Monthly Archives: February 2015

Studies Find Rice Bran Oil Has Many Benefits

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Rice bran oil is a heart-healthy oil that is used in cooking, salad oil and nutritional supplements.

It is extracted from the outer bran coats of rice.  It is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids that help fight disease and promote good health.

Research studies have found that this oil reduces blood pressure and cholesterol, remedies menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, strengthens the immune system and protects the retina of the eye.

Rice bran oil is rich in two types of natural vitamin E and also high in Oryzanol (a word that sounds like “Original”), which is a powerful antioxidant only found in rice bran oil.  Antioxidants protect our tissues from deterioration and help to slow the aging process.

One example of rice oil benefiting the heart health is a study done by a team of cardiovascular scientists in Japan. The 60-day study was conducted with 300 men and women and found that a combination of rice bran oil and sesame oil reduced blood pressure by 14 points and lowered cholesterol by 26%. The oil consisted of 80% rice bran oil and 20% sesame oil.

Menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats and insomnia can plague women who are at pre-menopause or menopause.  In a study of menopausal women, researchers gave the participants the active component of rice bran oil in supplement form.  After four to six weeks, 90% of the women had some form of relief, with 40% claiming “excellent” improvement.  The women also experienced significantly reduced cholesterol levels.

Our immune system protects and defends us from disease in all its forms.  It is made up of a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body. The main cells involved are white blood cells called “leukocytes” which create antibodies that neutralize toxins and infections.

From the journal of Phytotherapy Research (phyto refers to plants) comes a study showing that rice bran oil evokes a significant increase in antibodies that greatly enhance immune activity.

Rice bran oil can help calcium to be absorbed better into the body.  In a review article from “Progress in Lipid Research” (a lipid is a natural fat or oil), the authors write that healthy oils increase mineral utilization by enhancing the effects of vitamin D – a vitamin that works alongside calcium and magnesium.  As a result, oils such as this can help calcium to be deposited into bone and improve bone strength.

This health news is provided by Nutrition Breakthroughs, maker of the effective natural sleep aid Sleep Minerals II.  This sleep remedy features calcium, magnesium and vitamin D, all mixed with rice bran oil in a highly absorbable softgel.

Kimberly B. of Troy, Michigan gives her review and 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 2 1/2 years. I have also had restless leg syndrome my entire life and this is the first relief I’ve ever had…gone for a month now.”

For more information on Sleep Minerals II visit this page.

A Chart on Good vs Bad Carbohydrates

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Greetings to you,

Below is a useful chart about carbohydrates including which ones are the healthiest and those that are not as healthy. It’s a good overview of carbohydrates contained in a picture, and a good guide to eating healthful carbs.

One might think that carbohydrates are just things like cookies, cakes and bread.  Actually the healthiest carbohydrates come from vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. 

The colorful plant chemicals found in veggies and fruits are natures best health remedies for many parts of the body including the eyes, brain, heart, glands and bones.

To your good health,

Jobee Knight
Nutrition Breakthroughs
Maker of Natural Sleep Aids and Joint and Pain Remedies

carbohydrates

Trouble Sleeping? More Magnesium May Help (from Human Nutrition Research Center)

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By Forrest Nielsen

Can’t sleep? You are not alone. Not being able to sleep, or insomnia, is a common complaint, especially among people older than 50. More than half of all people aged 65 years and older have sleep problems.

Not surprisingly, lack of sleep is caused mainly by factors that are more common later in life, such as breathing problems, illness and medications. Yet, scientists have proved that poor sleep is not a natural part of aging.

Five common complaints are trouble falling asleep, waking up, awaking too early, needing to nap and not feeling rested.

Lack of sleep is a health concern because it can cause attention and memory problems, depressed mood and body chemistry changes that foster heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis.

A factor getting more attention recently is poor nutrition. A low intake of the mineral magnesium may be one nutritional factor causing sleep problems.

Magnesium plays a key role in the body’s chemistry that regulates sleep. This may be why persons with long-term lack of sleep, or abnormal brain waves during deep sleep, often have low magnesium in their blood.

Some small studies with humans and rats also suggest that magnesium is needed for good sleep. Magnesium treatment increased deep sleep and improved brain waves during sleep in 12 elderly subjects. Magnesium treatment decreased time to fall asleep and improved sleep quality of 11 alcoholic patients who often have a low magnesium status. Magnesium deficiency increased time awake at the expense of deep sleep in rats. Feeding magnesium to the rats restored their sleep patterns to normal.

The diets of many people do not contain enough magnesium for good health and sleep. In 1997, the United States Food and Nutrition Board set the recommended dietary allowance (or daily intake) for magnesium at 320 milligrams for women and 420 milligrams for men between ages 51 and 70.

A national food consumption survey found that many Americans, especially older women, consume less than the recommended amount for magnesium.  Another risk factor for low magnesium status in older women is the use of calcium supplements without magnesium for bone health. High calcium intakes can make magnesium deficiency worse.

Perhaps, you have heard or read of the folk remedy of drinking a glass of warm milk before going to bed if you have trouble with falling asleep. This remedy may work for some people because milk is a fair source for magnesium. A glass of milk provides about 30 milligrams of magnesium. This amount of magnesium could be the difference between a deficient and adequate magnesium status for many people.

Other foods that have good amounts of magnesium are whole grains, nuts and green leafy vegetables. Green leafy vegetables are a good source of magnesium because the green color is chlorophyll, a chemical that contains magnesium and converts sunlight into food energy.

(From the Human Nutrition Research Center of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture).

This health news is provided by Nutrition Breakthroughs, maker of the effective natural sleep aid featuring calcium and magnesium Sleep Minerals II.

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.”

For more information, visit the Sleep Minerals II page.

Source: Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center : Do you have trouble sleeping? More magnesium might help.