Tag Archives: night sweats insomnia

Study Shows Flax Seed a Remedy for Hot Flashes

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remedy for hot flashesStudy Shows Flax Seed a Remedy for Hot Flashes

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.”

For more information on Sleep Minerals II visit this link.

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

Menopause and Insomnia – The Calcium and Magnesium Link

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magnesium benefitsWomen in the pre-menopause and menopause years are more and more finding themselves experiencing symptoms of chronic insomnia, hot flashes, night sweats, migraine headaches, anxiety, fatigue and depression.

Uzzi Reiss, M.D., author of Natural Hormone Balance for Women, says: “Some of the above reactions occur nearly simultaneously whenever the level of estrogen falls.”

Hormone drugs, nutritional remedies, and lifestyle changes are some of the options available to women. Consumer Reports writes that while 70 percent of women entering menopause will have some symptoms, most symptoms can be managed with healthy lifestyle improvements.

In their recent report, they do not recommend hormone drugs for women who have an elevated risk of heart disease, stroke or cancer – which is 35 to 50 percent of all women 50 and older.

As menopause approaches, another emerging link between estrogen decline and its symptoms is the aspect of mineral deficiency. Mildred Seeling, M.D. describes this in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

She says “Estrogen enhances magnesium utilization and uptake by soft tissues and bone, and may explain the resistance of young women to heart disease and osteoporosis — as well as the increased prevalence of these diseases when estrogen production ceases.”

Magnesium works best when it’s balanced with calcium. The pioneering nutritionist Adelle Davis writes of mineral deficiency during menopause in her book “Let’s Get Well.” Davis says: “Calcium is less well absorbed and the urinary losses are greater when the output of estrogen decreases. Such calcium-deficiency symptoms as nervousness, irritability, insomnia, and headaches are common.”

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 shown in a study done by James Penland at the Human Nutrition Research Center in North Dakota.

Regarding the use of a sleep remedy for the relief of insomnia and other menopause symptoms, certain formulas may be more effective than others. The combination of minerals included and the presence of vitamin cofactors (such as vitamin D and K) in the product are key. Formulas should contain a 2 to 1 ratio of calcium to magnesium.

The original research on this recommended ratio appeared in 1935 in the Journal of Physiological Reviews.  In addition, a softgel form is more digestible than tablets.  Softgels formulated with carrier oils such as evening primrose have been shown to increase mineral absorption, reduce calcium excretion, and increase bone density.

Natural insomnia remedies for sleep, such as Sleep Minerals II from Nutrition Breakthroughs are gaining popularity with menopausal women. Sleep Minerals II contains calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and zinc  – all combined in a softgel with carrier oils.

Adelle Davis says: “During the menopause… 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.”

Sadie D. from the Netherlands says: “I am ever so grateful that I discovered Sleep Minerals II after suffering with premenopause and now the real menopause insomnia. I felt like I was slowly losing my mind due to the continual lack of sleep. I can’t express the relief of getting a good night’s sleep and being able to function properly.’”

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 my chronic insomnia and Sleep Minerals II has helped me more than all of them.  This sleep remedy has made a big difference for me. I am on my third bottle. I ran out of them at one point and realized just how much they were helping my sleep.“

Consumer Reports advises that hormone drugs can increase the risk of heart disease, breast cancer, blood clots and stroke. An increasing number of women are turning to non-pharmaceutical remedies for insomnia. Highly absorbable forms of natural minerals can be a soothing alternative.

For more information, visit the Sleep Minerals II page.