451 CO2 & Plant Nutrients [18 Dec 2017]

Irakli Loladze, an American mathematician with an interest in biology, discovered a previously unsuspected effect of rising carbon dioxide levels. As atmospheric CO2 rises, plant growth and carbohydrate (mostly sugars) content increase, while the protein and mineral contents decrease.

It was well known that nutrient content of food crops had dropped significantly in the last 50 years – a USDA study published in 2004 showed changes in nutrient levels of 43 garden crops from 1950 to 1999. But these changes were attributed to breeding of new crop varieties for yield [and taste] rather than nutrient content.

Loladze demonstrated that in addition to crop breeding, rising CO2 levels also played a role in the observed nutrient losses. As CO2 levels rise, photosynthesis speeds up, increasing carbohydrate production at the expense of protein and nutrients like vitamins and minerals. In experiments with cereal grains and potatoes, increased CO2 resulted in reductions in protein, calcium, potassium, zinc and iron. These changes are predicted to put millions of people at risk of dietary deficiencies. There is also concern that the increased sugar content of plant foods will contribute to the rising epidemics of obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

To eliminate the plant breeding factor, pollen samples from wild goldenrod plants dating back to before the industrial revolution were tested, and found to have declining protein content with rising CO2 levels.

Two large studies were published in 2014 which supported the theory of a rising carbohydrate to minerals ratio. Samuel Myers, a climate researcher at Harvard University, and his team published a study in Nature which showed that protein, iron and zinc dropped in key crops grown in Japan, Australia and the United States. On the same day Loladze published the results of 15 years of data on samples from 130 varieties of plants, showing that minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and iron were reduced, on average by 8%.

That 8% may not seem significant but it will grow as CO2 levels continue to climb through the rest of this century. It is just one more effect to consider along with all the other effects of climate change. Still, in my opinion, this nutrient loss is overshadowed by the deliberate reduction of nutrients in food processing in order to make our food tastier, more convenient, and cheaper.

Source: The great nutrient collapse, by Helena Bottemiller Evich, The Agenda, www.politico.com, 2017

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

403 Humic & Fulvic Acids [16 Jan 2017]

I have a rather unique supplement on my shelves that I wanted to learn more about so chose it for my topic this week. Humic and fulvic acids are organic compounds found in soil, peat, and water sediments. A particularly rich deposit in New Mexico dating from the Cretaceous Period (100mya) is mined to create a supplement for human use.

The main ingredients are humic and fulvic acids. The supplement also contains traces of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, plant enzymes and other organic compounds (organic in the chemical sense meaning that it contains carbon).

Humic and fulvic acids are known to benefit human health in many ways:
• Source of trace minerals in a readily available organic form
• Stimulates mitochondrial production of ATP
• Protects mitochondrial membranes from oxidative damage
• Reduces loss of ATP and CoQ10 levels during heavy exercise
• Acts as prebiotic feeding good bacteria in the gut
• Reduces pain and inflammation
• Improves immunity by increasing T-lymphocytes and neutrophils
• Inhibits viral infections including rhinoviruses, influenza and Herpes simplex
• Increases elimination of toxic heavy metals while improving absorption of nutritional metals like iron and zinc
• Blocks stress hormones
• Increases oxygenation of the blood

Here are how these benefits are experienced by users:
• Relief from joint pain and stiffness
• Reduced soreness and faster recovery from work or sports activity
• Increased energy & stamina
• Improved immunity from colds and flu
• Improved mood, reduced anxiety, increased alertness
• Most people noticed the benefits in 1 or 2 weeks

In over 10 years of research, humic and fulvic acid supplements have been found to be completely safe and do not interfere with any medications.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner. Find this article on my website for links to sources and further reading.

353 Elemental Origins [18 Jan 2016]

Last week I wrote about the ratio of elements in our bodies. This week I’m going to back up a little (like 14 billion years!) to explore the origins of these elements.

