HealthBeat News

Category: Childrens Health

  • The Most Important Immune Supplement Ever

    By Dr. Dana Myatt

     

    It’s a "big news day" when holistic and conventional medicine agree on something.

    Nurse Mark and I attend a LOT of continuing medical education conferences so we can stay on the leading edge of health and medicine. Two recent conferences — one, a naturopathic conference on Infectious Diseases and the other a conventional medical conference on Managed Care — surprisingly both gave the same message on what is probably the most important immune supplement known right now: Probiotics. It turns out that holistic and conventional medicine currently completely agree on a natural substance and its importance to health. Here’s the "short course."

    Probiotics are the bacteria that inhabit the small and large intestine. Humans carry around three pounds of these organisms in the gut. When we’ve got "the good stuff" (lactobacillus and bifidobacterium species), these bacteria perform a number of important and health-maintaining functions for us including:

    • preventing bad bacteria from colonizing the gut
    • helping the body recognize "safe" versus "non safe" substances and directing the appropriate immune response
    • protecting the GI barrier so that foreign substances are not absorbed
    • assisting digestion
    • immune modulation: helping keep the "right amount" of immunity — not too much, not too little

     

    Having a large population of these good bacteria plays a huge role in normal immune function. If the gut has lots of good bacteria then we’ve got on our armor against many diseases and insults. This effect is so strong that medicine is looking at "vaccinating" against infectious disease simply by ensuring a healthy gut bacterial population.

    Many factors can alter the population of good gut bacteria, decreasing numbers of The Good Guys and/or increasing numbers of The Hoodlums. These factors start at birth. Vaginal-birthed babies are more likely to have "good bacteria" colonizing the gut whereas babies delivered by C-section are tend to have unfavorable strains colonizing the gut. This is important because it sets the tone for lifelong immunity.

    Other factors that effect the gut micro flora include diet, antibiotics both in food and when used medically, and aging.

    The take home points from my two recent conferences are as follows:

    • maintain a bountiful "garden" of good gut bacteria in order to keep the immune system strong and prevent disease
    • lactobacilli and bifidobacterium of various strains are the "good bacteria"
    • taking a probiotic supplement might be one of the most powerful things we can do to protect ourselves from disease including wintertime infectious diseases like colds and flu
    • we need to take a LOT (high bacterial count) of "The Good Guys" in order to get the desired effect

     

    For this reason, I am discontinuing our regular Supremadophilus and offering my 35 Billion Probiotic formula exclusively. Although it looks more expensive, it isn’t because you need to take less.

    For general immune support: 1-2 capsules per day (divide the dose if you are taking two caps). Take with a meal.

    When taking antibiotics: 2-3 caps per day with meals. Continue for 6-8 weeks after discontinuing the antibiotic.

    I have started taking 35 Billion Probiotics twice per day with meals and will do so at least all Winter and Spring long. While those around me are dropping like flies, succumbing to colds, flu and the like, I’m willing to wager that I won’t be among the fallen this season.

     

    REFERENCES

    1.) Man AL, Bertelli E, Rentini S, Regoli M, Briars G, Marini M, Watson AJ, Nicoletti C. Age-associated modifications of intestinal permeability and innate immunity in human small intestine. Clin Sci (Lond). 2015 Oct;129(7):515-27. doi: 10.1042/CS20150046. Epub 2015 May 7.
    2.) Sassone-Corsi M., Raffatellu M. No vacancy: how beneficial microbes cooperate with immunity to provide colonization resistance to pathogens. J Immunol. 2015 May 1;194(9):4081-7. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1403169.
    3.) Bermon S, Petriz B, Kajeniene A, Prestes J, Castell L, Franco OL. The microbiota: an exercise immunology perspective.Exerc Immunol Rev. 2015;21:70-9.
    4.) Yoon MY, Lee K, Yoon SS. Protective role of gut commensal microbes against intestinal infections. J Microbiol. 2014 Dec;52(12):983-9. doi: 10.1007/s12275-014-4655-2. Epub 2014 Nov 29.
    5.) Bermudez-Brito M., Plaza-Díaz J, Muñoz-Quezada S., Gómez-Llorente C., Gil A.
    Probiotic Mechanisms of Action. Ann Nutr Metab 2012;61:160–174.

