Posts Tagged ‘natural remedies’
The abuse of prescription pain medications is at an all-time high. A recent White House study reported a 400 percent increase in the number of people admitted to treatment centers and emergency rooms for abusing prescription pain drugs. The increase was tracked during the 10-year-period from 1998 to 2008 and it spans every gender, race, education and employment level, and all regions of the country. A government representative from the Substance Abuse program said, “The non-medical use of prescription pain relievers is now the second-most prevalent form of illicit drug use in the Nation.”
A battle has been raging for some time between potent natural remedies and addictive drugs and medicines. This is mostly due to the lack of easily understood knowledge about which natural options have been proven effective. In 400 B.C. the “Father of Medicine” Hippocrates said to his students “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food”. Mother Nature has provided us with two natural remedies for pain and insomnia that are backed by scientific studies as well as the test of time – calcium and magnesium.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) fact sheet on magnesium says that the mineral is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, and supports a healthy immune system. Calcium is needed to form bones and teeth and is also required for blood clotting. It helps lower colon cancer risk, helps control high blood pressure, and acts as an effective insomnia remedy.
Headaches are a common source of pain. Studies have shown 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 eighty-one 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.
Adelle Davis was one of the first nutritionists to base her recommendations on scientific studies. In her book “Let’s Eat Right to Keep Fit” she says, “Calcium is a pain killer par excellence. One physician tells me that he uses no painkillers but injects calcium into the veins of patients suffering even excruciating pain and that relief occurs almost immediately.”
In a recent study of 497 women, calcium was shown to be an effective pain reliever. The study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, was called “Calcium Carbonate and the Premenstrual Syndrome: Effects on Premenstrual and Menstrual Symptoms.” Within two to three months, the women who were supplemented with 1200 mg of calcium daily, were able to reduce their pain symptoms by 54%, while the women not on calcium actually experienced an increase in pain.
In addition to pain relief, Adelle Davis also recommends calcium as an insomnia remedy. She 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.”
Regarding the use of nutritional remedies containing calcium and magnesium for relief of pain and remedying insomnia, certain formulas are more effective than others. The combination of minerals included and the presence of cofactors in the product are key. Formulas should contain a 2 to 1 ratio of calcium to magnesium (twice as much calcium as magnesium). The original research on this recommended ratio appeared in 1935 in the Journal of Physiological Reviews and was made on the basis of long-term metabolic studies in men and women.
One natural insomnia remedy showing good results is Sleep Minerals II, made by http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com in Glendale, CA. This sleep remedy contains calcium, magnesium and vitamin D — all combined in a softgel with carrier oils for rapid absorption.
Sleep Minerals II has had beneficial results with lessening pain and relieving insomnia. 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 from the chronic pain, 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. I am on my third bottle. I ran out between the first and second and realized just how much it was helping my sleep.“
The war between natural remedies and toxic medications can be won in our very own medicine chests by keeping some powerful forms of calcium and magnesium nearby. For more information on Sleep Minerals II visit http://www.nutritionbreakthroughs.com/html/sleep_remedy_for_insomnia_help.html
By Jack Saari, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Research Center
The most naturally colorful place in a supermarket is the produce department. Recent studies indicate that those colors are sending us a message. It seems that the color-producing chemicals in fruits and vegetables, nature’s packaging scheme, are advertising the health benefits of those plants.
What are these chemicals? A term coined to describe plant chemicals is phytonutrient, ‘phyto’ meaning plant-based. Some phytonutrients, colors or pigments, may already be familiar to you. These include lycopene, which makes tomatoes red; lutein, the color of corn; and beta-carotene, which gives carrots their orange color. The green color of chlorophyll is evident in leafy vegetables, but in many cases hides the presence of other pigments such as lutein and beta-carotene.
Other chemicals may be less familiar, for instance, the broad class of compounds called anthocyanins, which impart the vibrant reds (strawberries, cherries), blues (blueberries) and purples (grapes, plums) to many fruits. How do these colored chemicals protect us? A clue is provided by how they protect plants. While plants need light to survive, excess light energy can be destructive. In times of plant stress, light energy beyond what plants can use causes formation of highly reactive oxygen radicals. This so-called oxidant stress can damage the plant. In agricultural terms, this reduces yield.
