News on Natural Remedies, Good Sleep and Good Health

Posts Tagged ‘sleep minerals ii

Constipation isn’t just an uncomfortable nuisance that disrupts your daily routine and causes you pain, discomfort, and embarrassment; it also puts you at higher risk of developing intestinal conditions […]

Natural Home Remedies To Relieve Constipation — Heatlh Fitness & Entertainment

Comment from Jobee Knight, Nutrition Breakthroughs: This article has some sensible, practical and proven home remedies for constipation. It includes foods and drinks that will help, and also the main ones to avoid. Magnesium-rich foods and supplements are another workable option. Avocados, nuts, seeds, salmon, bananas and leafy greens all contain magnesium.

This health news is shared by Nutrition Breakthroughs, maker of the original calcium and magnesium based sleep aid Sleep Minerals II, and Joints and More, a natural supplement for joint relief, less aches and pains, and more energy.

Vitamin K2 is an often-overlooked vitamin that plays a crucial role in several aspects of our health, from heart and bone health, to dental health, to pregnancy support. In this article from Nutrition Breakthroughs, we explore the fascinating world of Vitamin K2, from its food sources to its remarkable benefits.

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This health news is shared with you by Nutrition Breakthroughs, maker of the effective natural sleep aid Sleep Minerals II, and the natural solution for joint relief, allergies, pain relief and increased energy, Joints and More.

Is magnesium better than melatonin for sleep? Magnesium has many benefits for good health, one of them being its action as an effective natural sleep aid.

Melatonin supplements are also used as a sleep remedy.  These two ingredients have different qualities, different health effects, and different possible side effects. 

James F. Balch, M.D., author of Prescription for Nutritional Healing, writes: “A lack of the nutrients magnesium and calcium will cause you to wake up after a few hours and not be able to return to sleep.”

In contrast with mineral supplements, melatonin is a hormone which is produced by the pineal gland, located in the center of the brain. At night or in the dark, the pineal gland naturally releases melatonin to regulate the sleep cycle.

The body produces less melatonin with advancing age and while melatonin doesn’t require a prescription, it’s a potent hormone. It can help with sleeplessness. If too much is taken, it can result in grogginess, dizziness, stomach  cramps and make it more difficult to wake up in the morning.

Is it better to take magnesium at night?  One of the main symptoms of magnesium deficiency is chronic insomnia, accompanied with with frequent nighttime awakenings.  On the other hand, a high magnesium diet has been found to be associated with deeper, less interrupted sleep.

This is per a study done by James Penland at the Human Nutrition Research Center in North Dakota.  Another study from the Human Nutrition Research Center found that a magnesium citrate supplement increased sleep quality in adults aged 51 to 85.

Magnesium has hundreds of health effects in the body. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center web site, inadequate magnesium 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.  Other studies have shown that people with migraine headaches have low concentrations of magnesium in their body.

Mildred Seelig, M.D., the leading medical researcher on magnesium says: “Many people needlessly suffer pain – including … migraines and muscle cramps – because they don’t get enough magnesium.”

Which form of magnesium is best for sleep?  A recent study on magnesium for sleep came from the University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Its subjects were 46 older adults, aged 60 to 75, who were experiencing insomnia. However, it’s interesting to note that the researchers recommend their results be extended to all ages of the general population as helpful advice.

In the University study, the subjects were divided into two groups. One group received placebos, while the other received magnesium oxide tablets twice a day (250 milligrams each) for eight weeks.

In the group that was given magnesium, the subjects experienced significant increases in sleep time and sleep efficiency (which is the time spent in bed vs the time spent sleeping).  They also had less night time interruptions and fewer early morning awakenings. Magnesium citrate is another form that has been proven helpful for better sleep.

One possible side effect from taking too much magnesium is that the bowels may become too loose or stomach discomfort can occur — at which point less can be taken. If this side effect happens, magnesium should be taken with a full meal or a healthy snack. 

Another important nutritional tip that can help to avoid any deficiencies is to balance magnesium with calcium and vitamin D rather than taking it alone.  The recommended ratio is 2 to 1 or twice as much calcium as magnesium.

