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Coconut Oil and Medium-Chain Triglycerides
All fats and oils are composed of fat molecules called fatty acids. There are two methods of classifying fatty acids. The one you are most familiar is based on saturation. You have saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The second method of classification is based on molecular size or length of the carbon chain in the fatty acid. You have short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), medium-chain fatty acids(MCFA), and long-chain fatty acids (LCFA). Another term you will often see in reference to fatty acids is triglyceride. Three fatty acids joined together make a triglyceride, so you may have short-chain triglycerides (SCT), medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), or long-chain triglycerides (LCT).
The vast majority of the fats and oils you eat, whether they are saturated or unsaturated or come from an animal or a plant, are composed of long-chain triglycerides. Probably 98 to 100% of all the fats we eat consist of LCT. Coconut oil is unique because it is composed predominately of MCT. The size of the fatty acid is extremely important because physiological effects of medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil are distinctly different from the long-chain fatty acids more commonly found in our diet. It's the MCT in coconut oil that make it different from all other fats and for the most part gives it its unique character and healing properties. Almost all of the medium-chain triglycerides used in research, medicine, and food products come from coconut oil.
Have you or someone you know ever been in a serious car accident? I mean serious enough that you had to be rushed to the hospital and spend time in the intensive care unit. Or maybe you've come down with a life-threatening illness. Or perhaps due to age you've been hospitalized to treat some degenerative condition. In any of these situations, whether you lived or died depended on the care you received in the hospital. Often this required you to be fed intravenously or through a tube. In the intensive care unit there would be others, some suffering from complications from genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis or epilepsy and perhaps even premature infants struggling to survive their first few weeks of life. In each of these cases you and these other patients can give some of the credit for your recovery to coconut oil. Yes, in one form or another, coconut oil was part of your treatment.
Regardless of the condition, recovery requires good nutrition. Food scientists have long noted the nutritional benefits of medium-chain triglycerides. MCT from coconut oil are used in hospital formulas to feed the very young, the critically ill, and those who have digestive problems. It makes up a vital part of the solutions fed to patients intravenously or through a tube inserted down the throat. If you were ever given formula as a baby you took advantage of the health-promoting properties of coconut oil. MCT from coconut oil have been added to baby formula for decades.
MCT are easily digested, absorbed, and put to use nourishing the body. Unlike other fats, they put little strain on the digestive system and provide a quick source of energy necessary to promote healing. This is important for patients who are using every ounce of strength they have to overcome serious illness or injury. It's no wonder why MCT are added to infant formulas. Actually, whether you were breast or formula fed as an infant you consumed MCT. Why? Because MCT are not only found in coconut oil but are natural and vital components of human breast milk. MCT are considered essential nutrients for infants as well as for people with serious digestive problems like cystic fibrosis. Like other essential nutrients, you must get them directly from the diet.
One of the first scientifically recognized benefits of MCT is the unique manner in which they are digested and utilized by the body. These fats provide nutritional benefits that can improve overall health of both the sick and the well, the young and the old. Even athletes are now using them to boost performance and control weight. Unfortunately, few foods nowadays contain MCT; the best source is coconut oil. By adding coconut oil to your diet you can literally eat your way to better health.
Digestion and Nutrient Absorption
For at least five decades researchers have recognized that the MCT were digested differently than other fats. This difference has had important applications in the treatment of many digestive and metabolic health conditions and since that time MCT have been routinely used in hospital and baby formulas.
The digestive health advantages of MCT) over LCT are due to the differences in the way our bodies metabolize these fats. Because the MCT molecules are smaller, they require less energy and fewer enzymes to break them down for digestion. They are digested and absorbed quickly and with minimal effort.
MCT are broken down almost immediately by enzymes in the saliva and gastric juices so that pancreatic fat-digesting enzymes are not even essential.1 Therefore, there is less strain on the pancreas and digestive system. This has important implications for patients who suffer from digestive and metabolic problems. Premature and ill infants especially whose digestive organs are underdeveloped, are able to absorb MCT with relative ease, while other fats pass through their systems pretty much undigested. People who suffer from malabsorption problems such as cystic fibrosis, and have difficulty digesting or absorbing fats and fat soluble vitamins, benefit greatly from MCT. They can also be of importance to people suffering from diabetes, obesity, gallbladder disease, pancreatitis Crohn's disease, pancreatic insufficiency, and some forms of cancer.
