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The Dawn Phenomenon: Understanding the Circadian Rhythm of Blood Sugar

Diabetes is one of the fastest growing health problems in the United States and Western World, with around a third of the American adult population currently diabetic or showing signs of developing diabetes. While this disease can be difficult to manage, it can often be treated or even prevented by controlling blood sugar. An increasing body of research suggests that your circadian rhythm may be an incredibly important factor in blood glucose levels and diabetes management. Understanding the way your blood sugar changes over the course of a day is crucial to taking proactive steps to prevent wide fluctuations.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease in which the body has chronically high blood sugar levels due to defects in blood glucose metabolism. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not make insulin, a hormone that is critical to getting blood glucose out of the bloodstream and into cells where it is needed. In type 2 diabetes, the problem is more complicated: Although there may be normal or even high insulin levels, the cells have become insulin resistant. This means that they do not let blood sugar into the cell even when there is enough insulin. With both types of diabetes, blood sugar remains in the bloodstream where it is very destructive, while cells often starve for fuel.

Diabetes has increased in modern times to the point that it is now considered an epidemic. It is one of the most pervasive and expensive health problems in the United States. Even more distressing, rates of this disease and related disorders of the metabolism are expected to continue increasing for the foreseeable future. Americans have too much access to carbohydrate-rich foods; in fact, these are often the most accessible and affordable.

The Dawn Phenomenon and the Circadian Rhythm of Blood Sugar

Recent research indicates that circadian rhythm is a very important part of how our bodies metabolize blood glucose. Whether you are diabetic or not, your blood glucose likely follows a rhythm known as the “dawn phenomenon.” In this phenomenon, hormones released in the morning drive cortisol levels high. Cortisol is released, which decreases insulin and increases glucagon. This causes blood sugar to increase, ensuring that we are conserving energy to be used after we awake.

This hormonal release appears to be an important link between the circadian rhythm and blood sugar. Although this phenomenon is troublesome mainly for people with diabetes and other metabolic diseases, it occurs in almost all people. This is partially due to the influence of glucocorticoids such as cortisol. When researchers studied mice who had been administered glucocorticoids, they found that these hormones increased the activity of three different genes linked to circadian rhythm. In addition, the mice’s blood sugar levels increased.

Maintaining Healthy Blood Sugar Levels Naturally

Whether you have type 2 diabetes or are in perfect health, maintaining stable blood glucose will help you to feel better and actually be healthier. There are several ways that you can accomplish this, including:

Lose weight. Even getting a few pounds closer to a healthy weight can level out your blood sugar.
Exercise for at least a half hour a day. Late night exercise can be especially beneficial if you often wake up with high blood sugars.
Choose carbs wisely. People with diabetes can still eat carbs, but they should choose carbs mixed with fiber and other macronutrients rather than white sugar and white flour.
Eat carbs at strategic times. There are likely times of day when you need a blood sugar bump, but eating carbs at night can lead to waking up with high blood glucose.
Eat small and regular meals with balanced amounts of carbohydrates.
Avoid nicotine and caffeine, which contribute to blood glucose fluctuation.
Get eight hours of sleep a night, taking care to go to bed and awaken at roughly the same time. A healthy circadian rhythm contributes to better glucose metabolism.
Eat a wide range of antioxidants.
Follow your doctor’s recommended regimen, if you have one. It is important to take medications at the correct times and in the correct amounts.
Take a multivitamin with plenty of antioxidants.
Know your triggers. Every person reacts uniquely to different foods. It is important to know both your triggers and your safe foods.

There are also several healthy and natural supplements that can be used to keep blood sugar under control. Consider taking a supplement designed to support healthy blood sugar with ingredients such as chromium picolinate, N-acetyl cysteine, bilberry fruit, banaba leaf, vanadium, Gymnema, fenugreek and bitter melon. These ingredients each work in a different way to support healthy blood glucose and maintain metabolic balance. Magnesium has also been shown to protect against the development of diabetes.