Cosmologists and particle physicists have developed theories to explain the formation of the universe, including all the elements that occur on Earth – and in us. The current theory is still known as the Big Bang, the name sarcastically given to it in 1949 by a then skeptical cosmologist, Fred Hoyle. According to this theory, the universe, with all of its mass and energy, expanded out of a single point called a singularity about 13.8 billion years ago.

As the universe expanded and cooled, the immense energy condensed into protons, neutrons and electrons (plus many other particles I won’t mention here) which then combined to form the simplest atoms – hydrogen (1), helium (2) and lithium (3). [The numbers in ( )’s following the element names are the number of protons in the nucleus, called the “atomic number”.] This formation of elements early in the universe is called Big Bang nucleosynthesis and resulted in a ratio of about 75% hydrogen, 25% helium, and just a trace of lithium.

Over millions of years these expanding gasses coalesced into galaxies and then into stars. Gravity acting on the stars caused the temperature in the center to rise and fusion to begin, combining the hydrogen into helium. As stars near the end of their life and start to run out of hydrogen they collapse inwards, raising the temperature enough for helium to fuse into carbon (6). Depending on the size of the star, this process continues, at an increasing rate, to form oxygen (8), then neon (10), silicon (14) and so on up to iron (26), cobalt (27) and nickel (28). As the stars die these elements are blown out into space in clouds of dust and gasses. Ironically it was Fred Hoyle who, in 1954, developed this theory of stellar nucleosynthesis.

The heavier elements (above nickel) can only be formed in supernovae explosions, like the one that formed the Crab Nebula in 1054. When massive stars, 10 or more times the mass of the Sun, collapse and spectacularly explode they blow immense clouds of particles containing all these elements out into space. These clouds of dust then cool and condense to form a new generation of stars and planets, like the one we live on.

So in a very real sense, we are made of star dust.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

352 Elemental Body Composition [11 Jan 2016]

First, I promised to let you know the results of the radon test in my house basement. The safe level is considered 200 Bq/m3; my house was 586, nearly 3 times the safe limit. I will be installing an air pump or something like that and will let you know what that entails. I think every house in Rosetown with a basement should be tested. See my December 7 article for details.

Now for this week’s topic. I often write about essential nutrients that our body requires for health or indeed life. Most of these like vitamins, essential fatty acids, amino acids and enzymes are molecules, made of chains of atoms. A few, namely the minerals, are actual atoms or elements. I thought it would be interesting to look at the elemental composition of our bodies.

Recently I saw a chemical “formula” for the human body listing the relative abundance of atoms of different elements: H 375,000,000 O 132,000,000 C 85,700,000 N 6,430,000 Ca 1,500,000 P 1,020,000 S 206,000 Na 183,000 K 177,000 Cl 127,000 Mg 40,000 Si 38,600 Fe 2,680 Zn 2,110 Cu 76 I 14 Mn 13 F 13 Cr 7 Se 4 Mo 3 Co 1
These aren’t the total number of atoms, just the ratio. For every atom of cobalt there are 4 selenium, 2,110 zinc, 40,000 magnesium, 1.5 million calcium, and 132 million oxygen atoms. These ratios would be much different by weight (technically mass); hydrogen which is the lightest element makes up only 10% of the body weight, following oxygen (60-65%) and carbon (18%). Most of the hydrogen and oxygen in our bodies is in the form of water which makes up about 60% of our body weight.

Carbon forms the framework for all organic compounds including proteins and fats so is the next most common after the water forming elements hydrogen and oxygen. Nitrogen and sulfur are also found in protein, and calcium and phosphorus form much of our bones, so these are all also abundant. Sodium and potassium are fairly evenly balanced. Zinc, copper, iodine, manganese, fluorine, chromium, selenium, molybdenum and cobalt are all less than 1 millionth as abundant as hydrogen, which is why they are called trace minerals.

