Tag Archives: calcium sleep

Bone health: Beyond calcium and vitamin D

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bone healthBy: Jay Cao, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Research Center

You probably know that women after menopause are more likely than men to lose bone and develop osteoporosis, a disease in which bones become porous and easy to break.

That’s because women after menopause produce less estrogen, a hormone that helps prevent bone loss.

In the United States, about 10 million people, 80 percent of them women, aged 50 or older have osteoporosis. There are about 1.5 million people who suffer an osteoporotic-related fracture each year. Osteoporosis is responsible for more than $17 billion in direct annual health care expenditures.

Build healthy bones early

Bone is a living tissue that is constantly built and broken down throughout a person’s lifetime. The speed of building and breaking down determines bone mass. Bone mass is like a bank account in which balance is determined by deposits and withdraws.

During the first two decades of women’s lives, bone formation outpaces breakdown, and bone grows in length and width. Women reach their peak bone mass, or maximum bone strength and density, before the age of 40 years. In general, women with higher peak bone mass achieved before menopause will be at lower risk for developing osteoporosis later in life.

Because almost half of the adult bone mass is acquired during the growth spurt before puberty, maximizing the peak bone mass in early life is crucial for the prevention of osteoporosis.

Although peak bone mass is strongly influenced by genetic factors that we cannot change, there are many other factors that we can modify to increase bone size and strength — such as nutrition, physical activity, and other lifestyle factors.

Calcium and vitamin D

Adequate calcium and vitamin D intakes are vital for normal bone development throughout womens’ lives. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. Vitamin D is essential for intestinal calcium absorption by the body.

Vitamin D can be synthesized by the skin after exposure to ultraviolet light in sunlight. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine recommends adult women should take 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day and 400 IU vitamin D/day. Women older than age 70 years should take 600 IU vitamin D/day.

Fortified cereals and juices and dairy products like milk and yogurt are excellent sources of calcium. Good sources of vitamin D include fatty fish, salmon, or fortified orange juice and cereal.

Other dietary factors

Despite many years of research on the roles of calcium and vitamin D in bone health, we still haven’t been able to prevent osteoporosis. Now, we know many other dietary factors may have equal or more important roles affecting calcium absorption, bone formation and bone resorption as calcium and vitamin D.

For example, inadequate magnesium intake affects calcium metabolism, resulting decreased bone strength and volume. Iron may help bone formation. Zinc is also necessary to bone structure. People with low protein intake usually have low intestinal calcium absorption and low bone mass. Antioxidants in foods can reduce bone loss, increase bone formation, and improve bone quality.

And being obese is bad for your bones — the key to getting enough nutrients necessary for healthy bones is to eat balanced foods.

Physical activity

As with many other health disorders such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and chronic heart disease, physical activity, especially weight-bearing activity, increases your bone mass and reduces your risk of osteoporosis. No matter how old you are, or whether you are male or female, weight-bearing activity increases bone density.

Women especially should engage in at least 30 minutes physical activity per day, as recommended by MyPyramid, a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Among the many activities to consider are walking, jogging, running, stair-climbing, dancing, and swimming.

No matter what kind of physical activity you choose and how much physical activity you perform, as long as you are active physically, you are helping your bones.

You can visit the website at MyPyramid.gov for physical activity and dietary recommendations to improve your quality of life. These recommendations should also help you build healthy bones.

Comment from the blog author Nutrition Breakthroughs:  Calcium, magnesium and vitamin D have many beneficial roles in the body. Calcium strengthens bones, improves heart and stomach health, calms our nerves and muscles, and helps with sleeplessness and insomnia.

Magnesium is a co-factor in bone health, it helps remedy migraines, and it also supports healthy blood pressure.  Calcium Supplements should be balanced and contain twice as much calcium as magnesium.

Sleep Minerals II from Nutrition Breakthroughs is an effective sleep remedy for insomnia that contains absorbable forms of calcium and magnesium in a softgel, as well as Vitamin D and zinc.

Lyn K. of Los Angeles, CA. says: “Not only do I sleep much sounder with Sleep Minerals II, it seems to fill in a missing link in my health.  I feel stabilized and I’m carried through my day with a stability from the sound rest.  Also my heart and eyes feel healthier and stronger.”

For more information, visit the Sleep Minerals II page.

via ars.usda.gov

Migraines, Sleeplessness, Heart Attacks – Magnesium?