  • How Do YOU Get Clean Hands?

    By Nurse Mark

     

    It may be summertime as this is written, but fall and back-to-school and cold and flu season are just around the corner.

    There is no question that hygiene, as in hand washing, goes a long way toward preventing the spread of colds and flu.

    But what is best? It’s really not practical to wash hands as often as we should – like after every time we touch anything that anyone else could have possibly touched…

    So, what about the ubiquitous "hand sanitizers" that contain ‘antibacterial" ingredients?

    Is there anything else? Maybe something better, or at least a more effective strategy?

    There is no doubt that good ‘ol soap and water is king when it comes to controlling the spread of disease-causing microorganisms – germs, viruses, fungal spores, you-name-it; they all are out to get us.

    A good brisk soap and hot water scrub removes visible dirt, and either removes or attenuates or kills a very wide variety of baddies.

    But there are some problems:

    The "clean" doesn’t last – it is not ‘persistent." The instant you touch anything with those nice clean hands there is a strong likelihood that they are not so clean anymore. That’s why when you see depictions of surgeons "scrubbing for surgery" they engage in such gyrations to avoid touching anything unsterile with those nice clean hands: turning off the taps with an elbow, holding hands up to await a sterile towel to dry, and then carefully donning sterile gloves.

    Surgeons know that they can get their hands squeaky clean with soap and water, but if they touch anything not known to be sterile then all bets are off and they have to start all over.

    Soap and water is good, but it can be hard on the skin – very drying and often irritating – just as any surgeon, or nurse, or anyone who must scrub many times in a day. "Dishpan hands” is a very real thing…

    What about "Hand Sanitizers"? After all, the ads for them make it sound like they are the answer to our prayers. Gels, sprays, liquids, foams, all claiming to be "the best."

    Well, some may be better than others – but they all work the same way: they contain some sort of antibacterial/antimicrobial/virucidal ingredient.

    Most commonly that ingredient is good ol’ alcohol. Cheap and effective, alcohol has been used as a disinfectant for as long as man has known about alcohol.

    Alcohol disinfects by denaturing proteins. It may be effective, but it must be in contact with pathogens for longer periods of time (i.e.: up to 20 minutes or more) to be really any more effective than soap and hot water and scrubbing. Isopropyl alcohol is thought to be more effective than ethanol.

    So, for a quick "spritz ‘n’ rub" skin cleanse, maybe not so effective- who is going to soak their hands in it for even 2 minutes, much less 20 minutes? But for a quickie hand cleanse when nothing else is available? Better than nothing!

    Further, alcohol can be very drying and irritating to the skin, and if you have any little breaks in the skin (Paper cut anyone? Hangnail?) you’ll know all about it!

    Oh, and by the way: alcohol is highly flammable… yep, people have set themselves alight with their hand sanitizers!

    What about non-alcohol sanitizers?

    A new kid on the block is actually an old name in the antimicrobial business: Benzalkonium chloride. I’s main claim to fame is that it is "persistent": that it’s antimicrobial effects continue for some time after it’s application because the chemical remains on and in the skin.

    A synthetic chemical in the family of quaternary ammonium cations (also known as quats) Benzalkonium Chloride is a fairly effective disinfectant found in a number of "non-alcohol" hand sanitizer products. It has also long been used in medical settings as a disinfectant soak for such things as oral thermometers and instruments.

    Benzalkonium chloride is effective against gram positive (such as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumonia – “staph” and “strep”) and some gram negative bacteria (e-coli, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas) and some viruses, fungi, and protozoa.

    It is effective, but also toxic – benzalkonium chloride is considered to be  highly toxic to fish, very highly toxic to aquatic invertebrates, moderately toxic to birds, and slightly toxic to mammals. Keep it away from your aquarium and your pet birds!

    There is also a growing body of evidence that long term human exposure to benzalkonium chloride and related chemicals is associated with significant health risks. These include asthma, chronic dermatitis and other immune system disorders. They are no longer recommended for use around infants or children, and their safety in the elderly is being called into question.

    Also becoming popular as a non-alcohol sanitizer is another old friend, triclosan.

