Medicine and the Food Industry are businesses.
Is their goal to make/keep me healthy or to make more profit?
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Saturday, 5 April 2008
Tuesday, 26 June 2007
Cancer Resarch Update from John Hopkins Hospital
1. No plastic containers in microwave.
2. No water bottles in freezer.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave.
Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This
information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as
well.
Dioxin chemicals causes cancer, especially breast cancer.
Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze
your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from
the plastic.
Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle
Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked
about dioxins and how bad they are for us.
He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using
plastic containers.
This especially applies to foods that contain fat.
He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases
dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body.
Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or
ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only
without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and
soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in
something else.
Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer
to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc.
He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved
away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the
reasons.
Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as
dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the
food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt
out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food.
Cover food with a paper towel instead.
This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life!
2. No water bottles in freezer.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave.
Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This
information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as
well.
Dioxin chemicals causes cancer, especially breast cancer.
Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze
your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from
the plastic.
Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle
Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked
about dioxins and how bad they are for us.
He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using
plastic containers.
This especially applies to foods that contain fat.
He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases
dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body.
Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or
ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only
without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and
soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in
something else.
Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer
to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc.
He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved
away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the
reasons.
Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as
dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the
food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt
out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food.
Cover food with a paper towel instead.
This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life!
Thursday, 31 May 2007
Soft Drinks May Damage Your DNA
The Independent is reporting new findings that indicate a common additive called sodium benzoate, found in soft drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max among others, has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA in a cell's mitochondria. From the article: 'The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy and if you damage it - as happens in a number of diseased states - then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously. And there is a whole array of diseases that are now being tied to damage to this DNA - Parkinson's and quite a lot of neuro-degenerative diseases, but above all the whole process of aging.' European Union MPs are now calling for an urgent investigation in the wake of these alarming new findings.
http://news.independent.co.uk/health/article2586653.ece
http://news.independent.co.uk/health/article2586653.ece
Wednesday, 30 May 2007
WATER – the world’s simplest (and cheapest) cure
what the drugs companies maybe hope you don’t get to hear about!
From the book:
"Your Body's Many Cries for Water"
AMAZING SECRETS FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Cure # 1: Water prevents and cures heartburn.
Heartburn is a signal of water shortage in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. It is a major thirst signal of the human body. The use of antacids or tablet medications in the treatment of this pain does not correct dehydration, and the body continues to suffer as a result of its water shortage.
Tragedy: Not recognizing heartburn as a sign of dehydration and treating it with antacids and pill medications will, in time, produce inflammation of the stomach and duodenum, hiatal hernia, ulceration, and eventually cancers in the gastrointestinal tract, including the liver and pancreas.
Cure # 2: Water prevents and cures arthritis.
Rheumatoid joint pain - arthritis - is a signal of water shortage in the painful joint. It can affect the young as well as the old. The use of pain-killers does not cure the problem, but exposes the person to further damage from pain medications. Intake of water and small amounts of salt will cure this problem.
Cure # 3: Water prevents and cures back pain.
Low back pain and ankylosing arthritis of the spine are signs of water shortage in the spinal column and discs - the water cushions that support the weight of the body. These conditions should be treated with increased water intake - not a commercial treatment, but a very effective one.
Tragedy: Not recognizing arthritis and low back pain as signs of dehydration in the joint cavities and treating them with pain-killers, manipulation, acupuncture, and eventually surgery will, in time, produce osteoarthritis when the cartilage cells in the joints have eventually all died. It will produce deformity of the spine. It will produce crippling deformities of the limbs. Pain medications have their own life-threatening complications.
Cure # 4: Water prevents and cures angina.
Heart pain - angina - is a sign of water shortage in the heart/lung axis. It should be treated with increased water intake until the patient is free of pain and independent of medications. Medical supervision is prudent. However, increased water intake is angina's cure.
Cure # 5: Water prevents and cures migraines.
Migraine headache is a sign of water need by the brain and the eyes. It will totally clear up if dehydration is prevented from establishing in the body. The type of dehydration that causes migraine might eventually cause inflammation of the back of the eye and possibly loss of eye sight.
Cure #6: Water prevents and cures colitis.
Colitis pain is a signal of water shortage in the large gut. It is associated with constipation because the large intestine constricts to squeeze the last drop of water from the excrements - thus the lack of water lubrication.
Tragedy: Not recognizing colitis pain as a sign of dehydration will cause persistent constipation. Later in life, it will cause fecal impacting: it can cause diverticulitis, hemorrhoids and polyps, and appreciably increases the possibility of developing cancer of the colon and rectum.
Cure # 7: Water and salt prevent and cure asthma.
Asthma, which also affects 14 million children and kills several thousand of them every year, is a complication of dehydration in the body. It is caused by the drought management programs of the body. In asthma free passage of air is obstructed so that water does not leave the body in the form of vapor - the winter steam. Increased water intake will prevent asthma attacks. Asthmatics need also to take more salt to break the mucus plugs in the lungs that obstruct the free flow of air in and out of the air sacs.
Tragedy: Not recognizing asthma as the indicator of dehydration in the body of a growing child not only will sentence many thousands of children to die every year, but will permit irreversible genetic damage to establish in the remaining 14 million asthmatic children.
Cure # 8: Water prevents and cures high blood pressure.
Hypertension is a state of adaptation of the body to a generalized drought, when there is not enough water to fill all the blood vessels that diffuse water into vital cells. As part of the mechanism of reverse osmosis, when water from the blood serum is filtered and injected into important cells through minute holes in their membranes, extra pressure is needed for the "injection process." Just as we inject I.V. "water" in hospitals, so the body injects water into tens of trillions of cells all at the same time. Water and some salt intake will bring blood pressure back to normal!
Tragedy: Not recognizing hypertension as one of the major indicators of dehydration in the human body, and treating it with diuretics that further dehydrate the body will, in time, cause blockage by cholesterol of the heart arteries and the arteries that go to the brain. It will cause heart attacks and small or massive strokes that paralyze. It will eventually cause kidney disease. It will cause brain damage and neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease.
Cure # 9: Water prevents and cures early adult-onset diabetes.
Adult-onset diabetes is another adaptive state to severe dehydration of the human body. To have adequate water in circulation and for the brain's priority water needs, the release of insulin is inhibited to prevent insulin from pushing water into all body cells. In diabetes, only some cells get survival rations of water. Water and some salt will reverse adult-onset diabetes in its early stages.
Tragedy: Not recognizing adult-onset diabetes as a complication of dehydration will, in time, cause massive damage to the blood vessels all over the body. It will cause eventual loss of the toes, feet and legs from gangrene. It will cause eye damage, even blindness.
