Long Term Benefits of Melatonin as a Dietary Supplement
Long Term Benefits of Melatonin as a Dietary Supplement
People with sleeping problems cannot be able to start their day well. They
suffer from a very stressful mood because of not getting good sleep.
Usually, you can see them in grouchy faces and sagging eye bags. You cannot easily approach them because they are surely hot tempered.
Is there a remedy for insomnia? Good for you because there is. Melatonin
comes to its way, at present this is the best remedy found out by doctors
for persons who have difficulty in sleeping.
Melatonin is considered as one of the most used dietary supplements
particularly in fighting against sleeping problems. People are guaranteed
because of its effectiveness. Although there are some controversies arising
about melatonin against other over the counter drugs, people still take it.
It is advisable that if you are planning to intake melatonin you have to
secure your doctor's permission first to take some precautionary measures if
it is good for you or not.
Melatonin is a hormone that naturally occurs from the body.
Secretion takes place through a tiny pea-sized organ that can be found at
the center of the brain that refers to a pineal gland. Its release is
controlled by the body's circadian rhythm, which is considered the body's
time keeping system, and it works for 24 hours a day. It is responsible in
taking control of your system when you fall asleep and when you start to
wake up.
The production of the melatonin in your body is generated when darkness
falls and starts to hold back by the return of the daylight. The making of
melatonin in a person's body tends to become slower when they reach the age of forty. This makes the young individuals sleep earlier than the adult
ones.
Melatonin is usually regarded as nature's own sleeping pill. It already
cured not only hundreds but also even thousands of people suffering from
insomnia. Although insomnia can be treated through some of the natural
remedies but they are still depending on the effect of melatonin.
Study shows that melatonin has come to its existence four decades ago. These can be found in various species that is why researchers believe that its origin starts from the moment that man were born.
There is an arising query whether melatonin as a dietary supplement is to be regarded either natural or synthetic. There is an explanation for these according thorough studies about melatonin.
They have isolated the hormone melatonin so there was a production of both the natural and synthetic melatonin.
The natural melatonin is produced from the extract of the so-called pineal
glands of animals. The most common extraction comes from the sheep but it
does not grantee that it is of a better quality and effect than with the
other animals. There are cases that prove impurities on some of its
contents that lead to taking off to some supplements in the market.
On the other hand, the synthetic melatonin is usually produced technically.
It undergoes some of the laboratory control processes. The measurement
should be exact. If it should contain 2 mg. of the melatonin then it should
be because if not, there could be deficiency on the effectiveness.
The synthetic and the natural melatonin are greatly distinct from each
other. However, the manufacturers of both ensure the people that the
possibility of contamination is greatly reduced.
As of now, there are already melatonin tablets that can be buy in the
drugstores. It offers numerous benefits to the people. In every tablet that
you take, you are secured of nutritional supplement that your body needs.
Sometimes, the melatonin tablet is already combined with botanical extracts
that will add for its more effective result. The person can also benefit
with the long-lasting calming effect that will produce a good sleeping
habit.
Melatonin are also available in varieties of flavours, one is the peppermint
flavour. However, you do not have to worry about its effect because it will
just be the same. Flavourings are just added to enhance your taste.
Aside from combating your sleeping problem, you can also take melanin as a
supplement for maintaining a balance diet.
Joyce Dietzel writes articles for your vitamins.com a website dedicated to vitamin and supplements
Explosive Anger Disorder (EDA)
Explosive Anger Disorder! (EAD) This is a "new" label in the lexicon of the psychologists and psychiatrists. (You should know that most such labels are made up in order to get paid by insurance companies, and have no relation to real diagnosis.) It's for an old problem that has been around for many decades. The funny thing is that most doctors have refused to recognize it, or the cause, and most still don't.
The official party line of the American Medical Assn is that if there is no diabetes (measurable sugar affect), then there's no sugar problem. As is often the case, they're WRONG! The problem is virtually always a sugar problem.