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magnesium benefitsBy Forrest H. Nielsen, U.S. Dept of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Research Center

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral element in the human body, following calcium, sodium and potassium. Magnesium enables many biochemical reactions necessary for life. However, much attention has been directed recently towards another role of this element: The movement of (small particles) of calcium and potassium, as well as (other) molecules across nerve cell membranes….

These roles are important for nerve conduction, muscle contraction, blood vessel relaxation and tensing and thus blood pressure, and a normal heart beat. Epidemiological (studies of populations) findings and supplementation trials show that people’s magnesium status is associated with the severity and frequency of migraine headaches, some forms of heart attacks, high blood pressure, sleep disorders and mood disturbances. Carefully controlled human studies at the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center and elsewhere are being done to conclusively show that inadequate magnesium intake can result in these maladies.

For instance, in studies on women past menopause at the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, we found that a low magnesium diet resulted in heart rhythm changes, which were halted by a diet providing about 300 mg of magnesium daily. In a much more severe form, some of these changes in heart rhythm or beat can result in heart muscle contractions that do not move blood throughout the body and lead to death. So magnesium is definitely needed for a healthy heart.

The same studies also showed that a diet inadequate in magnesium caused changes in brain waves–electrical activity in the brain–when women were at rest. Other researchers have found in both human and animal studies that magnesium deficiency results in sleep disturbances, such as agitated sleep and frequent periods of awakenings. This has been related to changes in electrical activity in the brain. It looks like magnesium is important for a good night sleep.

Studies show that about half of migraine headache sufferers have a low amount of ionized (particles of) magnesium in the blood, which suggests a low magnesium status. And magnesium supplementation reduces the number and duration of migraines, including menstrual migraines, in some people. The findings suggest that too little magnesium can worsen the suffering from migraine headaches.

The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences recently provided new recommended intakes for magnesium. The Dietary Reference Intake, or DRI, is the new term for Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). For magnesium, the DRI is 400 milligrams per day for men aged 19 to 30 years, and 420 milligrams per day for males over age 30. The DRI is 310 milligrams per day for women aged 19 to 30 years and 320 milligrams per day for women over age 30.

Dietary surveys show that the diet of many Americans does not consistently provide the DRI for magnesium. Older people are especially prone to consuming a diet inadequate in magnesium. Good sources of magnesium are leafy vegetables, nuts, skim milk and whole grains.

Comment from the blog author Nutrition Breakthroughs:

Chronic insomnia is one of the main symptoms of magnesium deficiency. Sleep in magnesium deficiency is usually agitated with frequent nighttime awakenings.  On the other hand, a high magnesium diet has been found to be associated with deeper, less interrupted sleep. This was proven in a study done by James Penland at the Human Nutrition Research Center in North Dakota. The study was titled “Effects of trace element nutrition on sleep patterns in adult women.”

Sleep Minerals II is a natural sleep remedy from Nutrition Breakthroughs that 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 fully absorbable and fastger-acting than tablets or capsules.  The oils help the ingredients to provide a deeper, longer-lasting sleep.

Valerie H. of Santa Clarita, California says: “I had such severe menopause insomnia it took me hours to fall asleep even though I was extremely tired.  My legs also had crawling and tingling feelings at night. I got the Sleep Minerals and after a few days, it started to work really well. I fall asleep now within 20 minutes and no more restless legs.”

For more information, visit Sleep Minerals II page.

Source: Human Nutrition Research Center: https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news-archive/

Reviews of Sleep Minerals II from Nutrition Breakthroughs

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Sleep Minerals II is one of the most effective all-natural insomnia remedies.  It’s the original drug-free calcium and magnesium formula for better sleep. It calms sleeplessness and helps you to relax, fall asleep, and sleep deeper.

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.  Sleep Minerals II is also  a proven remedy for restless leg syndrome, menopause insomnia, teenage insomnia, stomach health, strong bones, and correction of calcium and magnesium deficiencies

Alex R. of Ramseur, North Carolina says: “Sleep Minerals II has been a blessing for me.  It has given me the opportunity to withdraw from a highly addictive sleep medication over time, and has allowed me to sleep while going through this most difficult ordeal.  What’s great about it is it doesn’t lose its effectiveness, which is something that happens with sleep medications.  I am most thankful for this product.”

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 two and a half years and have had restless leg syndrome my entire life.  This is the first relief I’ve ever had…it’s gone for a month now.”