As we get older our bodies don't function as well as they did in earlier years. The pancreas doesn't make as many digestive enzymes, our intestines don't absorb nutrients as well, the whole process of digestion and elimination moves at a lower rate of efficiency. As a result, older people often suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Because MCT are easy to digest and improve vitamin and mineral absorption they should be included in the meals of older people. This is easy to do if the meals are prepared with coconut oil.
In the digestive system MCT are broken down into individual fatty acids (MCFA). Unlike other fatty acids, MCFA are absorbed directly from the intestines into the portal vein and sent straight to the liver where they are, for the most part, burned as fuel much like a carbohydrate. In this respect they act more like carbohydrates than like fats.2
Other fats require pancreatic enzymes to break them into smaller units. They are then absorbed into the intestinal wall and packaged into bundles of fat (lipid) and protein called lipoproteins. These lipoproteins are carried by the lymphatic system, bypassing the liver, and then dumped into the bloodstream, where they are circulated throughout the body. As they circulate in the blood, their fatty components are distributed to all the tissues of the body. The lipoproteins get smaller and smaller, until there is little left of them. At this time they are picked up by the liver, broken apart, and used to produce energy or, if needed, repackaged into other lipoproteins and sent back into the bloodstream to be distributed throughout the body. Cholesterol, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat are all packaged together into lipoproteins and carried throughout the body in this way. In contrast, medium-chain fatty acids are not packaged into lipoproteins but go to the liver where they are converted into energy. Ordinarily they are not stored to any significant degree as body fat. Medium-chain fatty acids produce energy. Other dietary fats produce body fat.
Because of the above advantages, coconut oil has been a lifesaver for many people, particularly the very young and the very old. It is used medicinally in special food preparations for those who suffer digestive disorders and have trouble digesting fats. For the same reason, it is also used in infant formula for the treatment of malnutrition. Since it is rapidly absorbed, it can deliver quick nourishment without putting excessive strain on the digestive and enzyme systems and help conserve the body's energy that would normally be expended in digesting other fats. Medium-chain triglycerides comprise a major ingredient in most infant formulas commonly used today.
Metabolism and Energy
Eating foods containing MCT is like putting high octane fuel into your car. The car runs smoother and gets better gas mileage. Likewise, with MCT your body performs better because it has more energy and greater endurance. Because MCFA are funneled directly to the liver and converted into energy, the body gets a boost of energy. And because MCFA are easily absorbed by the energy-producing organelles of the cells, metabolism increases. This burst of energy has a stimulating effect on the entire body.
The fact that MCT digest immediately to produce energy and stimulate metabolism has led athletes to use them as a means to enhance exercise performance. Studies indicate this may be true. In one study, for example, investigators tested the physical endurance of mice who were given MCT in their daily diet against those that weren't. The study extended over a six-week period. The mice were subjected to a swimming endurance test every other day. They were placed in a pool of water with a constant current. The total swimming time until exhaustion was measured. While at first there was little difference between the groups of mice, those fed MCT quickly began to out-perform the others and continued to improve throughout the testing period.3 Tests such as this demonstrated that MCT had the ability to enhance endurance and exercise performance, at least in mice.
In another study using humans, conditioned cyclists were used. The cyclists pedaled for three hours. During the last hour they were each given a beverage to drink. Those who received beverages containing MCT out performed the others. Because of studies like these many of the sports drinks and energy bars sold at health food stores contain MCT to provide a quick source of energy.
It's easy to see why athletes would be interested in gaining greater endurance and energy, but what about non-athletes? MCT can do the same for them. If eaten regularly MCT can provide a boost in energy and performance of daily activities. Would you like to increase your energy level throughout the day? If you get tired in the middle of the day or feel you lack energy, adding coconut oil to your daily diet may provide you with a much needed boost to help carry you through.
