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 may have a genetic component.
A recent study from Yazd University of Medical Science in Iran has found that the mineral selenium provides improvement for restless leg syndrome symptoms.
The theory behind why selenium is effective in RLS is an interesting one. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, which is a chemical messenger that helps in the transmission of signals in the brain and other vital areas.
The involvement of the dopamine system is considered by some to be the base reason for the development of RLS. Selenium has been shown to have healthful characteristics that promote the action of the dopamine pathways in the body.
The Iranian study of selenium for restless leg syndrome was a five month trial. The patients first took a placebo, and then took 50 micrograms (a microgram is one millionth of a gram) and then 200 micrograms of selenium.
The researchers concluded that selenium in the daily recommended dose of 50 micrograms reduces the occurrence of restless leg syndrome symptoms greatly. Due to the absence of side effects from selenium consumption, they recommend selenium for the improvement of RLS, and acknowledge it as an alternative remedy to dopamine enhancing drugs.
This health news is provided by Nutrition Breakthroughs. Since 2001 Nutrition Breakthroughs has been providing natural health articles and effective natural remedies. Their mission is to provide nutritional supplements that actually work and therefore help people to avoid harmful drugs and their side effects.
Since 2009, their natural sleep remedy Sleep Minerals II has been keeping that promise — by soothing even the worst insomnia and helping everyone from teenagers to seniors to get a good night’s sleep. Visit the Sleep Minerals II page for more information.
Sleep Minerals II is an effective natural insomnia remedy from Nutrition Breakthroughs. It is the original drug-free calcium and magnesium formula for relaxation and better sleep.
It contains powerful forms of these minerals in combination with vitamin D and zinc. The ingredients are formulated in a softgel with healthy oils, making them more quickly absorbable than tablets or capsules and providing a deeper, longer-lasting sleep.
Frequently Asked Question #1:
Can I continue to take my regular calcium and magnesium supplement, or the calcium and magnesium provided in my multiple vitamin/mineral when I start taking Sleep Minerals II? Will I be getting too many minerals?
It is totally fine to continue to take your regular supplements. These are generally taken during the day, whereas Sleep Minerals II is taken in the evening. The calcium and magnesium in a hard tablet or a capsule is different than the form of minerals found in Sleep Minerals II, and is generally not absorbed as well. So there isn’t a large chance of getting too many minerals.
The minerals in Sleep Minerals II are mixed with healthy rice bran oil and this combination forms a creamy paste inside the softgel. This is why it is assimilated so well into the body and this makes it soothing and effective as a natural sleep remedy.
One thing that can happen if you take too many minerals for your system is your bowels may become too loose or you may become groggy in the morning. If this happens, you can reduce your dose of Sleep Minerals, or take less than one softgel if you’re taking only one. This is done by gently biting one end open and squeezing out half or less, and drinking it down. It can also be spread on some food. Save the rest in a baggie or other container.
In a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition, researchers found that drinking tart cherry juice resulted in significant improvements in sleep behaviors, most notably longer sleep time, less daytime napping and increased overall sleep efficiency (the ratio of time spent in bed to the time spent sleeping).
The results with tart cherry juice were compared to times when the people drank a non-cherry juice drink. These benefits are credited to the high natural melatonin content of cherry juice.
This health tip is provided by Nutrition Breakthroughs, maker of the effective natural insomnia remedy Sleep Minerals II. Sleep Minerals II contains highly absorbable forms of the best known minerals for relaxation and sleep — calcium and magnesium, combined with vitamin D and zinc. The ingredients are formulated in a softgel with healthy oils, making them more quickly and fully assimilated than with tablets or capsules and providing a deeper, longer-lasting sleep.
Kimberly B. of Troy, Michigan says: “I have been taking Sleep Minerals II for about a month now. I have tried everything out there and this supplement is amazing. I have suffered with insomnia for 2 1/2 years. I have also had restless leg syndrome my entire life and this is the first relief I’ve ever had…gone for a month now.”
Here is a very useful link to the Organic.org website, which gives a great definition of organic and also tells us how to know if a food product is organic or not:
This article contains a link to a free Non-GMO Shopping Guide that’s available for download. It’s a wonderful resource for more healthful eating.