Hypoglycemia is a medical term for "low blood sugar". The brain requires large amounts of glucose and oxygen for fuel. When it goes below a certain point, a hypoglycemic episode occurs. This can become almost any symptom up to and including coma and even death. In most cases, such a hypoglycemic episode may only cause drowsiness or sleepiness, but fainting and passing out is not unknown.
Let's examine the actual cause of the "new" disease (label for insurance purposes) called "Explosive Anger Disorder" (EDT). As a result of blood sugar going low because of excessive insulin released, both adrenalin and testosterone may be released in males. (In women, estrogen is released.) In some males, this causes what is called "undifferentiated" rage in some men/boys. Does that sound like "explosive anger" to you? Of course it is. Why do medical researchers keep re-inventing the wheel?
This may also be part of the current "road rage" problem as well as childhood tantrums, spousal abuse, bar fights, etc.
Back in the 1980's, I found several male patients who had this form of hypoglycemia. I also found that they all fit a "special" format of the MMPI (Minnesota Multiple Personality Inventory) test for "psuedo-schizoprenia". Since that time, I have seen such "rages" in boys, and some men. If investigated, it will usually be found that they are a 3-4 hour period after eating (or drinking) a lot of carbohydrates and sugars.
Temper tantrums are not unusual, particularly in "spoiled kids", but if it occurs about 3-4 hours after a "sweet meal", you can be pretty sure that child has a sugar handling problem, and needs to limit carbohydrates/sugars.
Glucose is the form of sugar in the blood. This has been transformed in the digestive process from other sugars and starches into glucose then passed into the bloodstream.
Hypoglycemia is usually caused by too much insulin driving too much glucose into the body cells, which depletes the supply of glucose available to the brain (and other areas).
Since glucose is as necessary to proper brain function as is oxygen, there are many different symptoms possible. These can range from a simple yawn about a half hour to an hour after eating, to a full-blown anxiety attack, or even a real depression (the term "sugar blues" has a basis in real fact), or even death for diabetics, or almost anything in between. Sometimes, allergies can cause similar symptoms, or even cause a hypoglycemic episode!
In non-diabetic persons, too much insulin can be the result of a sugar overload, and this can cause hypoglycemia. To some "sensitive persons", this can be as simple as eating a doughnut or drinking a full glass of orange juice on an empty stomach. (Happened to me!) The response to low sugar/glucose is individual, and everyone reacts slightly differently. Also, one person can eat a dozen doughnuts one time with no bad effects, and have a hypoglycemic episode from just one doughnut at another time.
Let's look at a simple example, which will help clear up some of the confusion surrounding this subject. If a normal (whatever that is) person eats an apple, he/she will gain approximately the equivalent of 3 teaspoons of sugar. It will take about 3 hours to digest the apple in the following way:
1. As sugar is absorbed in the mouth, in the stomach, and the small intestine, the amounts are measured and the brain determines how much insulin to release into the blood. For simplicity, let's call this process a "sugarstat". We don't fully understand how it works, but we do know the effects.
2. From millions of years of evolution, the sugarstat "knows" that with the amount of sugar absorbed over a certain time it needs a certain amount of insulin and releases that amount accordingly.
3. Now, it takes 3-4 hours for all the sugar to be digested from the apple fiber as it passes thru the digestive system. It's a downward curve, and the insulin released also has a similar downward curve, and it lasts about the same 3 hours in the blood, as it's used.
So, eating an apple has an immediate effect of raising glucose (blood sugar) somewhat, and this "blip" is fast compensated for by insulin release, and from that point the incoming sugar is pretty well balanced by insulin release over the three or so hours of digestion. In effect, there is very little change in blood sugar, and that's what nature intended - the sugarstat is working as designed.
