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Herbal Sleep Aid – Avoid The Risk of Dementia from Ambien

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A new study has shed light on the connection between sleep medications and the risk of dementia, particularly in white adults. The research found that white participants who often or almost always used sleep medications had a 79% higher chance of developing dementia compared to those who rarely or never used them. The study also revealed that blacks had a lower likelihood of consuming prescription sleep aids than whites, and that they had different risk factors and disease manifestation for Alzheimer’s, the most common type of dementia.

The study, which followed approximately 3,000 older adults without dementia over an average of nine years, also suggested that socio-economic status may play a role in explaining the racial disparities in the use of sleep medications and the risk of dementia. “Black participants who have access to sleep medications might be a select group with high socio-economic status and, thus, greater cognitive reserve, making them less susceptible to dementia,” said first author Yue Leng, PhD, of the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Weill Institute for Neurosciences.

The research found that whites were three times more likely than blacks to take sleep medications often, and were almost twice as likely to use benzodiazepines, trazodone, and “Z-drugs,” such as Ambien. The study also suggested that these sleep medications are associated with a higher risk of dementia.

The study highlights the importance of cautious use of prescription sleep aids. People who have trouble sleeping could find answers to their poor sleep in natural products that have been used for centuries. Insomnia is commonly treated with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbs in billions of people annually throughout the Asian continent. One such product which has gained national attention is a combination of herbs known as iSleep Herb Pack from Pacific Herbs. These herbs have been proven safe with no short or long term side-effects.

Overall, the study underscores the need for safe and natural sleep aids to avoid the risk of dementia. It is critical people who use sleep aids like Ambien should stop risking their brain health for a good nights sleep. Natural sleep aids like iSleep Herb Pack have been studied in clinical settings and can quickly make a difference in your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.

 

Journal Reference: Yue Leng, Katie L. Stone, Kristine Yaffe. Race Differences in the Association Between Sleep Medication Use and Risk of Dementia. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 2023; 91 (3): 1133 DOI: 10.3233/JAD-221006

University of California – San Francisco. “Do sleep medications increase your chances of dementia?.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 31 January 2023. sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230131101833. htm.

 

Natural Sleep aids

Top 4 Reasons For Insomnia and How To Fix Them

Posted by Cathy on with 2 Comments

I’ve been getting a lot of compliments about how well some folks are sleeping when using iSleep Herb Pack. There seems to be nothing quite like a rejuvenating night of sleep and once you get it, you really fall in love with the feeling and want to share it.

For those people who are accustom to a night of sleeping in short 1-2 hour spurts,  a 6-7 hours, “Out like a light” is truly heaven sent.  

Personally I can not function without at least seven hours of horizontal non-activity.  If you are someone who struggles with insomnia, let me explain how Chinese medicine views insomnia and how Chinese herbs have been used to help those who suffer.

There are 4 main patterns for insomnia in Chinese medicine.

1.  The first and most common reason for insomnia is due to “over-thinking”.

Termed Shen (spirit) disturbance. This is an overactive mind. Day time is the time to make plans, work and be active with your eyes open and your mind busy.   Night time, (or whenever you are trying to sleep) is the time we close our eyes and shut off our brains.   Too much thinking at night is unhealthy.  The mind needs to time to rest just as the body needs it’s rest.  This is where iSleep can be extremely beneficial because the herbs like zizyphus naturally calm the mind and stop the over-thinking process.     

 

2. Insomnia due to panic, anger and excessive worry.

This pattern is especially worrisome because of it can easily become habitual.  Emotions that are not addressed during the daytime hours may haunt us at night. We should try to deal with emotional problems during our waking hours but if you need a little help with this pattern of insomnia, iSleep Herb Pack is a very calming formula and in Asia this group of herbs is commonly used for excess stress and worry during the day.  I know of some care givers who use iSleep to keep their aging and care dependent family members in a calm state during the day time hours.  It is perfectly safe to use  1 packet of iSleep everyday if needed.

