmeal and raisin cookies with a glass of almond, rice, or regular milk, or a peanut butter or almond butter sandwich with ground sesame seeds.
Sesame seeds are rich in tryptophan. Other foods that are high in tryptophan, which can be combined with healthy carbohydrates to become natural sleep remedies, are whole grains, lentils, chickpeas, beans, eggs, sunflower seeds, and miso. As always, it’s best to stay away from caffeine, sodas and nicotine in the evening.
The well-known nutritionist Adelle Davis writes about the roles of calcium for sleep in her book “Let’s Eat Right to Keep Fit”. She discusses a natural insomnia remedy and says: “A calcium deficiency often shows itself by insomnia, another form of an inability to relax. The harm done by sleeping tablets, to say nothing of the thousands of dollars spent on them, could largely be avoided if the calcium intake were adequate.”
Sleep remedies containing highly absorbable, quick acting forms of calcium and magnesium, such as Sleep Minerals II from http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com, can be helpful with both falling asleep and staying asleep during the night. This natural sleep remedy contains six types of calcium, three forms of magnesium, boron, Vitamin D, Vitamin K and horsetail herb – all combined in a softgel with carrier oils. Oils such as evening primrose have been shown to increase mineral absorption, reduce calcium excretion, and increase bone density.
Veronica R. of British Columbia, Canada says, “Sleep Minerals II has worked wonders for me. Before I started taking it, I would fall asleep and wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to get back to sleep (after going to the bathroom). Now I take this in the middle of the night and have had no problems going back to sleep. I don’t have to be awake for 2 or 3 hours every night. I’m so happy I took the chance to try it. I don’t like taking over-the-counter drugs. With Sleep Minerals II, I don’t feel sleepy at all during the day.”
In conclusion, bedtime snacks and dinners that are high in carbohydrates, low-to-medium in protein, and contain calcium, will help you relax in the evening and set you up for a good night’s sleep. An effective natural sleep remedy such as Sleep Minerals II can also be taken before sleep and during the night if you find yourself waking up and unable to go back to sleep. Here’s to your good sleep.
For more information on Sleep Minerals II, visit http://www.nutritionbreakthroughs.com/html/sleep_remedy_for_insomnia_help.html
By Matthew Picklo
Have you thought about the many colors of our foods? They catch our eye and add so much to the appeal of our meals – particularly fruits and vegetables. Research shows that the colors of our foods may also be related to the health benefits they provide.
The pigments that give plant foods their vibrant colors are of value to the plants themselves, as well as to those who consume them. These colorful fruit and vegetable pigments also serve to attract feeding animals who later help distribute the plants’ seeds.
Plant pigments have long been of interest to food chemists who have studied their contributions to the visual appeal of foods. In recent years, there also has been an explosion of interest in the health potentials of the pigments that are responsible for food colors.
There are several types of pigments in foods. One group is the “anthocyanins”, a term derived from the Greek words for “flower” and “blue”. Anthocyanins are present in many fruits including cherries, blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries. They also are found in colored grains such as purple corn, red rice, black rice, purple carrots and blue potatoes. One of the richest sources of anthocyanins is the chokecherry. Black rice, which has a purple-black bran, also has very high levels of anthocyanins. In ancient China, it was known as “forbidden rice”, as it and was only eaten by the nobility. Anthocyanins appear to protect plant tissues from damage by ultraviolet light. They may also be anti-microbial.
Laboratory studies suggest that the anthocyanins in foods benefit health by reducing inflammation and preventing oxidative damage to cells, a process associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Studies have shown this for anthocyanin-rich fruit juices, and scientists are now asking whether some anthocyanins may be more useful than others, and how they function in the body.
Another group of plant pigments are the carotenoids – a large group of more than 600 compounds that give vegetables and fruits their yellow, orange and red colors. Some familiar sources include tomatoes, carrots, yellow squash and spinach. The most common carotenoids are beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein.
Beta-carotene is related chemically to vitamin A, which is essential for vision and functions in maintaining healthy bones, immune function and may other vital functions. In fact, the body can convert beta-carotene to vitamin A. Spinach, carrots, orange juice and cantaloupe are particularly good sources of beta-carotene.
Lycopene is present in tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato juice. It is of current interest in cancer research, as studies have associated reduced prostate cancer risk for men with relatively high blood levels of lycopene.
Lutein is accumulated by the key visual area of the retina called the macula where it is thought to protect against potentially damaging effects of light. It is thought that lutein may reduce the risk of macular degeneration, which is a major cause of visual impairment in people aged fifty years and older. Good sources of lutein include green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, and turnips greens. USDA scientists have found that eggs can be an important source of lutein.
