A new study shows that the reuse of some well-known non-competitive sleep aids can be very dangerous for your long-term health. This may increase the tendency to use natural sleep aids. According to a new study by Indiana University Medical School, traditional over-the-counter sleep aids adversely affect the brain, causing long-term cognitive impairment. In a six-year study, more than 1600 African-Americans over 70 years of age were evaluated. Their over-the-counter and prescription drugs were tracked.
The results were staggering. They found that taking one anticholinergic drug increases the risk of developing moderate cognitive impairment in a person, including gradual memory loss. Taking two of them doubled the risk! In other words, if you consume these medicines, you literally destroy your brain. Next, the researchers will focus on finding out whether the violation can be reversible or whether it remains permanent.
What are anticholinergic drugs? You can find them at a local pharmacy under the brands Benadryl, Dramamine, Excedrin PM, Nytol, Sominex, Tylenol PM and Unisom. Prescription versions include Paxil, Detro, Demerol and Elavil.
Even the most common side effect - memory loss - is not the only danger. In fact, another active ingredient in Tylenol PM, acetaminophen (a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic or NSAID) is considered to be the main cause of liver failure in the United States. Acetaminophen is responsible for 56,000 visits to the emergency room and 456 deaths annually, according to studies from 1990 to 1998.
Acetaminophen is one of the most common pharmaceutical agents involved in an overdose, as reported by the American Association of Poison Control Centers. In the United States, acetaminophen has replaced viral hepatitis as the most common cause of acute liver failure, and this is the second most common cause of liver failure, requiring transplantation in the United States.
It is obvious that acetaminophen is not a bad drug. Most ambulance visits are caused by overdose problems. People tend to combine different preparations containing the same active ingredient, not realizing that this can lead to a life-threatening situation.
Are natural sleep aids safe? Categorically, yes. None of the commonly used ingredients in natural sleep products has made it to the recently published list of dangerous food additives compiled by Consumer Reports. It is not surprising that people turn to the natural means of sleep in order to find a permanent and healthy solution to their random sleep problems.
The most common natural sleep aid is melatonin, a natural hormone. Circulating melatonin levels change throughout the day. When it gets dark, the pineal gland of your brain begins to melatonin sect and that helps you get tired and sleep. Melatonin has very few potential side effects, but they are rare and small compared to memory loss or liver damage. Various scientific studies have shown that melatonin causes very little if there are any side effects in the short term (three months or less). In larger doses of more than three milligrams, some people have mild side effects, such as headaches or morning silence.
But melatonin is not the only natural help for sleep. In fact, you should find a natural sleep product that contains at least ten active ingredients. What for? If you take only melatonin, it may be easier for you to sleep, but melatonin wears out quickly and helps you sleep very little.
Similarly, chamomile extract contains a flavonoid, called chrysin, which is usually attributed to the ability of chamomile to treat anxiety. In other words, each natural component targets only one part of your sleep. The more ingredients, the more synergistic and effective solution that you have for your individual sleep problem, and a full sleep.
When choosing a natural dream, make sure you find it with indium sulfate. It is a rare but powerful mineral mineral that seems to work with your HPA complex of your brain, the sleep center. This is where indium sulphate regulates hormones that can potentially affect sleep, such as epinefin, epinephrine and cortisol. It turns the HPA-complex into a state of homeostat or perfect balance, which allows you to completely relax and promote deep and peaceful sleep.