These 22 elements are essential for life (except fluorine which plays a role in hardening dental enamel but is not essential). A few more, like lithium, boron, nickel and vanadium may play some physiological role but in even tinier amounts. Many others are quite detrimental to health in any amount like aluminum, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and lead. Our bodies do an amazing job of keeping these out and keeping the rest close to the right ratio. I for one find that fascinating.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

317 Nutritional Psychiatry [4 May 2015]

Nutritional psychiatry (NP) is a branch of science that uses nutrients to treat psychiatric symptoms and mood and anxiety disorders. Bonnie Kaplan is a professor at the U. of Calgary and a researcher in nutritional psychiatry. A recent interview with Kaplan for the Economic Times was published online March 20, 2015, as “Nutritional psychiatry can be an effective treatment”.

In the interview, Kaplan made these six points:

1. NP is a new science, less than 15 years old. Kaplan is researching the use of a broad spectrum nutrient formula to treat psychiatric symptoms and mental disorders.

2. NP is effective because normal brain function requires micronutrients. Mental illness can result if any nutrients are in insufficient supply. In one case study a young boy with bipolar disorder who was regressing (getting worse) during six years of conventional treatment, was completely cured after 14 months with nutritional treatment.

3. Many psychiatrists are opposed to nutritional psychiatry. They are trained in drug therapy and are uninterested in normal brain metabolism. Government funding is difficult to obtain because of the lack of support by conventional medicine.

4. Pharmaceutical companies are not interested in NP because it is less profitable. In another case study, a young boy suffering from severe psychosis had been treated conventionally with no improvement, then successfully treated with nutritional therapy at less than 1% of the cost.

5. NP cannot always totally replace drugs; in some cases it complements drug therapy. Kaplan believes the ideal situation would be for nutrition to be the primary therapy and medication play a supportive role when needed.

6. NP is not just about supplementation but includes a diet of high quality nutritious food for its vitamin, mineral and phytonutrient content.

To learn more about nutritional psychiatry and the broad spectrum nutrient formula visit www.truehope.com or phone 888-878-3467.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner. See this article on my website for links to sources and further reading.

302 Mitochondria Nutrients [19 Jan 2015]

Last week I wrote about a book by Lee Know, ND, called “Life – the Epic Story of our Mitochondria”. In it I was impressed by the interrelationship among the many nutrients required for mitochondria to function properly and produce the energy our bodies need for health.

The TCA Cycle which converts glucose and fatty acids to acetyl-coA requires vitamins B1, B2, B3 & B5, minerals iron, sulfur, magnesium & manganese, the amino acid cysteine and alpha lipoic acid (ALA). The Electron Transfer Chain (ETC) which converts the acetyl-coA to ATP energy has CoQ10 (#159 Apr 2012) as one of its essential steps. The ETC also requires vitamins B2 & B12 and minerals iron, sulfur, copper & zinc.

The amino acid L-carnitine (#168 June 2012) is essential for moving long chain fatty acids into the mitochondria where they can be burned for energy. Oxygen is essential for efficient production of ATP by oxidative phosphorylation and requires iron in the form of hemoglobin for transport to the cells. Without adequate oxygen ATP is produced anaerobically resulting in the buildup of lactic acid (causing muscle pain including angina) which requires carnitine to clear it.

In addition to its role in the TCA cycle, ALA is necessary for the production of the antioxidant glutathione. Glutathione is the most important antioxidant in the mitochondria (more on this next week). ALA is also essential for regenerating NADH back to NAD+ so the first step in the ETC can be repeated. As I explained in an earlier article on ALA (#89 Nov 2010), only the R(+) isomer of ALA is bioactive.

Creatine holds and donates the phosphorus ion to convert ADP to ATP; when used as a supplement creatine increases endurance in athletes and improves brain and heart function.

A deficiency of any of these nutrients slows the production of ATP energy in the mitochondria causing fatigue and the reduced function of the organ(s) involved. That’s why there is no simple answer to the question “Why do I feel so tired all the time?”

Next week – free radicals and the mitochondrial theory of aging.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

297 Mental Health Revolution [8 Dec 2014]

The discovery of the first anti-depressant in the 1950s ushered in a revolution in mental health. This and the families of anti-depressant, anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic drugs that followed not only provided results not possible before but did much to remove the stigma of mental illness. They showed that mental illness is a chemical imbalance, not a character flaw, and not the fault of the person experiencing it.

