Melatonin...it's good for more than sleep...

...and there is debate as to whether melatonin supplements are truly good for sleep.

What?

The most commonly talked about sleep aid might not be good for sleep? Yikes.

I have been reading a lot about melatonin as it relates to sleep. I will read that taking it is good for sleep, that you need it when you're older and...that it's nothing but a placebo, that you shouldn't take it except possibly in small doses and then only when you're older or for jet lag...

The more research I do the stronger I feel that we just need to experiment and see if it works for us. But you do need to do your own reading, keep your dose low and make sure it's time release.

What else is melatonin good for? It impacts, in addition to sleep and circadian rhythms, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, cancer, and blood pressure.

Given all the ongoing research that has shown and is showing that melatonin, a hormone, impacts many, many parts of our body and health I have decided to keep it in my nightly regime. At low doses.

I was taking 5 mg at one point --- just grabbed what was on the shelf not knowing anything about dosing, "assuming" if that was all that was offered it must be right. Ha. I discovered quickly that the dose was too high. I was melatonin overloading, it was not helping, and was hurting. I did some reading, which I SHOULD have done before buying and compromised on 1 mg, time-release. Then I stopped taking it as I heard Matthew Walker say it had more of a placebo effect and was only good for jet lag. Then I started again when I read the next article touting the benefits. Then I stopped. Then I started.

Finally, I have taken the time to read everything I possibly could on the subject and settled.

For the past few nights, I have taken a double dose (2mg time release). It certainly didn't help my deep or REM sleep. But I did sleep longer.

I won't go higher than 2mg as everything I've read says 3 is too high. I wouldn't do 2 if it wasn't time release. I'm tracking my deep and REM sleep so I'll see if it helps. I may just put the tabs by my bed and take if I wake up in the middle of the night, do a bit of experimenting.

Why time release? Here's a quote from the first article below: "Natural melatonin levels are low early in the evening, rise steadily through the night, and peak in the last third of sleep. Because melatonin has a short half-life (about 30-45 minutes), taking a standard-release tablet around bedtime results in a peak early in the night and a tail toward morning — precisely the opposite of the natural pattern...He suggests taking time-released tablets around bedtime or sublingual regular-release products in the middle of the night."

One would hope that there were ongoing studies to help us figure out this one but, per the article below (Melatonin: Magic Potion or Unregulated Danger?) --- "There is little financial incentive for studying melatonin more thoroughly, primarily because it can't be patented and competes with the lucrative hypnotics market"...

Articles that sparked this blog:

Melatonin: Magic Potion or Unregulated Danger?
...there are certainly studies out there that suggest melatonin may be helpful for insomnia in older individuals, perhaps especially those who have significant declines in endogenous melatonin levels associated with aging," he said. "Those data, however, also show conflicting results."https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/922202?nlid=132930_5402&src=wnl_dne_191209_mscpedit&uac=127754CG&impID=2196787&faf=1#vp_2

What New Research Says About Melatonin and Sleep
Here is what you need to know about taking melatonin to help you sleep...

It’s almost getting easier to ask: what chronic diseases don’t melatonin play a role in? Recent years have seen a flurry of studies showing the protective and therapeutic benefits of melatonin in the fight against the most significant chronic diseases of our time—heart disease, cancer, dementia, diabetes... 
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sleep-newzzz/202002/what-new-research-says-about-melatonin-and-sleep

Heartburn

https://healthyy.net/heartburn/melatonin-and-heartburn-how-it-helps

Dementia, Parkinson's Disease and our genes...

Two articles. The first I'm posting is much better. Given that I am APOE 3/4 plus have quite a few Parkinson's genes and all kinds of other contributing nasties like short-sleep, etc. I'm primed for a potentially ugly future genetically. However, I am not gonna let those nasties be my future.

One thing I've learned over the past 8 or 9 months of bombarding my brain with all the latest and greatest research, news, podcasts, theories while trying to help my mom is that prevention is possible. The scary thing is that the nasty genes can kick in 20 years or more before you start seeing "symptoms". Often by the time you start experiencing cognitive issues you're in a battle that main-stream science currently says you will lose. There is no cure. Currently. There is great promise for changing that though, just probably not in time to help my mother. Catching it early and/or prevention is critical.