Cure # 10: Water lowers blood cholesterol.
High cholesterol levels are an indicator of early drought management by the body. Cholesterol is a clay-like material that is poured in the gaps of some cell membranes to safeguard them against losing their vital water content to the osmotically more powerful blood circulating in their vicinity. Cholesterol, apart from being used to manufacture nerve cell membranes and hormones, is also used as a "shield" against water taxation of other vital cells that would normally exchange water through their cell membranes.
Cure # 11: Water cures depression, loss of libido, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy.
These conditions are caused by prolonged chronic dehydration. They will clear up once the body becomes well and regularly hydrated. In these conditions, exercising one's muscles should be part of the treatment program.
For More Information, Read the Book:
Your Body's Many Cries for Water.
by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.
From the book:
"Your Body's Many Cries for Water"
AMAZING SECRETS FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Cure # 1: Water prevents and cures heartburn.
Heartburn is a signal of water shortage in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. It is a major thirst signal of the human body. The use of antacids or tablet medications in the treatment of this pain does not correct dehydration, and the body continues to suffer as a result of its water shortage.
Tragedy: Not recognizing heartburn as a sign of dehydration and treating it with antacids and pill medications will, in time, produce inflammation of the stomach and duodenum, hiatal hernia, ulceration, and eventually cancers in the gastrointestinal tract, including the liver and pancreas.
Cure # 2: Water prevents and cures arthritis.
Rheumatoid joint pain - arthritis - is a signal of water shortage in the painful joint. It can affect the young as well as the old. The use of pain-killers does not cure the problem, but exposes the person to further damage from pain medications. Intake of water and small amounts of salt will cure this problem.
Cure # 3: Water prevents and cures back pain.
Low back pain and ankylosing arthritis of the spine are signs of water shortage in the spinal column and discs - the water cushions that support the weight of the body. These conditions should be treated with increased water intake - not a commercial treatment, but a very effective one.
Tragedy: Not recognizing arthritis and low back pain as signs of dehydration in the joint cavities and treating them with pain-killers, manipulation, acupuncture, and eventually surgery will, in time, produce osteoarthritis when the cartilage cells in the joints have eventually all died. It will produce deformity of the spine. It will produce crippling deformities of the limbs. Pain medications have their own life-threatening complications.
Cure # 4: Water prevents and cures angina.
Heart pain - angina - is a sign of water shortage in the heart/lung axis. It should be treated with increased water intake until the patient is free of pain and independent of medications. Medical supervision is prudent. However, increased water intake is angina's cure.
Cure # 5: Water prevents and cures migraines.
Migraine headache is a sign of water need by the brain and the eyes. It will totally clear up if dehydration is prevented from establishing in the body. The type of dehydration that causes migraine might eventually cause inflammation of the back of the eye and possibly loss of eye sight.
Cure #6: Water prevents and cures colitis.
Colitis pain is a signal of water shortage in the large gut. It is associated with constipation because the large intestine constricts to squeeze the last drop of water from the excrements - thus the lack of water lubrication.
Tragedy: Not recognizing colitis pain as a sign of dehydration will cause persistent constipation. Later in life, it will cause fecal impacting: it can cause diverticulitis, hemorrhoids and polyps, and appreciably increases the possibility of developing cancer of the colon and rectum.
Cure # 7: Water and salt prevent and cure asthma.
Asthma, which also affects 14 million children and kills several thousand of them every year, is a complication of dehydration in the body. It is caused by the drought management programs of the body. In asthma free passage of air is obstructed so that water does not leave the body in the form of vapor - the winter steam. Increased water intake will prevent asthma attacks. Asthmatics need also to take more salt to break the mucus plugs in the lungs that obstruct the free flow of air in and out of the air sacs.
Tragedy: Not recognizing asthma as the indicator of dehydration in the body of a growing child not only will sentence many thousands of children to die every year, but will permit irreversible genetic damage to establish in the remaining 14 million asthmatic children.
Cure # 8: Water prevents and cures high blood pressure.
Hypertension is a state of adaptation of the body to a generalized drought, when there is not enough water to fill all the blood vessels that diffuse water into vital cells. As part of the mechanism of reverse osmosis, when water from the blood serum is filtered and injected into important cells through minute holes in their membranes, extra pressure is needed for the "injection process." Just as we inject I.V. "water" in hospitals, so the body injects water into tens of trillions of cells all at the same time. Water and some salt intake will bring blood pressure back to normal!
Tragedy: Not recognizing hypertension as one of the major indicators of dehydration in the human body, and treating it with diuretics that further dehydrate the body will, in time, cause blockage by cholesterol of the heart arteries and the arteries that go to the brain. It will cause heart attacks and small or massive strokes that paralyze. It will eventually cause kidney disease. It will cause brain damage and neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease.
Cure # 9: Water prevents and cures early adult-onset diabetes.
Adult-onset diabetes is another adaptive state to severe dehydration of the human body. To have adequate water in circulation and for the brain's priority water needs, the release of insulin is inhibited to prevent insulin from pushing water into all body cells. In diabetes, only some cells get survival rations of water. Water and some salt will reverse adult-onset diabetes in its early stages.
Tragedy: Not recognizing adult-onset diabetes as a complication of dehydration will, in time, cause massive damage to the blood vessels all over the body. It will cause eventual loss of the toes, feet and legs from gangrene. It will cause eye damage, even blindness.
Cure # 10: Water lowers blood cholesterol.
High cholesterol levels are an indicator of early drought management by the body. Cholesterol is a clay-like material that is poured in the gaps of some cell membranes to safeguard them against losing their vital water content to the osmotically more powerful blood circulating in their vicinity. Cholesterol, apart from being used to manufacture nerve cell membranes and hormones, is also used as a "shield" against water taxation of other vital cells that would normally exchange water through their cell membranes.
Cure # 11: Water cures depression, loss of libido, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy.
These conditions are caused by prolonged chronic dehydration. They will clear up once the body becomes well and regularly hydrated. In these conditions, exercising one's muscles should be part of the treatment program.
For More Information, Read the Book:
Your Body's Many Cries for Water.
by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.
Tuesday, 29 May 2007
driving and back pain
useful advice on driving to avoid back pain:
Whether driving a car, a bus, or a truck or even as a passenger you could be suffering driving-related back pain.
This information has been used by Hong Kong Govt. (Taxi Services) and a number of companies in USA.
Effects of Driving
We are all different and everyone varies in terms of size, weight and shape. The length of our arms and legs and the natural curves of the spine are unique to each individual.
