Thank you very much for your interest in my podcasts. If you like what you hear, why not listen to more, or subscribe on iTunes? If you have any comments or questions, I would be very pleased to hear them. Please use the comments box at the foot of this page. Thank you.

On the podcast, I mention Dr. Russell Blaylock’s podcast about magnesium – check it out here: http://www.blaylockhealthchannel.com/

What would the result of magnesium deficiency be?

Magnesium inside cells works with calcium outside the cells to ensure the steady, smooth conduction of nerve impulses. If an imbalance occurs, symptoms may show. Because this impacts on muscle activity, magnesium deficiency is most often detected when people have twitching or flickering muscles or cramp. Extreme deficiency leads to tetany, a permanent severe cramping of legs and arms.

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, low magnesium levels in pregnant women raises the risk of birth defects by 70%.

Magnesium is an intra-cellular ion. 70% of the body’s magnesium is found in bones and teeth. It exists mainly in body tissues, and less so in blood. So a consequence of that is that whereas a blood test might show normal magnesium levels, elsewhere in the body magnesium levels might be significantly different. That’s why magnesium deficiency is hard to detect, and therefore treat. If you are worried about your levels of magnesium, scroll down to the bottom of the page and see how many of the foods listed as being high in magnesium you eat regularly.

As we said, magnesium, along with calcium, is used in the transmission of the nerve impulse, so a deficiency of magnesium is signalled by mental impairment, such as irritability, aggression and nervousness, as well as depression, dizziness, brain fog, forgetfulness and premenstrual syndrome. In neurological illness such as alzheimer, parkinson’s and Lou Gehrig’s disease there is a significantly low quantity of magnesium in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid, which causes inflammation. In recent Japanese and Australian studies, trial subjects who were supplemented with magnesium over 12 years had significantly less dementia and memory loss than other subjects in the trial groups.

Magnesium is also needed to maintain correct ph values in the body and normal body temperature.

It is estimated that half the population of the US is significantly deficient in magnesium.

What leads to magnesium deficiency?

Some nutrients, such as vitamin D and phosphorous increase the body’s requirements of magnesium in order to maintain a balance with calcium. Foods high in phosphorous ironically also contain significant amounts of magnesium: nuts, seeds and seafood, for example. High levels of phosphates are found in infant formula, and lead to magnesium deficiency in early infancy, a key stage in the development of the brain. Phytates, found in cereals, especially in whole grains, possibly inhibit the absorption of magnesium. Big meat eaters also need more magnesium.

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) intake alongside magnesium deficiency has been shown to result in metabolic syndrome such as heart disease, obesity and type two diabetes. Some of the brands that use HFCS include Heinz, Kellogg’s, Starbucks, Ben and Jerry’s, Capri-Sun, Pepsi and Coca-Cola.

What this all shows us is that people who regularly or mainly eat junk food and ready-made food, processed food and sodas, and generally food which is low in magnesium (see below) are at serious risk of a whole raft of health issues.

In what conditions can magnesium be of real value?

As an anti-inflammatory, and because it is an intra-cellular ion, it is particularly effective in reducing inflammation. Inflammatory illnesses range from meningitis, allergies and influenza to cancer. Because it is a strong anti-inflammatory

Function

Because it is involved in the metabolism of glucose, chromium is needed for energy. Chromium molecules are signal molecules, chromium’s role is to increase the strength of the signal that insulin sends, helping to drive blood sugar into cells more quickly after a meal. It is also vital in the synthesis of cholesterol, fats, and proteins. It maintains stable blood sugar levels through proper insulin utilisation.

Therapeutic effects

Helpful for people with diabetes and hypoglycemia, metabolic syndrome, high cholesterol, mental impairment such as depression – see below.

Low plasma chromium levels can be an indication of coronary artery disease. Helps expectant mothers maintain blood sugar levels, especially as the developing foetus depletes the mother’s chromium stores.

There is no real evidence that chromium helps with weight loss or muscle building, but it has been suggested.