Unfortunately, recent research is finding that while these drugs have good short term results, the long term can be a different story. Dr. Julia Rucklidge, a clinical psychologist in New Zealand, expanded on this topic in a recent TEDx Talk. She reported huge rates of increases over the past few years in ADHD, autism, bipolar disorder and other psychiatric illnesses in New Zealand and internationally, and then discussed the long term shortcomings of conventional treatments.

Rucklidge has spent the last ten years researching the effects of micro-nutrition on mental health. She and other researchers around the world, have found that the broad spectrum high dose supplement she works with consistently provides superior, often dramatic, results in the short term, without the long term side effects of conventional treatments, for many different conditions including: stress, anxiety, addictions, depression, ADHD, OCD, autism, and Bipolar Disorder. Links to these studies can be found on the TrueHope website. She explains that eating well is essential for mental health but for some people it is not sufficient to turn around a serious mental condition. She also cautioned that the number of nutrients (36) and the dosage used by the researchers are far higher than you would find in a regular multivitamin.

I first wrote about this program in January 2010 "A Discovery of Truehope". Listen to an interview with Truehope founder Anthony Stephan talking about the program and how it came to be.

Rucklidge sums it up this way:

“Poor nutrition is a significant and modifiable risk factor for the development of mental illness… Optimizing nutrition is a safe and viable way to avoid, treat or lessen mental illness.”

I think it’s time for the next revolution in mental health.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

213 Iron – the Energy Mineral [22 April 2013]

Iron is one mineral that is important to keep at the optimum level. On one hand iron is often described as the most common nutritional deficiency; on the other, excess iron can be a serious problem for many people.

Iron’s main function in the body is as a component of the oxygen-carrying protein hemoglobin found in red blood cells. Severe iron deficiency results in anemia which impairs the blood’s ability to carry oxygen to the cells of the body. Symptoms include: fatigue, pale skin, poor appetite and low resistance to infection. Three groups most affected by iron deficiency are: growing children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and pre-menopausal and elderly women. Anemia can also be caused by hidden internal bleeding so should be investigated.

A common genetic condition called hemochromatosis increases absorption of iron which then builds up in the body affecting the liver, pancreas and heart. Men aged 50 or more are most commonly affected. The best treatment is frequent blood donation (although the donated blood cannot be used). A simple blood test can tell you if you have enough, too much, or insufficient iron.

If you are deficient, you can increase consumption of iron rich foods like liver, red meat, egg yolk, legumes and leafy green vegetables like spinach. Spinach by the way is not the iron super power that Popeye thought – a transcribing error in 1870 showed it having 35mg/100g instead of 3.5, an error that wasn’t caught until 1937. Cooking in a cast iron pan is another easy way to add iron to your diet.

There is a variety of iron supplements available, should they be necessary. Inorganic iron salts are not recommended as they are poorly absorbed and tend to be constipating. Ferrous fumarate is a better, organic form. For people with a sensitive digestive system, ferrous bisglycinate chelate is a form that doesn’t cause constipation or diarrhea. The best iron supplements, in my opinion, are the organic herbal iron tonics with a small amount of a highly bio-available form of iron.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

212 Silica – the Health and Beauty Mineral [15 April 2013]

Silicon is the second most abundant element in the earth’s crust after oxygen. It commonly occurs as silicon-dioxide, also called silica. Silicon is a useful mineral to man. Glass is about 75% silica. Silicon’s semi-conductor property created the electronics revolution. And it’s a component of silicone rubber, famous for its flexibility and heat resistance.

But silica’s most important use to man is as a nutrient.. Silica promotes the synthesis of the proteins collagen (Type 1) and elastin. Collagen is an abundant protein in mammals, making up the majority of connective tissue like cartilage, tendons, ligaments, gums and skin. Elastin is a stretchy protein, important for healthy skin, lungs and arteries (especially the aorta). Silica also promotes stronger thicker hair, stronger nails, and stronger bones. Although silica only makes up a tiny proportion of bone, it’s important for promoting re-calcification of bone and speeding healing of fractures. As we age the silica content of our tissues decreases, especially for post-menopausal women.