We need to ensure, therefore, that our cars seats are adjusted to suit our own particular requirements. It is important that you look after your back in every aspect of your driving. Both the driver and the passenger can stiffen up in a car during a long trip. While sitting for a long time in a fixed position it is extremely important for the passenger to alter his/her position from time to time and sit with knees bent and thighs level. Moving regularly avoiding sitting with legs crossed allows one to be most comfortable.
For drivers and passengers it is good to stop regularly, especially if feeling tired. A good stretch, ideally once every few hours, bringing your knees right up to your chest gives the whole of the body a bit of a wake up.
Back pain It is very important to choose a car with an adjustable lumber support. Otherwise a wedge shape cushion is another way of ensuring that the pelvis is higher than the knees allowing the back to be in a more relaxed position.
An automatic car is obviously better with someone who has a weak back as pushing the clutch increases pressure on the back.
Choose a car with a higher kerb height to make getting in and out less of a strain on the spine.
Power steering also lessens the stress on the back.
Driving can cause:
* Neck pain
* Eyestrain
* Headache
* Wrist pain
* Back ache
* Hip pain
* Knee/foot and ankle pain
Is your car right for you? The driver should place both hands together, pointing forwards. If the steering wheel is not offset then the driver is pointing straight at the centre of the wheel. The danger of having an offset wheel is that most drivers end to rotate the middle of the spine to compensate for its position, producing long term back strain.
When the seat is in the normal position make a fist with the left hand keeping the thumb to the side of the index finger. You should be able to put the fist on the crown of the head. If you are only just able to put the flat of the hand between the roof and the head then there is not enough headroom. The driver is then very likely to compensate for this lack of height by slouching in the seat, which then strains the back and thighs.
Looking down at the legs when you have both hands evenly placed on the steering wheel, you should be able to see equal amounts of both legs between the arms. The left leg is often seen but the other will be obscured by the right arm. This may mean that the shoulder girdle is rotated to the left in relation to the pelvis.
After having driven the car awhile look down and check the position of your right leg. Is it elevated above the level of the left leg or has it rotated towards the edge of the seat? Is the right foot in line with the thigh in the correct position or has it had to move across towards the middle of the car?
What to do when driving: Adjust the car seats to suit your posture and always make sure that you keep the seat fairly upright and slightly leaning backwards.
Adjust the headrest so that the centre of it is level with your eyes. If it is to low then more trauma can result after an accident.
Adjust the seat belt properly making sure you use it at all times. Children also need to be checked thoroughly with appropriate cushions if necessary.
Lifting unnecessary weights should be avoided. Be very careful when loading and unloading and always remember to lift correctly.
First sit down when getting into the car and then swing the legs in. Move the seat back and then swing your legs out on getting out. Get out if you need to get bags from the rear seat and avoid reaching over from the front seat.
Rotating and lifting the shoulders to the ears before lowering them with an out breath is a good way of letting muscle tension go and relaxing more.
Whether driving a car, a bus, or a truck or even as a passenger you could be suffering driving-related back pain. In all these cases chiropractic care including very simple exercises can help.
www.parsons-chiro.co.uk
Whether driving a car, a bus, or a truck or even as a passenger you could be suffering driving-related back pain.
This information has been used by Hong Kong Govt. (Taxi Services) and a number of companies in USA.
Effects of Driving
We are all different and everyone varies in terms of size, weight and shape. The length of our arms and legs and the natural curves of the spine are unique to each individual.
We need to ensure, therefore, that our cars seats are adjusted to suit our own particular requirements. It is important that you look after your back in every aspect of your driving. Both the driver and the passenger can stiffen up in a car during a long trip. While sitting for a long time in a fixed position it is extremely important for the passenger to alter his/her position from time to time and sit with knees bent and thighs level. Moving regularly avoiding sitting with legs crossed allows one to be most comfortable.
For drivers and passengers it is good to stop regularly, especially if feeling tired. A good stretch, ideally once every few hours, bringing your knees right up to your chest gives the whole of the body a bit of a wake up.
Back pain It is very important to choose a car with an adjustable lumber support. Otherwise a wedge shape cushion is another way of ensuring that the pelvis is higher than the knees allowing the back to be in a more relaxed position.
An automatic car is obviously better with someone who has a weak back as pushing the clutch increases pressure on the back.
Choose a car with a higher kerb height to make getting in and out less of a strain on the spine.
Power steering also lessens the stress on the back.
Driving can cause:
* Neck pain
* Eyestrain
* Headache
* Wrist pain
* Back ache
* Hip pain
* Knee/foot and ankle pain
Is your car right for you? The driver should place both hands together, pointing forwards. If the steering wheel is not offset then the driver is pointing straight at the centre of the wheel. The danger of having an offset wheel is that most drivers end to rotate the middle of the spine to compensate for its position, producing long term back strain.
When the seat is in the normal position make a fist with the left hand keeping the thumb to the side of the index finger. You should be able to put the fist on the crown of the head. If you are only just able to put the flat of the hand between the roof and the head then there is not enough headroom. The driver is then very likely to compensate for this lack of height by slouching in the seat, which then strains the back and thighs.
Looking down at the legs when you have both hands evenly placed on the steering wheel, you should be able to see equal amounts of both legs between the arms. The left leg is often seen but the other will be obscured by the right arm. This may mean that the shoulder girdle is rotated to the left in relation to the pelvis.
After having driven the car awhile look down and check the position of your right leg. Is it elevated above the level of the left leg or has it rotated towards the edge of the seat? Is the right foot in line with the thigh in the correct position or has it had to move across towards the middle of the car?
What to do when driving: Adjust the car seats to suit your posture and always make sure that you keep the seat fairly upright and slightly leaning backwards.
Adjust the headrest so that the centre of it is level with your eyes. If it is to low then more trauma can result after an accident.
Adjust the seat belt properly making sure you use it at all times. Children also need to be checked thoroughly with appropriate cushions if necessary.
Lifting unnecessary weights should be avoided. Be very careful when loading and unloading and always remember to lift correctly.
First sit down when getting into the car and then swing the legs in. Move the seat back and then swing your legs out on getting out. Get out if you need to get bags from the rear seat and avoid reaching over from the front seat.
Rotating and lifting the shoulders to the ears before lowering them with an out breath is a good way of letting muscle tension go and relaxing more.
Whether driving a car, a bus, or a truck or even as a passenger you could be suffering driving-related back pain. In all these cases chiropractic care including very simple exercises can help.
www.parsons-chiro.co.uk
Monday, 28 May 2007
depression and magnesium
good article on magnesium supplementation curing depression:(follow link on the left of the page)
http://george-eby-research.com
http://george-eby-research.com
Sunday, 27 May 2007
eye exercises - easy!
