Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Magnesium is responsible for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, making it one of your body’s most important nutrients. But did you know that up to 70% of Americans are Magnesium deficient, according to the CDC’s NHANES? Here’s what you need to know. What …
Photo by Rita Morais on Unsplash Hormones are the chemical messengers in your body that carry messages between your cells and organs, and control most of your bodily functions, from basic needs like hunger to complex systems like reproduction. They are created in the endocrine …
There are thousands of us who like to slip into our pajamas and put our heads down for a good night’s sleep. But what happens when you find yourself lying away in the early hours of the morning because you can’t fall asleep or can’t stay asleep? You’re not alone! About 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”Lack of sleep is associated with injuries, chronic diseases, mental illness, poor quality of life and well-being, increased healthcare costs, and lost work productivity,” reports the CDC.
Luckily, there are a number of things that people can do to try and improve their sleeping schedule. Here are some of the most popular supplements that might help you get to sleep and stay asleep, for the nights rest you’ve been searching for, according to former InVite® Health Nutritionist, Millie Lytle, ND.
Melatonin is a hormone produced in the pineal gland in the center of your brain. Melatonin regulates the body’s circadian rhythms, your body’s 24-hour clock that regulate your sleep-wake cycle. The levels of melatonin in the blood are highest prior to bedtime. When Melatonin is high, cortisol is low. Melatonin is also essential for the synthesis of Serotonin. As a supplement, it re-calibrates your 24-hour body clock for shift workers or those who work nights. Excellent for jet lag and traveling. In a systematic review of sleep aids used for children and adolescents with ADHD, melatonin showed a positive response, higher total sleep time, and easier time falling asleep at bedtime as well as after waking in the middle of the night6.†
5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan) is an amino acid that contributes to healthy serotonin activity in the brain during the day. By supporting and regulating your brain’s serotonin supply during the daytime hours, 5-HTP helps to boost your mood, promote a feeling of overall well-being, stabilize mood swings and decrease anxiety. Overnight, 5-HTP acts as the precursor to your brain’s natural melatonin production. This function may help support a restful night’s sleep. The daytime and night-time activities of 5-HTP work together to improve your mood and restore mental energy.†
Valerian root has been used as a sedative and anti- anxiety treatment for more than 2,000 years. Extracts of the roots of valerian (Valeriana officinalis) are widely used for inducing sleep and improving sleep quality. A review of 16 small studies suggests that valerian may help people fall to sleep faster with only minor side effects and no hangover5. Valerian’s sedative properties becomes more effective over time, so it’s best to take it every night for a short period of time. Start with the lowest dose (200mg) then increase over several days’ time (up to 1000mg). Valerian is considered safe to take for four to six weeks alone or in combination with other herbs, but not alcohol or sleep medications. Valerian does not work for everyone.†
L-Theanine, anextract from green tea, is excellent for persistent thoughts. Day or night, take for anxiety, panic and to calm down worrisome thoughts by increasing blissful alpha-waves in the brain, before bed or in the middle of the night. It works fast and comes with very few side effects. L-Theanine, when compared with the drug Zolpidem, increased speed of falling asleep children with ADHD using Zolpidem experienced zero sleep benefits and many side effects6.†
Magnesium is a mineral essential to over 400 functions in the body. It is essential for blood pressure and blood sugar regulation. It is an electrolyte that calms the heart rate, eases muscle cramping and restless leg syndrome. It is also relaxing to the nervous system. Supplementation of magnesium improved subjective measures of insomnia such sleep efficiency, sleep time, early morning awakening in one study on elderly people. It also reduced stress signaling, such as lowering cortisol and increased melatonin levels in the same population2. If L-Theanine relaxes the mind, Magnesium relaxes the body.†
One of the best practices that help to fall asleep is exercising. Another good tip is to finish dinner at least 2 hours prior to “hitting the hay” and develop a sleep routine. Follow this checklist to help turn your nights into dreams:
Once into bed, only do sleep-time activities. Trying to find the solution for you can be difficult as there are so many techniques online. Other methods can include using essential oils such as lavender applied to the bottoms of feet and on pillows can be enjoyable and soothing. If counting sheep are not enough to blank your mind, then try an exercise-based relaxation technique called progressive-relaxation, which involves clenching each muscle group of the body as hard as possible, then enjoy the relaxation. Progressive relaxation clears the mind and relaxes the body.