Clinical trial results have shown that a silica supplement:
• increased hair diameter by 12.8%
• increased hair strength by 13.1%
• reduced facial wrinkles by 30%
• increased skin elasticity by 89%
• strengthened nails making them more resistant to breaking
• increased collagen formation and mineral density in bones.

Although silica is abundant in the earth, it is less common in our food. Silica is abundant only in grass-related foods such as the bran or hulls of oats, wheat and rice, which is almost entirely eliminated from our foods by processing. There are several different silica supplements formulated to provide this nutrient in an easily absorbable form for your body to use:
• aqueous extracts of horsetail or oatstraw – orthosilicic form of silica
• silica gel – a colloidal solution from quartz crystals
• silicon as orthosilicic acid – probably the most effective form

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner

211 Potassium [8 April 2013]

Potassium is one of a special group of minerals called electrolytes which includes calcium, magnesium, sodium and phosphorous. Electrolytes occur in the blood in an ionic form, meaning they carry an electric charge and are not attached to anything. Electrolytes affect the acidity of the blood (pH), the amount of water in the blood (and therefore blood pressure), and muscle function (including the heart). Potassium is essential for bone growth, proper nerve transmission, heart and kidney function, and adrenal function.

The role of potassium in regulating blood pressure is often overlooked. Potassium deficiency is at least as important, and possibly more so, than excess sodium (see my column #129 Salt in Balance, 29 August 2011). Other signs of potassium deficiency include:
• water retention
• muscle weakness and cramps
• heart arrhythmia
• constipation

Our diets are often deficient in potassium. The Paleolithic diet was estimated to contain 11,000 mg potassium and 700 mg sodium. Compare that with our modern diet with 2,500 mg potassium and over 4,000 mg sodium. (Not that the Paleolithic diet ratio was necessarily ideal; the point here is that the ratio has flipped). The Health Canada “Adequate Intake” amount for potassium is 4,700 mg for adults.

Good dietary sources of potassium include vegetables like lima beans, squash, spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes, avocados and asparagus, and fruits including papaya, prunes, cantaloupe and bananas. Don’t overdo the bananas, though, as they are high in sugar and have only half the potassium of the green vegetables. Unrefined sea salts with a pink color are another source of potassium. Potassium is also available as a supplement, usually in citrate form.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

Sources

Mercola: The Guilty Pleasure that Could Save you From Heart Disease, 5 March 2012

"Paleolithic Nutrition – A Consideration of Its Nature and Current Implications", New England Journal of Medicine, January 31, 1985: 312; 283-289, S. Boyd Eaton, M.D. and Melvin Konner, Ph.D.

210 Magnesium – Getting Enough [1 April 2013]

Last week I discussed the many roles of magnesium in the body, signs of deficiency, and factors that could lead to a deficiency. I also mentioned that an estimated 80% of Americans (and likely similar ratio of Canadians) have a deficiency in this vital mineral. How then can we be sure we are getting enough?

First, since blood tests are inaccurate, refer to the list of deficiency symptoms; if you have more than a few consider increasing magnesium rich foods and supplementation.

Magnesium is the key mineral in chlorophyll (like iron is in hemoglobin) so all leafy green veggies are a good source. Green drinks are a concentrated source of chlorophyll and hence of magnesium. Other food sources are whole grains (rice, wheat & oat bran), flax & sunflower seeds, nuts (almonds and our friend Brazil nuts again), and artichokes.

Our diets should ideally contain a total calcium to magnesium ratio of less than 2:1 but because of our high use of dairy (which has little magnesium) it is closer to 3.5:1. Finland with the world’s highest rate of heart disease, has a dietary calcium to magnesium ratio of 4:1. Most calcium supplements come in a 2:1 ratio with magnesium, which is fine if your diet is already high in magnesium. A 1:1 ratio Cal-Mag supplement would be better to improve the overall ratio. If your calcium does not contain magnesium then you need to take a magnesium supplement as well.