If you need to perform eye exercises to improve your vision try a few simple ones that can be accomplished at any time (not while driving!).
To un-strain the eyes, simply place your palms over the eyes causing total darkness without physically touching the eyeball itself. Close the eyes and look upwards, then straight ahead, as far as you can to the right and then back to centre, look straight down and back to centre then look as far as you can to the left before looking back at the starting point.
Alternatively, hold a pencil straight in front of you at arm’s length. Focus your eyes on the tip and slowly move the pencil toward the face until it touches the nose before moving it back to the starting point. Always keep the tip in focus and eventually your eye muscles could improve in strength and vision.
To un-strain the eyes, simply place your palms over the eyes causing total darkness without physically touching the eyeball itself. Close the eyes and look upwards, then straight ahead, as far as you can to the right and then back to centre, look straight down and back to centre then look as far as you can to the left before looking back at the starting point.
Alternatively, hold a pencil straight in front of you at arm’s length. Focus your eyes on the tip and slowly move the pencil toward the face until it touches the nose before moving it back to the starting point. Always keep the tip in focus and eventually your eye muscles could improve in strength and vision.
Friday, 25 May 2007
Are You Magnesium Deficient?
According to Bette L. Hall CMA, NHC :
Over 300 biochemical reactions in the body depend on magnesium and it is known for its healing effects. Deficiencies in magnesium leave people vulnerable to developing acute and chronic conditions due to not getting the minerals needed from their daily food intake.
Magnesium is a crucial nutrient when it comes to proper body functioning. Magnesium ions play a major role in cellular function and strongly influence cardiovascular and neuromuscular excitability.
How do you know if your body is deprived of this valuable nutrient? These signs can be indicators of magnesium deficiency:
Cardiac Arrhthmias: Irregular heart beat, palpitations.
Leg Cramps and foot cramps that are especially bothersome at night.
Tremors: Tremors usually involve the hands, but can sometimes the head, face, voice, and legs.
Anxiety
Muscle Weakness: Lack of strength
Chronic Fatigue: Overwhelming exhaustion both mentally and physically.
Depression: Sadness, fear, hopelessness.
In a clinical trial involving thirty-two (32) patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, fifteen (15) were given magnesium and seventeen (17) were given water. Twelve (12) of the (15) patients who received the magnesium saw improvement in their energy levels, sleep patterns, and physical mobility.
This metallic element is not readily available in foods, therefore magnesium supplementation could help prevent high blood pressure and the other indicators listed above.
Magnesium supplementation can help people avoid serious disease or recover from ones they already have. There are many reasons, scientific studies, and professional medical and scientific data that sustain this statement.
A study documented in the International Journal of Cardiology in 1996 found that taking 600 mg of magnesium daily lowered the systolic blood pressure by almost 8 points and the diastolic pressure by almost 4 points.
It is difficult to get enough magnesium from the diet. In 1900 the average American diet consisted of approximately 450 mg of magnesium per day. By the year 2000, that figure dropped to about 200 mg of magnesium each day.
Featured Editorial from Life Extension Magazine, Sept. 2005:
How Many Americans Are Magnesium Deficient?
Complete Book by
Dr. Mildred S. Seelig:
Magnesium Deficiency in the Pathogenesis
of Disease
The legal battle for recognition of the importance of dietary magnesium:
Legal documents
Healthy Water Association
HWA Button Healthy Water Association--USA
AHWA Button Arab Healthy Water Associatio
Four recent magazine articles on the subject of magnesium
•72% of Americans are magnesium-deficient. (heart disease, diabetes, leg cramps)
•Magnesium boosts energy, benefits athletes. (athletes, chronic fatigue syndrome)
•Magnesium, B vitamins benefit CFS patients. (chronic fatigue syndrome)
•Magnesium can help with energy, depression. (depression, schizophrenia, psychiatric disorders)
72% of Americans are magnesium-deficient.
v57, Better Nutrition for Today's Living, March '95, p34.
A recent survey conducted by The Gallup Organization has found that 72 percent of adult Americans are falling short of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for magnesium.
The survey further revealed that 55 percent of all adults are consuming three-quarters or less of the RDA, while 30 percent are eating less than half the required amount of the mineral.
The survey also reported that magnesium consumption decreases as we age, with 79 percent of adults 55 and over reportedly eating below the RDA for magnesium, and 66 percent are getting less than three-quarters of their allowamce from food.
Food sources of magnesium include wheat germ, wheat bran, brewer's yeast, nuts, peanuts, soybeans, whole-grain oats and barley, millet, corn and beet greens.
For males 19 and over, the RDA for magnesium is 350 mg/day. For females 19 and over, RDA is 280 mg/day. The RDA for pregnant women is 320 mg/day; and for breast-feeding women, 355 mg/day for the first six months and 360 mg/day for the second six months.
"A potential magnesium deficiency is a matter of concern for many individuals of all ages, but for the elderly, it could be particularly serious," said Richard Rivlin, M.D., program director of the Clinical Nutrition Research Unit at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and chief of the Nutrition Division at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center.
"The prevalence of heart disease, diabetes and even leg cramps increases dramatically among older persons, and these are all health conditions in which magnesium deficiency has been found," Rivlin observed.
He added that, "The Gallup Survey showed a high general awareness of the importance of nutrients such as vitamin C and calcium. But it is clear that consumers are largely unaware of the role of magnesium - a nutrient that is essential for the function of other minerals like calcium, as well as the normal operation of the heart and muscles."
A separate Gallup survey of 500 adults with diabetes reported that 83 percent of those with diabetes are consuming insufficient magnesium from food, with many by significant margins. Sixty-eight percent of the men and 56 percent of the non-pregnant women said they were consuming threequarters or less of their RDA for the mineral. "This is a concern," said Susan Thom, a registered dietitian, "Since research has shown a strong association between magnesium and the body's ability to use insulin properly."
Insulin is a hormone required to convert glucose (sugar) into energy. But for diabetics, the body either does not manufacture sufficient amounts of the hormone or is unable to process it.
"In fact," Thom continued, "a consensus panel convened by the American Diabetes Association has recommended that all persons with diabetes who are at high risk for high blood pressure be tested and, if a problem is found, treated with a magnesium chloride supplement."
In spite of this recommendation, Thom added, only five percent of the diabetics polled were aware that magnesium deficiency is prevalent among diabetics.
And 99 percent - of whom more than half (53 percent) have a history of heart disease and/or are taking diuretics (water pills to induce urination) - said they had not been advised by a health care professional about a possible magnesium deficiency.
A magnesium deficiency in diabetics may result in an increased risk for cardiac arrhythmias, high blood pressure, myocardial infarction (heart attack) and altered glucose metabolism, according to Robert K. Rude, M.D., of the Southern California School of Medicine in Los Angeles, in the October 1992 issue of Postgraduate Medicine.
