Are You Getting Enough Magnesiusm to Keep Yourself Healthy?

Very few people are aware of how vital magnesium is for overall health. After oxygen, water, and food, magnesium may be the most important element needed by our bodies, activating over 300 different biochemical reactions necessary for your body to function properly.

Studies show that most people regularly take in about half of what they need and that over 8 out of 10 people do not take enough daily magnesium for even the minimum daily amounts recommended. Recent research has revealed that this lack of magnesium may put your heart – and your health – at significant risk.

The multiple health benefits of magnesium include transmission of nerve impulses, body temperature regulation, detoxification, energy production, and the formation of healthy bones and teeth.

Women of all ages benefit immensely from the intake of magnesium. Besides keeping osteoporosis at bay, magnesium health benefits in women include relief from symptoms of menopause and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

The other crucial health benefits of magnesium include protein synthesis, relief from bronchospasm (constricted airways) in the lungs, and improvement of parathyroid function. It boosts the bio-availability of vitamin B6 and cholesterol, improves muscle functioning, and prevents osteoporosis, insomnia, constipation, heart attacks, hypertension, constipation, migraines, kidney stones, and gallstones.

Good dietary sources of magnesium include nuts (especially almonds), whole grains, wheat germ, fish, and green leafy vegetables. As with most nutrients, daily needs for magnesium cannot be met from food alone which is why magnesium dietary supplements are recommended
as well.

Early symptoms of magnesium deficiency include:

• body aches
• leg cramps
• fatigue or low energy
• restless sleep
• headaches and migraines
• muscle twitches
• chronic constipation
• insulin resistance
• severe PMS, and more.

Left untreated, a magnesium deficiency can lead to more life-threatening conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and others.

Magnesium Potassium Aspartate

Magnesium is an essential macro mineral that is water-soluble and works with calcium. Decreased levels of magnesium have been shown to be related to high blood pressure, kidney stones, heart disease (especially heart attacks due to coronary artery spasm), fatigue and PMS.

Both magnesium and potassium are essential mineral nutrients that are critical to many vital bodily functions, including adrenal, cardiovascular and muscular health.

Supplementation with Magnesium Potassium Aspartate has shown to improve:

• cardiac function
• hyperactivity/ADD
• stress tolerance
• low blood pressure
• muscular function
• poor sleep patterns
• fatigue
• depression/mood disorders
• PMS cramping
• migraines
• atherosclerosis
• anxiety
• weight management
• low energy response

The Top Five Health Benefits of Magnesium

1. Magnesium may reverse osteoporosis

Multiple research studies conducted have suggested that calcium supplemented with magnesium improves bone mineral density. Magnesium deficiency alters calcium metabolism and the hormones that regulate calcium, resulting in osteoporosis. Intake of recommended levels of magnesium is important because it averts osteoporosis.

2. Magnesium prevents cardiovascular diseases

One of the most important benefits of magnesium is that it is associated with lowering the risk of coronary heart diseases. Dietary surveys have suggested that sufficient magnesium intake may reduce the chance of having a stroke. Magnesium deficiency increases the risk of abnormal heart rhythms, which increases the risk of complications after a heart attack. Therefore, consuming recommended amounts of magnesium dietary supplements may be beneficial to the cardiovascular system.

3. Magnesium regulates high blood pressure (Hypertension)

Magnesium plays a key role in regulating blood pressure naturally. Magnesium supplements and a diet including plenty of fruits and vegetables, which are good sources of potassium and magnesium, are consistently associated with lowering blood pressure.

4. Magnesium treats diabetes

Studies show that individuals with a magnesium deficiency have a risk of developing type-2 diabetes and severe diabetic retinopathy. Magnesium aids in carbohydrate metabolism and influences the release and activity of insulin, thereby controlling blood glucose levels. It has been proven that for every 100 milligrams of increase in magnesium daily intake, there was a 15 percent decrease in the risk of developing type-2 diabetes.

5. Magnesium treats migraines, insomnia, and depression

The numerous magnesium health benefits also include the treatment of migraines, insomnia, and symptoms of depression. Magnesium is also known to cure severe forms of psychiatri dysfunctions including panic attacks, stress, anxiety, and undue agitations. Magnesium supplements considerably reduce the severity of such attacks and may also help in reducing the rate of recurrence.

The Skinny on Vitamin D

Can it help you lose weight? “Vitamin D has long been associated with bone health, and it’s true that it plays an important role in regulating calcium deposition and bone formation, but recent research has also shown that Vitamin D plays an important role in cardiovascular heath, immune system regulation, cancer prevention, blood sugar regulation and weight management!

The number of men and women with insulin resistance and type II diabetes is growing at an alarming rate. Thanks to many of the diet and lifestyle choices that are prevalent in our culture, children and adults are increasingly more at risk of developing unwanted belly fat and imbalanced blood sugar levels. This leads to insulin receptors losing sensitivity. This problem is self-propagating, as increased insulin resistance will in turn cause more abdominal adipose tissue (belly fat) which is more insulin resistant than other tissue and the cycle continues.