Magnesium supplements come in several forms. Magnesium oxide is the cheapest and is absorbed fairly well. Magnesium citrate and chelate are somewhat better. Magnesium in liquid ionic form has the highest and fastest absorption rate, and is the one I recommend to prevent night-time muscle cramps, but comes at a higher price. Whatever form you choose, I think magnesium supplementation, along with a good green drink, is a wise investment in your health. It plays so many critical roles in our health that we can’t afford to allow ourselves to become deficient.

Source: Carolyn Dean, MD ND The Miracle of Magnesium on mercola.com.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

209 Magnesium – a Crucial Mineral [25 March 2013]

Magnesium plays many vital roles in our body. I remember a high school chemistry lab where the teacher lit a strip of metal magnesium. It burned quickly with a very bright flame leaving a whitish powder ash. This ash is magnesium oxide, the most common form of magnesium supplement.

Magnesium plays many critical roles in our health. It is a component of over 300 different enzymes, and 3,751 binding sites have been identified on human proteins. GreenMedInfo lists over 100 health benefits of magnesium and describes seven “key therapeutic applications for magnesium”:
• fibromyalgia;
• atrial fibrillation;
• Type 2 Diabetes; PMS;
• cardiovascular disease;
• migraines; and
• aging.
I would add bone health and strength to the most important roles of magnesium.

Dr. Joseph Mercola estimates that 80% of Americans are deficient in magnesium. Blood tests are not reliable as only 1% of our body’s magnesium is in the blood and blood levels are so critical that our body keeps it stable even as tissue stores are being depleted.

Early signs of deficiency include:
• loss of appetite;
• poor sleep;
• headaches;
• nausea;
• fatigue and
• weakness.

Other symptoms include high blood pressure; anxiety; menstrual cramps, and stiff joints. More severe chronic magnesium deficiency can cause:
• numbness and tingling;
• muscle spasms and cramps; abnormal heart rhythms;
• coronary spasms; and
• seizures.

Conditions that increase the risk of deficiencies include
• Crohn’s disease;
• diabetes;
• alcoholism;
• old age;
• kidney impairment; and
• the use of diuretics, antibiotics and certain cancer drugs.

In the Introduction to Dr. Carolyn Dean’s 2003 book The Miracle of Magnesium she lists 16 different therapeutic areas where magnesium is used successfully. See the list here.

Next week I’ll list good dietary sources and discuss supplementation.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

208 Selenium [March 18, 2013]

For my second article on minerals I selected selenium. I mentioned selenium in #189 last October as one of the anti-oxidants in a study that improved many of the risk factors of heart disease.

Selenium is an essential trace mineral which means it is essential to good health but required in small amounts. It functions in the body as a component of certain antioxidants such as glutathione peroxidase (arguably our body’s most important antioxidant), which protects our cell membranes from free radical damage, reduces the risk of cancer and heart disease, and plays a role in thyroid function and in our immune system.

Population studies show that a lower intake of selenium is associated with a higher incidence of several cancers and some other diseases, but controlled clinical trials have been less clear. One large study by the U of Arizona in the 1980s found a 50% reduction of total cancer deaths in those taking 200mcg of selenium. While not considered deficient, most of the participants were in the low end of the normal range. Other studies have had mixed results, so the scientific consensus is that selenium supplementation only benefits people with a deficiency of the mineral, which is rare in North America.

People with inflammatory bowel conditions such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, or people taking a proton pump inhibitor could be deficient in selenium. Ask your doctor for a blood test to find out. But be careful with selenium supplementation – it is toxic in high doses. Selenium also may interact with niacin, antacids, chemotherapy drugs, statin drugs, corticosteroids and birth control pills.