Side note: My uncle has Parkinson's and my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother all have/had some form of dementia. My other aunt has a plethora of health issues, not sure what all of them are as there's not much communication. Not aware of any Parkinson's or dementia on the paternal side of the family, tons of cancer though. And yes, I have all kinds of cancer-related bad genes...

Also, have a ton of SNPs that say I'm primed for Type 2 Diabetes. My mom was diagnosed as pre-diabetic, and told her cholesterol was too high a few years back (not sure exactly when) and they wanted to put her on meds. She changed her diet...lowered her cholesterol...blood tests currently show good on the diabetes front but she is a true sugar-holic & carb-holic (as am I)...however, she went way too far and lost way too much weight, didn't understand eating healthy vs starvation/extremely small portions! Been trying to increase her weight since last June, some success but it's a battle :-).

Anywaze, here are the two articles on Parkinson's, APOE, etc.:

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Gene ID’d as potential therapeutic target for dementia in Parkinson’s
Targeting gene linked to Alzheimer’s may reduce dementia risk in Parkinson’s
Dementia is one of the most debilitating consequences of Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological condition characterized by tremors, stiffness, slow movement and impaired balance. Eighty percent of people with Parkinson’s develop dementia within 20 years of the diagnosis, and patients who carry a particular variant of the gene APOE are at especially high risk.

In new research, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found a clue to the link between Parkinson’s, APOE and dementia.
https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/gene-idd-as-potential-therapeutic-target-for-dementia-in-parkinsons/

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Lab: Discovery could help stave off anguish of dementia in people battling Parkinson’s

PARKINSON’S disease can be especially cruel. Its slow but sure onset inflicts tremors, slows down movement and impairs balance. And perhaps the most bitter blow of all is that 80 percent of people newly diagnosed will go on to develop dementia within 20 years.

But there is hope for the future, after experts made a breakthrough that could lead to treatments capable of slowing down or stopping this mental decline.

https://www.metro.news/bbc-science-focus-discovery-could-help-stave-off-anguish-of-dementia-in-people-battling-parkinsons/1899963/
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Info at end of first article with study info I think:
Davis AA, Inman CE, Wargel ZM, Dube U, Freeberg BM, Galluppi A, Haines JN, Dhavale DD, Miller R, Choudhury FA, Sullivan PM, Cruchaga C, Perlmutter JS, Ulrich JD, Benitez BA, Kotzbauer PT, Holtzman DM. APOE Genotype Regulates Pathology and Disease Progression in Synucleinopathy. Science Translational Medicine. Feb. 5, 2020. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aay3069

On the hunt for sugar-free frozen potatoes...(Healthy Eating Post) - updated

I am a lazy cook. I used to do gourmet meals, spend time in the kitchen, but there's just way too much to do in life these days. I'd rather be in the studio!

Given there's only two of us, buying fresh often results in a lot of waste. I toss half of what we buy sometimes simply because we like variety and we can't eat a whole bunch or bag before it goes bad.

I'm not into buying real potatoes, cleaning and cooking them either. Yep, lazy cook. I will at times but when I want hash browns for breakfast or fries for dinner I want them now.

If you've read any of my past posts you know I don't eat any form of added sugar. It works for me...maybe not for you. I have found so many benefits from cutting it completely out of my diet over the years! Plus I've learned it's easier to ditch it all rather than try to eat just a little. I always want more and the craving cycle starts.

I've looked for frozen potatoes without added sugar over the past few years without success. Now that I'm moving to a much higher plant-based diet I wanted, needed, some potatoes. I got serious about finding some.

Who would have thought that finding hash browns, home fries or other frozen potato products without added sugar would be a problem? Did you know that your Ore-Ida, Alexia, etc. have sugar on them? It's getting harder and harder to find things that don't have some form of added sugar.

I know many of you are saying something along the lines of "who cares?". If you're diabetic they tell you not to eat potatoes anyway, sugar or no added sugar. Most of you already think I'm over the top with my 'no sugar' life-style! Give up cookies? cake? candy?

