Tag Archives: osteoporosis prevention

Studies Show Olive Oil for Sleep and Strong Bones

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olive oil for sleepStudies are showing that olive oil is beneficial for many aspects of our health.

Olive oil can help strengthen the heart, support normal blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and can calm inflammation. 

The oil assists with good sleep, supports the brain, and may prevent strokes.  Stiff joints and arthritis can also be relieved with olive oil, especially when combined with fish oil (per Healthline.com).

Regarding olive oil for sleep, a recent study appeared in a journal that writes about the health of older people.  This study included 1,639 people and found that eating a Mediterranean type diet improves the quality of sleep in older adults.  The Mediterranean diet includes foods such as fruit, vegetables, olive oil, fish, nuts, seeds and whole grains. 

Olive oil is a key component of this way of eating – a tradition that has developed in the European countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea.

Those in the study that didn’t adhere to the Mediterranean diet as well, had poorer sleep quality. The adults in the study that followed the diet more closely reaped the following benefits: More sound sleep through the night, falling asleep more quickly, feeling well rested when they woke up and during the day, and they were happy about the amount of sleep they got overall.

Olive oil has also been proven to help bone strength.  According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation: “Osteoporosis and low bone mass are currently estimated to be a major public health threat for almost 44 million women and men aged 50 and older in the USA.”

A recent study from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health has discovered that olives, olive oil and their potent plant nutrients called “polyphenols”, have a high potential for strengthening bones and preventing osteoporosis. Human research shows that daily consumption of olive oil can prevent a decline in bone mineral density. 

Some good ways to eat olive oil is to use it in salad dressings and on vegetables, rub it on meat and fish before cooking to keep it moist, use it instead of butter in sauces and gravies, spread it on fresh bread, and saute or cook food with it.

This natural health news is provided by Nutrition Breakthroughs, a publisher of nutrition articles and supplier of natural remedies since 2002. Nutrition Breakthroughs makes Sleep Minerals II, the effective natural sleep aid with calcium, magnesium, zinc and vitamin D. 

The company also makes Joints and More, the natural solution for joint relief, aches and pains, stronger hair and nails and more energy.

Olive oil for sleep?

Regarding olive oil for sleep, a recent study of 1,639 people found that eating a Mediterranean type diet high in olive oil improves the quality of sleep. This diet includes foods such as fruit, vegetables, olive oil, fish, nuts, seeds and whole grains. The people in the study who ate this way were able to fall asleep faster, sleep longer and wake up refreshed.

Is olive oil good for osteoporosis?

A recent study from the International Journal of Environmental Research has discovered that olives, olive oil and their potent plant nutrients have a high potential for strengthening bones and preventing osteoporosis. Human research reveals that daily consumption of olive oil can prevent a decline in bone mineral density. 

What are health benefits of olive oil?

Olive oil can help strengthen the heart, support normal blood pressure and blood sugar levels and can calm inflammation.  It assists with good sleep, supports the brain and may prevent strokes.  Stiff joints and arthritis can also be relieved with olive oil, especially when combined with fish oil

Study Reveals Better Bone Health from 1 Minute of Exercise

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exercise for bone healthWhat if a research study was conducted with actual real human beings (not animals) that demonstrated a mere one to two minutes a day of exercise could result in better, stronger bones?  Well, there  is one.

With increasing age, our bones become weaker and less dense, particularly in women after menopause due to the decline in estrogen and calcium in the body.  More and more studies are finding that physical movement and activity can counteract the effects of weaker bones and any tendency toward bone fractures.

Epidemiology is the study of how often various diseases occur and also what possible ways or methods might exist to control or eradicate them.  The most recent study on the topic of bone health was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.  The burning question in the researcher’s minds was this: How do we discover what type of exercise, what quantity of exercise, and what intensity, would provide the most positive, beneficial impact on bone strength.

For the study, both pre and post-menopausal women wore small wrist monitors for a week that measured and recorded the intensity of their physical movements.  It was particularly important to the researchers to be able to record very short amounts of activity.  They looked at data for more than 2,500 women, and compared their activity levels with bone health, which was measured by an ultrasound scan of heel bone.

The outcome?  A mere one to two minutes of flat-out, intense exercise resulted in an increase in bone strength.  This translates to a minute or two of slow jogging for a post-menopausal woman or a minute or two of running for a pre-menopausal woman in order to achieve a 4% increase in bone health.  Women who did more than two minutes had a 6% increase.  (Please see further recommendations below on how to safely transition into more intense exercise).

The lead author of the study, Dr Victoria Stiles of the University of Exeter in the UK, said: “We wanted to make every second count in our analysis, because short snippets of high-intensity activity are more beneficial to bone health than longer, continuous periods. We were careful not to ignore short bursts of activity throughout the day.”

Dr. Stiles makes a suggestion for people who are interested in upping their levels of daily exercise.  She said: “The UK’s National Osteoporosis Society recommends increasing your walking activity first.  Further on, we would suggest adding a few running steps to the walk, a bit like you might do if you were running to catch a bus.”

Another proven way to increase bone health is to include more calcium-rich foods in the diet.  Olive oil, leafy greens, almonds, raw cheeses, yogurt, broccoli and carrots are good choices.  Calcium, magnesium and vitamin D supplements are also beneficial.  Not only do these minerals strengthen bone and muscle health, but they are proven to calm sleeplessness and insomnia as well.

One study published in the European Neurology Journal 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.

William Sears, M.D. writes: “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.”

One calcium-based supplement shown to be effective for insomnia is Sleep Minerals II from Nutrition Breakthroughs.  This formula contains highly absorbable forms of calcium and magnesium, the best minerals for sleeplessness and insomnia, as well as for menopause insomnia, heart health, restless leg syndrome and bone strength.  It 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.

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.”

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 couldn‘t go back to sleep. Now I wake up once to go to the bathroom, but the great thing is, I then fall back asleep and sleep several more hours.”

The main message is that a combination of exercise and calcium tend to ignite into a dynamic duo that can bring great boosts to bone health, healthy sleep and good overall health.

This health news is provided by Nutrition Breakthroughs, a publisher of nutrition articles and supplier of effective natural remedies since 2002. Nutrition Breakthroughs makes the original calcium and magnesium based natural sleep aid Sleep Minerals II, as well as Joints and More, the natural solution for joint relief, aches and pains, stronger hair and nails and more energy.