Anne and Bob B. of El Dorado Hills, California says: “We find the Sleep Minerals very helpful for my husbands restless leg syndrome. He does not do well on many medications and the drug the doctor prescribed for this was full of bad side effects. Out of pure desperation, I researched the internet and came up with an article about Sleep Minerals II and decided to try them. They have been wonderful.  Bob continues to sleep much better and with very little, if any, movement in his legs.”

Richard P. of Parkville, Maryland says: “The Sleep Minerals are making quite a difference.  I was regularly waking at around 3:00 a.m. and after a few days use of taking two, my sleep improved quite a lot.  I wake 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.”

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.”

Valerie H. of Santa Clarita, California says: “I had such severe menopause insomnia it took me hours to fall asleep even though I was extremely tired.  My legs also had crawling and tingling feelings at night. I got the Sleep Minerals and after several days, it started to work really well. I fall asleep now within 20 minutes and no more restless legs.”

L.R.C. of Massachusetts says:  “I had become dependent on sleeping drugs and couldn’t sleep without them. Now I take the Sleep Minerals before bed and I can sleep through the whole night without drugs. I’m also able to easily fall back to sleep if I do have to get up.  Another benefit is it helps alleviate my chronic fatigue and aches and pains.”

For more information on Sleep Minerals II click here.

Colorful Fruits and Veggies Fight Disease

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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 (unbalanced molecules). 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 (unbalanced molecules). These radicals can mutate DNA to cause cancer. They can oxidize or create (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 brought on 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 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 by Nutrition Breakthroughs, maker of the effective natural insomnia remedy Sleep Minerals II. Sleep Minerals II contains highly absorbable forms of the best minerals for sleep and relaxation: 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.

L.R.C. of Massachusetts says:  “I had become dependent on sleeping drugs and couldn’t sleep without them. Now I take the Sleep Minerals before bed and I can sleep through the whole night without drugs. I’m also able to easily fall back to sleep if I do have to get up.  Another benefit is this helps alleviate my chronic fatigue and aches and pains.”

For more information on Sleep Minerals II visit here.

via http://www.ars.usda.gov

Healthy Colors of Your Diet (Purple, Red and Yellow fruits and veggies)

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By Matthew Picklo,  Human Nutrition Research Center

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: 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 Nutrition Breakthroughs, maker of the effective sleep remedy for insomnia “Sleep Minerals II”. Sleep Minerals II contains highly absorbable forms of magnesium, calcium and Vitamin D, provided in a softgel with healthy oils.  This form makes it far more absorbable than tablets.  If you or someone you care about would like to get better, deeper sleep, click here to learn more.

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Article Source: http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=21735

TrendLists.com Awards Nutrition Breakthroughs as a “Top 3 Nutrition Website”

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TrendLists is a website that reviews Internet sites in many different categories and comes up with the best three on the web in each area. Every conceivable category of interest is included. Nutrition Breakthroughs has been chosen as a “Top 3” website in the category of Nutrition Websites. According to TrendLists.com: “This is a 100% unbiased and handpicked Top3-list of the top Nutrition Websites. First of all, my editors do a lot of research and pull together a massive list of the top 100 Nutrition Websites.”

“When that’s done they try to narrow it down to only three sites which will be included in the Top3-list. This is not the easiest thing but they look for quality factors, user value, and of course also diversity when selecting the best Nutrition Websites.”

Jobee Knight, President of Nutrition Breakthroughs says: “This is a great honor and we thank TrendLists for selecting us. We designed this site from the beginning to be informative and helpful by featuring articles and studies on natural remedies that are proven to work. We prefer people use healthful solutions as opposed to drugs. Our “History of Nutrition” page is the #1 site on the web on this topic and our insomnia remedy Sleep Minerals II, with absorbable calcium and magnesium, is used worldwide by people who prefer natural insomnia remedies to sleeping drugs.”

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 two and a half years and have had restless leg syndrome my entire life. This is the first relief I’ve ever had…it’s gone for a month now.”

The TrendLists web site describes their process of selection and their purpose for making people more aware of nutritional information. “The Nutrition Websites listed … are hand picked by our editors and they are all trusted and very good Nutrition Websites. Staying fit and healthy all boils down into one single most important factor – nutrition. If people know what they are eating and what they can get from the food that they eat, then they will become more conscious and knowledgeable about food. And as a result they would eat right and become fit and very healthy in the process.”

TrendLists says this about the Nutrition Breakthroughs website: “There is a part here that focuses on women’s health and there is also a portion that is just for men. The nutrition dictionary that can be found here is really very good since people can check it any time for reference.”