He added that a magnesium deficiency is associated with low blood levels of calcium and potassium.
Gastrointestinal loss and renal (kidney) wasting are other considerations warranting oral magnesium supplements, he said.
An initial dose may range from 300 mg/day to 600 mg/day with medical supervision. Divided doses are suggested to avoid possible diarrhea. And, he said, the mineral should be used cautiously by patients with impaired kidney function.
REFERENCES
Landy, Liz. "Gallup Survey Finds Majority of American Diets Lack Sufficient Magnesium - At Potential Cost to Health," Searle News, Sept. 21, 1994
. Rude, Robert K., M.D. "Magnesium Deficiency and Diabetes Mellitus: Causes and Effects." Postgraduate Medicine 92(5):217-223, October 1992.
Magnesium boosts energy, benefits athletes.
il v57, Better Nutrition for Today's Living, July 1995, p28(1).
Gabe Mirkin, M.D., a nutrition expert and runner, and coauthor of the Sportsmedicine Book, reported that exercisers who feel weak and tired may be suffering from "the mineral blues," which is characterized as a deficiency of potassium and magnesium inside muscle cells, according to The Complete Book of Vitamins and Minerals for Health.
"A loss of magnesium through sweat can bring fatigue and muscle cramps because of the role the mineral plays in controlling muscle contraction and regulating the conversion of carbohydrates to energy," the publication stated.
In foods, potassium and magnesium can be found in nuts, soybeans, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Athletes, body builders, runners and those who perform strenuous exercise or physical work are advised to make sure their cellular magnesium levels are up to par, reported Eberhard Kronhausen, Ed.D., et al., in Formula for Life: The Antioxidant, Free-Radical Detoxification Program.
"Magnesium is responsible--together with calcium--for the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), our most important high-energy phosphate compound," the authors added. "In addition, good magnesium levels are needed for optimal muscle contraction and to sustain the high oxygen consumption necessary for athletic performance. Research indicates that magnesium facilitates oxygen delivery to working muscle tissue..."
In addition to its contribution to multiple enzyme systems, including ATP metabolism in the production of energy, magnesium plays a role in protecting us against ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmias, high blood pressure, asthma, preeclampsia and alcohol withdrawal, according to Robert M. McLean, M.D., of the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., in the January 1994 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
He went on to say that the amount of magnesium in the blood does not necessarily correlate with the amount of the mineral stored in the body, making a magnesium deficiency difficult to pinpoint. Low magnesium levels are rather common problems found in about 65 percent of intensive care patients and about 11 percent of the general patient population, he said.
Magnesium levels can be depleted by such drugs as amphotericin B, cyclosporine, cisplatin, digojcin, ethanol, gentamicin, loop diuretics and pentamidine, he added.
A combination of magnesium and malic acid (extracted from apples and other foods) has been useful in treating some patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, reported the Spring 1993 issue of Health Watch, a publication of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research Foundation in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Daniel Peterson, M.D., said that the combination of the mineral and malic acid benefits up to 40 percent of the patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Malic acid should be included in the therapy for these patients, added Jay Goldstein, M.D.
The researchers indicate that fibromyalgia (associated with muscle and bone aches, pins-and-needles feelings, fatigue, tension headaches, insomnia, etc.) may not respond to the magnesium-malic supplement for 48 hours. For chronic fatigue syndrome, this therapy may take two weeks, they said.
In addition to contributing to ATP production, malic acid is important in the Krebs cycle, in which fats and sugar are converted into energy, the researchers continued.
The therapeutic dose that they recommend for patients is six to 12 tablets/day of malic acid and magnesium hydroxide. The supplement is to be taken with food and water.
"Those who exercise strenuously need magnesium because it helps deliver oxygen to the muscles for peak performance," according to Rita Aero and Stephanie Rick in Vitamin Power.
Magnesium is vital for converting glycogen into glucose for use as the body's fuel."
Health food stores carry a variety of magnesium supplements, and some stores may have the magnesium malate supplement.
REFERENCES
Aero, Rita, and Rick, Stephanie. Vitamin Power. New York: Harmony Books, 1987, p. 159.
"A Follow-up on Malic Acid: CFIDS Buyers Club," Health Watch 3(1):1,3, Spring 1993.
The Complete Book of Vitamins and Minerals for Health, Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale Pres, 1988, p. 450.
Kronhausen, Eberhard, Ed.D., et al. Formula for Life: The Antioxidant, Free-Radical, Detoxification Program. New York: William Morrow Co., Inc., 1989, p. 168.
McLean, Robert M., M.D. "Magnesium and Its Therapeutic Uses: A Review", The American Journal of Medcine 96:63-76, January 1994.
Magnesium, B vitamins benefit CFS patients.
(chronic fatigue syndrome) v56, Better Nutrition for Today's Living, Nov 1994, p18(1).
Magnesium may be the most critical single supplement affecting patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), since known intracellular magnesium deficiencies exist in patients with this disorder, according to Paul R. Cheney, M.D., PhD., and Charles W. Lapp, M.D., in the Winter 1994 issue of Health Watch, a publication of the CFS Research Foundation in Santa Barbara, Calif.
The authors, whose article originally appeared in the Fall 1993 issue of the CFIDS Chronicle/Cheney Clinic, Charlotte, N.C., added that such deficiencies would disrupt adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis. (ATP can best be described as the energy that moves muscle contraction, heart beat, etc.)
Since ATP drives the membrane pumps which transport magnesium into the cell, a vicious cycle could arise in which low ATP levels give rise to even lower intracellular magnesium, causing still further ATP reduction, the authors continued.
This might happen, they added, with CFS patients who "crash," even though they essentially have normal blood levels of magnesium. Since solid forms of magnesium may be excreted by the kidneys of CFS patients without correcting the intracellular magnesium deficiency, the researchers opt for magnesium injections.
As additional supplements for CFS patients, the researchers recommend vitamin B12, high doses of the antioxidants (vitamins C and E and beta carotene) and COQ10.
"People with chronic fatigue syndrome usually feel better when they supplement their diets with magnesium," reported James B. Pierce, Ph.D., in his book, Heart Healthy Magnesium. "People with Graves disease...tend to have magnesium deficiencies, too. If you live or work in a stressful environment, or are over 59 years old, you are also a candidate for magnesium deficiency."
