Are You Magnesium Deficient?

Are You Magnesium Deficient? by Bette L. Hall CMA, NHC

Over 300 biochemical reactions in the body depend on magnesium and is known for its healing effects. 1 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 Carbonate is used as a dietary supplement for weightlifters and gymnasts to improve their grip on the bars.

Magnesium Hydroxide is used in Milk of Magnesia for the treatment of constipation.

Magnesium Chloride and Magnesium Sulfate are used in Epsom Salts which is used as a cathartic. Magnesium Chloride has also been known to fight infection.

Magnesium Citrite is used in medicine.

Magnesium Stearate is used in pharmaceutical technology to manufacture tablets. It prevents the tablets from sticking or caking to the equipment during the manufacturing process. It is also used as a binder in the process of making candy.

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. 2

This metallic element is not readily available in foods, therefore magnesium supplementation could help prevent high blood pressure and the other indicators listed above. 2

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. 2

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. 1

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. 1

The need to increase magnesium in our diet is so strong that a gentleman by the name of Paul Mason has petitioned the government to add magnesium to bottled water and other bottled drinks. 3

“Paul Mason is telling the world that consuming more magnesium could save 21 million lives a year.” 3

Reference:

Life Extension Magazine: The Ultimate Source for New Health and Medical Findings September 2004. “Magnesium in Hypertension” By Jay S. Cohen, MD. Pgs 40-48

MagnesiumForLife.com “Magnesium and Medicine”

Life Extension Magazine: The Ultimate Source for New Health and Medical Findings September 2005. “As We See It: How Many Americans Are Magnesium Deficient” By William Falloon.

Smoking Causes More Deaths than Murder, Suicide, and AIDS Combined.

Nicotine Addiction and Withdrawal By Bette L. Hall

Cigarette smoking is responsible for more deaths than murder, suicide, and AIDS combined.

In 1984, the US Surgeon General believed we could become a “smoke-free society” by the year 2000. Programs have been implemented to help lead our nation to a smokeless society by healthcare providers and government officials.

However, cigarette smoking leads to nicotine addiction and it’s the addiction that needs to be treated.

Enforcing non-smoking facilities, hospitals, and restaurants is a great way not to subject non-smokers to second-hand smoke, but what good does it do to help the smoker deal with addiction?

With every addiction comes withdrawal symptoms when attempting to abstain from cigarette smoking or other tobacco products. Kicking the habit will not be easy. Nicotine addiction is both chemical and psychological, meaning it can negatively affect you in your body and your mind.

Some of the withdrawal symptoms include headache, irritability, insomnia, and restlessness. Symptoms can last up to three or four weeks.

Joel Spitzer, a smoking cessation specialist, says patients need to know “why they need to quit and how to do it.”

Cigarette smoking is responsible for more deaths than murder, suicide, and AIDS combined.

Every year in the US, premature deaths from smoking rob years from the potential lifespan of those who have died. Strokes are the third leading cause of deaths in the US and cigarette smoking is a major cause. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death and is attributed to cigarette smoking. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death and most cases are caused my cigarette smoking.

There are several products on the market today that will help alleviate symptoms. Most of them are nicotine replacement products that are administered in a less lethal manner.

Some of those products include nicotine spray, nicotine gum, nicotine patch, and nicotine inhaler. There is also an antidepressant pill that helps alleviate withdrawal symptoms which is a non-nicotine product–Zyban.

Zyban is an antidepressant that helps eleviate irritability and restlessness. It’s been used to treat depression and other problems. Zyban is a prescription medication that works on the neurological level to reduce the nicotine craving.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in to assist you by alleviating withdrawal symptoms, then discus it with your personal physician. Treatment with Zyban is generally initiated while the patient is still smoking

With the help of one of the above products and your healthcare provider, you’ll be on the road to better health. One last help for those desiring to quit smoking is the support group or counseling. Becoming smoke-free is truly within your reach.

Reference: CMA Today. “Smoke Out” by Tamara Matthews. Jan/Feb 2006 Pages 10-15

Olive Oil Benefits

Benefits of Olive Oil by Bette L. Hall CMA

Although we associate the olive tree as being cultivated in Mediterranean countries, it actually originated in Asia. Somewhere around 4500 BC olives were made into oil in Israel.