To visit the Nutrition Breakthroughs website, use this link: http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com

For more information on the effective natural insomnia remedy Sleep Minerals II, visit here: http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com/html/sleep_remedy_for_insomnia_help.html

Six Tips to Fall Asleep and Stay Asleep

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magnesium insomniaSome people as they approach middle age may find it more difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep during the night.

This may be due to the decline of hormones in the body, such as estrogen in women or testosterone in men.

They can fall asleep okay and the first part of their night is fine, but at around 2:00 or 3:00 a.m., some find themselves habitually awake and unable to get back to sleep.  Here are some sleep tips that may help:

1.    Use a black eye mask to cover your eyes and use earplugs to keep the noise out.  A dark, cool room is most ideal to help the body produce melatonin, the hormone produced by the brain which helps to regulate sleep and wake cycles.

2.    Get some sunlight by taking a walk during the day.  Being out in the sun will also set your wake-sleep cycle in a good way.  Additionally, the exercise and body movement helps with a better, more restful sleep at night.

3.    If headaches or tension are keeping you up, try using some magnesium.  One German study found that 42 percent of the people taking magnesium reduced the duration and intensity of their migraine headaches.

4.    For women that experience hot flashes and night sweats during the night, take some extra steps to keep yourself and your bedroom cool at night.  Wear lighter bedclothes, use less blankets, and you can also use a slightly damp washcloth on your forehead or neck.

5.    Calcium is directly related to our cycles of sleep, therefore highly absorbable calcium and magnesium supplements are effective.  The pioneering nutritionist Adelle Davis advises that during pre-menopause or menopause, the lack of estrogen and progesterone can cause severe calcium deficiency symptoms to occur such as irritability, leg cramps, insomnia, hot flashes and night sweats.

6.    It can work well for some people to take a calcium and magnesium supplement before bed.  These minerals are natural relaxants that can carry one through the night better, and with less sleep interruptions.   Softgels that use natural oils mixed with the minerals are more fully absorbed.  These should have a 2 to 1 calcium to magnesium ratio (twice as much calcium as magnesium).

An example of an effective mineral-based insomnia remedy is Sleep Minerals II by Nutrition Breakthroughs.  This natural sleep aid contains absorbable forms of calcium and magnesium, the best minerals for sleep and insomnia, heart health, restless legs syndrome, bone strength, and menopause insomnia.  The formula 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 around3:00 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.”

For more information on Sleep Minerals II click here

FDA Requires Lower Doses of Certain Sleep Drugs

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sleep drugsFDA Requires Lower Doses of Certain Sleep Drugs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced it is requiring users of the insomnia drug Ambien and its generic counterparts (all drugs containing the active ingredient zolpidem), to take a lower recommended dose of these medications.

They are particularly aiming this toward women, as the drug stays in their system much longer than with men.  Women at the time of menopause frequently have sleep problems and insomnia, and may turn to sleep medications.

Ellis Unger, M.D., director of the Office of Drug Evaluation in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said: “Over the years FDA has received spontaneous adverse event reports of driving impairment and motor vehicle accidents associated with zolpidem, but these reports lacked the information necessary to fully understand whether and how zolpidem affected people’s mental alertness and ability to drive.”

“Recently, data from clinical trials and other types of studies have become available, which allowed FDA to better characterize the risk of next-morning impairment.”

Nature has provided us with some natural remedies and relaxants that have stood the test of time.  Regarding mineral deficiency as we age and at the time of menopause, the pioneering 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 natural sleep aid gaining in popularity is Sleep Minerals II from Nutrition Breakthroughs.  It contains highly absorbable forms of calcium and magnesium, the best minerals for sleeplessness and insomnia, as well as for restless leg syndrome, bone strength, aches and pains, and menopause insomnia.

The formula also includes vitamin D and zinc and is delivered in a softgel form with healthy carrier oils, making the minerals more quickly assimilated than tablets or capsules.  The softgel formulation provides a deeper, longer-lasting sleep and is an effective alternative to medications.

A. R. of Ramseur, North Carolina says: “Sleep Minerals II has been a blessing for me.  It has given me the opportunity to withdraw from a highly addictive sleep medication over time, and has allowed me to sleep while going through this most difficult ordeal.  What’s great about it is it doesn’t lose its effectiveness, which is something that happens with sleep medications.  I am most thankful for this product.”

For more information, visit the Sleep Minerals II page.

Nutritionist Adelle Davis Recommends Calcium for Insomnia, Menopause and PMS

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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, have considerable side effects, stay in the bloodstream, and give a hangover effect the next day and beyond.  They can become addictive, impair memory, reduce performance on the job and at home, and contribute to machine and car accidents.

