A little taurine can ensure healthy sleep

Like melatonin and GABA, taurine is manufactured in the body. Taurine is a non-essential amino acid produced by the body through the synthesis of two other amino acids, methionine and cysteine. It performs many functions ... It regulates heartbeat; maintains the stability of cell membranes; transports calcium in and out of cells; and regulates the activity of brain cells.

It is in the brain that taurine assists with sleep. Taurine supports brain neurotransmitters and helps regulate the release of melatonin and GABA in the brain. If your taurine levels get too low, it may cause anxiety, epilepsy, hyperactivity and poor brain function. On the other hand, sufficient taurine levels are believed to contribute to a feeling of calmness, essential to restful sleep.⁸

Harvest a good night’s sleep with relaxing herbs

One of the most common issues affecting sleep is anxiety. If you can calm your nervous system with natural, time tested herbal remedies prior to going to bed, you can reduce the affects of anxiety and get a healthy night’s sleep. Here are three herbs that have proven stress and anxiety relieving properties:

Passion Flower Extract (Passiflora incarnata) was used by Native American Indians as a sedative and sleep aid.
Today, it is revered by herbalists the world over for its sedative and tranquilizing abilities and is approved by the German Commission E in the treatment of insomnia and nervousness.

In addition to passion flower’s traditional use for depression and nervous disorders—including gastrointestinal complaints of nervous origin—it is also used to relieve tension headaches, muscle aches and spasms, pain, hyperactivity, insomnia, epilepsy, to alleviate anger, and help lower blood pressure. Although it is a central nervous system depressant, it does not leave people feeling groggy or drugged.

Many herbalists recommend passion flower for treating Parkinson’s disease because of its antispasmodic compounds.¹⁰ Passion flower can also be very effective in relieving nerve pain such as neuralgia and shingles (a viral infection of the nerve endings).

Magnolia Extract (Magnolia officinalis) from the Magnolia tree contains potent antioxidants, and is a powerful non-addictive antidepressant that alleviates stress and anxiety, without the tranquilizing side effects of drugs. When we suffer from stress, anxiety, or depression, it’s common to have trouble falling asleep, and staying asleep. In fact, insomnia is strongly connected with clinical depression and may even be depression’s first recognizable symptom.

Magnolia extract takes the edge off, and improves quality of life … without the risk of side effects you might get from a pharmaceutical antidepressant. Dozens of animal studies have shown that it acts as a non-addictive, anxiolytic (antianxiety and anti-stress) agent at low doses.¹⁰¹¹

Bacopa monniera—named Brahmi in the Ayurvedic texts, probably for Lord Brahma, the Hindu creator of the world and originator of Ayurveda—is recognized as a powerful brain enhancer.¹²

It is still considered to be the greatest herb in Ayurveda for treating age-related mental decline, as well as for improving cognitive processes, including comprehension, memory and recall. It also enhances the crucial coordination of these three aspects of mental functioning, and helps increase one’s ability to solve problems.
For four weeks, 35 patients were treated for anxiety neurosis. After treatment they were assessed for clinical anxiety levels, maladjustment levels, mental fatigue rate, and immediate memory span. The patients who took bacopa had a 20% reduction in anxiety levels. Their maladjustment and mental fatigue were significantly lower than before treatment, and their immediate memory-span scores were significantly increased.

In other words, bacopa improved memory and productivity by reducing anxiety and related problems.¹³ A number of compounds have been identified in bacopa, including bacosides A and B, two chemicals that improve the transmission of impulses between nerve cells in the brain.14 These bacosides regenerate synapses and repair damaged neurons, making it easier to learn and remember new information. Bacopa also increases serotonin levels, a neurotransmitter that promotes sleep and relaxation.

Give your body what it needs to sleep

Healthy sleep is a natural part of life and the lack of it can shorten yours. By giving your body the natural sleep inducers it needs—melatonin, GABA, and taurine—and naturally reducing stress and anxiety with proven medicinal herbs like passion flower, magnolia, and bacopa, you will go a long way toward getting the healthful sleep you need. 

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References

Articles of Interest from Smart Publications Health & Wellness Update

• The Health Benefits of Melatonin are More Than Just a Good Night’s Sleep!
• Low Melatonin Levels May Increase Breast Cancer Risk In Women!
• Relieve Stress with Honokiol and Magnolol from Magnolia Extract!
• Protect Your Heart by Reducing Stress and Cortisol Levels with Magnolia Extract!
• Passion Flower Extract Does Wonders for Stress, Anxiety and Insomnia!
• Natural GABA Can Help You Sleep!
• Fight Insomnia with Melatonin, Magnolia and other Natural Sleep Aids!