 

3. Insomnia due to yin deficiency. 

This is very common in menopause age women.  This kinds of insomnia is caused mainly by excess heat.   What commonly happens in as women (and men) with age is comparable to what happens in a car with a broken radiator.  The car begins to overheat because there is a lack of coolant circulating.  Our coolant dries up as we age and if we don’t replace it with yin nourishing foods and herbs often the result is yin deficiency insomnia.   (BTW, night time is also known as yin time.)  Nourish your yin our Menopause Relief Herb Pack and you will begin to sleep better almost immediately. Some women (and yes men too) will use our Menopause Relief during the day and iSleep at night.   There are no contraindication to using our herbal products this way.

 

4.  Insomnia can have a nutritional component.

For the extremely weak or elderly often times a poor diet prevents the blood from properly nourishing the heart.  This type of insomnia is call Qi & Blood deficiency.   In this case, it is necessary to  repair the body with proper nutrition and supplementation.  This pattern of insomnia will often subside once the heart, kidneys and spleen are properly nourished. Eat well during the day because your body will be fasting for at least 8-10 hours when you are getting proper rest.

 

Although this is not a complete gamut of sleeping pattern difficulties in Chinese medicine these patterns are the most common.  Often times it is a combination of these 4 that can persist.  Chinese herbs have been used effectively for these patterns for centuries.  If you would like to see more information on the studies behind the herbs in our iSleep insomnia aid please click here.

Is The Almighty Coffee Bean Part of Chinese Medicine?

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Coffee as Chinese MedicineI’m a coffee drinker alas only in moderation. Now, I’m re-thinking that moderation as I learn more about the benefits of the coffee bean.

A cup of coffee is 2% caffeine and 98% other bioactive ingredients. To say the least, it is a complex beverage. People seem to forget that the coffee bean is an herb. Indeed, the coffee plant belongs to the Rubiaceae family, which is a source of several different Chinese herbs, including the gardenia fruit. Coffee beans medicinal effects have been well known for millenia but some of the first popular evidence was in 1908, when the Indian Materia Medica was first published.

At the proper dosages, the coffee bean has the ability to improve health in several ways. Drinking coffee can increase cardiovascular health and lower the risk of colon cancer, gallstones, cirrhosis, and Parkinson’s disease. A typical dosage for this type of herbal medicine is in the range of 6-18 grams per day, which translates to about 1-3 cups of coffee, depending on how many grams of ground beans are used. Roasting the coffee beans do not detract from the beneficial effects of this herb.

The primary active substances in the coffee bean are chlorogenic and caffeic acids. These substances have been shown to have anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects. No wonder the local coffee shop has become our favorite pit stops. Coffee also contains antioxidant phenols that can reduce the risk of cancer.  (Like so many Chinese herbs, many many benefits. Probably a lot we don’t even understand fully, yet.

This blog idea was inspired by a study on long-term coffee drinker with type 2 diabetes mellitus.  To quote the study, “long-term coffee consumption is associated with a statistically significantly lower risk for type 2 diabetes,”  (link below) Coffee, just like any other potent herbal medicine, is not necessarily for everyone, as some people may be more sensitive to the effects of caffeine. But the coffee bean definitely contains many beneficial vitamins including potassium, niacin and magnesium.

Drinking a freshly brewed cup of this herbal bean can have some wonderful health benefits. Enjoy, but drink responsibly. Dont use coffee and the caffiene to keep your energy high all day long. This is actually a great way to burn our your adrenal glands. Coffee like almost all things is best used in moderation.

Study Link
Am J Clin Nutr. 2001 Mar;73(3):532-8.Consumption of high doses of chlorogenic acid, present in coffee, or of black tea increases plasma total homocysteine concentrations in humans.  Olthof MR, Hollman PC, Zock PL, Katan MB.                   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11237928
supplements for insomnia

Study Links Allergies to Sleep Quality

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Are your allergies connected to how well you sleep?

A study conducted by New York Medical College says there is a link between your REM sleep and your allergy symptoms.