The situation is drastically different if we "pre-digest" the same apple by squeezing it in a cider press. In effect, all we have removed is the fiber, and retained all the sugar, vitamins/minerals, etc. (A glass of apple juice might contain the juice from 10 apples or 30 teaspoons of sugar). Now, there is much more sugar absorbed very fast, and the sugarstat is "fooled" into releasing many times the amount of insulin actually needed as a result.
Remember that for millions of years of evolution, we didn't have cider presses, let alone the "designer" apples of today. Let alone the processed foods! We simply aren't designed to handle the amounts of sugar we get. (In the 1800's the average intake of sugar was about 5 pounds. Today it's over 200 pounds.)
This "overdose" of insulin drives blood sugar into body cells at a furious rate, and even though the blip is now much larger, it quickly lowers it.
The sugarstat has released enough insulin for 3 hours of digestion, but all the sugar is actually digested and within the bloodstream within minutes. This results in way too much insulin (hyperinsulinism), since enough insulin has been released for three hours of this same amount of intake. The sugarstat has been "fooled", by not evolving far enough to handle our "modern" food processing.
This excess insulin "drives" all the glucose it can find in the blood into the body cells (its job). This results in a shortage of glucose to the brain.
Now, since the brain MUST have glucose as well as oxygen, for fuel, several body mechanisms go into action to raise the glucose. (Few people realize that without BOTH glucose AND oxygen, brain cells start to die in about 4 minutes).
The two most important body hyperinsulinism defenses are adrenalin release, which releases stored glucose for emergencies (the flight/fight response), and the release of some fats and sex hormones that can be converted to glucose. The combination of adrenaline and testosterone may result in EAD. (A new name for an old mostly undiagnosed sugar-handling problem.)
From the above scenario, it can be seen that hypoglycemia isn't really an actual disease, but in fact, it is actually normal to we humans, even though the effects are individual and may vary greatly. It's our modern sugary diet full of processed or pre-digested food that's really to blame.
These body defenses against low blood sugar also cause some very different symptoms in different individuals. Usually, this is about 3+ hours after eating a sugary processed meal. This time may also vary from about 2.5 hours to 5 hours in different individuals at different times.
One symptom that is not uncommon in women is a panic/anxiety attack, or even fainting. Men sometimes might experience these symptoms, but not as often.
An anxiety attack caused by a hypoglycemia episode while driving might result in a phobia of driving, or if driving in a tunnel, a phobia about that, or if on a bridge, a phobia about that. In practice, I've seen all three of these phobias generated by hypoglycemic episodes!
(I wrote a paper in 1982 describing "Adult Onset Phobias", and how hypoglycemia episodes can cause them.)
Men have another symptom. The combination of testosterone and adrenalin may trigger "undifferentiated" anger in a man. He will have a "rational" (to him) reason for the anger, but bystanders can't understand how he got so angry for "no real reason". Men who change personality dramatically while drinking are of this type.
I once helped to save a marriage by simply advising the husband to eat a handful of peanuts and raisins every two hours after lunch. (He was her boss, and at 3PM, she couldn't do anything right according to him - his lunch included a candy bar and a soda!!)
Anyone who has a sugar handling problem might be well advised to carry a bag of peanuts and raisins around, and make sure that they eat a handful every two hours or so. (A ratio of about 5 peanuts to 1 raisin.) The raisins will provide glucose within a relatively short time, and the peanuts will provide protein and fats that can be converted into glucose over a longer time. This was what I usually advised hypoglycemic sensitive persons to do, and it works well. Really sensitive persons should know to eat 6-8 small meals every day. A meal might be a hard-boiled egg, or half an apple, etc.
On the usual Glucose Tolerance Test (for diabetes or hypoglycemia), the subject is given a measured dose of glucose in a horribly sweet soda type of drink, and measurements are made before this drink, 1/2 hour after drinking, then at one hour, and then every hour until either 5 or 6 hours have passed.