Many patients who have developed insulin resistance will take medication that works on the insulin receptor and improves insulin sensitivity; the most common of these medications is metformin (also glucophage). Research has shown that while metformin may improve insulin sensitivity by 13%, a higher vitamin D level is correlated with a 60% improvement in insulin sensitivity. One clinical trial using 1,332 IU/day for only 30 days in 10 women with type II diabetes improved insulin sensitivity by 23%.

Another study on obese children and adolescents found that “obese children and adolescents with low vitamin D status may be at increased risk of developing impaired glucose metabolism independent of body adiposity.”

Increased fat leads to increased insulin resistance. Insulin is a fat storage hormone. Sugar and grains trigger insulin.

More Studies-Vitamin D and Cancer Prevention (Labrix Clinical: 2010) “It is estimated that 85,000 cases of breast cancer and 60,000 cases of colorectal cancer could be prevented in North America alone with sufficient vitamin D levels. A recent study compiled data on breast and colon cancer and vitamin D levels and found that dosages of 3500 IU/day would reduce breast cancer and 2000 IU/day would reduce colon cancer by 50%. Current median adult intake of vitamin D in the US -230 IU/day.”

Mechanisms by which vitamin D may modify cancer risk are not fully understood, but laboratory studies have shown that vitamin D promotes cellular differentiation, decreases cancer cell growth, hinders angiogenesis, and stimulates apoptosis.

Several observational studies and a few prospectively randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that adequate levels of vitamin D can decrease the risk and improve survival rates for several types of cancers including breast, rectum, ovary, prostate, stomach, bladder, esophagus, kidney, lung, pancreas, uterus, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.

The effects of vitamin D serum levels on colorectal cancer were illustrated in the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) study. The EPIC study enrolled more than half a million adults in 10 western European countries who were initially free of cancer. Full intakes and lab work (including vitamin D levels) were performed on all participants. After several years of follow up, 1248 subjects developed colorectal cancer and these individuals were matched to 1248 study participants who did not develop colorectal cancer. The researchers report that people with the highest pre-cancer levels of vitamin D were about 40 percent less likely to develop colorectal cancer than those with the lowest levels.

People can get some of the vitamin D they need through sunlight exposure and diet.

The few foods that naturally contain vitamin D include fatty fish, fish liver oil, and eggs. Most dietary vitamin D comes from fortified foods, such as milk, juices, yogurt, bread and breakfast cereals.

Unfortunately most people do not get adequate vitamin D from these sources and insufficiency is literally an epidemic. New statistics extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found that more than 90% of the population with pigmented skin, and 75% of the white population, have insufficient levels of vitamin D.

How Much Vitamin D3? NBH Lifetime Health offers a 5,000 mg capsule of Vitamin D3, 100 caps for only $30.00. It is pharmaceutical grade and has been shown in our lab testing to raise levels to optimal levels of 60 to 90. The maintenance dose is only $0.30 per day. In some instances, we recommend a prescription 50,000 mg capsule for the first eight (8) weeks followed by the maintenance dose.

Rx for the Heart: We recommend that adults take 5,000 mg per day of our Pharmaceutical Grade vitamin D3. We also recommend at least 2,000 mg per day of EPA and DHA from our Marine Fish Oil (purified). If you want to promote cardiovascular health beyond these two nutrients, we also recommend red yeast rice, niacin (nicotinic acid – 100 mg to 1500 mg) and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) – 100 mg/day or 200 mg to 300 mg of CQ10 if you have cardiovascular disease. Anyone on a statin drug should take CoQ10.

Announcing our New PhytoMulti….

Protects your cells from free radical damage and DNA instability.

Multi-Vitamin, Multi-Mineral and PhytoNutrients (equivalent  to 10 servings of vegetables and fruit).

Can we get all of the vitamins and minerals that we need from our food today? The answer is NO!

Many of us do not get the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamins and minerals necessary from our foods, even if we are consuming the suggested daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

Due to current farming practices, mass food production, processing, and cooking, our foods are less nutrient dense than they were in previous years. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says that it takes seven cups of today’s spinach to equal the nutrition that a single cup provided in 1960.

It’s absolutely crucial that your body gets the nutrients it needs to function effectively and efficiently. The daily stress of pollution, fatty and processed food, and stress deplete your body of nutrients and it’s up to you to replace these nutrients. You can do this through healthy nutrition, or even better, through healthy nutrition and proper supplementation.

Vitamins and minerals help maintain cellular efficiency by activating enzyme systems that are essential to cellular function. Phyto-nutrients which are found in various forms of plant life are so important that nutritionists recommend at least 5 to 7 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and suggest even more is better. Sadly, less than one in five Americans get even half of these amounts.

Important reasons for taking a multi-vitamin and mineral formula with phyto-nutrients:

Positive Health Benefits of B12

Vitamin B12 benefits your body in many ways. One of its key functions is to help your body in the creation of red blood cells. These cells help carry oxygen to your vital organs, including your heart and brain. This oxygen is crucial in providing you the necessary energy to get through each day. B12 also helps with white cell production, which is vital to keeping your immune system strong, which in turn keeps you healthy.

