This article written by Lela was published in issue 46 of The South African Journal of Natural Medicine, available in stores nationwide and on: www.naturalmedicine.co.za.

Magnesium

Are you familiar with the mid-morning blues? That feeling that even after eight hours of sleep you could have used at least another two? You may be deficient in magnesium.

Along with sodium, potassium and calcium, magnesium is one of the four macrominerals, essential to all life. A study in the 1960s by American physician Dr Palma Formica tested the effects of magnesium and potassium supplements on 100 people suffering from fatigue. The study included 84 women and 16 men, all of whom were given extra magnesium and potassium for five to six weeks. The findings were astounding: 87 of the volunteers improved, even those who had been suffering from fatigue for more than two years. The subjects became cheerful, alert and energetic, and some even recorded getting by on six hours’ sleep a night when they had struggled to feel rested on twelve hours’ sleep before they started taking the supplements.1

Magnesium is thought to combat fatigue because it helps release energy in the body. It also plays a role in the production of melatonin, which helps to regulate sleep; this production is disturbed when levels of magnesium are insufficient. As well as being helpful in treating fatigue and insomnia, magnesium plays a role in preventing and treating a host of other common ailments from the premenstrual syndrome (PMS) to heart problems.

A MINERAL WITH HEART
Magnesium helps the heart to function, and good levels of this mineral are associated with a decreased risk of heart disease.2

The mineral calcium contracts muscles whereas magnesium relaxes them, so when magnesium levels in the body are low more calcium can flow into the vascular muscle cells, which makes them contract. This contraction causes tighter blood vessels and thus higher blood pressure. Severe magnesium deficiency in the heart causes its muscles to go into spasm, and there is evidence that some heart attacks are in fact not caused by obstruction but by cramping of the coronary arteries, which cuts off oxygen supply to the heart. Good levels of magnesium can prevent these effects, as magnesium is thought to dilate blood vessels and relax heart muscles.
Magnesium also helps to make platelets, the tiny blood cells that form clots, less sticky and so prevents blood clots from forming.

MAGNESIUM FOR ATHLETES
The muscle relaxing properties of magnesium are good news for athletes. In sports medicine, supplementing with magnesium has been shown to help athletes work out for longer; this is thought to be a secondary effect of the role magnesium plays in the body’s energy production. In addition, supplementing with magnesium enhances membrane function when the mineral binds to phosphate groups of the phospholipids on cells and organelle membranes, thus stabilising the membranes and helping prevent exercise-induced injury.3 Magnesium has also been successfully used in the treatment of ‘restless legs syndrome’.

A BONE BUILDER
Around 57% of the magnesium in the body is found in the bones. Magnesium is necessary for bone formation, and many people diagnosed with osteoporosis are found to be suffering from magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is necessary for calcium metabolism and for converting vitamin D to an active form in the body. It also helps to bind calcium to tooth enamel.

MAGNESIUM AND DIABETES
The International Medical Veritas Association (IMVA) has identified magnesium deficiency as one of two major factors linked to the worldwide rise of diabetes, in particular type 2 diabetes, in recent years. The other is chemical poisoning. Magnesium supplementation has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, so magnesium repletion may play a role in delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes and potentially warding off some of its complications such as cardiovascular disease and nephropathy. Without magnesium, insulin is not able to transfer glucose into the cells. Glucose and insulin then build up in the blood, causing various types of tissue damage. The role of magnesium in relation to insulin means that it is also helpful to sufferers from (of) hypoglycaemia.

DNA
Magnesium is an intracellular nutrient. It is needed for DNA production and function, and it activates enzymes that are important for protein and carbohydrate metabolism. In fact, magnesium is a co-factor in more than 300 enzymatic processes in the body. The electrical potential across cell membranes is modulated by magnesium, so it affects how nutrients pass back and forth, into and out of the cell.

THE ANTI-STRESS MINERAL
Magnesium is often called the anti-stress mineral because of its role in relaxing skeletal muscles and the smooth muscles of the gastro-intestinal tract and blood vessels. To fulfil these and other functions properly, magnesium must be balanced in the body with calcium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium chloride.