According to the Mayo Clinic, possible side effects of melatonin include stomach cramps, anxiety, irritability, confusion and short-term depression.  Melatonin supplements can interact with various medications such as blood-thinning medications, medications that suppress the immune system, diabetes medications and birth control pills.  Prolonged use may also inhibit the body’s own natural ability to produce melatonin.

This health news is brought to you by Nutrition Breakthroughs and their natural sleep aid Sleep Minerals II.  Sleep Minerals II is the original magnesium and calcium based remedy and is known for soothing even the worst, long-term insomnia.  It also contains vitamin D and zinc and helps everyone from teenagers, to women with menopause symptoms, to older seniors, to get a good night’s sleep.

Richard P. of Parkville, Maryland says: “The Sleep Minerals are making quite a difference.  I was regularly waking up at around 3:00 a.m. and after a few days use my sleep improved quite a lot. I wake up once a night to go to the bathroom, but the great thing is, I then fall back asleep and sleep several more hours.  This has been a great improvement.”

Tammy M. of Meridian, Idaho says: “I was plagued with insomnia for five years and desperate for a breakthrough. Nothing has helped me more than Sleep Minerals. I’m so sold on them I could go door to door promoting them.  I’m 60 years old and have never slept so soundly.”

For more information, visit Sleep Minerals II.

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I usually repost articles from WordPress writers on natural remedies and good health, but today I’m reposting this blog article from Mutlu Cicekler. The only food-related info in it pertains to maple syrup and Hawaiian pizza, but the Canadian facts are interesting and intriguing!

This health news is shared with you by Nutrition Breakthroughs, maker of the effective natural sleep aid Sleep Minerals II, and the natural solution for joint relief, allergies, pain relief and increased energy, Joints and More.

Here’s a brief, clear overview of the new food pyramid from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The article writer is a dietician and she makes the point that there is really “No one diet that is right for everyone.” Diets need to be customized to individual needs and another way to do this is to visit a practitioner experienced in Nutrition Response Testing.

This health news is shared with you by Nutrition Breakthroughs, maker of the effective natural sleep aid Sleep Minerals II, and the natural solution for joint relief, allergies, pain relief and increased energy, Joints and More.

There’s nothing like the feeling of crisp, fresh water as it slides down your throat, cooling you off on a hot day, or the invigoration of a shower first thing in the morning. 

Water makes up an amazing two-thirds of our body mass and is vital to many aspects of our health. Inside the body, water acts to stabilize body temperature and it takes part in digestion, blood circulation, absorption and use of nutrients, building new tissue, lubricating the joints and nervous system, and carrying wastes out of the body. 

We lose an average of 3 quarts of water a day through perspiration and elimination, and up to 10 quarts daily with strenuous exercise or in desert climates. Water must be frequently replaced to prevent dehydration.

Despite the critical role water plays in our health, the Environmental Protection Agency warns that dozens of substances  contained in public drinking water can cause cancer and other illness (1). Rain falls through polluted air containing bacteria, smoke, and chemicals.  Our soils contain pesticides, herbicides (weed killers), fertilizers, and many other chemicals that wash into the rivers, lakes and streams — the primary sources of our tap water. Radioactive wastes and poisons from factories (arsenic, etc.) are poured into water supplies. 

Chlorine is universally added to public drinking water as a disinfectant.  Drinking chlorinated water has been found to promote colon cancer, liver cancer, and breast cancer, according to the British Medical Journal “The Lancet”. In studies of public drinking water, the cancer risk increased in direct proportion to the amount of water consumed (2).

Sewage systems and animal waste runoff are sources of bacteria and viruses that are introduced into tap water.  In 1993, the town of Milwaukee, Wisconsin suffered an outbreak of intestinal disease caused by infected water.  The purification methods there failed to eliminate the eggs of the Cryptosporidium bacteria, which leaked into the water supply from fecal matter at an upstream dairy farm (3). 

