Posts Tagged ‘calcium insomnia’
Here is a summary of a recent study published in the Journal “Sleep”:
The present study examines the effects of potassium supplementation on sleep quality as indicated by the use of a wrist monitor and sleep logs, in normal young males on a low-potassium diet. A placebo-controlled study compared one week of oral potassium chloride supplements to one week of identical placebo capsules. Outcome measures were taken from sleep logs and wrist monitor data.
The results: Potassium significantly increased sleep Efficiency due to a reduction in Waking After Sleep Onset. Side effects were minimal and not significantly different between treatment conditions. The results may indicate an improvement in sleep consolidation (less interruptions) with potassium supplementation. Reference: The Journal “Sleep”, August 1991.
Comments from the blog author, Nutrition Breakthroughs: One of the best, highest sources of potassium is the banana, which contains 400 milligrams of potassium. Eating a banana before bedtime may help reduce nighttime awakenings and provide better, deeper sleep. A banana can also be eaten in the middle of the night to help you get back to sleep.
Here is a list of some high-potassium foods; courtesy of the Linus Pauling Institute:
Banana 1 medium 422 mg
Potato, baked with skin 1 medium 926 mg
Prune juice 6 fluid ounces 528 mg
Plums, dried (prunes) 1/2 cup 637 mg
Orange juice 6 fluid ounces 372 mg
Orange 1 medium 237 mg
Tomato juice 6 fluid ounces 417 mg
Tomato 1 medium 292 mg
Spinach, cooked 1/2 cup 420 mg
Sunflower seeds 1 ounce 241 mg
Almonds 1 ounce 200 mg
This information is provided by http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com. Nutrition Breakthroughs makes Sleep Minerals II, the effective natural remedy for sleeplessness and insomnia. Sleep Minerals II contains calcium, magnesium and other relaxing vitamins and minerals.
For more information on Sleep Minerals II, visit http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com/html/sleep_remedy_for_insomnia_help.html
With the National Sleep Foundation reporting that six out of ten Americans suffer with insomnia several nights a week and 25% of the U.S. population uses sleeping drugs (known as “hypnotics”), an increasing number of people these days are looking for natural sleep remedies. In recent research studies, it was discovered that both walnuts and tart cherries contain significant levels of the natural sleep hormone melatonin, and may therefore be a natural, food-based way to get a better night’s sleep.
Russel Reiter, Ph.D., a professor of cellular biology at the University of Texas Health Science Center says, “Relatively few foods have been examined for their melatonin content. Our studies demonstrate that walnuts contain melatonin, that it is absorbed when it is eaten, and that it improves our ability to resist oxidative stress caused by toxic molecules called free radicals. Walnuts also contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to inhibit certain types of cancer and to keep the heart healthy.”
Melatonin is best known as a sleep remedy. It is a naturally occurring hormone produced by the pineal gland, located in the center of the brain. At night or in the dark, the pineal gland releases melatonin to regulate the sleep cycle. The body produces less melatonin with advancing age. While melatonin doesn’t require a prescription, it is a potent hormone. If too much is taken, it can make it more difficult to wake up and may result in daytime grogginess. It is best used under the supervision of a doctor. Nutritionists recommend that melatonin is best consumed as part of a whole food or whole food supplement.
In another study done at the University Of Texas Health Science Center, researchers discovered that the tart “Montmorency” cherry also contains a significant level of melatonin. Cherries are available in concentrated supplement form and can be taken in the evening to improve the quality of sleep. Other ways cherries can be eaten include dried cherries, frozen cherries and cherry juice. You can add dried cherries to yogurt, granola, salads and baked foods. Cherry juice should be diluted with water or sparkling water as it is high in natural sugars.
The brain can also be assisted in its melatonin production by taking calcium supplements. William Sears, M.D. writes: “Calcium helps the brain use the amino acid tryptophan to manufacture the sleep-inducing substance melatonin. This explains why dairy products, which contain both tryptophan and calcium, are one of the top sleep-inducing foods.” It’s important to note that a balanced ratio of calcium and magnesium is important to overall health, and that these two minerals should be taken together for best results.
Digestibility and absorption are important factors in selecting the best forms of calcium and magnesium to use. For example, Sleep Minerals II from http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com is a natural sleep remedy that 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.
Corrine E. of Alberta Canada says: “I have used many types of sleeping pills during the last 20 to 25 years to try to help cope with chronic insomnia and none of them have helped me for as long or as consistently as Sleep Minerals II. This sleep remedy has made a big difference for me.”
So, if insomnia and sleeplessness have troubled you, be sure to keep your cupboard stocked with natural sleep remedies and use them well to make insomnia a thing of the past.
For more information on Sleep Minerals II, visit http://www.nutritionbreakthroughs.com/html/sleep_remedy_for_insomnia_help.html
ScienceDaily – New research has found that if you want some of the many health benefits associated with eating broccoli or other cruciferous vegetables, you need to eat the real thing — a key phytochemical (plant chemical) in these vegetables is poorly absorbed and of far less value if taken as a supplement. The study, published by scientists in the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, is one of the first of its type to determine whether some of the healthy compounds found in cruciferous vegetables can be just as easily obtained through supplements. The answer is no.
And not only do you need to eat the whole foods, you have to go easy on cooking them.
“The issue of whether important nutrients can be obtained through whole foods or with supplements is never simple,” said Emily Ho, an Oregon State University (OSU) associate professor in the OSU School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, and principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute.
“Some vitamins and nutrients, like the folic acid often recommended for pregnant women, are actually better-absorbed as a supplement than through food,” Ho said. “Adequate levels of nutrients like vitamin D are often difficult to obtain in most diets. But the particular compounds that we believe give broccoli and related vegetables their health value need to come from the complete food.”
….Broccoli has been of particular interest to scientists because it contains the highest levels of certain (plant chemicals) that many believe may reduce the risk of prostate, breast, lung and colorectal cancer. When eaten as a raw or lightly-cooked food, enzymes in the broccoli help (our health greatly). Note: slight edits were made by the blog author Nutrition Breakthroughs.
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, take a look at the Sleep Minerals II customer reviews at this link: http://www.nutritionbreakthroughs.com/html/sleep_remedy_for_insomnia_help.html
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