We’ve all gazed in admiration at the gorgeous girl in the shampoo commercial who tosses her long, lustrous, shiny hair.  However, in our quest for beautiful hair, we may be unknowingly using products that contain harmful synthetic chemicals — some of which can damage our skin, scalp, and eyes.  Here is some info on a few of the most widely used chemicals and their effects, and also some news on the healthiest, most beautifying natural alternatives.

The Food & Drug Administration’s Consumer Magazine recently wrote that shampoos, rinses and conditioners can cause eye problems that range from irritation, all the way to permanent eye damage.  One common irritant in shampoos is sodium lauryl sulfate or SLS.  The FDA requires companies to list their ingredients in hair care products in descending order, with the most abundant ingredient first.  

SLS is usually one of the first listed ingredients in hair care…

The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) reports that an estimated 6,000 US women reach menopause each day, which translates to over 2 million women every year. The average age of natural menopause, which is the point of a woman’s last menstrual period, is 51.4. The Women’s Health Initiative study, which followed 16,608 women being given hormone replacement therapy (HRT), discovered a high risk of breast cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke from the use of these drugs. As a result, more and more women today are seeking the use of natural remedies for menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, migraine headaches, anxiety, fatigue, and insomnia.

Vitamin E is famous for it’s health benefits to glands and organs, however it may not be generally known that vitamin E is a proven remedy for hot flashes. Adelle Davis, the first nutritionist to base her recommendations on science-based studies, says: “During…

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…

Greetings to you,

Here is an informative, colorful chart containing some of the top anti-aging foods and their health benefits.  Enjoy these foods alone, or in salads, cooked dishes, or energy shakes.

This health news is brought to you by Nutrition Breakthroughs.  For more info on natural remedies for good sleep, as well as joint relief and more, visit the Nutrition Breakthroughs website.

To your good health,

Jobee Knight
Nutrition Breakthroughs

Nutrition Breakthroughs – October 10, 2014

If we were to eavesdrop and listen in while the “Father of Medicine” Hippocrates spoke to his students in 400 B.C., we would hear him saying: “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.” These words ring even more true today, when WorldHealth .net reports that each year prescription drugs injure 1.5 million people to the degree that they require hospitalization. Sleeping drugs, also known as “hypnotics”, come with their own set of side-

For those who seek natural options, some recent research studies have uncovered unique sleep inducing foods that can help with

In a study from the University of California San Diego, researchers examined the effects of potassium supplementation on sleep quality. A placebo-controlled study compared one week of oral potassium chloride supplements to one week of identical placebo capsules. Their results were published in the journal “Sleep”, and showed that potassium significantly increased…

Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a form of insomnia characterized by an overwhelming urge to move the legs when they are at rest, especially during sleep. RLS affects about 10% of the people in the U.S. It runs in families and has a genetic component. Recent research studies have found that people with restless leg syndrome are deficient in the mineral magnesium.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, almost six out of ten Americans report having insomnia and sleep problems at least a few nights a week. Besides restless leg syndrome,other types of insomnia include sleep apnea, which involves interrupted breathing and snoring during the night; narcolepsy – which causes people to fall asleep throughout the daytime; insomnia from hormone fluctuations such as with menstruation or menopause; and insomnia from the use of medications, caffeine or alcohol.

Those who have restless leg syndrome experience unpleasant sensations in the legs described…

Sleeplessness is a big problem in America. According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), almost six out of ten Americans report having insomnia at least a few nights weekly. Additionally, in a recent NSF poll they found that as many as 25 percent of the people in the U.S. use medications in an effort to combat insomnia and get some rest.

The use of prescription sleeping drugs, such as Ambien, Lunesta and Sonata, has been steadily increasing.  Global sales for all sleeping pills, called hypnotics, will top $5 billion in the next several years.  Most sleeping pills, especially when taken over long periods of time, stay in the bloodstream and give a hangover effect the next day and beyond.  They impair memory, reduce performance on the job and at home, and contribute to machine and car accidents.

From a nutritional perspective, several research studies have shown certain minerals to be…