Understanding how diet and physical activity can prevent disease and promote health is central to the research mission of the USDA Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, or GFHNRC. This includes better understanding of the health roles of anthocyanins and carotenoids.
More information to help you make healthful and colorful food choices can be found at MyPyramid.gov.
………Comments from the blog author Nutrition Breakthroughs: When deciding what to eat, seek out brightly colored fruits and vegetables for greater health. Good eating leads to good health for all parts of your body, including your heart and brain, and leads to higher levels of energy during the day and better, deeper sleep at night.
This article is provided to you by http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com, maker of the effective sleep remedy for insomnia help “Sleep Minerals II”. Sleep Minerals II contains highly absorbable forms of magnesium and calcium, as well as Vitamins D and K and the mineral boron. If you or someone you care about needs to get better, deeper sleep, visit this link: http://www.nutritionbreakthroughs.com/html/sleep_remedy_for_insomnia_help.html
via ars.usda.gov
Studies Show Calcium and Magnesium Help Sleep, Bones, Heart, Stomach, Muscles, Menopause, Migraines and More
Posted on: May 6, 2012
Calcium and magnesium are the most famous of all the minerals due to their vast array of benefits to our health. Dr. Linus Pauling, the two-time Nobel Prize winner said: “You can trace every sickness, every disease, and every ailment to a mineral deficiency.” Studies have proven calcium to increase bone health, reduce high blood pressure, relax the nerves and muscles, and prevent colon cancer and kidney stones. Magnesium is an effective nutrient for strengthening heart health, reducing diabetes, and treating migraines, insomnia and depression.
Calcium and magnesium were discovered by the British chemist Sir Humphry Davy in the early 1800’s. Regarding stomach and colon health, a 2007 study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that calcium protects high-risk people from developing the polyps (growths in the colon) that can lead to cancer in the large bowel. The researchers found that the risk reduction occurred during the study and also lasted a full five years after the calcium supplementation ended.
Calcium supplements were shown to help prevent kidney stones in a 2008 study at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine. The theory of how this works is that dietary calcium binds with a waste product in the stomach called oxalate, which comes from foods like spinach, strawberries, nuts and tea. Most kidney stones are made of oxalate. When calcium is taken, the calcium and oxalate bind together, crystallize, and exit the body long before there’s a chance for the oxalate to form into kidney stones.
Mildred Seelig, M.D., the leading medical researcher on magnesium says: “Many people needlessly suffer pain – including fibromyalgia, migraines and muscle cramps – because they don’t get enough magnesium.” According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, inadequate magnesium also appears to reduce serotonin levels in the brain. One study found that magnesium was just as effective as an antidepressant drug in treating depression. In addition, researchers at Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute reported that for every 100 milligram increase in magnesium intake, the risk of developing type-2 diabetes decreased by 15 per cent.
Studies have found that people with migraine headaches have low concentrations of magnesium in their body. The word “cephalalgia” literally means head pain or headache. In a German study of 81 migraine patients published in the journal “Cephalalgia”, 42 percent of the people taking oral magnesium reduced both the duration and intensity of their migraine attacks. They also reduced their reliance on medications to control migraines.
James F. Balch, M.D., author of Prescription for Nutritional Healing, writes: “A lack of the nutrients calcium and magnesium will cause you to wake up after a few hours and not be able to return to sleep.” Chronic insomnia is one of the main symptoms of magnesium deficiency. Sleep in magnesium deficiency is usually agitated with frequent nighttime awakenings. On the other hand, a high magnesium diet has been found to be associated with deeper, less interrupted sleep. This was shown in a study done by James Penland at the Human Nutrition Research Center in North Dakota.
Nutritional supplements containing calcium and magnesium can also double as an effective sleep remedy. An example of a well-balanced mineral supplement is Sleep Minerals II from http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com. This natural insomnia remedy contains six forms of calcium, three forms of magnesium, boron, Vitamin D and Vitamin K – all combined in a softgel with carrier oils. Oils such as evening primrose have been shown to increase mineral absorption, reduce calcium excretion, and increase bone density.
Sandra M. of La Verne, California says: “I have been using Sleep Minerals II for several months now and I see a marked improvement in my sleep. I have struggled with anxiety, depression and sleeplessness for nearly 15 years – increasingly so in the last 10 years. I’ve tried everything on the market including herbal teas, melatonin, GABA, Ambien, Lunesta, and others. Nothing has worked like Sleep Minerals II.”
The best thing about supplementing with calcium and magnesium is the large list of studies showing they support virtually every part, organ and system in the body.
For more information on Sleep Minerals II visit http://www.nutritionbreakthroughs.com/html/sleep_remedy_for_insomnia_help.html
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