A DETOXIFICATION AID
As magnesium is a crucial factor in the natural self-cleansing and detoxification responses of the body, many detox programmes recommend a warm bath with a handful of Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate); in fact, many commercially prepared bath salts contain magnesium sulphate as one of their main ingredients. Epsom salts in your bath have a relaxing effect on your body because magnesium sulphate, which is absorbed through the skin, is necessary for the production of serotonin, a mood-regulating neurotransmitter that may increase feelings of relaxation and well-being.
Magnesium sulphate can also be used to dehydrate (draw) boils, carbuncles and abscesses.

DEPRESSION, MIGRAINES AND MENTAL ILLNESS
Magnesium’s role in the production of serotonin means that it is helpful in the treatment of depression. In addition, a brain that is deficient in magnesium is more susceptible to allergens, foreign substances that bring about symptoms similar to those often found in mental illness.

Studies have also shown that treatment of acute migraine with intravenous magnesium sulphate is effective, safe and well tolerated.4

A HORMONE HELPER
When taken in combination with zinc and vitamin B6, magnesium can help to alleviate many hormone-related problems, including PMS. A study at the Institute of Optimum Nutrition in the United Kingdom, which involved 182 women, found that supplementing magnesium in combination with vitamin B6 was twice as effective as using vitamin B6 alone.5

Vitamin B6 needs zinc in order to work properly in the body, so taking magnesium (200 – 400 mg), vitamin B6 (100 – 200 mg) and zinc (20 mg) daily can help to balance the hormones and also assists in fertility.

WHAT ELSE IS IT GOOD FOR?
Some hangover symptoms could be caused by magnesium depletion, and it is possible that taking some magnesium and thiamine (vitamin B1) as well as drinking extra water can help prevent some of the symptoms of ‘the morning after’.

A deficiency in magnesium can cause a rise in histamine levels, so supplementing with magnesium could reduce allergic reactions. Magnesium has been successfully used in intravenous solutions with other nutrients to relieve acute asthma attacks, and because of its nerve and muscle relaxing effect it can be helpful in reducing epileptic seizures caused by nerve excitability. This macromineral has also been used in the treatment of eclampsia, seizures in a pregnant woman that are unrelated to brain conditions and usually occur after the 20th week of pregnancy. In some countries magnesium has been used for many years to help prevent premature labour.3

A study conducted in the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, showed that patients taking oral supplements of magnesium and vitamin B6 experienced relief from recurring kidney stones. It was found that when magnesium was discontinued, the kidney stones returned until supplementation was resumed.6

DEFICIENCY AND TOXICITY
Toxicity due to magnesium overload is almost unknown as any excess is usually excreted in the urine and faeces. However, symptoms of toxicity can occur if calcium levels in the body are too low. These include hyper-excitability and depression of the central nervous system. Magnesium deficiency is more common, and can be caused by stress triggering an increase in magnesium excretion in the body. Adequate magnesium absorption can also be adversely affected by too many meals high in protein and fat, excessive alcohol use, and/or a diet high in phosphorus or calcium (calcium and magnesium can compete with each other). Deficiency symptoms include fatigue, irritability, PMS, insomnia and a poor memory. If you are taking birth control pills and/or diuretics or are postmenopausal you may well benefit from increasing your magnesium intake.

FOOD SOURCES
Good dietary sources of magnesium include seafood, seeds, legumes, soy flour, tofu, nuts (in particular almonds, pecans, cashews and Brazil nuts), whole grains (especially wheat germ and bran), millet, brown rice, avocado and dried apricots. Magnesium is an alkaline earth mineral like calcium, and is known as the ‘iron’ of the plant world. This mighty mineral is to chlorophyll (the green pigment of plants) what iron is to haemoglobin. As such, magnesium sulphate is often used in agriculture and gardening to correct magnesium deficiency in the soil. The central atom of the chlorophyll structure is magnesium, and this is why eating green veggies (especially dark green ones) is one of the easiest ways to increase your magnesium intake.

SUPPLEMENTS
Magnesium is best used in combination with calcium (in a 2:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium) and should be taken between meals on an empty stomach. Both these minerals are alkaline, so they reduce stomach acid and are therefore poorly absorbed if taken with food. Absorption can be improved by taking calcium and magnesium with vitamin C as ascorbic acid. The optimal recommended intake for adults is 400 mg daily, of which 170 – 260 mg should ideally come from your diet and 75 – 225 mg can be supplemented if necessary.

Magnesium deficiency is easy to correct, and if we are aware of our body’s messages we will notice if we are not getting enough of this powerhouse macromineral. Please remember to consult your doctor and a knowledgeable dietician or nutritionist before embarking on any supplemention programme or making any changes to your medication.