The most dangerous foods that are currently created with genetically modified organisms are:
Corn (cereal, chips, oil), Soy (tofu, soy milk), Sugar from sugar beets (any ingredient that doesn’t say “pure cane sugar”), Canola oil, Cottonseed oil, Zucchini, Alfalfa, U.S Grown Papaya, Milk and Cheese made with artificial growth hormones (if the package doesn’t say “rBGH-free”), and Aspartame (the artificial sweetners Equal and Nutrasweet).
Sleeping well is a highly valued thing. According to an article in the United Kingdom’s “Daily Telegraph”, a good night’s sleep has been voted life’s “Greatest little pleasure”.
The poll, which interviewed 3,000 people in the UK, asked them what their greatest little pleasures in life were. The sleep theme showed up in other places as well, with “Little pleasure” number three being “Sleeping in newly laundered bedding.“ Number six was “Cuddling up with a loved one in bed”.
Chronic insomnia contributes to sleepiness during the day, increased accidents and illness, and may have an adverse effect on concentration, relationships and the ability to handle stress.
Because good sleep is so vital to health, scientists continue to pursue the trail of finding things that enhance its quality and quantity. Dr. Ramakrishnan, a professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, says, “Exercise improves sleep as effectively as sleeping drugs in some studies.” His study found that on average, exercise increases total sleep time by 42 minutes.
Studies at the University of Arizona found that walking more than six blocks a day at a normal pace significantly improves sleep at night for women. Scientists suspect that exercise helps set our biological clock into a consistent wake/sleep pattern, or it may boost the brain’s production of serotonin, a neurochemical that encourages sleep.
A drop in body temperature may help you fall asleep. According to a study in the Journal “Sleep”, making a special effort to cool down before bedtime may be of particular benefit to insomniacs. Researchers identified the time at which the subjects’ body temperature fell most sharply.
This point almost always occurred in the two hours before sleep began. A hot bath about 90 minutes before bedtime may benefit sleep. When getting out of the bath, the body temperature will drop rapidly and this may help falling asleep faster. It also helps to sleep in a comfortably cool room, using extra blankets as needed.
Warm milk has long been one of the most highly recommended natural insomnia remedies. Regarding this, William Sears, M.D. says: “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.”
Calcium is 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 some of the deepest levels of sleep, such as the rapid eye movement (REM) phase.
The 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.
Jobee Knight, a nutritional researcher and President of http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com in Clearwater, Florida is someone who fought her own battle against sleeplessness and insomnia. She decided to put her background to use by searching out effective natural insomnia remedies for relaxation and deeper sleep. The result was Sleep Minerals II, a sleep remedy which contains highly absorbable forms of calcium, magnesium and vitamin D. The ingredients are delivered in a softgel form with healthy carrier oils, making them more easily assimilated than capsules or tablets and providing a deeper, longer-lasting 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.”
Kimberly B. of Troy, Michigan says: “I have been taking Sleep Minerals II for about a month now. I have tried everything out there and this supplement is amazing. I have suffered with insomnia for 2 1/2 years. I have also had restless leg syndrome my entire life and this is the first relief I’ve ever had…gone for a month now.”
So if you or someone you know needs help with getting better sleep, take the tips of recent research studies and do some form of exercise during the day, keep yourself cool before bedtime, and use an effective form of calcium as a sleep remedy to relax yourself into a deep, restful sleep.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, people can definitely have more trouble falling asleep and staying asleep when the weather gets much hotter than usual.
When trying to sleep in hot weather, the deeper levels of sleep such as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep are usually reduced. REM sleep is a restorative level of sleep and is where dreaming occurs. Air conditioning is a good solution, but if you don’t have it, here are some useful alternatives:
* Keep and use bedroom fans
* Use wet washcloths on your body as needed
* Take a bath or shower before bedtime
* Use an inflatable blow-up bed on the floor
* Eat fresh vegetables and fruits and drink a lot of pure, filtered water to replace liquids and keep hydrated. The most important minerals to replace are potassium, magnesium and calcium.
There are some people, such as menopausal women, who seem to be warm a lot of the time with hot flashes and night sweats — regardless of the weather. Both men and women may experience a depletion of minerals at middle age. In the summer heat, a further loss of vital minerals occurs. Highly absorbable forms of calcium and magnesium can be soothing natural insomnia remedies when taken at bed time.