In her book, Complementary Natural Prescriptions for Common Ailments, Carolyn Dean, M.D., offers these suggestions for CFS patients: eat plenty of vegetables, engage in routine, gentle exercise, get plenty of rest and take various natural supplements such as the B vitamins, magnesium, vitamin C and a multiple vitamin, along with evening primrose oil, cod liver oil or fish oils.
magnesium in diet:
What is the best way to get extra magnesium?
Eating a variety of whole grains, legumes, and vegetables (especially dark-green, leafy vegetables) every day will help provide recommended intakes of magnesium and maintain normal storage levels of this mineral.
Do not despair. CFS is not a lifelong malady.
Magnesium can help with energy, depression.
Because of the close alignment of nature, all living creatures depend on magnesium to maintain the health and functioning of their component cells, explained James B. Pierce, Ph.d., in Heart Healthy Magnesium. In the mitochrondria of the cells--the sites where glucose is oxidized-magnesium is chemically coupled with adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This, he added, positions magnesium as a catalytic agent at the seat of energy generation.
"Of course," Pierce continued, "since energy is released to the cell when ATP converts to ADP, the reverse reaction--restoration of ATP from ADP--requires the input of energy. The source of that energy is the oxidation of glucose through a complex series of biochemical reactions."
This conversion of ATP to ADP, he continued, and of ADP back into ATP, is the basic process that supplies the cells with the energy they need to perform all of their appointed functions, and it cannot take place without magnesium. This process, he added, which produces muscular energy, is essential in the operation of our hearts and vascular systems.
A magnesium deficiency may result in impaired neurotransmitter functions, which may be part of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, according to J. Daniel Kanofsky, M.D., MPH, in the International Journal of Neuroscience in 1991. Magnesium-deficient patients may experience depression, agitation, confusion and disorientation, he said.
He went on to say that psychotic behavior, including auditory and visual hallucinations, has been reported in 50 percent of the subjects with low magnesium levels in their blood. In drug-treated schizophrenic patients, he added, magnesium levels have been found to be consistently lower after neuroleptic medications.
Blood levels of magnesium were evaluated in 20 chronic institutionalized schizophrenic patinets getting neuroleptic drugs, and 30 percent were also being given lithium carbonate. Of the 20 patients, five had low blood levels of magnesium. Two patients receiving lithium carbonate also had low blood levels of magnesium.
Clinical symptoms of low magnesium levels affect the central nervous system, cardiovascular system and cardiac system, resulting in depression, seizures, psychosis, weakness, muscle tremors, arrhythmias, etc., according to Joseph R. Dipalma, M.D., in the Jully 1990 issue of AFP Journal. Duretics, antibiotics, cancer chemotherapy and immunosuppressive agents also increase the risk of a magnesium deficiency, he said.
Arrhythmias have been treated with magnesium supplementation, Dipalma said. Some clinicians recommend all patients on thiazide diuretics be candidates for magnesium supplementation. He added that oral magnesium therapy is generally safe and may be an underutilized mode of therapy. Recommended amounts of magnesium range from 350 to 450 mg/day, with grains and nuts being good food sources of the mineral.
With food processing, 75 percent of the magnesium is lost, suggesting that the American diet provides only 40 percent of the recommended daily allowance for the mineral, reported Sherry Rogers, M.D., in International Medicine World Report in 1992. It is estimated that 80 percent of the population is deficient in magnesium, Rogers added.
Magnesium therapy could benefit cardiac arrest patients, as well as those with myocardial infarction, resulting in shorter hospital stays, Rogers added. Other symptoms releated to magnesium deficiency, Rogers continued, include transient ischemic attack, organic brain syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, intestinal spasms, migraines, asthma, chronic fatigue, depression, premenstrual syndrome, spasm of the fallopian tubes and infertility.
Rogers went on to say that magnesium deficiency is prevalent in psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, agitation and panic attacks. Unfortunately, many of the disorders are related to an unbalanced diet, since 25 to 75 percent of the typical American diet is form processed foods, Rogers added.
Since magnesium is involved with over 300 enzymes in the body, it is easy to see why this mineral is so important.
http://www.mgwater.com/
Over 300 biochemical reactions in the body depend on magnesium and it is known for its healing effects. Deficiencies in magnesium leave people vulnerable to developing acute and chronic conditions due to not getting the minerals needed from their daily food intake.
Magnesium is a crucial nutrient when it comes to proper body functioning. Magnesium ions play a major role in cellular function and strongly influence cardiovascular and neuromuscular excitability.
How do you know if your body is deprived of this valuable nutrient? These signs can be indicators of magnesium deficiency:
Cardiac Arrhthmias: Irregular heart beat, palpitations.
Leg Cramps and foot cramps that are especially bothersome at night.
Tremors: Tremors usually involve the hands, but can sometimes the head, face, voice, and legs.
Anxiety
Muscle Weakness: Lack of strength
Chronic Fatigue: Overwhelming exhaustion both mentally and physically.
Depression: Sadness, fear, hopelessness.
In a clinical trial involving thirty-two (32) patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, fifteen (15) were given magnesium and seventeen (17) were given water. Twelve (12) of the (15) patients who received the magnesium saw improvement in their energy levels, sleep patterns, and physical mobility.
This metallic element is not readily available in foods, therefore magnesium supplementation could help prevent high blood pressure and the other indicators listed above.
Magnesium supplementation can help people avoid serious disease or recover from ones they already have. There are many reasons, scientific studies, and professional medical and scientific data that sustain this statement.
A study documented in the International Journal of Cardiology in 1996 found that taking 600 mg of magnesium daily lowered the systolic blood pressure by almost 8 points and the diastolic pressure by almost 4 points.
It is difficult to get enough magnesium from the diet. In 1900 the average American diet consisted of approximately 450 mg of magnesium per day. By the year 2000, that figure dropped to about 200 mg of magnesium each day.
Featured Editorial from Life Extension Magazine, Sept. 2005:
How Many Americans Are Magnesium Deficient?
Complete Book by
Dr. Mildred S. Seelig:
Magnesium Deficiency in the Pathogenesis
of Disease
The legal battle for recognition of the importance of dietary magnesium:
Legal documents
Healthy Water Association
HWA Button Healthy Water Association--USA
AHWA Button Arab Healthy Water Associatio
Four recent magazine articles on the subject of magnesium
•72% of Americans are magnesium-deficient. (heart disease, diabetes, leg cramps)
•Magnesium boosts energy, benefits athletes. (athletes, chronic fatigue syndrome)
•Magnesium, B vitamins benefit CFS patients. (chronic fatigue syndrome)
•Magnesium can help with energy, depression. (depression, schizophrenia, psychiatric disorders)
72% of Americans are magnesium-deficient.
v57, Better Nutrition for Today's Living, March '95, p34.