While diabetes is common, there are many healthy and natural ways that people can prevent and even treat it. Maintaining control of your blood sugar will help you to feel better and actually be healthier, both now and over the course of your life. Understanding your circadian rhythm and how it affects your blood glucose is an important piece of this puzzle.

Magnesium Benefits for Men Not Limited to Heart Health

Jun 03 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Modern food tends to be over-processed and depleted of many of the nutrients we need for optimal health. Not too long ago, people focused on both getting enough calories and sufficient amounts of important vitamins; dietary deficiencies were mainly seen in people who were underfed or people living in extreme circumstances. Although people in the West now get plenty of calories, we suffer from a lack of vitamins and minerals. Magnesium is one important mineral with a growing number of deficiencies in the developed world. This could have immense effects on male health due to the many magnesium benefits for men.

A Trace Mineral With Huge Effects

Many reading this may wonder: “What exactly does magnesium do for your body that is so important?” It might be better to ask what magnesium doesn’t do. Magnesium is an integral part of hundreds of enzymatic reactions in the human body that control everything from our metabolism to our sleep cycles. It also is important for dealing with stress in a healthy way. Stress raises blood pressure and otherwise places additional demands on our body; most of these new demands involve magnesium in some way.

Without optimal levels of magnesium, people may suffer from a variety of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and chronic headaches. Even tiny magnesium deficiencies can cause a variety of symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression and muscle aches. Insomnia also has been linked to low magnesium levels. While these are problems that may affect all people, the problems that come with a low magnesium level appear to be especially severe for men.

Magnesium Benefits for Men

There are several ways that taking in plenty of magnesium may especially benefit men. First, magnesium appears to significantly lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack. These diseases tend to disproportionately affect men. Prevention is key, and in this case getting enough magnesium is important as that prevention.

Second, high plasma levels of magnesium may actually prevent prostate cancer. Men with a high calcium-to-magnesium ratio were found to have higher rates of this dreaded disease. Calcium and magnesium levels tend to be inverse due to the way these minerals interact with each other, so taking a calcium supplement without taking a magnesium one may actually be depleting your body of the nutrients it needs to thrive.

Why Are Americans So Magnesium Deficient?

There is no reliable way to test for magnesium levels because so much of our stores are stored in our cells at any given time rather than carried in our bloodstream. However, many researchers estimate that the majority of Americans are deficient in this mineral—as many as 70 to 80 percent. It is easy to see why when you examine the American diet and lifestyle. Most magnesium in the human diet traditionally came from eating plant foods such as greens, nuts and beans that had grown in magnesium-rich soil. Now, people rarely eat these things in significant amounts. In addition, modern soil is almost always depleted of this mineral. The result is that many men could be eating a lot of foods that are considered magnesium-rich while still deficient in this mineral… and suffering the health effects.

In addition, we now have more activities that deplete magnesium levels. Magnesium is a part of stress reactions, so we deplete this nutrient when we struggle with anxiety, depression or just plain worry. This leaves less of this mineral for dealing with cell processes and otherwise promoting good cardiovascular health. In addition, modern people tend to eat large amounts of processed foods, which have had the high magnesium parts such as the rinds and husks removed. The Western diet is structured so that most people will have an insufficiency of this mineral.

Natural Ways to Get More Magnesium

There are several ways to ensure that you are getting enough magnesium in your diet. Consider choosing magnesium-rich foods such as:

spinach, chard, and other leafy greens
almonds, cashews, and other unprocessed nuts
amaranth
mackerel, salmon, and other oily fish
seeds such as pumpkin or sesame seeds

However, because modern food is increasingly depleted of magnesium, consider also taking a supplement. The National Institutes of Health recommend that men take at least 400 mg a day. However, many doctors who are experts on magnesium deficiency say that three milligrams per pound of body weight should be the minimum. This means that men who need more magnesium in their diet will need to work hard to get enough of this trace mineral.

Good health is a modern obsession. Most people are actively looking for ways to enjoy better health and to live a longer, happier life. Getting enough nutrients is an important part of good health. Although the modern depleted diet makes it difficult to get enough of the vitamins and minerals that we need, there are many supplements on the market that can boost your intake.