We all know getting enough quality sleep is key to good overall health. This first-of-its-kind study is a breakthrough for many suffering from allergies.

“When I started focusing on the new REM-RDI numbers, I was able to connect patient’s symptoms such as fatigue, allergies, nasal blockage or congestion” with REM abnormalities, said Dr. Berson. “This led to the correlation of tired allergic patients having a problem during REM and some patients who were tired and had REM-RDI elevations testing positive for allergies.”

While the new approach can provide patients with sleep issues better diagnoses and new symptoms to look for, Dr. Berson cautions that there is no one-size-fits-all diagnosis.

“Every patient is different and the study aims to provide more clarity on the relationship between allergies and a person’s overall quality of sleep,” said Dr. Berson. “The airway begins in the nose and its anatomic form needs to be properly balanced with its function. This shows that Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) doctors, as well as allergists and sleep physicians, should be collaborating more closely to help pinpoint sleeping problems patients may be facing.”

If you’re having trouble sleeping try iSleep Herb Pack a combination of herbs used together for over 500 years which will not interfere with any allergy medication you may be taking.  iSleep herbs will help quiet your mind and stop the ruminating process. A quiet mind helps you get to REM sleep much faster and longer. Give it a try here, or find it on Amazon here.

 

Why You Want To Avoid Magnesium Stearate

Why You Want To Avoid Magnesium Stearate

Posted by Cathy on

Not all supplements are created equal!

U.S. adults surveyed in Dec. 2014 said “taking vitamins” was in their top five wellness habit plans for 2015.  Yet, many supplements have flowing agents which suppress your natural killer cells, a key component of your immune system.  As the vitamin and supplement industry grows into one of the fastest growing industries worldwide, it’s time for the big companies to come clean about the ADDITIVES in dietary supplements. (1)

Continue reading “Why You Want To Avoid Magnesium Stearate” →

Ancient Chinese Medicine Finds Buried Treasure in Bamboo

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Chinese herbs

What can bamboo tell us about Chinese herbal medicine?

 

Once upon a time, bamboo was used as paper and notes about the medicine of the day were written on it.

Then one day, after many years, someone decide to build a subway. What they dug up is legendary, 920 bamboo strips, dating back to the year 260 BC. This writing on bamboo strips  is proving to be some of the earliest known writings from Traditional Chinese medicine. The remarkably well preserved bamboo is telling us much about Chinese Medicine and Chinese herbs used over 2000 years ago and still used today.

A total of 9 medical books were found, records from the Chinese doctor Bian Que, who is called the “Grand Historian”. The archaeological discovery is one of the worlds richest for Traditional Chinese Medicine. A truly incredible and rare. Bian Que was said to have invented pulse taking. It’s amazing to learn the same Chinese herbs and Chinese medicine techniques which have now been practiced and perfected for over 2000 years ago.

Want to learn more about how bamboo is used to heal our body in TCM, Traditional Chinese Medicine.  Check this out.

 

Chinese Herbs Safety Information

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Many people today turn to alternative medicine to deal with an array of health issues, including trouble with sleep, menopause, pms, lack of energy, weight loss…the list goes on.

It is extremely important then that we know what we are putting in our bodies. All foods, including herbs have the potential to be dangerous if grown with heavy pesticide use. Pacific Herbs has been aware of this from the birth of our company…. and that’s why we use the gold standard of testing to ensure the quality and safety of our herbs.

Watch this short video explaining how you can learn if your herbs are safe.

 

Get A Good Night’s Sleep – Insomnia Can Affect Your Heart!

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According to the European Heart Journal, a study conducted on 54,000 Norwegians over 11 years revealed that having symptoms of insomnia was linked to an increased risk of heart failure.

Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep and waking up UN-refreshed were the symptoms of insomnia recorded in the questionnaires that were used to gather data.

Many health, behavioral and demographic factors were controlled in the study and it was found that having just one of the symptoms of insomnia increased chances of heart disease by 17 percent! Having two symptoms increased the chances by 92 percent, and having all three nearly tripled the risk.