    Triclosan was first registered with the EPA as a pesticide in 1969 and While it is effective as an antimicrobial, it is being found to have thyroid and hormone-disruptive effects.

    Triclosan-containing hand cleansers also boast of their "persistence" – meaning that this chemical stays on the skin after being applied. Hmmm… this sounds like a good thing; it continues to protect for a period of time after use. But it also means that this toxic chemical – originally developed as a pesticide – is being allowed to remain in contact with your skin for an extended period of time. And your skin is the largest absorptive organ of your body… Oops…

    Is there nothing really effective and safe?

    We think that there is: Silver – “colloidal silver”

    We have praised the effectiveness and safety of silver before: see our article “Is There A ‘Silver Bullet’ For Disease?” to learn more.

    Colloidal silver is highly effective, and persistent if allowed to remain on surfaces. We have written often in praise of the benefits of colloidal silver. It is usually not recommended for generalized cleaning as there are more economical choices – though there are researchers who have verified it’s effectiveness as a general surface disinfectant.

    But in a hand sanitizer colloidal silver is highly effective against a very wide range of bacteria, viruses, and even fungi, and silver-containing gel formulations soothe and heal damaged skin. Since the colloidal silver is rubbed into the skin and not washed off, it has very good "persistence."

    We offer our version of a "Hand sanitizer" that we feel is both safe for frequent use, and is highly effective.

    ASAP 365 – 24 ppm Silver Gel is effective, safe, and inexpensive – Dr. Myatt and I carry this with us whenever we travel and use it often – and we don’t use chemical-laden “hand sanitizers”! Colloidal silver is safe even for internal use – there are some people who use this as "toothpaste" and swear by it!

    This gel rubs in quickly and easily, is non-greasy, and contains no perfumes or dangerous chemicals. It is a valuable addition to a natural first-aid kit for treating minor burns, wounds, fungal and bacterial infections – there are even those who swear by colloidal silver for the treatment of “Cold Sores” and “Fever Blisters”, and scientific research supports their belief in it’s effectiveness. One ecstatic customer even wrote to tell of it’s effectiveness as a deodorant!

    So, the short course on clean hands?

    1. Soap and water as often as possible and practical – and don’t forget to do the "surgeon thing" using a paper tower to shut off the water and to open the door so that you aren’t touching possibly (likely) contaminated surfaces with those nice clean hands.
    2. Colloidal silver-containing hand sanitizer immediately after that soap and water hand scrub – you got them clean, now use the silver to make sure of it and to provide that valuable "persistence" that will help protect you when you inevitably touch something that dozens, hundreds, even thousands of people have touched and contaminated before you. (door handle? menu? escalator hand rail? you get the idea…)
    3. Avoid the toxic chemical laden "alcohol-free" hand sanitizers. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer may be useful when hand washing is not an option – just use it liberally to ‘clean’ and then follow up with a colloidal silver gel sanitizer for persistent effects.

  • “Mystery Virus” – It Just Gets Worse!

    By Nurse Mark

     

    I recently wrote about “The Mystery Virus” that has been striking down children all across the United States. Enterovirus D68 itself really isn’t much of a mystery – we’ve known about it for a long time. What is a mystery is why this once relatively harmless (if annoying) virus is suddenly putting kids into intensive care units with respiratory distress.

    Now it seems that D68 is wreaking additional havoc among some kids: paralysis.

    According to an article in WebMD Sept. 29, 2014:

    Some children hospitalized with breathing problems caused by enterovirus D68 in Colorado, Virginia, and Kansas City have also developed unexplained paralysis in their arms and legs, officials say.

    Doctors have been watching for paralysis in enterovirus patients affected by the current outbreak, which the CDC says has spread to at least 40 states.

     

    According to the article the D68 enterovirus is related to the Polio virus which crippled thousands of children in the 1950’s.

    Schaffner says that in many children, symptoms of paralysis will ease over time as inflammation and swelling of the tissues improves.

    “But some of these illnesses can have a permanent residual paralysis, just like the old-timey polio did, because if those cells have been destroyed, there can be some residual paralysis,” he says.