Natural Ingredients for Heart Health Offer Powerful Cardiovascular Support

May 30 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Cardiovascular disease is one of the top causes of death in the Western world. In an age of convenience foods and high stress, many people die of heart attacks, strokes and other diseases of our heart and blood vessels. There is a constant stream of new pharmaceuticals intended to preserve our cardiovascular system, but these are limited in effectiveness and come with a scary list of side effects. What if there was a list of safe and natural ingredients for heart health? New studies on the effects of different micronutrients may offer this guidance.

Amino Acids for a Healthy Cardiovascular System

Americans get more protein than we need, but we are often lacking in some of the amino acids that are necessary for good heart health. Amino acids are more than building blocks of proteins, but also essential for certain biochemical and enzymatic reactions need to have optimal health. L-arginine is one of these essential amino acids. Recent studies have found that this amino acid can help to prevent coronary artery disease, thus preventing serious illnesses such as heart attacks. It also has been found to help with peripheral artery disease, angina and other cardiovascular diseases.

L-arginine is not the only amino acid that is important in a strong cardiovascular system. L-proline and L-cysteine also appear to be crucial for heart health. Proline is important in building the collagen and other materials that make up healthy blood vessels. Taking in ample amounts of this amino acid has been found to improve the health of these tissues. L-cysteine, often taken as the popular supplement N-acetyl cysteine, acts as an antioxidant, helping to prevent damage to tissues from toxins. Both amino acids are an important part of a heart-healthy diet and supplement regimen.

Vitamins: Ingredients for Heart Health

A large part of maintaining good heart health is simply eating a range of vitamins and minerals. B vitamins, folic acid, calcium and magnesium have all been found to have a positive impact on cardiovascular health. These are all recommended for daily consumption by dietitians and nutritionists. However, few people get enough of these nutrients. The Western diet is simply too processed and depleted to maintain good cardiovascular health. For people who struggle with diet temptations, a vitamin supplement can help to maintain a healthy heart and cardiovascular system naturally.

Why are these nutrients so important? Research shows that they act as cofactors in metabolism, allowing cells to function optimally. We also know that they act as antioxidants, preventing damage from oxidative stress. B vitamins are especially important because they help the body to maintain high levels of homocysteine in the blood, which helps to support good cardiovascular health. Our hearts and blood vessels simply cannot function as well without a full range of vitamins and minerals to support good health.

Healing Heart Tissues the Natural Way

Taking a vitamin is an obvious way to stay healthy. However, there are other natural supplements that can also help to promote good cardiovascular health. Grapeseed extract has a growing body of evidence suggesting that it is vital for a healthy heart and vessels. In fact, this compound is believed to be partially responsible for many of red wine’s purported health benefits. Grapeseed extract reduces inflammation, helps blood vessels to function optimally and even may lower cholesterol levels.

CoQ10 is also an important supplement to take for its heart-healthy benefits. Also known as Coenzyme Q10 or ubiquinol, CoQ10 has been found in several studies to have a variety of beneficial cardiovascular effects. It lowers blood pressure and reduces plaque deposits on blood vessels. Is there anything this wonder supplement cannot do? CoQ10 is necessary for good cell function and made by the human body. However, levels decrease as we age, which may be partly responsible for much of the tissue degeneration that often accompanies growing older. Taking a supplement is a great way to ensure that you have enough CoQ10 to support good health at any age.

You have probably heard of many of these compounds that help promote a healthy heart. However, most people in the West have not heard of nattokinase, another supplement that has been found to improve cardiovascular health. Made from the popular fermented soybean dish natto, nattokinase has been used to lower the risk of blood clots after long airline flights. It also has a variety of other positive effects, including promoting general heart and artery health. Because Americans do not generally eat natto, the only food that contains this compound, taking a supplement is the only way to get the benefits of nattokinase.

Keeping good heart health begins with giving your cardiovascular system all of the ingredients that it needs to stay healthy. Taking a supplement with some or all of these ingredients is a great way to promote good heart health and whole body health at the same time.