The interesting factor about this study is that insomnia was a risk independent of other cardiovascular risks, i.e. none of the participants started out with heart disease, but at the 11 year follow up, 1,412 cases of heart disease were documented.

The study suggests that chronic insomnia leads to high blood pressure which leads to a higher heart rate. Both are known to increase risk for heart failure.

Lars E. Laugsand, lead author of the study and postdoctoral fellow at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, stated “We cannot claim that insomnia is causing heart failure,” but acknowledges that insomnia plays a measurable role in the  propensity of heart problems among individuals.

If you are having difficulty with sleep, consider using Chinese herbs. Pacific Herbs iSleep is a safe and effective formula without side effects that will help you get the rest you need. And according to this study, better sleep may protect your heart!

Read more:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/11/chronic-insomnia-affects-heart/

The 5 Biggest “Health Insurance” Tips You Will Ever Need

Posted by Cathy on with 1 Comment

Love your body, be healthy and prevent disease.I having been surrounded (quite literally) for the past three days by so called “healthy products”,  everything from fortified lolly pops, safer nail polish to every type of infused water possible. I had three days of endless conversations with wellness experts from around the world, Naturopaths, Dieticians, Chiropractors, Acupuncturists, Herbalists, Homeopaths and Bio-Chemists to name a few. Every health professional I spoke to had the same resounding theme, the key to better health is not in any one of these hot new health products that you’ll find at the Natural Products Expo and later on a store shelf.  It’s not about curing a disease, it’s about PREVENTING it in the first place. The key is and always has been about PREVENTION.

So how do you PREVENT disease?  It’s actually not that difficult. Everyone can do it.
What you eat of course plays a big part and being a fast food society does cause “eating challenges”. (the subject of a later blog)
However, every health practitioner that I spoke with agreed that since all dis-ease (disease) is associated with inflammation and hormonal imbalances, getting those two area of the body in balance is the beginning to true prevention.
Think of prevention as the most cost effective “health insurance” available. Here are 5 tips to help your body be less acidic and more alkaline to keep inflammation to a minimum and a couple easy steps to balancing your hormones. (especially essential for women)
1. Reduce the sugar, it leads to inflammation. This includes fruit juices and products sweetened with fruit juice.  Most fruit is highly acidic.
2. Stay away from artificial hormones such as birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy and artificial “muscle building” powders. You can easily balance your own hormones through exercise and diet and you won’t need hormone replacements.
3. Get good quality sleep. Sleep helps the body heal and restores natural energy. When you sleep well, you will naturally produce more hormones. You won’t need that artificial, sugar laced energy drink and one cup of coffee will be enough. 
4. Add tea’s rather than coffee to your diet. There a thousand types of teas to choose from bags, loose leaf everyone can find something pleasing. Green teas (and others) naturally reduce body acidity and help reduce inflammation. Don’t misunderstand coffee has health benefits, but adding variety to your diet with tea’s provides other unique health benefits.
5. Exercise and learn some new stress releasing techniques like Yoga, Qi Gong breathing, Tai Qi and other types of relaxation / breathing exercises to reduce your stress. (All sorts of Youtube videos are freely available on these subjects) Get at least 45 minutes of sustained exercise everyday even if it’s just a brisk walk. Movement helps stimulate natural hormone production in your thymus, pituitary, adrenals and thyroid glands. Do it daily, for the greatest disease insurance.
It’s been said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, I think it’s something closer to a ton of cure.
This post is proud to be part of “Prevention Not Prescription Tues” at The Kathleen Show

Nestle Ventures into Chinese Medicine and Chinese Herbs

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          Nestle is moving into Traditional Chinese Medicine TCM  by joining forces with Chinese pharma group Chi-Med.  Nestle also just announced they are acquiring Pfizer Nutrition for $11.85 billion dollars.