Health Canada’s RDA is 55 mcg for teens and adults with an upper limit of 400 mcg. Most people can obtain sufficient selenium from a healthy diet. Foods rich in selenium include nuts (especially Brazil nuts), seafood, meat and whole grains. Selenium supplements in Canada are sold in 50 to 200 mcg sizes. An average Brazil nut contains 70 mcg of selenium so eating one or two nuts a day would be a healthier choice if you want to ensure you are getting enough.

Sources:
Web MD
NIH Dietary Supplements
FoundHealth
UBC Urology

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

207 MSM the Sulfur supplement

This is the first of a series of articles on minerals. Sulfur is an essential mineral – the third most abundant mineral in the body (after calcium and phosphorus). MSM (MethylSulfonylMethane) is a naturally-occurring sulfur compound often used as a sulfur supplement.

Sulfur is a component of several essential amino acids and also:
• gives skin a healthy elasticity and makes hair and nails grow faster and stronger
• is essential for the function of immunoglobulins, an important part of the immune system
• neutralizes allergens in both the GI & respiratory tracts thus reducing food and air-born allergy symptoms
• protects the GI tract from parasites
• improves permeability of cell walls to allow nutrients in and flush toxins out
• reduces muscle soreness by helping flush out lactic acid and other toxins
• increases permeability of cell walls to insulin thus reducing insulin resistance and helping to normalize blood sugar

Sulfur is found in many foods including most fresh raw fruits and vegetables, milk, meat, eggs and some grains. For this reason it is sometimes assumed that we get sufficient in our diets. But the sulfur compound is easily lost with even modest processing – cooking, drying, pickling, even long-term storage depletes the sulfur.
MSM supplementation:
• is safe and non-toxic – you can’t overdose with msm
• is odorless, does not produce intestinal gas or body odor
• has no reported interactions with other medications
• works better with vitamin C
• is often combined with glucosamine for joint pain

Another way to obtain sulfur is to soak in a bath with Epsom Salt (magnesium sulfate) – both sulfur and magnesium are absorbed through the skin.

Sources:
U Maryland Medical Center
Nutrition & Metabolism – Are we getting enough sulfur in our diets?
Mercola – MSM ad

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

030 Building Healthy Bones [21 Sept 2009]

As the framework of our body, our bones are very important to our overall health. What can we do to help build strong healthy bones?

Most people think immediately of calcium. While calcium is the most abundant mineral in bones, there are many others, equally important although found in lesser or trace amounts. Dr. Robert Thompson in his book “The Calcium Lie” argues that supplementing only with calcium will create a mineral imbalance that may make your bones weaker. He recommends a trace mineral supplement as well as calcium and magnesium.

Vitamin D is also essential for bone health, although in much smaller amounts than is required for its other important functions.

Eating a good diet of high quality unprocessed foods is essential for good bone health. Include a lot of fresh vegetables, particularly onions because of their gamma-glutamyl peptide content. Vegetable juicing is an ideal way to obtain the nutrients from a large amount of fresh vegetables.

There is a concern that excess protein will promote calcium excretion in the urine. Some high quality protein, however, is necessary to provide certain amino acids that are required for the protein matrix in healthy bones. One protein to avoid if possible is gluten, a specific protein in wheat and some other grains, which has been shown to decrease bone density.

Omega 3 fatty acids are essential for bone health, so eat plenty of fish or take a fish oil supplement. At the same time reduce consumption of Omega 6 fatty acids, found in processed vegetable oils. Vitamin K2 is another nutrient shown to strengthen bones.

Weight bearing exercise is important in developing and maintaining strong bones. A recent study of astronauts returning from a few months in the zero gravity of space showed hip bone strength loss from 14 to 30%.

The pH of the body is critical in bone health. If our blood becomes too acidic, our body will attempt to buffer it by borrowing calcium and magnesium from the bones. It accomplishes this by both stimulating the osteoclast cells that breakdown old bone tissue and inhibiting the osteoblast cells that rebuild new bone.

Your goal should be to keep your bones in a healthy balance by promoting the growth of strong new bone tissue to replace the old dead tissue that is being removed.

This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.