A recent survey conducted by The Gallup Organization has found that 72 percent of adult Americans are falling short of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for magnesium.
The survey further revealed that 55 percent of all adults are consuming three-quarters or less of the RDA, while 30 percent are eating less than half the required amount of the mineral.
The survey also reported that magnesium consumption decreases as we age, with 79 percent of adults 55 and over reportedly eating below the RDA for magnesium, and 66 percent are getting less than three-quarters of their allowamce from food.
Food sources of magnesium include wheat germ, wheat bran, brewer's yeast, nuts, peanuts, soybeans, whole-grain oats and barley, millet, corn and beet greens.
For males 19 and over, the RDA for magnesium is 350 mg/day. For females 19 and over, RDA is 280 mg/day. The RDA for pregnant women is 320 mg/day; and for breast-feeding women, 355 mg/day for the first six months and 360 mg/day for the second six months.
"A potential magnesium deficiency is a matter of concern for many individuals of all ages, but for the elderly, it could be particularly serious," said Richard Rivlin, M.D., program director of the Clinical Nutrition Research Unit at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and chief of the Nutrition Division at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center.
"The prevalence of heart disease, diabetes and even leg cramps increases dramatically among older persons, and these are all health conditions in which magnesium deficiency has been found," Rivlin observed.
He added that, "The Gallup Survey showed a high general awareness of the importance of nutrients such as vitamin C and calcium. But it is clear that consumers are largely unaware of the role of magnesium - a nutrient that is essential for the function of other minerals like calcium, as well as the normal operation of the heart and muscles."
A separate Gallup survey of 500 adults with diabetes reported that 83 percent of those with diabetes are consuming insufficient magnesium from food, with many by significant margins. Sixty-eight percent of the men and 56 percent of the non-pregnant women said they were consuming threequarters or less of their RDA for the mineral. "This is a concern," said Susan Thom, a registered dietitian, "Since research has shown a strong association between magnesium and the body's ability to use insulin properly."
Insulin is a hormone required to convert glucose (sugar) into energy. But for diabetics, the body either does not manufacture sufficient amounts of the hormone or is unable to process it.
"In fact," Thom continued, "a consensus panel convened by the American Diabetes Association has recommended that all persons with diabetes who are at high risk for high blood pressure be tested and, if a problem is found, treated with a magnesium chloride supplement."
In spite of this recommendation, Thom added, only five percent of the diabetics polled were aware that magnesium deficiency is prevalent among diabetics.
And 99 percent - of whom more than half (53 percent) have a history of heart disease and/or are taking diuretics (water pills to induce urination) - said they had not been advised by a health care professional about a possible magnesium deficiency.
A magnesium deficiency in diabetics may result in an increased risk for cardiac arrhythmias, high blood pressure, myocardial infarction (heart attack) and altered glucose metabolism, according to Robert K. Rude, M.D., of the Southern California School of Medicine in Los Angeles, in the October 1992 issue of Postgraduate Medicine.
He added that a magnesium deficiency is associated with low blood levels of calcium and potassium.
Gastrointestinal loss and renal (kidney) wasting are other considerations warranting oral magnesium supplements, he said.
An initial dose may range from 300 mg/day to 600 mg/day with medical supervision. Divided doses are suggested to avoid possible diarrhea. And, he said, the mineral should be used cautiously by patients with impaired kidney function.
REFERENCES
Landy, Liz. "Gallup Survey Finds Majority of American Diets Lack Sufficient Magnesium - At Potential Cost to Health," Searle News, Sept. 21, 1994
. Rude, Robert K., M.D. "Magnesium Deficiency and Diabetes Mellitus: Causes and Effects." Postgraduate Medicine 92(5):217-223, October 1992.
Magnesium boosts energy, benefits athletes.
il v57, Better Nutrition for Today's Living, July 1995, p28(1).
Gabe Mirkin, M.D., a nutrition expert and runner, and coauthor of the Sportsmedicine Book, reported that exercisers who feel weak and tired may be suffering from "the mineral blues," which is characterized as a deficiency of potassium and magnesium inside muscle cells, according to The Complete Book of Vitamins and Minerals for Health.
"A loss of magnesium through sweat can bring fatigue and muscle cramps because of the role the mineral plays in controlling muscle contraction and regulating the conversion of carbohydrates to energy," the publication stated.
In foods, potassium and magnesium can be found in nuts, soybeans, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Athletes, body builders, runners and those who perform strenuous exercise or physical work are advised to make sure their cellular magnesium levels are up to par, reported Eberhard Kronhausen, Ed.D., et al., in Formula for Life: The Antioxidant, Free-Radical Detoxification Program.
"Magnesium is responsible--together with calcium--for the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), our most important high-energy phosphate compound," the authors added. "In addition, good magnesium levels are needed for optimal muscle contraction and to sustain the high oxygen consumption necessary for athletic performance. Research indicates that magnesium facilitates oxygen delivery to working muscle tissue..."
In addition to its contribution to multiple enzyme systems, including ATP metabolism in the production of energy, magnesium plays a role in protecting us against ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmias, high blood pressure, asthma, preeclampsia and alcohol withdrawal, according to Robert M. McLean, M.D., of the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., in the January 1994 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
He went on to say that the amount of magnesium in the blood does not necessarily correlate with the amount of the mineral stored in the body, making a magnesium deficiency difficult to pinpoint. Low magnesium levels are rather common problems found in about 65 percent of intensive care patients and about 11 percent of the general patient population, he said.
Magnesium levels can be depleted by such drugs as amphotericin B, cyclosporine, cisplatin, digojcin, ethanol, gentamicin, loop diuretics and pentamidine, he added.
A combination of magnesium and malic acid (extracted from apples and other foods) has been useful in treating some patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, reported the Spring 1993 issue of Health Watch, a publication of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research Foundation in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Daniel Peterson, M.D., said that the combination of the mineral and malic acid benefits up to 40 percent of the patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Malic acid should be included in the therapy for these patients, added Jay Goldstein, M.D.
The researchers indicate that fibromyalgia (associated with muscle and bone aches, pins-and-needles feelings, fatigue, tension headaches, insomnia, etc.) may not respond to the magnesium-malic supplement for 48 hours. For chronic fatigue syndrome, this therapy may take two weeks, they said.
In addition to contributing to ATP production, malic acid is important in the Krebs cycle, in which fats and sugar are converted into energy, the researchers continued.
The therapeutic dose that they recommend for patients is six to 12 tablets/day of malic acid and magnesium hydroxide. The supplement is to be taken with food and water.
"Those who exercise strenuously need magnesium because it helps deliver oxygen to the muscles for peak performance," according to Rita Aero and Stephanie Rick in Vitamin Power.