If you're eating sugar and you know it, that's one thing. But if you are eating sugar in your blue cheese salad dressings, mayonnaise, and other items that don't need or call for sugar, it seems kind of sneaky. According to some statistics over 80% of what you buy these days has added sugar. I dare you to go to the store and fill your cart up with things that have no added sugar...and try to go just five days without sugar. Bet you spend those five days craving the stuff, talking yourself out of giving it up. You will go through withdrawals.

I recently watched a fairly short documentary narrated by Katie Couric titled "Fed Up". If you have kids, or you struggle with your weight, I'd highly recommend that you watch it.

Here's the trailer:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCUbvOwwfWM)

I looked at every single bag in the grocery store's regular frozen food section. No luck. Every single bag had added sugar, plus many had things I couldn't pronounce. I went on-line looking at ingredients. No luck until...I finally found ONE company that doesn't add sugar to their potatoes: Cascadian Farms.  (http://www.cascadianfarm.com/products/frozen-potatoes). Guess where I'll be heading later today??? They sell them at Kroger in their healthy section. They probably sell them at Publix and other stores, too. They are organic, too! Big plus.

Here's another documentary, from Canada that's well worth watching.




 And one more (I keep finding them and adding):




I found some interesting sites while on my search:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=48 - interesting take on the much-maligned potato
http://www.potatopro.com/ - loads of information
http://www.potatoesusa.com/index.php - United States Potato Board

Pistachios May Find New Place in Our Lives

RJ Note: Interesting. I guess the question could be asked if that is with or without the potential risk of Salmonella? Too bad the salmonella risk news came out of the shell before this did. Even so, I suspect I'll still be enjoying the tasty flavor of the pistachios I love. Has our staff had any pistachios lately? Yep, just had some last weekend.

New Research Unveils That Pistachios May Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes by Improving Blood Sugar Levels

/PRNewswire/ -- The University of Toronto is unveiling new study findings at the Experimental Biology Conference in New Orleans on Sunday, April 19 that shows incorporating pistachios into a meal results in delayed emptying of the stomach and blunting of the blood sugar curve, which may be of benefit to long term blood sugar control.

The new study led by researcher Dr. Cyril WC Kendall from University of Toronto's Department of Nutritional Sciences and funded by the Western Pistachio Association, looked at the effects of pistachios on glucose and insulin responses and on its influence on satiety, or level of fullness. Previous studies have examined pistachios' effect on glucose levels which showed a dose response effect on blood sugar levels. In order to further assess pistachios' impact on health, Dr. Kendall and his team studied the effect of pistachios on serum glucose, insulin levels and gut satiety hormone responses.

"Our study found that strategies, such as pairing pistachios with meals decrease blood sugar peaks after a meal, which may result in a lower risk for type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk," said Dr. Cyril WC Kendall, University of Toronto. "Type 2 diabetes is associated with a four-fold increase of cardiovascular disease and an occurrence of kidney disease and blindness of 20 percent after 15 years of diabetes, making it the major cause of renal transplantation. There are currently 17.9 million people in the U.S. that have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes; affecting a large portion of our population."

Study Design and Highlights

The University of Toronto study included 15 men and women who fasted and then consumed three similar types of test meals in random order. The meals consisted of white bread plus two ounces of pistachios, white bread plus butter and cheese and the control meal was white bread. Blood samples were taken and subjective satiety measures were assessed over a three hour period in each of the test subjects.

The study found that:

-- The pistachios meal reduced peak blood sugar levels after a meal
relative to white bread but was not different from the control meal.
-- Serum GIP was significantly raised by the pistachio and control meals
relative to the white bread meal, indicating slower stomach emptying
-- At three hours, serum grehlin was significantly lower following the
pistachio and control meals compared with the white bread meal,
indicating a greater reduction in hunger.

-- Pistachios consumed with carbohydrate rich meals may blunt/moderate
the blood sugar response after a meal or postprandial glycemic impact
and thus may be of benefit in improving long term glycemic control.


Furthermore, in a study published in September 2009, pistachios were shown to have a dose-response effect on risk factors for heart disease, such as LDL cholesterol. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death among both men and women.