     

    And the article goes on to say:

    There is no vaccine to prevent enterovirus D68. There are no effective treatments for the infection, either.

     

    The best that the CDC and conventional medicine has to offer right now?

      • Practice good hand-washing habits.
      • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
      • Disinfect frequently touched surfaces like toys and doorknobs.

     

    Well thank you, that was helpful!

    Please – if you have kids or grandkids – please take a moment to read our previous HealthBeat News article Keep Your Kids Safe From "The Mystery Virus" for some more useful suggestions.

  • Keep Your Kids Safe From The “Mystery Virus”

    By Nurse Mark

     

    It’s like something out of a science fiction horror movie; scenes out of every parent or grandparent’s worst nightmares. An illness that seems to strike only children. Immunization status makes no difference to it; it doesn’t seem to matter if kids have been given every possible vaccination. Antibiotics are useless; it’s a virus, and so it laughs at mere antibiotics. There is no known antiviral treatment available to conventional doctors. There is no protective vaccine.

    It has struck down children in a dozen states so far and appears to be spreading – though the government is being tight-lipped about it, no doubt hoping to prevent panic. It has sickened a thousand or more children so far, and of those, nearly a third have been sick enough to spend time in the intensive care unit of the hospital.

    Fortunately, none have died – yet.

    The headlines are screaming about ‘mystery virus” but it’s really not a mystery. It is an enterovirus called EV-D68 that has been around since the 1960’s. It used to be that it caused a relatively minor cold or “stomach flu” that your probably caused mother and mine to keep us home from school with for a day or two but that was otherwise annoying but relatively harmless.

    All that has now changed – it is making kids very, very sick.

    Why has this once relatively benign virus suddenly turned potentially deadly? Who knows. Perhaps it has mutated. Perhaps in our obsession to live sterile, and pathogen-free in every way we have lost our ability to deal with it. In the end, to use Hillary Clinton’s words, “What difference, at this point, does it make?”

    Well, to the kids affected, or who might become infected, it is a big deal – and while it may not make any difference to someone sickened with EV-D68 just how this virus managed to get so virulent and nasty, it does make a difference that modern conventional medicine seems quite powerless to do much of anything about it.

    Their best advice so far is frequent hand-washing and avoiding people who are obviously sick. Oh, and there’s always the intensive care unit for the unlucky third of kids who get hit hard… But there are no drugs, no magic, miraculous, heroic Big Pharma salvation.

    So, what is a parent to do? Hide your kids at home until it all goes away? Send them off to school and be worried sick that they’ll be the next victim to end up in an ICU bed? Make them wear a mask and gloves in public? (Yeah, right – like that’s going to happen!)

    Natural medicine doesn’t have a magical, miraculous cure either – sorry to disappoint you.

    But we do have some suggestions that can help equip kids to better resist this nasty virus.

    Let’s start by helping your kids to have a strong immune system – that’s pretty easy.

    We’ll start with sleep: kids need a solid 8 to 12 hours of quality sleep – no lights (even night-lights), no beeping smartphones, no violent videogames before bed, just a quiet, dark, comfortable bed in a room with fresh air and no distractions. Figure out what time “get-up time” is in the morning and work back from there to set bedtime. Most kids will grumble and complain bitterly about the “unfairness” of it all, but without that sleep time immune systems become weakened and stressed. Try a little lavender oil – a drop or two on the pillow. It’s an old nurse’s trick to promote relaxation and sleep… For older kids, perhaps Lavella.

    We are what we eat – the ancient wisdom is so true. Your kid probably didn’t get enough sleep, despite your best efforts. Then that same kid is going to climb into a metal tube called a school bus with some 60 or more other kids, and be transported to a school where they will rotate in and out of classrooms where they will sit in close confinement with thirty or so kids… and share a crowded cafeteria at lunchtime and more classroom confinement through the afternoon… until they get back onto that sardine can of a school bus for the ride home. What perfect conditions for the spreading of germs and viruses, right?

    So, why would you allow them to actively suppress their immunity first thing each morning and several times each day?