Calcium is 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 some of the deepest levels of sleep, such as 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.
The pioneering nutritionist Adelle Davis writes about how the female and male hormones help to keep minerals circulating in the body. She says that “During the menopause, the lack of ovarian hormones (estrogen and progesterone) causes severe calcium deficiency symptoms to occur.”
“At these times, high amounts of calcium should be obtained and every step be taken to insure its absorption into the blood. When these precautions are taken…., the woman at menopause usually loses her irritability, hot flashes, night sweats, leg cramps, insomnia, and mental depression.”
One insomnia remedy receiving more and more five-star reviews online is Sleep Minerals II from Nutrition Breakthroughs. This natural sleep aid contains rapidly absorbed forms of calcium and magnesium, the best minerals for sleeplessness and insomnia, as well as for heart health, restless legs syndrome, bone strength, menopause insomnia, and summer sleeplessness.
The formula also includes vitamin D and zinc and is delivered in a softgel form with healthy carrier oils, making it more quickly assimilated than tablets or capsules to provide a deeper, longer-lasting sleep.
For more information on Sleep Minerals II visit this web page.
If you want to look attractive and healthy, the best thing you can do is get a good night’s sleep, finds research on the website of the British Medical Journal.
For the first time, say the authors, there is scientific backing for the concept of beauty sleep. The study, led by John Axelsson from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, investigated the relationship between sleep and perceptions of attractiveness and health. The authors believe this research is important in today’s 24 hour society with the number of people suffering from sleep disorders and disturbed sleep on the rise.
Twenty-three participants between the ages of 18 to 31 took part in the study. They were photographed between 2pm and 3pm on two occasions, once after normal sleep and once after being deprived of sleep. Smokers were excluded from the research and no alcohol was allowed for two days prior to the experiment.
The photographs were taken in a well-lit room and the distance to the camera was fixed. During both photography sessions participants wore no make-up, had their hair loose (combed back if they had long hair) and underwent similar cleaning or shaving procedures. They were asked to have a relaxed, neutral facial expression for both photos.
Sixty-five observers, who were blinded to the sleep status of the subjects, rated the photographs for attractiveness and whether the individuals looked healthy/unhealthy or tired/not tired.
The observers judged the faces of sleep-deprived participants as less healthy, less attractive and more tired. The authors conclude that the facial signals of sleep deprived people affect facial appearance and judgments of attractiveness, health and tiredness.
Comment from the blog author Nutrition Breakthroughs:
To preserve your “Beauty Sleep” and attractiveness at those times when you’re experiencing insomnia or sleeplessness, try taking some natural minerals to soothe you to sleep. A popular example of this is Sleep Minerals II from http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com. It contains highly absorbable forms of calcium and magnesium, the best minerals for sleeplessness and insomnia, as well as for heart health, restless legs syndrome, bone strength and menopause insomnia.
The formula also includes vitamin D and zinc and is delivered in a softgel form with healthy carrier oils, making it more quickly absorbable than tablets or capsules and providing a deeper, longer-lasting 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.”
One natural remedy proven in a research study to relieve hot flashes may come as a surprise to some, as it is such a well-known, widely used vitamin with many benefits.
It’s the famous vitamin C. The study was called “Non-Hormonal Control of Vaso-Motor Flushing in Menopausal Patients”, published in the journal: “Chicago Medicine.”
Vasomotor refers to the nerves and muscles causing blood vessels to constrict (narrow) or dilate (open). Extensive research indicates that vitamin C strengthens blood vessel membranes and acts as a potent antioxidant. Antioxidants protect our tissues from deterioration and may help slow the aging process.
In the vitamin C study, a total of 94 patients were studied, all of who had reached menopause. They were given 200 milligrams of vitamin C and 200 milligrams of bioflavonoids six times daily. Bioflavonoids are the substance contained in the white material in the inside of orange peels. Therefore each subject received 1200 mg of both the bioflavonoids and vitamin C each day.
The results were that 67% of the subjects reported complete relief from hot flashes and 21% reported partial relief, giving this combination an overall 88% success rate.
Mineral deficiency can also be a factor in contributing to menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats. The pioneering nutritionist Adelle Davis writes of this in her book “Let’s Eat Right to Keep Fit”.