As always, the message is to keep a balance in all things, and listen when your body speaks.

References.
1. Kenton L. The Powerhouse Diet. London: Ebury Press, Vermilion, 2004: 28.

2. Altura B. Magnesim in cardiovascular biology. Scientific American 1995; May/June: 28-35.

3. Fawcett WJ, Haxby EJ, Male DA. Magnesium: Physiology and pharmacology. British Journal of Anaesthesia 1999; 83(2): 302-230.

4. Demirkaya, Seref M.D; Vural, Okay M.D; Dora, Babur M.D; Topcuoglu, Mehmet Akif M.D, ‘Efficacy of Intravenous Magnesium Sulphate in the Treatment of Acute Migraine Attacks.’ August 2000 (‘The Journal of Head and Face Pain’, American Headache Society, Volume 41, Issue 2, Pages 171-177)

5. Springford M, Truman L. ION Research Project 1996.( Holford P. 100% Health. London: Judy Piatkus Publishers, 1998.page 56)

6. Gershof SN, Prien EL. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1967; May.

Recommended reading
Holford P. 100% Health. London: Judy Piatkus Publishers, 1998.

Kenton L. The Powerhouse Diet. London:  Ebury Press, Vermilion, 2004.

Clark J. Bodyfoods for Women. London: Orion Books, 1997.

Holford P. Supplements for Superhealth. London: Judy Piatkus Publishers, 2000.

Elson H. Staying Healthy with Nutrition. Berkeley, Calif.: Celestial Arts Publishing, 1992.

Pressman AH, Buff S. Complete Idiot’s Guide to Vitamins and Minerals.(Alpha Books, Indianapolis, USA, 2000, ISBN: 0028639642)

Dean C. The Miracle of Magnesium. (Ballantine  Books, New York, USA, 2003)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium-sulfate.
www.magnesiumforlife.com/detox_chelation.shtml
www.imva.info/diabetes.shtml
Nadler JL. Oral Magnesium Supplementation. www.mgwater.com/diabetes.shtml
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119014522/abstract
http://bone-muscle.health-cares.net/osteoporosis-magnesium.php
http://bja.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/83/2/302

An edited version of this article written by Lela was published in issue 45 of The South African Journal of Natural Medicine, available in stores nationwide on a monthly basis or on: www.naturalmedicine.co.za.

Balancing blood sugar through diet.

When I was a child and was having a tantrum about something, the first thing my mother would ask was, ‘Have you eaten?’. At the time I couldn’t understand why this was important and as a teenager I was convinced she was encouraging an unhealthy emotional relationship with food but now, as so often happens in hindsight, it seems that my mother, was right.
I have since discovered that I have a family tendency to hypoglycaemia, also known as low blood sugar and thus I have to be very conscious of keeping my blood sugar levels stable as this can often be a precursor to adult onset diabetes. As a result I have tried and tested various ways of eating until I found what works for me. Even if you are not hypoglycaemic, balancing your blood sugar through diet is a great way to keep your mood and energy levels up and your weight down.

How does it work?
In order to understand how to keep your blood sugar on an even keel, you first need to understand how your body keeps it balanced.
Blood sugar is mainly controlled by two hormones, glucagon and insulin. Glucagon increases the breakdown of fat into fatty acids in adipose tissue which causes fatty acids to be released into the blood and so providing energy for the cells, it also stimulates glucose release into the blood. All of this has the effect of helping blood sugar rise to a normal level.
Insulin on the other hand, stimulates most of the body cells to take up more glucose from the blood. It also increases the rate at which glucose is used as an energy source. This has the effect of helping blood sugar to drop to a normal level.
Thus, how it works is as follows: When you eat a meal which for example contains high levels of carbohydrates which causes the blood sugar levels to rise, a signal gets sent to the beta cells of the pancreatic islets, part of the pancreas. This signal tells them to secrete the hormone insulin so that the body cells can take up excess glucose from the blood, use glucose faster as an energy source and that glucose from the liver and skeletal muscles is to be used to form glycogen and fat is to be made from the glucose in fat tissue and liver cells. All of these effects then cause a drop in the blood sugar level. After a few hours the blood sugar level will drop below normal or set point level when the nutrients supplied by the meal have ceased circulating in the blood. When blood sugar drops like this, the pancreas are signalled to stop secreting insulin and start secreting glucagon, this time from the alpha cells in the pancreatic islets. This then has the effect of causing glycogen in the liver and skeletal muscles to be broken down into glucose more quickly, fats to be broken down into fatty acids and glycerol in fatty tissue and these then being released into the blood as an alternative energy source to glucose. An increase in glucose synthesis from the glycerol absorbed from the blood takes place as well as an increase in the release of glucose into the blood. All of these effects cause the blood sugar to rise again to a normal or set point level.

Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load
When we balance our blood sugar through our diet we need to know how certain foods will affect our blood sugar levels and this is done by looking at the glycemic index or the glycemic load of a food.
The Glycemic Index is a way of measuring how much of a rise  in blood sugar levels are caused by different carbohydrates. A numerical system is used and foods are compared to glucose which is given a value of 100. The higher the number given to a food, the greater the rise in blood sugar caused by that food. Thus a low GI value means a small rise in blood sugar and a high GI value means a greater rise in blood sugar. A GI of 70 or more is considered high, a GI of 56-69 is considered medium and a GI of 55 or less is seen as low.
Glycemic Load is a more recent way of assessing a foods effect on blood sugar levels. With this system the carbohydrate content of a food is taken into account and the Glycemic Load is worked out according to that. With GI we determine how quickly a particular carbohydrate turns into sugar. With GL we determine how much of that carbohydrate is present in a serving of that food, thus it gives a more accurate reflection of a particular foods effect on blood sugar levels. A GL of 20 or more is high, 11-19 is considered medium and a GL of 10 or less is low. The GL is calculated by taking the GI and dividing it by 100 and then multiplying that number by the available carbohydrate content in grams per serving. (1)

Foods beneficial to blood sugar balance.
There are many commonly available foods which can form a part of a blood sugar balancing diet.

Cinnamon
When testing the effect of common foods on blood sugar, Richard Anderson at the US Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Centre in Beltsville, Maryland, found that apple pie spiced with cinnamon actually had a beneficial effect on blood sugar levels. Just half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day can help to significantly lower blood sugar levels.

Oats
Oats contain beta-glucan, a type of fibre, which is said to lower cholesterol and ensures that oats causes a much lower rise in blood sugar than other more refined foods. Oats also contain magnesium, which is a co-factor for certain enzymes involved in insulin secretion and the body’s use of glucose. Home made muesli is easy to prepare and gives you a healthy start to your day.

Barley
Barley contains the same kind of cholesterol lowering fibre as oats, meaning that it is digested by the body more slowly than for example white rice and thus it gives what is called a sustained energy release to the body, preventing dramatic blood sugar highs. Barley is great added to winter soups or cold summer salads with a mint and yoghurt dressing.

Avocado
This versatile fruit contains fibre meaning that when it is added to a meal it helps to slow down the rise in blood sugar one finds after eating. The healthy fats in avocadoes also help to raise insulin sensitivity in the body, making them great for blood sugar control. Knowing this you now have an excuse to make dark rye toast with guacamole and cayenne your blood sugars new best friend.

Onions
Tests have found that the high sulphur and flavonoid content of onions cause a significant drop in blood sugar levels of diabetics when they consumed 2 ounces of this food per day. Thus having onion in your soup, salad and on your lunch-time sandwich may have blood sugar benefits.

Garlic
Garlic has been shown to lower blood sugar by increasing the body’s insulin sensitivity and also raising insulin production. Garlic can be used in salad dressings and pasta sauces or added to home made vegetable stock or broth.

Sweet Potatoes
Due to their high fibre content, sweet potatoes are much lower on the glycemic index than regular potatoes and thus are a good alternative for those wishing to balance their blood sugar levels. Have them baked or steamed or treat yourself to homemade fish and chips with a twist.

Other foods beneficial to blood sugar control include cherries, nuts, brown basmati rice, flaxseeds, apples, cooked beans and sprouts.

Do it your way.
The best way to have a healthy balanced diet which also helps to balance your blood sugar is to follow these guidelines, outlined by UK nutritionist Patrick Holford in his GL diet:
1.    Reduce the total amount of carbohydrates in your diet.
2.    Choose carbohydrates with a low GL, think oats with soya milk for breakfast and steamed sweet potatoes and green beans with home made mayonnaise for dinner.
3.    Combine carbohydrates and protein for sustained energy release, have brown basmati rice with salmon and vegetables or whole wheat pasta with butter beans and sundried tomatoes.
4.    Cut back on stimulants and stress. Replace your morning coffee with a mint and lemon tea, drink more water and take time every day to sit quietly and contemplate your goals and dreams for 10 minutes.