    Let’s face it – breakfast is probably a big glass of orange juice or other sugary “breakfast drink”, another big glass of milk (skim, of course, which has more sugar than whole milk), and a bowl of sweetened cereal or some sort of toaster pancakes or waffles or even (shudder) Pop Tarts… or the toast and jam: let’s not even go there, OK? Pure carbohydrate, with the added bonus of gluten to mess with those developing minds… (you didn’t read our article Gluten and Casein, The Modern Poisons In Your Diet? Please take a moment to do so now…)

    Enough sugar to shut down a kid’s immune system for hours.

    Then, because all that sugar is going to wear off around mid-morning, leaving the poor kid sleepy and cranky, there will be a snack break for some more “fruit juice” and probably some kind of “energy bar” or maybe a granola bar or pudding cup.

    More immune paralyzing sugar…

    Then the school lunch – usually a high-carb affair with yet more “fruit juice”, skim milk, and sugary fruits.

    And a sugary mid afternoon snack, “for energy”… or worse, a sugary “sports drink” or sugar, chemical and caffeine-filled “energy drink.”

    Remember, each blast of sugar suppresses immunity for up to 3 hours…

    And back onto the school bus for home.

    Why not start the day with a good high-protein, low carb breakfast that will see them through the morning without having to resort to a “granola bar” or worse, a candy bar (which is all that many “granola bars” and “energy bars” really are anyway.) Eggs, meat, cheese, low-carb fruits and vegetables… These will help to preserve immunity and also prevent that mid-morning “crash” that has kids looking for a sugar hit.

    OK, so you don’t have time to prepare an eggs and meat breakfast for anyone – should you just give up and let your kid eat Pop-Tarts or Eggo Waffles?

    How about a quick, delicious, healthy, high-protein, low cab milkshake that you can make in minutes and be sure that your kids will love. Dr. Myatt’s SuperShake is perfect as a meal replacement anytime and is an ideal breakfast choice for busy families.

    Lunch and dinner should be the same – high protein, low-carb, and very, very low on the sugars.

    For an energy drink that you can feel good about, and that your kids will like too, try ZipFizz in a variety of flavors. It adds quickly to bottled water, it’s fizzy, it tastes great, it’s high in electrolytes and vitamins – including B-12 and potassium for energy, and it has zero sugar. And it’s “cool” – kids like it!

    OK, enough about diet already – what else can you do to virus-proof my kids?

    Well, let’s look at one of the government’s recommendations – frequent hand washing. Like that’s going to happen during a busy school day, right? So you send your kid off with some “hand sanitizer” Not a bad idea – except that most of the popular hand sanitizers have some serious problems…

    If you haven’t read our expose on hand sanitizers, please take a moment to do so now:  HealthBeat News: Poisoned With Good Intentions

    Our Silver Gel Hand Sanitizer contains none of the alcohol, perfumes, colors, or pesticide chemicals of most conventional sanitizers, and it is highly effective. Not only that, it’s different, it’s silver, and it might just carry a “cool” factor that could encourage your kids to use it. Oh, and by the way – this stuff is useful against the bane of every teenager, the dreaded zits. A little dab on the nasty spot will help it to heal quicker…

    Colloidal silver has a long and proud history as an antimicrobial effective against most bacteria and viruses. Are we claiming it to be an effective treatment against the enterovirus called EV-D68? No, we can’t. There is no scientific evidence specifically stating that it is effective against this particular virus. That is because nobody has done a scientific, medically valid study. Why is that? It’s because studies like that cost a lot of money, and usually only the ultra-wealthy drug companies can afford them. Since silver cannot be patented there is no profit in it for Big Pharma – so no money for studies.

    But given colloidal silver’s effectiveness against so many other bugs, bacteria, and viruses and silver’s low potential for toxicity, it is well worth having this product in your natural medicine cupboard. Please read more here:  HealthBeat News: Is There A Silver Bullet?

    In addition to the liquid colloidal silver for immune enhancement and for use during infections, there is Colloidal Silver Vertical Spray – intended for use as a “nasal spray” to help support healthy nasal passages and sinuses – where enteroviruses like EV-D68 like to gain a foothold…

    Despite your best efforts, your kids probably don’t get a full, optimal range of essential vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals each day. Why not consider Children’s Vitamins for your younger kiddies, and Dr. Myatt’s Maxi Multi for your young adults? For the “young adults” crowd who might find taking vitamins to school to take at lunchtime to be “uncool” or whose schools might frown upon “unidentified pills” Maxi Multi can also be taken twice daily, at breakfast and dinner, if necessary.