“By 1560 olive groves were being cultivated in Mexico, then later in Peru, California, Chile and Argentina, where one of the plants brought over during the Conquest – the old Arauco olive tree – lives to this day.” 1

Olive oil is the oil obtained from the fruit of the olive tree. Extra virgin olive oils are obtained solely by mechanical or physical means that do not cause adulteration. Olive oil has been used as a medicine, as a fuel in oil lamps, as an ingredient in soap making, for cooking and eating, and to soothe and moisturize the skin.

Health Benefits
Olive oil rich diets can debilitate the effects of fat in the diet, thereby leading to “low incidence of heart failure in countries where olive oil is the principal fat consumed.” It can lower total cholesterol levels and prevent cardiovascular disease. 1
The experts believe that olive oil provides a protective effect against malignant tumors, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. It has also been known to reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Olive oil has a positive effect on osteoporosis, and cognitive function. It may prevent memory loss and dementia. It aids in calcium absorption and plays an important role in the prevention of osteoporosis.

These health benefits can be attributed to antioxidants, flavonoids, polyphenols and squalene. It is also rich in vitamins A, D, E, and K and can be used to treat skin disorders such as acne, psoriasis and seborrhea.

“Extensive research strongly supports phytonutrients, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and olive polyphenols as critical nutrients that likely account for the remarkable anti-aging and health benefits of the Mediterranean diet.” 2

Cooking Benefits
Frying is one of the oldest methods of cooking food. In recent years, it has become popular not to fry food. Because of body image and the high incidence of obesity, frying is done very little. Certain oils, lards, and shortenings are high in calories and weigh heavily on the stomach as well as being unhealthy.

Olive oil keeps its nutritional value when used for frying. Corn oil and butter break down when it reaches high temperatures causing it to smoke and form toxic by-products. It should not be used with other oils.

Olive oil can be reused more than other oils. It is easily digested. It creates a nice crust on the food which serves as a barrier preventing the oil to penetrate the food.

When using olive oil for frying, it should always be hot and there should be plenty of it in the pan. There should be enough oil to cover the food so the food will be cooked evenly.

Use olive oil that is a clear golden color to get the highest quality. If it has a green cast to it, it’s not as pure or as healthy.

Reference:
1. International Olive Oil. www.internationaloliveoil.org
2. Keifer, Dale. Life Extension Magazine “The Disease-Preventive Power of the Mediterranean Diet” July 2005

Arrest The Aging

Arrest the Aging Process by Bette L. Hall CMA

The word aging conjures up negative images in our minds of forgetfulness, restlessness and sleepless nights, and wrinkled skin with dark spots on the face and hands. We no longer need to stand by and accept these things as part of the natural aging process. Scientific studies show us that it is possible to enhance both the length and the quality of life.

The length of our life or the number of years we live is not important if we cannot have quality of life also. Who would want to live to be eighty or ninety years old if we cannot sleep or think right and you don’t even know the names of your family members? So what we need to do is to arrest the aging process.

A specific amino acid, acetyl-L-carnitine, can sharpen the mental abilities and stimulate the growth of new neuritis. Robert Crayhon, M. S. recommends that we take carnitine and acetyl-Lcarnitine along with Co-Q10 and folic acid for improved cognitive function.

Restless nights and insomnia are often associated with aging. Lack of sleep has been associated with cytokines which have been linked to degenerative diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland and controls our wake/sleep cycle. As we age, the body’s natural production of melatonin is slowed. Supplementation with melatonin has shown to regulate sleep as well as slow brain aging.

Hyaluronic Acid (HLA) is a vital component of our skin’s structure that diminishes as we age. HLA is responsible for moisture, suppleness, and elasticity of the skin and will improve the appearance of the skin when HLA is used both internally and externally.

In summary, the use of acetyl-L-carnitine, carnitine, Co-Q10, omega 3 fatty acid, melatonin, and hyaluronic acid can help you arrest the aging process. You can be mentally alert, cognitive, rested, attractive and full of life at any age.