Besides increasing your energy level, there are other very important benefits that results from boosting your metabolic rate: it helps protect you from illness and speeds healing. When metabolism is increased, cells function at a higher rate of efficiency. They heal injuries quicker, old and diseased cells are replaced faster, and young, new cells are generated at an increased rate to replace worn-out ones. Even the immune system functions better.
Several health problems such as obesity, heart disease, and osteoporosis are more prevalent in those people who have slow metabolism. Any health condition is made worse if the metabolic rate is slower than normal, because cells can't heal and repair themselves as quickly. Increasing metabolic rate, therefore, provides an increased degree of protection from both degenerative and infectious illnesses.
Nature's Perfect Food
Among all the foods in nature there is one that stands head and shoulders above all the rest. That food is mothers' milk. Milk was designed by nature to supply all the nutrients a baby needs for the first year or so of life. It contains a perfect blend of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fats for optimal growth and development. Without question breast milk is one of the wonders of nature.
Children who are breastfed not only take in important nutrients from the milk, but they also receive antibodies and other substances necessary to protect them against childhood illnesses such as ear infections, later in life. Breastfed children are healthier than those who are not. They have better teeth and jaw formation, they are less prone to allergies, have better digestive function, and are better able to fight off infectious disease. Research suggests that breastfed children may even develop higher intelligence. Recognizing the superiority of nature, scientists have attempted to make baby formula match mother's milk as closely as possible.
An important component of breast milk is medium-chain fatty acids, principally lauric acid. Lauric acid is also the primary saturated fatty acid found in coconut oil. Apparently nature thought it essential to the baby's health to include it. Nature has a reason for everything it does. It doesn't do things, such as putting MCT in milk, just for the fun of it.
Some of the important reasons medium-chain fatty acids are included in milk are improved nutrient absorption and digestive function. As noted earlier, pancreatic enzymes aren't even necessary to digest them. They also help to regulate blood sugar levels. Another very important function is that medium-chain fatty acids protect the baby from harmful microorganisms. The baby's immature immune system is supported by the antibacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic properties of these vital fatty acids. In fact, without these unique saturated fats, the baby would probably not survive long. It would become malnourished and highly susceptible to a myriad of infectious diseases.
Milk Quality and MCT
Milk that is rich in medium-chain fatty acids is vital for the healthy growth and development of the child. For this reason, MCT are added to most, if not all, baby formulas. Yet, these fatty acids are not exactly the same as those found naturally in mother's milk.
Just as the fatty acid content and quality of formula can be altered, so can human breast milk. Breast milk is, without question, the best choice of food for babies. Not all breast milk is the same however. The quality of the milk is influenced by the mother's health and diet. Breast milk is made from the nutrients the mother consumes. If she doesn't eat the right amount of nutrients, her body will pull them out of her own tissues. If the mother is deficient in these vital nutrients herself, then the milk she produces will also be deficient. Similarly, if she eats foods containing toxins (such as trans fatty acids) her milk may contain them as well. Eating wisely is very important for pregnant and nursing women and their babies.
The mammary glands produce small amounts of all the medium-chain fatty acids, vital components in human breast milk. They are there because they are easy for an infant's immature digestive system to absorb and utilize. They help give the baby the nutrients and energy it needs to grow and develop properly. Because they also have antimicrobial properties they give the infant some degree of protection against viruses such as HIV and herpes, bacteria such a chlamydia and H. pyloris, fungi such as Candida and protozoa such as giardia.
Both animal and human studies have shown MCT to be an important component in mother's milk for the proper growth and development of their offspring. For example, when pregnant and lactating pigs were fed diets containing either long-chain fatty acids (vegetable oil) or medium-chain fatty acids (coconut oil) there was a pronounced difference in the survival and growth rates. The piglets whose mothers received the MCT grew faster and healthier and had a survival rate of 68% compared to 32%. This was particularly true with piglets which were born underweight.5
The same thing appears to happen in humans. For example, coconut oil was added to the formula of 46 very low-birthweight babies to see if supplementation was capable of enhancing their weight gain. The group with the coconut oil gained weight quicker. The weight gain was due to physical growth and not fat storage.6 The babies gained more weight and grew better with the coconut oil because their bodies were able to digest it easily. The vegetable oils, to a great extent, passed through their digestive tracts undigested and thus deprived them of the fat calories they needed for proper development. MCT not only allow infants to absorb needed fats but they improve the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, minerals, and protein.7,8
Human milk fat has a unique fatty acid composition. The primary fat is saturated, comprising about 45-50 percent of the total fat content. The next most abundant fat is monounsaturated which makes up about 35 percent of the milk fat. Polyunsaturated fat comprises only 15-20 percent of the total. A significant portion of the saturated fat in human breast milk can be in the form of MCT. Sadly, many mothers produce very little. This can have dramatic consequences on the health of their children.