    Dr. Myatt’s Immune Support capsules can also help to fortify young immune systems.

    Adult doses of most things are a bit much for smaller kids, so here is where you can find Dr. Myatt’s dosing guidelines that you can use to calculate appropriate dosing for smaller kids:

    So, there you have some basic ideas for giving your kids a shot at avoiding the “mystery virus”, enterovirus EV-D68 . Big Medicine and Big Pharma are wringing their hands helplessly over this, so it’s up to you!

  • Are You Missing This Important Mineral?

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Magnesium.

     

    You know the stuff; that really lightweight metal that you had fun with in high school chemistry class. There was always the class clown who would put a match to a piece of it, and it would burn with an incredibly bright, white light. Invariably, someone would panic and try to douse the flame with water – which would only make it burn more ferociously…

    Magnesium is one of the most common minerals on our planet Earth – the fourth most common element in fact after iron, oxygen and silicon.

    Yet many people are deficient in this important, precious (for health) mineral.

    How can this be?

     

    Our ancestors rarely suffered from magnesium deficiencies – they got plenty in their diets. That is unfortunately not the case today.

    Can you say “monoculture“?

     

    Modern, “industrial” agriculture methods have depleted our topsoil of this and many other minerals, leaving our crops and thus our diets deficient. Even the USDA admits that less than a third of Americans don’t get even the minimal USDA recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of 240 to 420 millgrams per day.

    Why is magnesium so important to our health?

     

    Magnesium is involved in energy processes, nerve function, enzyme activation, and protein formation.

    Magnesium is essential to the basic chemistry of life – nucleic acid. Over 300 enzymes require magnesium to function, including all enzymes that utilize or synthesizing ATP (adenosine triphosphate – the most basic energy source for our cells), and enzymes used to synthesize DNA and RNA. ATP is found in cells in the form of ATP and a magnesium ion bound together in a chelate.

    So what – if I’m a little low?

     

    Since magnesium is important to so many vital physical processes in our bodies it’s easy to see how a deficiency can have so many, wide ranging, and serious effects.

    Magnesium deficiency is associated with:

    fatigue glaucoma depression
    high blood pressure diabetes hearing loss
    fibromyalgia kidney stones osteoporosis
    asthma gallbladder stones cancer
    stroke migraine insomnia
    heart disease (arrhythmia, CHF, angina, acute MI) pregnancy complications (toxemia, premature delivery) premenstrual syndrome
     

    And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

     

    Without magnesium our bones cannot utilize calcium properly, leading to osteoporosis. This also why a magnesium deficiency can lead to kidney and gall stone formation and can result in vascular calcification (AKA “hardening of the arteries”).

    Magnesium is Mother Nature’s “calcium channel blocker.” Calcium Channel Blockers are drugs used to control high blood pressure. The drugs have a multitude of nasty side effects. Magnesium doesn’t, and it lowers high blood pressure very nicely.

    Magnesium is a “calming” mineral. It reduces muscle cramps and spasms and is used in emergency medicine to treat life-threatening heart arrhythmias.

    Magnesium deficiencies are associated with metabolic syndrome and Type II Diabetes.

    Small doses of magnesium were found to be as effective as drugs in treating depressed elderly Type II Diabetics, and has been speculated to be useful in the treatment of other depression as well.

    But what if I take too much?

     

    Like anything, it is possible to get too much magnesium. Difficult, but possible. Excess magnesium in the blood is quickly and effectively filtered out by the kidneys, so it’s hard to overdose on magnesium from dietary sources alone.

    Overdose is possible with misuse of supplements, particularly in people with poor renal function and occasionally people using high doses of magnesium salts as a cathartic can get themselves into trouble, causing hypermagnesemia even if they don’t have renal dysfunction – they just overwhelm their kidneys ability to cope with the overload.

    For most people however, excess magnesium in the system is going to be quickly eliminated in the urine.