Turmeric Benefits for Inflammation and Cellular Health

May 26 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

In the Western world, we don’t use turmeric heavily in our diet, although this is beginning to change. Many people are starting to enjoy spicy foods such as curries as part of their daily meals. Pungent spices are an integral part of Middle Eastern cuisine, Indian cuisine and even Latin American foods. In some cultures, turmeric is even made into a tea that is enjoyed both for flavor and as a traditional medicine. Whether you enjoy spicy foods or not, several new studies on turmeric benefits may encourage you to take in more of this potent yellow spice.

An Ancient Natural Remedy

Although most people in the West know turmeric as a yellow spice with a distinctive pungent flavor, it has been used for hundreds of years in other parts of the globe as a medicine. As a plant, turmeric is closely related to the popular spice ginger, which also has been found to have health benefits. It is the reason curries are yellow as well as a component of mustard. Both traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine consider turmeric an important medicine as well. People who take turmeric medicinally can take it as a spice, as a tea and even in capsules.

Traditionally, turmeric has been used to fight infections and reduce inflammation. This is due to a compound called curcumin that is present in high levels in this spice. New studies suggest that it indeed is useful for these health issues. However, it appears to have even more benefits for modern wellness than previously realized.

Turmeric Benefits for Cellular Health and More

Turmeric has been the subject of several recent studies due to its purported health effects. It has antioxidant properties that prevent cell damage from environmental exposures as well as daily wear and tear. In addition, it fights cytokines, the molecules that are responsible for inflammation in our bodies. Proven benefits of turmeric also include reducing chronic joint pain from arthritis.

These actions add up to a lot of benefits for human health. Turmeric is the latest natural wonder compound. It has been shown to affect the size of tumors, prevent heart disease and lessen some of the deadly side effects of cancer treatments. High turmeric intake may be the reason that places such as India have much lower rates of cancer. People who have inflammatory conditions such as ulcerative colitis also may see a reduction in symptoms when taking this spice. It is clear that practitioners of ancient medicine were right about the health benefits of turmeric. Are there any drawbacks to taking this compound?

Potential Drawbacks of Turmeric

As with all compounds, too much turmeric can have drawbacks. While eating this spice in foods or taking a modest dose as a daily supplement are safe for most people, researchers are clear that this spice can have negative health effects in mega doses—as with all dietary supplements. People who take more than 12 grams of turmeric a day may have diarrhea, headaches and skin rashes. In addition, turmeric can cause people to have yellow feces. It can also interact with other drugs, most notably chemotherapy drugs and the popular blood thinner Warfarin. At very high doses, it can even cause some of the inflammation that it treats in more modest amounts.

As with all medicinal compounds, it can be beneficial to take turmeric—but not in huge quantities. In addition, people who take other medications should talk to their doctor to ensure that there are no interactions with other drugs they are prescribed. However, people in India eat large amounts of turmeric as part of their daily diet with no ill effects. It is difficult to get too much of this natural remedy without taking capsules and supplements that contain a higher than recommended dosage.

Future Studies on Turmeric

This spice shows huge promise as a treatment for several of the most common diseases in the developed world. Because of this promise, it is currently being studied more seriously as a future medicine. For example, researchers at Ohio State University are looking at ways to enable better absorption of this spice as well as ways to increase its anti-inflammatory effects. Scientists are also studying its effects on cancer and tumors, with hopes that it may someday be added to the arsenal of chemotherapy drugs on the market. It is also being studied as a treatment for several common diseases of aging, such as Alzheimer dementia and osteoarthritis. While we know much about the benefits of turmeric, it appears that there may be much we do not know yet about its disease-fighting potential.

Turmeric is not the only spice that has been found to have health benefits. It appears that these compounds may not just flavor our foods, but contribute to whole body health. Whether you choose to take a supplement containing turmeric simply eat more curry, adding some extra turmeric to your diet may improve your health in a variety of ways.