Adelle Davis is one of the earliest nutritionists to base her dietary recommendations on scientific research studies.  Davis writes about the roles of calcium in her book “Let’s Eat Right to Keep Fit”.  She suggests a natural sleep aid for insomnia 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.”

Regarding the many roles of calcium in women’s health, Davis says: “The amount of calcium in a woman’s blood parallels the activity of the ovaries. The blood calcium falls to such an extent during the week prior to menstruation that PMS with nervous tension, irritability, and perhaps mental depression results. At the onset of menstruation, the blood calcium takes a further drop, often causing cramps of the muscular walls of the uterus.”

Davis continues: “During the menopause, the lack of the 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 and the diet is adequate in other respects, the woman at menopause usually loses her irritability, hot flashes, night sweats, leg cramps, insomnia, and mental depression.”

One natural insomnia remedy gaining popularity with women and men of all ages is Sleep Minerals II from http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com.  Sleep Minerals II contains powerful 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 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.”

Valerie H. in Santa Clarita, California says: “I had such severe menopause insomnia, it took me hours to fall asleep even though I was extremely tired. I also had crawling and tingling feelings in my legs at night.  I got the Sleep Minerals II and after a few days of taking it, it started to work really well. I fall asleep now within 20 minutes and no more restless legs.”

For more information on Sleep Minerals II visit https://www.nutritionbreakthroughs.com/sleep-minerals-ii-effective-natural-sleep-aid-for-insomnia-nutrition-breakthroughs/

Causes and Remedies for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats

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A night sweat is a “hot flash” that occurs in the night, often while one is sleeping.  A hot flash, also called a hot flush, is a sudden unexpected feeling of warmth and often a breakout of sweating in the upper half of the body. These flashes are experienced by 80% of women around the time of menopause, and men can also have them due to a lessening of testosterone.

At night time while a woman sleeps, her body temperature rises steeply just prior to a hot flash, causing her to wake up.  The National Sleep Foundation writes that as many as 61% of post-menopausal women report having symptoms of insomnia and less satisfying sleep, due in part due to hot flashes interrupting their sleep with frequent awakenings.

Dr. John R. Lee, M.D. explains the source of hot flashes in his book: “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Menopause”.  There is an area of the brain that controls the amounts of estrogen and progesterone made by the ovaries.  When these two hormones become depleted as in menopause, the brain sends out signals for the ovaries to make more hormones, but they no longer respond to these prompts.

The signaling system can go awry as the brain sends out more and more signals and actually begins to “shout”.  This over-activity begins to affect adjacent areas of the brain; particularly the area that controls body temperature and sweating mechanisms — thus the occurrence of hot flashes.

Sometimes spicy food, hot beverages, caffeine, alcohol or cigarettes can bring on a hot flash. For help with night sweats in bed, keep the bedroom cool and keep a washcloth in a bowl of ice near the bed to use on the forehead or chest as needed. To minimize hot flashes during the summer weather, stay cool by using fans and drinking cold drinks.  Keep air conditioners on and make sure that air is circulating throughout the room.  Dress in layers so you can peel them off as needed.

Vitamins E and C have been shown in studies to help reduce hot flashes.  One study supporting vitamin E was published in “Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation” and concluded that vitamin E is effective and is a recommended treatment for hot flashes.

Extensive research indicates that vitamin C strengthens blood vessels and acts as a potent health enhancement.  In a study that combined vitamin C with bioflavonoids (the white matter on the inside of orange peels), 67% of the subjects reported complete relief from hot flashes.

The minerals calcium and magnesium can also help with deeper, sounder sleep, particularly because estrogen in women and testosterone in men helps to keep these minerals in circulation in the body and when these hormones are depleted, more frequent mineral supplementation is needed.

Sleep Minerals II from http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com is an example of a natural insomnia remedy that provides good results for menopause symptoms.  It contains highly absorbable forms of calcium and magnesium, the best minerals for sleep and insomnia, heart health, restless legs syndrome and bone strength.  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.

Valerie from Santa Clarita, California says: “I had such bad menopause insomnia that it took me hours to fall asleep even though I was extremely tired.  My legs also had crawling and tingling feelings at night. I got the Sleep Minerals and took them and after a few days, it started to work really well. I fall asleep now within 20 minutes and no more restless legs.”

For more information on Sleep Minerals II, click here: http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com/html/sleep_remedy_for_insomnia_help.html