References:
Mai E and Buysse DJInsomnia: Prevalence, Impact, Pathogenesis, Differential Diagnosis, and Evaluation. Sleep Med Clin. 2008; 3(2): 167–174.
Bent S, Padula A, Moore D, Patterson M, Mehling W. Valerian for sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Med. 2006 Dec;119(12):1005-12.
Barrett JR, Tracy DK and Giaroli G. To Sleep or Not To Sleep: A Systematic Review of the Literature of Pharmacological Treatments of Insomnia in Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2013 Dec 1; 23(10): 640–647
It’s common knowledge that inactive individuals can have a higher risk of becoming obese and developing numerous conditions, including type 2 diabetes. But did you know that inactive individuals, especially teenagers, have weaker bones than those who are physically active? Bones: Inactive Teens vs. Active …
Written by Nicole Crane BS, NTP In the United States alone, 72 million adults (nearly one third of all people over the tender age of 20) have high blood pressure, according to the National Heart and Lung Association. Worldwide, the number of people expected to …
Jerry Hickey is a pharmacist and radio personality and fills the esteemed role of Scientific Director and President of Invite Health. He has spent his professional life analyzing nutritional information and medical studies with the aim of creating the highest quality and most natural nutraceuticals for user’s maximum health benefits.
Most Americans are low in magnesium. Magnesium is more active than any other mineral. But that doesn’t mean the other minerals aren’t important; It just means it does more for the body.
Let me give you a thumbnail sketch of what it does: It is needed for a healthy liver and to maintain healthy antioxidant levels; it is also needed for balancing blood sugar; it is needed in the generation of energy, so it’s important when somebody is fatigued or trying to heal. If you look at a baby that, let’s say (God forbid), breaks their arm; that arm heals in two weeks. If you look at some one who is 80-years-old, you’re just hoping the arm heals and you don’t have to surgically put a pin in it. When you consume this mineral it aids in the healing process because it’s involved in an energy pathway and is needed to build bone. It is the gate keeper for vitamin D, when it comes to bone health and for calcium and phosphorous. It keeps your body in line and is also needed for the different activities in the brain; Every activity in the brain depends on magnesium – the neurotransmitters that wake you up and the neurotransmitters that put you to sleep all require this mineral for them to be made.
Magnesium interacts with B6, B12 and folic acid to make these things. To release them, magnesium is needed for normal blood flow. The blood vessels use different electrolytes and minerals – potassium, sodium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous. If you are deficient in this mineral, blood flow becomes unbalanced and you may develop high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke or heart attack. Magnesium Glycinate absorbs 220 percent better than any other on the planet and contains more. When you look at it in a capsule, it only supplies 32 milligrams of magnesium typically. When you look at it in a tablet, it supplies 50 milligrams of magnesium. Magnesium glycinate supplies 200 milligrams of magnesium. So, if you take two a day, you’re covered.
[Read more information about Magnesium here!]
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for women is 320 milligrams a day. The RDA for men is 420. I don’t think most people are getting adequate amounts. The Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden performed several different human clinical trials, which concluded that for every 100 milligram intake increase of magnesium every day, risk of stroke decreased by 9 percent. So if you took 600 milligrams, you may lower your risk of stroke by 54 percent, according to this study. If you have enough magnesium every day, you may lower your diabetes risk, high blood pressure risk, and risk of stroke by a good 40 percent.
Another study from Japan in the journal Atherosclerosis was performed on over 50,000 people between the ages of 40 and 80 over the course of 15 years. An intake increase of magnesium was shown to reduce the risk of heart disease death by 50 percent. What’s the number one cause of death in the United States? Heart disease. When people come in and say, “Tell me the things I should take.” I always say a multivitamin with the essentials – vitamin D and magnesium.
Jerry Hickey, R. Ph spends a great deal of effort piecing together the information for a credible-beneficial radio program and perform many of the same duties when creating a product. Remember, you can have a free nutritional consultation with a degreed nutritionist or a naturopathic doctor any day of the week, just call or email us to assess your health.
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