Consuming Soy Isoflavones for Hormone Balance, Cardiovascular Support and Healthy Bones

May 19 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Soy is one of the more controversial foods in the modern culinary world. People read conflicting headlines every day that imply soy is either very good or very bad for us. However, there is no conflict about the benefits of soy isoflavones. These unique phytoestrogens from soy protein are increasingly being found in research to have a variety of positive health effects. Even if you are not a fan of soy in general, you may want to add isoflavones to your diet to get some of the health benefits of this kind of protein.

What Are Soy Isoflavones?

Why do people in Asia and other areas of the world have lower risk of heart disease and other serious illnesses? Many doctors and researchers believe that the answer is their high dietary intake of soy. Soy has a variety of health benefits, ranging from hormonal balance to preventing cancer to improving cholesterol and blood pressure numbers. According to new studies, these may be almost entirely due to the action of soy protein compounds such as isoflavones in the human body.

Isoflavones are a type of phytoestrogen, a substance that mimics the effects of estrogen in the human body, found mainly in soybeans as well as other legumes. They have been linked to a variety of beneficial effects, including:

decreasing the rate of breast and endometrial cancers
improving bone density to help protect against osteoporosis
reducing risk of prostate cancer
helping to protect a healthy heart, with specific effects on cholesterol numbers and the risk of strokes and heart attack
positive effects on age-related cognitive decline
promoting good gastrointestinal health and optimal digestion
reducing the symptoms of menopause

New studies suggest that these health benefits may be even more pronounced than previously believed. Soy isoflavones appear to make a meaningful difference in disease risk, often drastically reducing rates of certain diseases for many of the conditions listed here. This may be a major reason for the much higher rates of chronic disease in Western countries where soy and soy products are not a major part of the diet.

Inflammation: A Public Health Threat?

How can such a small component of soy protein have such a huge effect on a person’s health? Researchers believe that this is due to the inflammation-modulating and antioxidant effects of isoflavones. Oxidation and inflammation are the root of many diseases, so a protein that attacks these root causes will have beneficial effects in a variety of conditions.

In recent studies, isoflavones have been found to promote healthy cellular inflammatory processes. Only a small dose of soy protein is needed to get this effect; in recent studies, replacing just 12 percent of protein with soy was enough to get measurable health effects. This will benefit not just inflammatory diseases such as IBS and Crohn’s disease, but a variety of health issues. Caused by over-activity in the immune system, inflammation is believed to be the root cause of many serious diseases including heart disease and autoimmune disorders. Treating inflammation may reduce the risk of developing a wide range of diseases.

Second, isoflavones have been found in laboratories to act as antioxidants. They bind to and remove the dangerous oxygen radicals that are produced in cells as a result of different metabolic processes. If left unchecked, these radicals damage DNA and cell proteins, contributing to aging, cancer and a variety of negative health conditions. The antioxidant role of isoflavones is likely responsible for many of their health benefits.

Protecting against inflammation and oxidation are key to maintaining whole body health. This may be why people in Japan, China and other areas of high soy consumption have lower rates of serious diseases that threaten so many people in the West.

Getting More Isoflavones in Your Diet

How much soy protein do you need in your daily diet to get these health benefits? Doctors recommend that people take 50 mg of soy protein a day to improve their cardiovascular risk, or 40 to 80 mg a day if taking it to treat menopause or other hormonal imbalances. Regardless of the amount your physician recommends, there are a variety of ways to add more isoflavones to your diet. Consider adding some of these tasty foods to your diet:

soy dairy products such as soy milk, soy yogurt and soy cheese
tofu
tempeh and other soy-based meat substitutes
soy nuts
edamame
miso, an ingredient in the popular miso soup
natto and other products made with fermented soy beans

In addition, there are many supplements including capsules and protein shakes on the market that contain therapeutic levels of isoflavones and other beneficial components found in soy proteins. It is incredibly easy to add more of these nutritious proteins to your diet if you are interested in reaping the positive health effects.

Inflammation and oxidative stress appear to be the root causes of many of the most deadly and feared diseases faced by mankind. However, there are ways to naturally and safely prevent these conditions. Taking an isoflavone supplement may be a very important part of maintaining whole body health for a lifetime.