Magnesium is vital for converting glycogen into glucose for use as the body's fuel."
Health food stores carry a variety of magnesium supplements, and some stores may have the magnesium malate supplement.
REFERENCES
Aero, Rita, and Rick, Stephanie. Vitamin Power. New York: Harmony Books, 1987, p. 159.
"A Follow-up on Malic Acid: CFIDS Buyers Club," Health Watch 3(1):1,3, Spring 1993.
The Complete Book of Vitamins and Minerals for Health, Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale Pres, 1988, p. 450.
Kronhausen, Eberhard, Ed.D., et al. Formula for Life: The Antioxidant, Free-Radical, Detoxification Program. New York: William Morrow Co., Inc., 1989, p. 168.
McLean, Robert M., M.D. "Magnesium and Its Therapeutic Uses: A Review", The American Journal of Medcine 96:63-76, January 1994.
Magnesium, B vitamins benefit CFS patients.
(chronic fatigue syndrome) v56, Better Nutrition for Today's Living, Nov 1994, p18(1).
Magnesium may be the most critical single supplement affecting patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), since known intracellular magnesium deficiencies exist in patients with this disorder, according to Paul R. Cheney, M.D., PhD., and Charles W. Lapp, M.D., in the Winter 1994 issue of Health Watch, a publication of the CFS Research Foundation in Santa Barbara, Calif.
The authors, whose article originally appeared in the Fall 1993 issue of the CFIDS Chronicle/Cheney Clinic, Charlotte, N.C., added that such deficiencies would disrupt adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis. (ATP can best be described as the energy that moves muscle contraction, heart beat, etc.)
Since ATP drives the membrane pumps which transport magnesium into the cell, a vicious cycle could arise in which low ATP levels give rise to even lower intracellular magnesium, causing still further ATP reduction, the authors continued.
This might happen, they added, with CFS patients who "crash," even though they essentially have normal blood levels of magnesium. Since solid forms of magnesium may be excreted by the kidneys of CFS patients without correcting the intracellular magnesium deficiency, the researchers opt for magnesium injections.
As additional supplements for CFS patients, the researchers recommend vitamin B12, high doses of the antioxidants (vitamins C and E and beta carotene) and COQ10.
"People with chronic fatigue syndrome usually feel better when they supplement their diets with magnesium," reported James B. Pierce, Ph.D., in his book, Heart Healthy Magnesium. "People with Graves disease...tend to have magnesium deficiencies, too. If you live or work in a stressful environment, or are over 59 years old, you are also a candidate for magnesium deficiency."
In her book, Complementary Natural Prescriptions for Common Ailments, Carolyn Dean, M.D., offers these suggestions for CFS patients: eat plenty of vegetables, engage in routine, gentle exercise, get plenty of rest and take various natural supplements such as the B vitamins, magnesium, vitamin C and a multiple vitamin, along with evening primrose oil, cod liver oil or fish oils.
magnesium in diet:
What is the best way to get extra magnesium?
Eating a variety of whole grains, legumes, and vegetables (especially dark-green, leafy vegetables) every day will help provide recommended intakes of magnesium and maintain normal storage levels of this mineral.
Do not despair. CFS is not a lifelong malady.
Magnesium can help with energy, depression.
Because of the close alignment of nature, all living creatures depend on magnesium to maintain the health and functioning of their component cells, explained James B. Pierce, Ph.d., in Heart Healthy Magnesium. In the mitochrondria of the cells--the sites where glucose is oxidized-magnesium is chemically coupled with adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This, he added, positions magnesium as a catalytic agent at the seat of energy generation.
"Of course," Pierce continued, "since energy is released to the cell when ATP converts to ADP, the reverse reaction--restoration of ATP from ADP--requires the input of energy. The source of that energy is the oxidation of glucose through a complex series of biochemical reactions."
This conversion of ATP to ADP, he continued, and of ADP back into ATP, is the basic process that supplies the cells with the energy they need to perform all of their appointed functions, and it cannot take place without magnesium. This process, he added, which produces muscular energy, is essential in the operation of our hearts and vascular systems.
A magnesium deficiency may result in impaired neurotransmitter functions, which may be part of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, according to J. Daniel Kanofsky, M.D., MPH, in the International Journal of Neuroscience in 1991. Magnesium-deficient patients may experience depression, agitation, confusion and disorientation, he said.
He went on to say that psychotic behavior, including auditory and visual hallucinations, has been reported in 50 percent of the subjects with low magnesium levels in their blood. In drug-treated schizophrenic patients, he added, magnesium levels have been found to be consistently lower after neuroleptic medications.
Blood levels of magnesium were evaluated in 20 chronic institutionalized schizophrenic patinets getting neuroleptic drugs, and 30 percent were also being given lithium carbonate. Of the 20 patients, five had low blood levels of magnesium. Two patients receiving lithium carbonate also had low blood levels of magnesium.
Clinical symptoms of low magnesium levels affect the central nervous system, cardiovascular system and cardiac system, resulting in depression, seizures, psychosis, weakness, muscle tremors, arrhythmias, etc., according to Joseph R. Dipalma, M.D., in the Jully 1990 issue of AFP Journal. Duretics, antibiotics, cancer chemotherapy and immunosuppressive agents also increase the risk of a magnesium deficiency, he said.
Arrhythmias have been treated with magnesium supplementation, Dipalma said. Some clinicians recommend all patients on thiazide diuretics be candidates for magnesium supplementation. He added that oral magnesium therapy is generally safe and may be an underutilized mode of therapy. Recommended amounts of magnesium range from 350 to 450 mg/day, with grains and nuts being good food sources of the mineral.
With food processing, 75 percent of the magnesium is lost, suggesting that the American diet provides only 40 percent of the recommended daily allowance for the mineral, reported Sherry Rogers, M.D., in International Medicine World Report in 1992. It is estimated that 80 percent of the population is deficient in magnesium, Rogers added.
Magnesium therapy could benefit cardiac arrest patients, as well as those with myocardial infarction, resulting in shorter hospital stays, Rogers added. Other symptoms releated to magnesium deficiency, Rogers continued, include transient ischemic attack, organic brain syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, intestinal spasms, migraines, asthma, chronic fatigue, depression, premenstrual syndrome, spasm of the fallopian tubes and infertility.
Rogers went on to say that magnesium deficiency is prevalent in psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, agitation and panic attacks. Unfortunately, many of the disorders are related to an unbalanced diet, since 25 to 75 percent of the typical American diet is form processed foods, Rogers added.
Since magnesium is involved with over 300 enzymes in the body, it is easy to see why this mineral is so important.
http://www.mgwater.com/
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