    Where can I get some?

     

    Diet is the best way to get your magnesium. Unfortunately, as we discussed earlier, our soils are depleted and our crops are lacking. Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, are good sources of magnesium.

    Like almonds? They provide up to 20% of the RDA of magnesium (80mg) per one ounce serving. Spinach runs a close second, providing 78mg per half cup. Cashews are number 3 with 74mg per one ounce serving – who knew that eating healthy could be so great!

    But remember, the RDA is 240 to 420 millgrams per day – and you really should be getting twice that much for optimal health!

    Supplementation provides a more certain source for magnesium.

     

    Multiple vitamin / mineral formulas should ideally contain goodly amounts of magnesium. For example, Dr. Myatt’s Maxi Multi provides 500mg per day. For those who need more, Magnesium Glycinate is available in 100mg capsules to allow optimal fine-tuning of daily intake. And for those who are concerned with osteoporosis and bone health, CalMag Amino contains 200mg of magnesium in the optimal ratio with calcium along with several other essential bone health nutrients including Vitamin D, boron, and Vitamin K.

    Ever get a charley-horse or other muscle cramps?

     

    Magnesium absorbs quickly through the skin and relieves muscle cramps fast. Try massaging in a few sprays of Magnesium Oil – Dr. Myatt uses this herself for muscle cramps after exercise and she swears by it. It’s not really oil – it is a very thick brine (like a salt solution) that feels oily going on but absorbs in to the skin quickly. It doesn’t stain like oil, but it does sometimes leave a light powdery residue on the skin that is easily wiped or washed away. This stuff is like a “miracle cure” for kids who are prone to night-time muscle cramps, “growing pains,” and charley-horses!

     

    Magnesium – who knew that “science class” stuff would turn out to be so important!

     

    References:

    National Institutes for Health Office of Dietary Supplements Fact Sheet on Magnesium: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/ – includes numerous additional references.

    Eby Ga, 3rd; Eby, KL (2010). “Magnesium for treatment-resistant depression: a review and hypothesis”. Medical hypotheses 74 (4): 649–660.

    Barragán-Rodríguez, L; Rodríguez-Morán, M; Guerrero-Romero, F (2008). “Efficacy and safety of oral magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression in the elderly with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, equivalent trial”. Magnesium research : official organ of the International Society for the Development of Research on Magnesium 21 (4): 218–23.

    Jee SH, Miller ER III, Guallar E et al. (2002). “The effect of magnesium supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials”. Am J Hypertens 15 (8): 691–696.

    Guerrero-Romero F, Rodriguez-Moran M (2002). “Low serum magnesium levels and metabolic syndrome”. Acta Diabetol 39 (4): 209–213.

    Zipes DP, Camm AJ, Borggrefe M et al. (2012). “ACC/AHA/ESC 2006 Guidelines for Management of Patients With Ventricular Arrhythmias and the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force and the European Society of Cardiology Committee for Practice Guidelines (writing committee to develop Guidelines for Management of Patients With Ventricular Arrhythmias and the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death): developed in collaboration with the European Heart Rhythm Association and the Heart Rhythm Society”. Circulation 114 (10): e385–e484.

    James MF (2010). “Magnesium in obstetrics”. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 24 (3): 327–337.

    Hashimoto T, Hara A, Ohkubo T et al. (2010). “Serum magnesium, ambulatory blood pressure, and carotid artery alteration: the Ohasama study”. Am J Hypertens 23 (12): 1292–1298.

    Massy ZA, Drüeke TB (2012). “Magnesium and outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease: focus on vascular calcification, atherosclerosis, and survival”. Clin Kidney J 5 (Suppl 1): i52–i61.

    Turgut F, Kanbay M, Metin MR et al. (2008). “Magnesium supplementation helps to improve carotid intima media thickness in patients on hemodialysis”. Int Urol Nephrol 40 (4): 1075–1082.

    “Lack Energy? Maybe It’s Your Magnesium Level”. United States Department of Agriculture.

    Euser, A. G.; Cipolla, M. J. (2009). “Magnesium Sulfate for the Treatment of Eclampsia: A Brief Review”. Stroke 40 (4): 1169–1175.