New Study Says Eating Yogurt Builds Healthy Bones

May 17 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

New research on yogurt for bone health suggests that probiotic foods and other products may offer more benefits for building strong bones than calcium alone.

Probiotics have been the subject of much modern scientific research. Studies indicate that they can help to maintain a healthy GI tract and contributing to better digestive, immune and even brain function. However, this is not the only way that yogurt and other fermented probiotic foods may support good health. New research suggests that probiotics also can be important in building strong bones and preventing diseases of low bone density such as osteoporosis.

Bone Strength and Whole Body Health

Our bones are crucial to the health and good function of our entire bodies. They provide a scaffolding for the rest of our tissues and are the basis of movement such as walking. Our bone marrow is the site where all blood cells are made. Bones also are integral in regulating the balance of calcium and phosphate within the body, which in turn is important to the function of our heart and muscle cells. Diseases of low bone density such as osteoporosis are often deadly due to fractures, organ damage and infection.

Low bone density is unfortunately common, especially among women and elderly people. It also costs the economy a huge amount of money, as expensive DEXA scans must be utilized routinely in screening and then expensive drugs with side effects used to reverse bone damage. What if there is an easier and cheaper way to build stronger bones? New research on eating yogurt for bone health suggests that probiotics may be the answer.

Should You Be Eating Yogurt for Bone Health?

Many people eat yogurt and other probiotic foods for GI tract benefits. However, new research suggests that this delicious food may also be good for the bones. Researchers looked at the bone density of older adults who had different lifestyle factors. Unsurprisingly, exercising, maintaining a healthy BMI and taking plenty of calcium and vitamin D were all linked to higher bone density. However, yogurt consumption was also linked to stronger bones. In fact, elderly people who ate yogurt on a daily or regular basis had three to four percent stronger bones in bone scans. Women had a 39 percent lower rate of osteoporosis while men had more than 50 percent less osteoporosis. Yogurt appears to have a huge effect on bone health and density.

This is not the first study to find this connection between probiotics and bone health. Previous studies have found that probiotics increase bone density in mice and other animals. The link is believed to be related to the process of inflammation. An imbalance of bacteria in the gut can lead to inflammation, which in turn causes the release of inflammatory molecules such as cytokines. These molecules in turn inhibit the formation of strong bones.

Men appear to benefit disproportionately from the influence of probiotics. Male mice given a probiotic supplement saw an almost immediate increase in bone density, while the changes in female mice were more subtle. Osteoporosis and other diseases of low bone density are more common in women, so it is especially important for women to do everything possible, including supplementing with probiotics of some type, to build and maintain healthy bones.

Building Stronger Bones for a Lifetime

While there are several medications available to treat elderly people with low bone density, doctors increasingly recommend that people instead work to build healthy and strong bone throughout their lifetimes. This is best done with natural lifestyle changes such as exercise, diet and supplements. Research suggests that the following healthy measures all can contribute to good bone density:

consuming a probiotic supplement or priobiotic foods like yogurt for bone health
increasing vitamin D intake through taking a supplement or spending more time in the sun
eating calcium-rich foods
taking in plenty of magnesium and B vitamins, all of which support strong and healthy bones
eating plenty of leafy greens, which contain high amounts of the nutrients needed to build bone health
adding foods with soy isoflavones to your diet; these have been found to contribute to healthy hormonal levels and thus to stronger bones
performing weight bearing exercise, which has been repeatedly shown in research to contribute to healthy bone development

It is also important to get screening for weak bones as recommended by your doctor. This is usually done with a DEXA scan, a test that measures your bone density using technology similar to x-rays and then compares it to that of a person who is young and healthy with optimal bone strength. Mild to moderate bone loss is called osteopenia, while severe loss is known as osteoporosis. People with these diseases may need to take medications to prevent further bone loss and complications such as fractures and intense bone pain.

Building bone strength will pay off over your lifetime, in fewer fractures and less of the complications of low bone density often seen in old age. Adding yogurt or other probiotic foods to your diet as well as taking a bone-building supplement are all effective and delicious ways to help maintain good whole body health throughout your entire life.