Posts Tagged ‘Supplements’
Dietary magnesium toxcity?
Monday, March 23rd, 2009
Q : I’ve been taking magnesium supplements to help me with sleep and my addiction to chocolate but I heard you can get magnesium poisoning easily.
A : Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is essential to good health. Approximately 50% of total body magnesium is found in bone with the other half found predominantly inside cells of body tissues and organs. Only 1% of magnesium is found in blood, but the body works very hard to keep blood levels of magnesium constant.
Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. There is an increased interest in the role of magnesium in preventing and managing disorders such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Dietary magnesium is absorbed in the small intestines and is excreted through the kidneys.
Dietary magnesium does not pose a health risk, however pharmacologic doses of magnesium in supplements can promote adverse effects such as diarrhoea and abdominal cramping. Risk of magnesium toxicity increases with kidney failure, when the kidney loses the ability to remove excess magnesium. Very large doses of magnesium-containing laxatives and antacids also have been associated with magnesium toxicity. Therefore, it is important for medical professionals to be aware of the use of any magnesium-containing laxatives or antacids. Signs of excess magnesium can be similar to magnesium deficiency and include changes in mental status, nausea, diarrhoea, appetite loss, muscle weakness, difficulty breathing, extremely low blood pressure, and irregular heartbeat.
In your particular case, whilst Magnesium can be helpful for sleeplessness due to nervousness and cravings resulting from blood sugar imbalances, it is generally better to confirm such a deficiency first. At ICIM Medics a hair mineral analysis or blood test is conducted to confirm mineral deficiencies or indeed excesses. That way one can monitor the precise need or not as the case may be for Magnesium supplementation.
For further information on Magnesium supplements and testing contact ICIM Medics on 045 844 819 or info@icim.ie.
What Alternatives Can Speed Up Weight Loss?
Friday, November 14th, 2008Q : I’m quite overweight and I want to get in shape for the summer. Are there any supplements I can take to speed things up a bit?
A : Being overweight is generally defined as exceeding the recommended weight for one’s height and build.
Tips for weight loss:
• Diet: a balance between protein (20-25%), carbohydrate (60-70%) and fats (10-15%).
• Fibre: binds fats and cholesterol and excretes them
• Exercise: 20-30 min of aerobic exercise, three times a week.
• Cut down on alcohol and other liver stressing drugs.
• Television: reduces the metabolic rate to that of a trance-like state! Do not eat in front of the television. Positive lifestyle improvements together with a balanced diet and regular exercise are needed to become healthy long-term.
Some suggestions:
• Supplements: chromium picolinate, hydroxycitrate, coenzyme Q10, Fibre such as psyllium husks, ground flax seeds.
• Botanical medicines: Ephedra sinica, Garcinia, Wild angelica, Mate, Dandelion, Aloe Vera and Astragalus may be of assistance.
• Homoeopathic remedies such as Calc Carb 30C may help; however, constitutional prescribing by your homoeopath would be suggested to assist the underlying problems e.g. hormonal imbalances, metabolic disturbances, water retention etc. Weight gain would need to be looked at carefully by a medical professional and must be distinguished from diabetes, under-active thyroid, and kidney and heart disorder etc.
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For further information on Obesity please visit the Irish Centre of Integrated Medicine on www.icim.ie or tel. 045-844819