About hypoglycemia:

When sugar is in excess, eg: from food, it produces an excess of insulin. If too much insulin is released, hypoglycemia is the result, as blood sugar levels fall. The result is hyperactivity, violent and aggressive behaviour, mental confusion, anxiety and depression, as low blood sugar fails to fuel the brain. MSG can cause hypoglycemia without extra sugar. Alcohol causes low blood sugar, and because alcohol has a euphoric, energetic effect, people end up drinking more in order to get over the low of hypoglycemia, which leads to a vicious circle, including violent, aggressive behaviour, and mental confusion. Aspartame also contains alcohol and causes hypoglycemia.

Animal sources of chromium in food:

 Calf liver, cheese and dairy, eggs, chicken.

Vegetable sources of chromium in food:

Broccoli, barley, oats, tomatoes, green beans, romaine lettuce, black pepper, beer, brewer’s yeast, brown rice, whole grains, dried beans, blackstrap molasses, corn and corn oil, dulse, mushrooms and potatoes.

Losses from food:

Not significant with boiling or steaming.

Those most at risk of chromium deficiency:

People with a high sugar diet as this causes loss of chromium. Also people who eat a lot of junk food and over-processed food as this does not contain the amounts of chromium that the body needs, is often full of sugar that causes loss of any available chromium in the food, and causes a spike in blood sugar levels, resulting in a hypoglycemic blood sugar crash.

Causes of chromium deficiency:

Anxiety and mental impairment, fatigue, glucose intolerance, inadequate metabolism of amino acids, risk of arteriosclerosis.

Excessive intake of chromium leads to:

Chromium toxicity, linked to dermatitis and rashes, gastrointestinal ulcers, kidney and liver impairment. Too much chromium has also been linked to light-headedness. Even if you are taking over 50 times the RDA of chromium, you are very unlikely to suffer from any of the above symptoms. What does lead to too much chromium is living in an area where there is welding, painting, electroplating, steel and iron refinery, and textile dyeing, where chromium is present in toxic amounts in water and air.

Supplementation:

Bioavailable chromium is absorbed by the body as chromium picolate, an amino acid, though see above. Vitamin C enhances uptake of chromium, as is naturally found in broccoli.

FFI: World’s Healthiest Foods article. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=51

Oregon State / Linus Pauling Institute article

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/chromium

Basically, what we all want to know is whether supplementation is necessary – no, says the NHS online: “You should be able to get all the iron you need from your daily diet.”

Looking at the nuts and bolts of this topic, what are iron’s functions?

l   Critical for blood formation, especially red blood generation in the bones

l   Helps to deliver oxygen to body tissues

l   Supports energy production

l   Production of immune cells, and the ability of the immune cells to kill viruses, bacteria & fungi

l   Cell division is possible because iron is present

l   Iron is a coenzyme (enzyme helper)

What are the symptoms of iron deficiency?

Lack of iron brings on anemia, even slightly low levels brings on weakness, listlessness, fatigue. People are pale, tired and incapable of doing normal work. Very low levels lead to heat failure, poor immunity & increased cancer risks. Pregnant women with low iron levels are at risk from pregnancy complications and poor pregnancy outcomes. Other at risk groups are people who do a lot of exercise and people long-term gastro-intestinal problems, where iron is not properly absorbed in digestion.

What shocked me when I was researching this topic is Dr. Russell Blaylock’s provocative podcast (Iron – the double-edged sword), where he explains that high levels of iron can be even more harmful than depressed levels, especially in neurodegenerative diseases, heart disease and heart failure, joint pain, liver failure and rapid ageing, diabetes (especially type 1).

Dr. Blaylock explains that, because iron is so toxic at high levels, the body has to store the iron in “secret places” so as to remove it from tissues where it would cause oxidative damage, and the body needs special proteins to escort the iron to the sites where it is needed.

The absorption of iron is tightly controlled. We only absorb 2 ml out of the 20 ml that is ingested typically every day. To prevent too much iron from escaping into the blood system once it enters the blood stream, it is bound to transferrin, which carries it to the cells. Normally 20 – 30% of transferrin is saturated, so that more iron can be absorbed, if need be; for example if oxygen levels are low we can absorb more iron. Once this bound iron gets to the liver, it is transferred to