Nestle is growing in leaps and bounds.  Chinese herbs already have thousands of years of proven use and it makes sense that a giant like Nestle would see the value in looking to Chinese herbs for the newest drugs. The new company, called Nutrition Science Partners (NSP), is to be owned equally by the two parties, Nestle said, without revealing any of the financials behind the deal.  NSP will research, develop, make and sell nutritional and medicinal products derived from botanical plants, it said.

When I think of Nestle, I think of the chocolate chips cookies I use to make as a kid with Nestle chocolate chips.  Yup, same company.  In fact they own too many brands to mention and are the worlds largest food company.

The new herbal joint venture will hand Nestle's Health Science division access to Chi-Med's traditional Chinese medicine library, which includes more than 50,000 extracts from more than 1,200 different herbal plants is one of the world's largest, the statement said.

"Botanical are in the forefront in our view in the search for new medicines," the Chi-Med chief said.

Traditional Chinese plant-based medicines represented between 30% and 40% of all pharmaceutical sales in China, he added.

“This joint venture provides Nestlé Health Science with an opportunity to develop and commercialize truly innovative and scientifically validated botanical-based nutrition for personalized healthcare in gastro-intestinal health,” Nestle Health Science head Luis Cantarell said.

Nestle established the health science business early last year to develop personalized nutrition treatments for conditions such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease.

What do you think, good for the Chinese medicine world or not?

How To Stay Asleep… All Night!

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-skinny Brochure iSleep-1Do you practice good sleep hygiene? 

You might be asking what is sleep hygiene?

Sleep hygiene is a combination of practices to create a restful, rejuvenating night of sleep. If you don’t get restful sleep every night there is an  herbal solution to help.  This  product has over 800 hundreds of years of use and clinical studies backing it’s effectiveness.

Why use an herbal remedy for sleep that has been used for 800 years?  Because, it works!

The history of herbal remedies is as old as man.  Written first on bones, turtle shells and then bamboo and pryus reeds this sleep remedy has been past down from generation to generation.

There is no guessing.

The herbs used gently calm the mind, stop the over-thinking and allow the body to fall asleep and stay asleep naturally.

We did improve on these herbs by re-packaging them in convenient easy to use individual packets.  

Our packets combine the best in pharmaceutical packaging without using fillers or additives.

Our packets are convenient, have no additives, no sugar, no pills and best of all, water is optional. 

Try iSleep Herb Pack today not just because it tastes great, but because you deserve a restful night of sleep…

every night.

Don’t be fooled by sleep aids today that combine herbs which have no history of ever being used together.  That is junk science.  It’s similar to the idea of throwing everything in your refrigerator into a pot of soup and hoping it will taste good. We know it doesn’t work that way.

Wouldn’t you rather use an herbal sleep aid that has hundreds of years of use!

Try iSleep Herb Pack today.

Why You Should Not Be Reaching For Sleeping Pills

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We all know sleep is something we all need within every day. When you can't get to sleep, a natural sleep aid can make insomnia a thing of the past, yet  some 60 million Americans choose a prescription sleeping pill.  Whether the lack of sleep is due to stress, poor diet, lifestyle choices or a laundry list of other porr habits, sleeping pills have become a drug of choice. 

 

If you are a sleeping pill user do you know a new study shows prescription sleep aids bring an increased risk of dying early?  On the contrary, Chinese herbal sleep aids have been used safely and without side effects for centuries.  

 

The study published in the British Medical Journal says that people taking a prescription sleeping pill even when taking fewer than eighteen pills per year have nearly four times the mortality rate of those who don’t take the drugs.  Patients who take higher doses of sleeping pills have a 35% increased cancer risk. 

 

 
What was significant about this study is that it was long-term, keeping track of 10,529 people who had at least one prescription for a sleeping pill between 2002 and 2007, compared with a control group. While the study doesn’t demonstrate causation, it did adjust for confounding factors such as age, smoking, weight, and other health conditions.

 

 Try a natural sleep aid, Chinese herbs for sleep have been used for centuries and has no side effects.