Vitamin B12 is vital in properly maintaining your nervous system and helping to keep nerve cells healthy. This in turn keeps your brain functioning the way it should. B vitamins also assist in the production and regulation of DNA, which is present in every cell in your body. And since this nutrient is also a very strong antioxidant, it helps fight off free radicals which can lead to cancer. It helps metabolize the food you eat so you can utilize it for energy. It does this by helping turn the carbohydrates in your food to glucose. Many people who struggle with fatigue and low energy have a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Free T3 – What Your Doctor May Not Test

There is an unfortunate practice in “traditional” medicine to ignore not only the free T3 in a thyroid analysis but the patient’s symptoms as well. T3 is not produced by the thyroid but converted in the liver from T4. T3 is 5 times more biologically active than T4 and contributes more to the patient’s symptoms.

The Truth About Thyroid

MY DOCTOR TOLD ME TO STOP MY NATURAL THYROID MEDICATION

At NBH Lifetime Health we often hear the following:       

“My TSH was .02 on my last blood test and my Dr. wants me to stop the thyroid supplementation.  I am currently taking 2 pills of the thyroid booster.  I feel great and do not appear to be having any side effects.  What do you suggest I do and is the .02 TSH anything to be concerned about.  I do not want to stop taking the Thyroid Booster.”

The conventional “assumption” and training is that if a person’s TSH is “suppressed” then they must be hyperthyroid regardless of the lack of symptoms (bouncing off walls, very skinny, etc.) or circumstances.

TSH is also is typically low if a person has sufficient free T3 and T4 where the body does not have to signal (TSH) for more production. There are many studies on this and they are available in our office anytime (and some are shown below). The “lab results” approach to medicine does not take into account symptoms and seemingly ignores the science.

In defense of the family doctor/endrocrinologist, he or she is trained to go by labs and is trained to base his or her diagnosis on lab results. They seldom if ever test the free T3 and seldom go by your results  or symptoms. The conventional/pharmaceutical approach is to prescribe a synthetic T4 (snythroid, levoxyl, levothyroxine, etc.). You may be told that if your TSH is suppressed, then you will lose bone and increase your risk of heart disease. However, as you can see below, the science is just the OPPOSITE except in cases of true hyperthyroidism.  

The Science of Thyroid 

 Women with low normal thyroid levels had a 4-fold increase risk of heart disease. This increased risk was equal to the risk of smoking and high cholesterol. Low normal thyroid levels are a strong predictor for heart attacks.” Annals of Internal Medicine 2000; 132: 270-278.

“Low T3 levels are associated with increased heart disease and decreased cardiac function. Replacing T3 increases clinical performance and cardiac output. Adding T3 increases exercise tolerance and quality of life.” CVR & R 2002;23:20-26. 

“Low levels of free T3 in patients resulted in increased disability, depression, decreased cognition, and energy and increased mortality.” JAMA Dec. 2004; Vol. 292(2c): 500-504.

“TSH is a good test to diagnose hypothyroidism. However TSH is a poor measure of symptoms of metabolic severity. It is, therefore, the biological effects of thyroid hormone on the peripheral tissue and not the TSH concentration, that reflects the clinical and metabolic effects.” British Medical Journal Feb 2003;Vol. 326:325-326.

PRObiotic 225

Growing evidence supports the use of high dose probiotics as intensive support for patients with significant G.I. and immune distress.

PRObiotic 225 takes probiotic potency to the next level for your most challenging cases. Each extra-strength packet is guaranteed to have 225 billion cfu’s at the time of expiration. PRObiotic 225 is formulated to travel easily and requires no refrigeration to retain maximum potency.

Strength and durability are key elements of probiotic efficacy. The hardy strains chosen for PRObiotic 225 have been researched and verified to survive the harshness of the GI environment and withstand a variety of pH ranges

Recent in vitro research has shown that significantly increasing probiotic concentrations, elicits a much different immune response in the G.I. tract. By increasing the concentration well beyond typical probiotic dosing, a positive shift in gene expression was observed.

The Dangers of Synthetic Sugars

Do artificial sweeteners  make you fat?

Today 59 percent of Americans consume diet soft drinks, making them the second-most-popular low-calorie, sugar-free products in the nation.  If you add to that all the thousands of available diet foods that also contain artificial sweeteners, it is no surprise that over 60 percent of the American population suffer from metabolic disorders and are overweight or obese. Weight gain increases the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. 

A Danger to your Health 

While a variety of symptoms have been reported, almost two-thirds of them fall into the neurological and behavioral category consisting mostly of headaches, mood alterations, and hallucinations. The remaining third is mostly gastrointestinal symptoms.

A Purdue University study published in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience reported that rats on diets containing the artificial sweetener saccharin gained more weight than rats given sugary food, casting doubt on the benefits of low-calorie sweeteners.  The study showed there is a direct connection between the taste of food and calorie consumption.  The rats whose diets contained artificial sweeteners apeared to overeat and become fat more quickly.

The sad truth is that diet foods and drinks ruin your body’s ability to count calories, and in fact stimulate your appetite, thus boosting your inclination to overindulge.