If breast milk does not contain enough MCT, an infant can suffer from nutritional deficiency and become vulnerable to infectious illness. Therefore, it is important that mother's milk contain as much MCT as nature will allow. This can be done with diet. Given an ample supply of food containing medium-chain fatty acids, a nursing mother will produce a milk rich in these health-promoting nutrients.9 While cow's milk and other dairy products contain small amounts, the foods richest in medium-chain fatty acids are the tropical oils, principally coconut oil.
The levels of these antimicrobial fatty acids can be as low as 3 to 4 percent, but when nursing mothers eat coconut products (shredded coconut, coconut milk, coconut oil, etc.) the levels of MCT in their milk increase significantly. For instance, eating 40 grams (about 3 tablespoons worth) of coconut oil in one meal can temporarily increase the lauric acid in the milk of a nursing mother from 3.9% to 9.6% after 14 hours.10 The content of caprylic and capric acids are also increased. "This gives an important benefit," says Mary G. Enig, Ph.D. an expert in lipid chemistry and Fellow of the American College of Nutrition. "The milk has increased amounts of the protective antimicrobials lauric acid and capric acid, which gives even greater protection to the infant." If the mother consumes coconut oil every day while nursing, the medium-chain fatty acid content will be even greater.
Preparation by the mother should start before the baby is born. Pregnant women store fat to be used later in making their milk. After the baby is born the fatty acids stored in the mother's body and supplied by her daily diet are used in the production of her milk. If she has eaten and continues to eat foods which supply ample amounts of MCFA, particularly lauric acid and capric acid (the two most important antimicrobial medium-chain fatty acids), her milk will provide maximum benefit to her baby. These mothers can have as much as 18 percent of the saturated fatty acids in their milk in the form of lauric and capric acids.
If the mother did not eat foods containing MCT and does not eat them while nursing, her mammary glands will only be capable of producing about 3 percent lauric acid and 1 percent capric acid. Her child will lose a great deal of the nutritional benefits as well as the antimicrobial protection the infant could have otherwise had.
Protection from Illness
One of the major characteristics of human breast milk is its ability to protect infants from a myriad of infectious illnesses during a time when their immune systems are immature and incapable of adequately defending themselves. The protective antimicrobial substances in milk that protect the child from a world teaming with infectious germs and parasites are the MCFA. There are some illnesses that even an adult with a healthy immune system may have difficulty fighting off. If the baby is not protected with an adequate amount of MCT in his or her milk, exposure to such an infection could result in serious illness.
When a nursing mother is infected with such an illness, her child is also vulnerable. Mothers infected by certain viruses can pass the infection on to their infants through breastfeeding. In these cases breastfeeding is not recommended. This is particularly true when the mother is infected with a dangerous virus such as HIV. Recent research has shown that mothers who include a source of lauric acid, such as coconut oil, in their diets have lower risk of infecting their nursing infants. The presence of the MCT in the milk lowers the level of the virus in the milk and thus helps lower the risk of transmission of the disease.
While HIV-infected mothers are usually advised not to breastfeed their young for fear that the virus may be transferred, there is no feasible option in some parts of the world. Many women in resource-poor areas do not have the financial means to buy infant formula. Breastfeeding is really their only option. Adding coconut products and coconut oil to the mother's diet is the only practical defense these women have against passing the AIDS virus to their children.