Fluoride is frequently added to city tap water.  The largest study ever done on the effect of fluoride on dental cavities took place in India over the course of 30 years.  After much study, the researchers concluded that cavities are actually caused by a high fluoride intake from drinking water and a low consumption of dietary calcium (5).  Fluoride can also contribute to hip fractures in older women and men. Elderly people, and those with heart and kidney problems, are unusually susceptible to the toxic effects of fluoride (6).

Showering

New research has uncovered that drinking polluted tap water is far from the only way people are exposed to dangerous substances. According to New Scientist Magazine, taking long hot showers is a serious health risk.  During the shower, the chemicals evaporate out of the water and are inhaled into the lungs and absorbed through the skin.  This delivers up to 100 times more chlorine to the person than if they drank the water — and directly into the bloodstream (7).

Pure Water

Water filters, purifiers and distillers are available for the home that can turn toxin-filled  tap water into healthy water for drinking and bathing.  Shower and bath filters generally do a good job of removing pollutants from the water, and good kitchen models are available for the countertop, under the sink, and refrigerator. 

Look for kitchen filters that are certified by NSF International (The National Sanitation Foundation) or that meet EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) standards. Choose a shower filter based on how many gallons of water it can clean.

Raw fruits and vegetables are especially good sources of chemically pure water, which is 100 percent pure hydrogen and oxygen.  Plants “distill” the water they consume and convert inorganic minerals from the environment into organic minerals, which our bodies can better assimilate (8). Because tap water only contains minimal amounts of minerals, it should not be used as one’s primary source of minerals.

A good supplement should be taken that provides a full spectrum of minerals from a plant-based source.  Especially if you drink distilled water, which has had all of the minerals removed from it. Keep pure water with you at all times and drink at least 8 glasses of it each day.  Also include raw fruits and vegetables in your diet for the pure water they contain.

Protect yourself and your family from toxic water, and supply your body with the clean, pure water it deserves — both inside and out.

This health information is brought to you by Nutrition Breakthroughs, maker of the effective natural sleep aid Sleep Minerals II, and the natural remedy for joint relief, allergy and asthma, and increased energy – Joints and More.

To your good health.

Jobee Knight
Nutrition Breakthroughs

A short glossary of water terms:

GAC: Granulated activated carbon filter
KDF: A filtering medium by KDF Fluid Treatment, Inc. that removes contaminants.
MCL: Maximum contaminant level
PCB’s: Polychlorinated Biphenyls — A highly toxic pesticide made from chlorine
PPB: Parts per billion
PPM: Parts per million
THM’s: Trichlorethanes — Cancer-causing byproducts of chlorine
VOC: Volatile Organic Compound

REFERENCES:

1. Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories, Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,   Wash, D.C., Summer 2000

2. Lancet, 5 December 98, Volume 352, Number 9143 and Lancet 23 August 97, Volume 350, Number 9077

3. American Museum of Natural History: Epidemic, 1993: Cryptosporidiosis In Milwaukee

4. Effect of monochloramine disinfection of municipal drinking water on risk of nosocomial Legionnaires’

disease, The Lancet, Volume 353, Number 9149, 23 January 1999

5. Teotia SPS, Teotia M, Dental caries: a disorder of high fluoride and low dietary calcium interactions (30 years

 of personal research), Fluoride, 1994 April, 27:2, 59-66

6. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Toxicological Profile for Fluorides, Hydrogen Fluoride, and Fluorine. US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. 1991; ATSDR/TP-91/17.

7. New Scientist Magazine, 18 Sept. 1986

8. Nutrition Almanac, McGraw-Hill Books

   

Vitamin D is known as the “Sunshine Vitamin” because spending time outdoors in the sun is known to increase vitamin D in the body via the skin.

Our ancestors spent a considerable amount of their time outdoors, but for the first time in history, large amounts of the world population spend most of their time inside their offices and homes.

Researchers at the East Texas Medical Center and the University of North Carolina have discovered that vitamin D helps to regulate the sleep-wake cycle. They’ve found a definite link between vitamin D deficiency and the current global epidemic of sleep disorders.