Carotenoids in plants, in particular, lutein and zeazanthin, have been shown to prevent this damage by acting as antioxidants. Many of the colored phytonutrients have structures that make them good antioxidants. To increase yield, plant scientists are trying to find ways to increase the amounts of these naturally protective chemicals in crops.
Nutritionists in turn are trying to increase the amounts of plant-based foods in our diets. That’s because the colored phytonutrients can do for us what they do in plants. Many diseases have at their core the excess production of oxygen radicals. These radicals can mutate DNA to cause cancer. They can oxidize LDL (bad cholesterol) to promote atherosclerosis. Oxygen radicals can trigger clotting, which can lead to strokes and heart attacks.
Excess light, in addition to damaging plants, can damage the eye. In general, aging is thought by many scientists to result from accumulation of oxygen radical damage. Scientists are finding that consumption of plants with their high concentrations of antioxidant phytonutrients can combat many of the diseases mediated by oxygen radicals.
But fighting oxidant stress may not be all they do. Research is beginning to show effects of phytonutrients on cancer growth, hormone function, immune response, inflammation and blood vessel function that are independent of their antioxidant nature. From these findings, it is not surprising that consumption of tomato products has been linked to reduction of both cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Foods containing alpha- and beta-carotene, such as carrots and spinach, have been shown to reduce coronary heart disease. Lutein and zeazanthin, present in corn, carrots and dark green vegetables, are also components of the eye’s macula and thus essential for prevention of macular degeneration. Consumption of blueberries has been shown to improve memory, coordination and balance in aging rats. Strawberry extracts have been shown to prevent aging as simulated by a high oxygen environment in rats. Sour cherries appear to benefit arthritis sufferers by reducing inflammation.
And don’t ignore white. Though unpigmented vegetables such as garlic and white onions may lack colorful pigments, they nonetheless contain important protective phytochemicals.
Another side benefit of adding colorful plant-based foods to your diet is that they replace high-calorie foods in your diet. Along with exercise, this can contribute to weight reduction. As we know, excess weight is a risk factor for both cancer and heart disease.
How many servings of fruits and vegetables should we eat a day?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommendation (mypyramid.gov) actually is five to nine servings a day three to five of vegetables and two to four of fruit.
You may balk at the idea of nine servings, but don’t be distressed by the number. Serving sizes are not that big. Most would fit in the palm of your hand. The key is variety, not bulk.
So get healthier. Go out and color your diet.
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 Vitamin D and healthy oils. If you need to get better, deeper sleep, visit this link:
http://www.nutritionbreakthroughs.com/html/sleep_remedy_for_insomnia_help.html
Researchers at National Jewish Health have discovered specific molecular and signaling (cellular communication) events by which vitamin D inhibits inflammation. In their experiments, they showed that low levels of Vitamin D, comparable to levels found in millions of people, failed to inhibit the inflammatory cascade (response in the body), while levels considered adequate did inhibit inflammatory signaling. They reported their results in the March 1, 2012, issue of The Journal of Immunology.
Here are some excerpts from the ScienceDaily article:
Through a complex series of experiments, the researchers identified a new location where the vitamin-D receptor appears to bind directly to DNA and activate a gene…..that ….interferes with the inflammatory cascade (response).
“This newly identified DNA-binding site for the vitamin-D …, and the specific (inflammation) pathways inhibited by higher levels of vitamin D provide a plausible mechanism for many of the benefits that have been associated with vitamin D,” said Dr. Goleva. ‘The fact that we showed a dose-dependent and varying response to levels commonly found in humans also adds weight to the argument for vitamin D’s role in immune and inflammatory conditions.”
Comment from the blog author Nutrition Breakthroughs:
Vitamin D has been found to be beneficial for many health conditions such as increasing calcium absorption, strengthening bones, and reducing cancer risk. According to the National Institutes of Health, vitamin D might play some role in the prevention and treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, glucose intolerance, multiple sclerosis, and other medical conditions.
Due to the fact Vitamin D improves the absorption of calcium, it can assist relaxing minerals such as calcium and magnesium to be more effective as insomnia remedies. Sleep Minerals II from http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com is an effective sleep remedy that contains absorbable forms of magnesium and calcium, as well as Vitamin D. For more information on Sleep Minerals II, visit this link:
http://www.nutritionbreakthroughs.com/html/sleep_remedy_for_insomnia_help.html
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
News on Natural Remedies, Good Sleep and Good Health 