The 10 main causes of restless leg syndrome and how to heal them naturally.
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a very common
condition where you feel unpleasant and irritating sensations in the legs.
You will have a very strong urge to fidget
and move the legs and this usually occurs late in afternoon or at night.
RLS is also known as Willis-Ekbom Disease
and can make it very hard to rest or fall asleep at night.
In today's video we will share with you the
10 main causes of restless leg syndrome and how to cure them naturally.
1. Vitamin B1 Deficiency
The root cause of restless legs is usually a vitamin B1 deficiency, also known as thiamine.
This nutrient is very important for regulating
the small energy factories in your cells known as the mitochondria.
If you don't have enough B1 then your body
won't produce enough ATP which is used for muscle contraction, nerves and energy transfer.
The best source of vitamin B1 is nutritional
yeast. You can get this in flakes for cooking with or get tablets from health food stores.
Taking this usually cures restless legs in 1-2 days.
2. Refined Carbs
Every time you consume sugar or refined carbohydrates your body has to use up its stores of B1 to
break them down.
Refined carbs and sugary foods like soda drinks, biscuits, fruit juices, bread, biscuits, pasta,
cereal, cakes and cookies will all deplete your B1 levels, triggering restless leg syndrome
especially at night.
Cut back on these junk foods and consume pasture raised eggs on a daily basis. These are a
great source of protein and natural fats to keep you full.
We also recommend eating dark leafy green
salads each day to raise your potassium levels. Potassium helps to get rid of cravings for
sugary foods.
3. Energy Drinks Avoid artificial energy drinks at all costs,
as these cause some major damage to the nerve cells in the body.
These cause muscle weakness and also deplete
B1 levels d vue to their high sugar and caffeine, so be sure to cut these out of the diet.
Energy drinks raise the stress hormone called
cortisol which causes muscle tissue to weaken, break down and be converted to sugar and body
fat.
You can repair the damage from energy drinks by consuming nutritional yeast for B vitamins,
Swiss chard for potassium and pumpkin seeds for magnesium.
4. Low Stomach Acid
If you suffer with indigestion, heartburn, bloating or acid reflux then you have a condition
called low stomach acid.
This is very common with age as the stomach gets weaker and too alkaline as we get older
You need a strong acidic stomach with a low
Ph. to absorb minerals like magnesium and potassium from your food.
Both of these minerals are important in regulating
muscle contractions and strengthening the nervous system.
If you have this problem, simply take 1-2
apple cider vinegar capsules before a meal to strengthen the stomach and absorb these
important minerals from your food.
5. Potassium Deficiency Fluid retention in the body can put pressure
on the muscle tissues and nerves which may be causing restless leg syndrome.
Eating potassium rich foods like avocado,
beet tops and Swiss chard helps to balance fluid levels and relieve this pressure.
A recent study showed that consuming high
amounts of potassium citrate also relieves restless leg syndrome.
You can get this in powdered form from health
food stores and drink in a glass of water. The human body needs an average of 4700mg
of potassium per day.
6. Lower Back Problems If you have lower back pain, tightness or
muscular problems in the back then this may be the cause of your restless legs. These
structural issues with the body may be pinching or compressing the nerves which leads to RLS.
If you suffer with this visit a chiropractor
or acupressure specialist to help unlock the muscles and relieve your pain. Gentle stretches
every day and exercises like swimming can help to unlock these muscles and allow them
to become more flexible.
This will help your mobility, improve nerve impulses and blood flow to the legs .
7. Medications
There are many medications which are known to make restless leg syndrome worse, especially
anti-acid tablets. These weaken the stomach which prevents you from absorbing potassium,
magnesium and other minerals.
Apple cider vinegar is a great alternative to antacids and actually heals the underlying
problem of GERD, acid reflux, bloating and digestive issues.
Anti-nausea meds, antipsychotics, cold and
allergy medications, diabetes medication, antihistamines, antidepressants and none steroid
pain relief meds may also have side effects of restless leg syndrome.
You can find lots of natural remedies for
health problems in our other videos, but always consult a doctor before abandoning any medications.
8. White Rice
White rice is a refined version of brown rice, where they have removed the outer hull, leaving
only the pure carbohydrate.
Unfortunately this outer hull is where the B Vitamins are stored which would have helped
your body to process the carbs in the rice.
For this reason, eating white rice causes a B1 deficiency, leading to restless legs.
We recommend switching to Wild Rice, a much
healthier variety which still contains the hull and more fibre.
9. Electrolyte Imbalance
If you have restless leg syndrome once in a while, this can simply be an electrolyte
imbalance. You may have consumed too much water, exercised a little too hard or have
simply been eating low quality foods. Foods which are pasteurised in tin cans and ready
meals contain no b1, as the heating process destroys it.
Simply consume leafy green salads with high
quality vegetables, like asparagus, kale, bok choy, spinach and arugula to boost your
electrolytes. These will boost your magnesium, potassium and calcium levels.
Alternatively you can purchase a good quality
electrolyte powder and drink in a glass of water to boost your mineral intake.
10. Pregnancy
Many women suffer with restless leg syndrome, especially in the last trimester of pregnancy.
This is yet again a thiamine or B1 deficiency which may also increase the risk of toxaemia.
Get more B1 into the diet from pork, nutritional yeast, sunflower seeds, and beef liver if
you have this problem.
As you can see there are many causes of restless leg syndrome, which are mostly linked to a
vitamin B1 deficiency.
We highly recommend consuming nutritional yeast and beef liver to supply your body with
a range of B vitamins. The entire Vitamin B complex from B1 to B12 are very important
for a healthy nervous system, metabolism and muscle function.
Always look for a high-quality yeast which
contains no fortified vitamins. Brewer's yeast is a close second to nutritional yeast and
will also reduce restless legs.
If you are elderly, have had a gastric bypass or are diabetic, you must take supplements
to raise your B1 levels.
Consuming too much alcohol is also linked to restless legs, as this also depletes B
vitamins. Cut back on this and switch to Kombucha tea for the same calming effects.
You can also strengthen your stomach by consuming
apple cider vinegar or betaine HCL tablets on a daily basis. These bring the Ph level
of the stomach back down to its normal level of acidity which also cures acid reflux and
GERD.
Last but not least, drinking chamomile tea at night can help to relax the body and muscles.
This tea reduces stress hormones in the body and help calm the nervous system for a better
night's sleep.
To learn more about natural remedies and nutrition, please see our other videos.
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