Rapid eye movement sleep (REM) is one of the deepest levels of sleep. It is the level in which dreaming occurs, and its related to good memory and learning. A disruption of REM sleep or an absence of it, is one form of insomnia. Other sleep disorders include sleep apnea – which involves interrupted or obstructed breathing or snoring during the night; insomnia from hormone fluctuations such as with menstruation or menopause; restless leg syndrome; and periodic limb movement disorder, a condition where the person moves their limbs involuntarily during sleep.

The results of the clinical trial of vitamin D supplementation was published in a recent issue of the journal “Medical Hypothesis”. The researchers followed 1500 patients over a 2 year period. A consistent level of vitamin D3 was maintained in their blood over many months. This produced normal sleep in most of the participants, regardless of their type of sleep disorder, which suggests that many types of insomnia may share the same cause. During the research, the authors discovered the presence of high concentrations of vitamin D “receiving sites” or “receptors” in those areas of the brain that are related to the onset and maintenance of sleep.

Calcium is also directly related to our cycles of sleep. In one study, published in the European Neurology Journal, researchers found that calcium levels in the body are higher during the rapid eye movement (REM) phase. This study concluded that disturbances in sleep, especially the absence of REM deep sleep or disturbed REM sleep, are related to a calcium deficiency. Restoration to the normal course of sleep was achieved following the normalization of the blood calcium level. As a note, calcium works best when its balanced with magnesium in a two to one ratio (with twice as much calcium as magnesium).

Natural insomnia remedies containing vitamin D and calcium can be helpful with both falling asleep and staying asleep during the night. One remedy that’s designed for many forms of insomnia is Sleep Minerals II from Nutrition Breakthroughs. This sleep aid contains highly absorbable forms of vitamin D3, calcium, and magnesium, the best ingredients for sleeplessness and insomnia, as well as for heart health, restless legs syndrome, bone strength, menopause insomnia and teenage insomnia. The formula is delivered in a softgel form with healthy carrier oils, making it more rapidly absorbable than tablets or capsules and providing a deeper, longer-lasting sleep.

Doctor P. P. of Houston, Texas says: “I had developed sleeping problems and took two different sleep medications over the course of several weeks. When I discontinued them, the insomnia came back even worse. Sleep Minerals II was just what I needed. I’ve been taking it for a couple weeks now and getting many hours of sleep a night. As a doctor I would definitely avoid prescribing sleeping drugs – I would recommend Sleep Minerals II.”

The authors of the vitamin D study noted that sleeping disorders have played a role in the development of medical conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression, and chronic pain — all of which have become widespread similarly to insomnia. The authors suggest further research be done on the management of vitamin D levels in a variety of medical conditions related to sleep.

For more information on Sleep Minerals II, click here.

Portrait of young woman drinking water, outdoor

This is a helpful article about drinks that can calm inflammation and increase health. By the way, tart cherry juice and bone broth are both proven ways to fall asleep more quickly and easily and sleep better overall.

This health news is shared with you by Nutrition Breakthroughs, maker of the effective natural sleep aid Sleep Minerals II, and the natural solution for joint relief, allergies, pain relief and increased energy, Joints and More.

The famous vitamin E is renowned for combating aging by keeping joint degeneration at bay and increasing eye and heart health. What is not so well known is that vitamin E can help aging skin to retain its smoothness, moisture and beauty.

The secret to vitamin E’s importance for both internal health and external beauty is similar to that of the other antioxidant vitamins (A and C) — and their ability to undo the “free radical” damage that causes skin to develop lines and lose elasticity and firmness.

Free radicals are damaging molecules that come from a reaction of oxygen inside the body.  They come from pollution, smoke, (continue reading) …

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This health news is shared by Nutrition Breakthroughs, maker of the original calcium and magnesium based sleep aid Sleep Minerals II, and Joints and More, a natural supplement for joint relief, less aches and pains, and more energy.

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.

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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 shared with you by Nutrition Breakthroughs, maker of the effective natural sleep remedy for insomnia help Sleep Minerals II. Sleep Minerals II contains highly absorbable forms of magnesium, zinc, and calcium, as well as Vitamin D, all mixed with healthy oils in a softgel form for fast absorption.  If you or someone you care about needs to get better, deeper sleep, visit the Sleep Minerals II page on Amazon.

via ars.usda.gov


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