Featured Topic: How to Get Better Sleep (4 slides)

Transcription

1 Featured Topic: How to Get Better Sleep (4 slides)

2 Lots of Americans aren t sleeping well 45% of Americans say that poor or insufficient sleep affects their daily activities at least once a week 35% of Americans rate their sleep quality as poor or only fair 67% of those who rate their sleep quality as poor also rate their health as poor or fair

3 A few things a lack of sleep can lead to: Increased risk of cancer Women who work rotating shifts (days to nights to days again) have a 30% increased risk of breast cancer A 2010 study found a 50% increased risk of colon cancer in men sleeping less than 6 hours a night Weight gain The Nurses Health Study found that women who slept less than 5 hours a night were 30% more likely to gain 30 lbs than women who slept 7 hours or more nightly More colds Adults who sleep less than 6 hours a night have a 4 times increased risk of catching a cold Greater chance of diabetes Healthy men who were restricted to just 4 hours of sleep per night for 4 nights saw their insulin activity decrease by 23%, a sign of insulin resistance Increased risk of dying Sleeping 5 hours or less per night increased risk of dying from any cause by 15%

4 Scary but true Rare, but real side effects of Ambien, Lunesta and other prescription sleeping medications: Sleep eating: people consume thousands of calories while sleeping, waking up to find food wrappers in their beds, empty refrigerators, even lighted ovens and stoves and NO memory of what happened Sleep driving: people using Ambien (especially when combined with alcohol) have been found driving on the wrong side of the road, driving directly into obstacles, threatening police when arrested, and having NO memory of how they left their house

5 Safe sleep Concentrated plant oils: mandarin, lemon balm, ravensara, lavender Mandarin: relieves stress, settles the nervous system, and improves sleep Lemon balm: reduces anxiety, mild sedative; also reduces pain that can cause sleeplessness. Shown in a clinical study to reduce insomnia by 42%. Ravensara: relieves insomnia, reduces depression, and stops nervous tension Lavender: used for centuries to promote sleep; approved in Germany for use in tea to relieve insomnia and restlessness But what about valerian? Some people (perhaps as much as 10%) who try valerian find it stimulating, not calming

6 Listener Question

7 Dear Terry When I was growing up, both of my parents smoked. I have never touched a cigarette myself. But I can t help but wonder what has happened to my lungs after all those years of breathing secondhand smoke as a child. My mother now has COPD and I don t want that to happen to me. What can I do to keep my lungs healthy and not get lung disease like she has? Is there anything my mom can do now? Thank you for your help. R.D. from Appleton, Wisconsin

8 Tainted Fruit (1 slide)

9 French study finds 85 different chemicals on fruit A French consumer group sent 150 sample of fruit to an independent laboratory to test for pesticide contamination Apples, pears, grapes, strawberries 80% of the fruit contained at least one pesticide Grapes had the highest level of contamination, followed by strawberries All the fruit that tested pesticide-free was organic A study from last year found that people eating organic food have half the pesticide exposure as those eating conventional produce

10 Tainted water two new studies (2 slides)

11 Study #1: Fluoridated water and Diabetes A researcher from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine looked at incidence of type 2 diabetes in communities that use fluoridated water Results: every one milligram increase in average fluoride levels predicted an increase in the prevalence of diabetes But those communities that had naturally occurring fluoride in the water supply and did not add supplemental fluoride had a lower diabetes rate

12 Study #2: 16 million Americans drinking tainted water Researchers collected data on 36,000 water samples collected from around the US from Toxic chemicals (known as PFAS) were found in water from 33 states serving more than 16 million people PFASs are used in stain proof coatings, non-stick pans, and firefighting foams 97% of people in a 2015 study tested positive for PFAS exposure; associated with increased risk of cancer and suppressed immune systems 75% of the contamination was from 13 states: California was the worst, followed by New Jersey, North Carolina, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Georgia, Minnesota, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Illinois Activated carbon and reverse osmosis in-home filters can get rid of some forms of these compounds

13 Vitamin K, Diabetes and Your Heart (3 slides)

14 The link between Diabetes and Heart Disease: vitamin K2 Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have heart disease or a stroke than adults with normal blood sugar Researchers in Japan have a new theory on this link Many people with diabetes and heart disease take statin drugs, which deplete CoQ10 and vitamin K2 Intake of hydrogenated vegetable oils is linked to inhibition of vitamin K2 activities in the body Low vitamin K is associated with heart disease and diabetes, as well as bone fractures, kidney disease and even mental disorders

15 Research Results: Vitamin K Vitamin K2 supplementation for 4 weeks increased insulin sensitivity in healthy men by 20% Supplemental vitamin K2 reduced serum triglycerides by 29% (animal model) A diet high in K2 has been found to reduce arterial calcification by 50%, reduce risk of heart disease by 50%, and reduce overall risk of dying by 25% A study on K2 found that for every 10 mcg of K2 consumed, risk of heart disease was reduced by 10% In a three year study of healthy postmenopausal women, K2 supplementation significantly reduced arterial stiffness

16 Vitamin K2 foods and supplements Vitamin K2 is found in animal-based foods: egg yolks, liver, cheese made from whole milk and natto (fermented soy) One reason why these high saturated fat foods don t cause heart disease may be due to their high vitamin K2 content! In supplements, look for Vitamin K2 or menaquinone on the label products that list only vitamin K are probably vitamin K1 (phytonadione)