Davis says, “The amount of calcium in a woman’s blood parallels the activity of the ovaries. During the menopause, the lack of ovarian hormones can cause severe calcium deficiency symptoms to occur, including irritability, hot flashes, night sweats, leg cramps, and insomnia. These problems can be easily overcome if the intakes of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D are all generously increased and are well absorbed.”
Jobee Knight, a nutritional researcher and founder of NutritionBreakthroughs.com in Clearwater, Florida, is someone who fought her own menopausal battle against sleeplessness and insomnia. She decided to put her background to use by searching out effective natural insomnia remedies for relaxation and deeper sleep.
The result was Sleep Minerals II, a natural sleep aid that contains highly absorbable forms of calcium and magnesium, combined with vitamin D and zinc. The ingredients are formulated in a softgel and mixed with healthy oils, making them more quickly absorbable than tablets or capsules and providing a deeper, longer-lasting sleep.
Anita L. of New Caney, Texas says: “I was having hot flashes every 30 minutes to an hour through the night and was so miserable. After about two weeks of taking the Sleep Minerals, I noticed an incredible difference with my sleep. I have much less interruption from flashes, I’m sleeping much better and I’m a lot more comfortable.”
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.
Hot flashes and night sweats are a frequent symptom of menopause. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs can provide some relief for hot flashes, but at a considerable price.
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.
A hot flash, also called hot flush, is a sudden feeling of warmth and often a breakout of sweating in the upper half of the body. When these occur at night, they are called night sweats. Hot flashes are caused by a reduced function in the body’s temperature regulation, which is brought about by changing hormone levels.
When estrogen in women, or testosterone in men is depleted, a rapid increase in skin temperature can occur due to dilatation (widening) of the skin blood vessels — and it can become frequent. This process of blood vessel dilation is the body’s way to release the heat.
One natural remedy for hot flashes has been making headlines lately. Mayo Clinic breast health specialist Sandhya Pruthi, M.D., recently conducted a study on crushed flaxseed. The 29 participants in Mayo’s clinical trial were women with hot flashes who did not want to take estrogen because they perceived they had an increased risk of breast cancer.
Flaxseed was selected by Dr. Pruthi’s team as it is a phytoestrogen (plant-based estrogen source). The women were given six weeks of flaxseed therapy, consisting of 40 grams (one and a half ounces) of crushed flaxseed eaten daily. Study participants were asked questions that were translated into their individual hot flash scores.
The result was that their frequency of hot flashes decreased fifty percent. There was also an average fifty-seven percent decrease in the overall hot flash scores for the women who completed the trial. Participants also reported good improvements in mood, joint and muscle pain, chills, and sweating. This was a significant benefit to their health and quality of life.
Dr. Pruthi said: “We are quite pleased with the improvements noted by these women in their quality of life. Not only does flaxseed seem to alleviate hot flashes, but it appears to have overall health and psychological benefits as well.”
Other natural remedies for hot flashes are the well-known relaxing minerals, calcium and magnesium. Regarding mineral deficiency at the time of menopause, nutritionist Adelle Davis says, “The amount of calcium in a woman’s blood parallels the activity of the ovaries. During the menopause, the lack of ovarian hormones (estrogen and progesterone) can cause severe calcium deficiency symptoms to occur, including irritability, hot flashes, night sweats, leg cramps, and insomnia. These problems can be easily overcome if the intakes of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D are all generously increased and are well absorbed.”
One insomnia remedy increasing in popularity among menopausal women is Sleep Minerals II from Nutrition Breakthroughs. This natural sleep aid contains highly absorbable forms of calcium and magnesium, the best minerals for sleeplessness and insomnia, as well as for heart health, restless legs syndrome, bone strength, and menopause insomnia.
The formula also includes vitamin D and zinc and is delivered in a softgel form with healthy carrier oils, making it more quickly and fully assimilated than tablets or capsules and providing a deeper, longer-lasting sleep.
Anita L. of New Caney, Texas says: “I was having hot flashes every 30 minutes to an hour through the night and was so miserable. After about two weeks of taking the Sleep Minerals, I noticed an incredible difference with my sleep. I have much less interruption from flashes, I’m sleeping much better, and I’m a lot more comfortable.”
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.