This test is more often done wrong than perhaps any other medical test used. These are the common mistakes made by medical practitioners and hospitals:
1. They just give the standard 10 oz bottle to anyone, and it's way too much for a child or a small person. There is a weight/volume slide rule that should be used, but usually isn't. At 6' tall and 200 pounds, I should take only 7 ounces!
2. The measurements are too mechanical. I believe (along with most other knowledgeable practitioners) that the patient should be advised strongly to let the person (usually a nurse) giving the glucose test know if they experience any symptoms at all from yawning to headaches, etc.
3. Between 3 and 4 hours of the test is the most likely time for most persons to experience hypoglycemia, even passing out in some cases. If no symptoms are noticed, it is a good idea to test at the 3 1/2 hour mark.
4. When the test is concluded, do NOT let the patient leave the clinic, office, or hospital, until they have been given food, preferably fast digesting food. I often used a small glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, in season, and out of season the handful of peanuts and raisins. Many persons have left a clinic or office and passed out on the street, or perhaps had an auto accident.
The above applies primarily to GTT's where diabetes is not a factor. A fasting glucose test will find diabetes instead, and is much safer.
In Orlando, where I checked on all the hospitals, and several MD's offices, I found none that did all the above correctly, and most made all the above mistakes. Be advised.
I hope this helps you in your quest for better health.
Phil Bate PhD - Retired Orthomolecular Psychologist
Inventor and Patent Pending Holder for
Brain Wave Amplitude Changing via Auditory Training
http://Alternate-Health.com
http://AuditoryBrainWaveTraining.com
Retired Orthomolecular Psychologist - Inventor and patent holder of "Brain Wave Amplitude Change via Subliminal Training". full resume at:
http://Subliminals-Training.com
or at:
http://Alternate-Health.com
Vitamins, Herbs, Supplements For Male and Female Hair Loss, Pattern Baldness, and Thinning Hair
One of the most frequently asked questions about hair loss by men and women is will vitamin and herb treatments help me with my thinning hair?
Without question the answer is a resounding yes. The simple fact is all of your body's processes require supplementation to maintain optimal performance. No more than you can do without water likewise you body can't do without the proper nutrients to prevent pattern hair loss and thinning hair. All functions within the body whether it be skin cell renewal, hair growth, or vision require your body to maintain a certain level of health.
The second most asked question is, "If vitamins and herb supplements will help me with my male and female hair loss problems why can't I just obtain them with the foods I eat?"
Well in theory you can but knowing just what foods to consume to lower DHT and create hair growth is another thing. In reality most people couldn't name five vitamins necessary for hair growth anymore than they could name five of the "natural wonders of the world." Plus if you could name a few of these vitamins, critical to hair growth, could you name the foods that contain them. If you make it this far you would then need to decide what quantities are needed to provide maximum benefits for the hair follicle. As many people soon learn they're no more familiar what is needed to maintain the nutritional health of their hair, skin, or nails than their doctor's are. The plain fact is most doctors are trained in dealing with disease not male pattern baldness and female hair loss.
To sum it up one of the many ways for men and women to assure proper hair growth is with vitamins or herbs designed specifically for the scalp. A proper diet can help, just make sure you don't end up dieting to correct for over-consumption. Even in the worst situation vitamins and herbs encourage continued growth of the hair follicle. Plus in many cases a proper vitamin formula can reduce scalp disorders such as dandruff, seborrhea, and psoriasis. Since few vitamin and herbal supplements are uniquely dangerous to your health checking out a few just might save you an expensive trip to the doctor. Without question this is one of the more natural approaches for accelerating hair growth and we'll guarantee you'll notice a reduction in your hair loss.
Undoubtedly when you pursue these natural approaches for dealing with hair loss you'll probably gain a better understanding of the bodies many processes that enhance your physical well being.
The author of this article has published two books that entail inexpensive and seldom publicized solutions for combating male and female pattern baldness. To learn more visit http://www.thinscalp.com or http://www.thinningscalp.com.