Whatever your reasons are for wanting to balance your blood sugar, doing it is easy and affordable, all it takes is a little knowledge, a willingness to try different foods and the decision to be conscious of how you fuel your body throughout the day.

Oh and remember, sometimes, just sometimes, your mother did know best!

Sources: 1 – www.mendosa.com
2 – Staying Healthy with Nutrition by Elson Haas M.D
3-  www.articlebase.com

Recommended reading: The Holford Diet by Patrick Holford.
Staying Healthy with Nutrition by Elson Haas MD.

Glucagon, Insulin, the Liver and Blood Sugar Levels..

Glucagon and Insulin

Glucagon and Insulin are 2 hormones produced in the pancreatic islets (Islets of Langerhans), glucagon is secreted by the alpha cells (which along with delta and pancreatic polypeptide cells are found in the outer portion of an islet) and insulin is secreted by the beta cells (found near the center of an islet ). The relationship between glucagon and insulin is an antagonistic one, when there is high levels of insulin there will be low levels of glucagon and vice versa. Between them they help to keep the blood sugar level stable.

Secretion of Glucagon and Insulin:

When blood sugar levels drop below the set-point insulin secretion is inhibited and the alpha cells secrete glucagon. On the other side of the scale, when blood sugar levels rise too far above the set-point then the beta cells will secrete insulin, this then inhibits glucagon ( they operate on a negative feedback loop ).

Effects of Glucagon and Insulin on the Liver:

Glucagon:
- speeds up the breakdown of glycogen to glucose in the liver (and skeletal muscle) cells. Thus glucose storage stops.
- It stimulates the liver cells to synthesize more glucose from the glycerol which is absorbed from the blood.
- Fat production stops.

Insulin:
– speeds up the formation of glycogen from glucose in the liver ( and the skeletal muscle cells).
– stimulates liver cells to synthesize fat from glucose.

Effect of Glucagon and Insulin on Blood Sugar Level:

Glucagon:
As well as its effects on the liver, glucagon also increases the breakdown of fat into fatty acids in adipose tissue which leads to fatty acids being released into the blood ( so providing energy for the cells). It also stimulates glucose release into the blood. All these effects together combine to cause blood sugar to rise back to a normal level.

Insulin:
Including its effects on the liver, insulin also stimulates most of the body cells to take up more glucose form the blood and it increases the rate at which glucose is used as an energy source. All the effects of insulin on the body, together ensure that blood sugar drops down to a normal level.

An example of how Glucagon and Insulin control Blood Sugar Level:

One eats a meal which causes a great rise in the blood sugar level (eg. a meal high in carbohydrates) ( a hyperglycemic effect), this signals the pancreas (more specifically the beta cells of the pancreatic islets) to secrete the hormone insulin. This release of insulin causes body cells to take up more glucose from the blood, the cells to use up glucose faster as an energy source, glucose from the liver and skeletal muscles to be used to form glycogen and fat to be made from the glucose in fat tissue and liver cells. All these together cause the blood sugar level to drop back to a normal level. A few hours pass and eventually the blood sugar level will drop below the normal( or set point ) level when all the nutrients which had been supplied by the meal have ceased to circulate in the blood (hyperglycemic effect). This drop in blood sugar signals the pancreas to stop secreting insulin and start secreting glucagon (from the alpha cells in the pancreatic islets). This causes glycogen in the liver and skeletal muscle cells to be broken down into glucose more quickly, it causes more fats to be broken down into fatty acids and glycerol in the fatty tissue and also then that the fatty acids and glycerol are released into the blood so the cells can use them as an alternative energy source to glucose. It also stimulates an increase of glucose synthesis (from the glycerol absorbed from the blood) and of the release of glucose into the blood. All of this causes the blood sugar level to rise again to a normal (set-point) level.

Glucagon and Insulin may seem to be working as enemies of one another but eventually their ultimate goal is the same. They both help to maintain a normal blood sugar level. Just one of them cannot do this on its own. Another amazing example of the bodys drive for balance on all levels.