Pistachios and Other Nuts Lower HbA1C in Persons with Type 2 Diabetes

This new pistachio study ties into another study being presented today by Dr. Cyril Kendall, "Dose Response to Mixed Nut Intake on Blood Lipids and Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes" and sponsored by the International Tree Nut Council's (INC) Nutrition Research and Education Foundation. Pistachios were one of the nuts included in the study that showed incorporation of nuts into a diet following American Diabetes Association guidelines helps to improve long term blood sugar control.

More recently, interest has grown in the potential value of including nuts in the diets of individuals with diabetes. To date, there have been few studies that have assessed the effect of nuts on glycemic control. Dr. Kendall's aim was to assess the effect of two doses of mixed nuts on serum lipids and glycemic control in type 2 diabetics.

The study showed that nuts improved blood glucose control in people with diabetes and significantly lowered HbA1C (a marker of blood sugar control over the previous three months) and LDL cholesterol levels. The study concluded that mixed nuts may improve serum lipids and glycemic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

"Overall, nut consumption is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and better long term control of blood sugar in persons with type 2 diabetes," said Dr. Constance Geiger, RD, nutrition expert for the Western Pistachio Association (WPA). "What these two studies show is that pistachios blunt the blood sugar response after a meal and as one of the nuts in the INC study, further contribute to positive health by providing better long term sugar control for individuals with type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, pistachios have been shown to reduce the risk factors for heart disease in people with moderately high cholesterol and as one of the nuts in the INC study, in persons with type 2 diabetes reduces LDL cholesterol which is a risk factor for heart disease."

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Study Finds Cost of Diabetes in the United States Exceeds $217 Billion

RJ Note: Thoughts on changing our future-- and our nation's health.

/PRNewswire/ -- According to findings from a National Diabetes Economic Barometer study, undiagnosed, pre-diabetes and diabetes cost the United States an estimated $217.5 billion in 2007 due to higher medical expenditures and lost productivity.

The research shows that beyond the estimated $174 billion that is widely-accepted as the cost of diagnosed diabetes in 2007, an additional $18 billion was spent on 6.3 million people with undiagnosed diabetes; $25 billion for 57 million American adults with pre-diabetes; and $623 million for the 180,000 pregnancies where gestational diabetes is diagnosed.

The National Diabetes Economic Barometer research was conducted by The Lewin Group and commissioned by the National Changing Diabetes(R) Program (NCDP), an initiative created by Novo Nordisk to improve the lives of people with diabetes.

"In individuals with pre-diabetes, we observed a significant increase in ambulatory visits for a wide variety of medical conditions, including hypertension, endocrine, metabolic and kidney complications," said Tim Dall, vice president at The Lewin Group. "Additionally, the data show that during the two years before diagnosis people exhibit an increase in ambulatory and hospital-based care for diabetes-related complications."

As the leading source of health insurance, covering about 158 million non-elderly people in America(1), employers are beginning to feel the financial sting. However, businesses can take steps to help reduce these negative consequences by focusing efforts on diabetes prevention and detection.

"We encourage businesses to take action to reduce the devastating economic consequences of this disease by learning about their workforce, engaging their employees, and making purchasing decisions that will encourage better health choices," said Dana Haza, senior director of the National Changing Diabetes(R) Program. "If companies can help their employees learn how to better manage their health, businesses can potentially cut down on their own healthcare spending while improving the quality of life of those who work for them."

At a Forbes Innovation in Healthcare forum sponsored by Novo Nordisk's National Changing Diabetes(R) Program today, top executives from large employers in the U.S. discussed the critical role of business in addressing the diabetes crisis and protecting the health of our nation's current and future workforce.

"Novo Nordisk is committed to defeating diabetes, but we can't do it alone. We started the National Changing Diabetes(R) Program to bring together the many different groups and organizations it will take to beat this disease," said Jerzy Gruhn, president of Novo Nordisk Inc., the world leader in diabetes care. "As the leading source of healthcare for Americans, businesses have the ability to change the direction of diabetes by tailoring benefits toward prevention, education and access to treatment."

The National Diabetes Economic Barometer is the second in a series of studies that comprise NCDP's National Diabetes Triple Barometer, a research program to benchmark the current societal, economic and clinical state of diabetes in the United States.

More information about the National Diabetes Economic Barometer and the National Changing Diabetes(R) Program is available online at www.ncdp.com.

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