It has been recommended that HIV-infected mothers who are breastfeeding consume 24-28 grams/day of lauric acid and 3-4 grams/day of capric acid to prevent the transfer of the virus. Since coconut oil is nearly 48 percent lauric acid and 7 percent capric acid, this requirement would be met if the mother ate about 50-55 grams of coconut oil each day. A tablespoon is equivalent to 14 grams. So 31/2 tablespoons of coconut oil a day would provide the recommended amount of both lauric and capric acids.
Other viral infections such as those that cause measles, herpes, mononucleosis, and such are also a threat to nursing infants. Pregnant women and nursing mothers can help protect their children by eating an abundant amount of coconut oil or products that contain coconut oil, such as shredded coconut or coconut milk.
Any mother or expectant mother who desires a healthy, well-developed baby should consider adding coconut oil to her diet. She will not only assure better health for her children but will benefit greatly herself.
MCFA are vital nutrients and protectors found naturally in human milk. They are deadly enough to kill the AIDS virus yet gentle enough to nourish a premature infant to health. As we grow to adulthood and beyond, our bodies begin to wear down. MCFA can help nourish and protect us, as it does infants, from infectious and degenerative disease. It appears that coconut oil provides many health benefits to those who are very young and those who are very old and all those in between!
Real Men Eat Meat - The Secret to Being a Macho-Man?
The secret to being a macho man? Meat — lots of it, according to a new study that links masculinity to food. But this manliness comes at a cost.
Popeye may have gotten his super strength and machismo from a can of spinach, but “real men” don’t eat veggies, according to a new report published in the Journal of Consumer Research.
Instead, they boost their virility with so-called masculine foods: steak and burgers.
Several experiments about how and why people associate food with gender were conducted by experts from four universities — Cornell, Louisiana State, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. They found that men and women perceived meat and meat-eaters as being more masculine than veggies and vegetarians, which could explain why fewer men choose to live a meat-free lifestyle.
Making Red Meat Part of a Healthy Diet
“To the strong, traditional, macho, bicep-flexing, All-American male, red meat is a strong, traditional, macho, bicep-flexing All-American food,” the study authors write. “Soy is not. To eat it, [men] would have to give up a food they saw as strong and powerful like themselves for a food they saw as weak and wimpy.”
You Are What You Eat
Man’s love affair with meat dates back to the Stone Age, when people hunted for their meals. Today, the average American consumes approximately 195 pounds of meat annually, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“Meat is a major commodity and a very important aspect of human existence,” the authors write. “Perhaps more than any other food, meat is laden with meanings because of its association with higher status and the killing of animals.”
To further investigate these meanings, the researchers recruited college students and adults in the United States and Great Britain for six separate psychological, linguistic, and demographic studies.
In one, participants were asked to rate the “maleness” and “femaleness” of various foods, from blood to rabbit to fish to milk. The top four most masculine choices were medium-rare steak, hamburger, well-done steak, and beef chili; the most feminine were chocolate, peaches, chicken salad, and sushi.
In another experiment, subjects read a short passage describing the lifestyle and diet habits of a guy or a girl and then judged the person on 16 attributes, including how passive, feminine, strong, kind, and liberal they appeared. Characters who ate meat were deemed significantly more “masculine” than those who ate fish or vegetables.
Meat Is Macho, But Is It Healthy?
Not surprisingly, male participants in the study were more likely than female participants to report liking beef and other meat products; the opposite was true for salads and vegetables. But is the cost of manliness men’s health?
According to a recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, regular red meat consumption is associated with an increased risk of total, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health observed more than 37,000 men and 83,000 women and found that one daily serving of unprocessed red meat was associated with a 13 percent higher risk of death; a daily serving of processed red meat was associated with a 20 percent higher risk. Replacing that serving with a healthier protein such as fish, poultry, nuts, or legumes, conversely, was associated with a lower risk.
Other research suggests that meat — especially grilled, well-done meat — may be a carcinogen. In one study from the University of California-San Francisco, men who ate around two servings of hamburger or meatloaf a week were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer as men who ate none.
Some experts argue, however, that eating at least some meat is good for you. Beef and pork (considered red meat by the USDA) are high in protein, which can help you maintain a healthy weight, increase your lean muscle mass, and keep you feeling fuller, longer. They're also rich in important nutrients like iron, zinc, vitamins B6 and B12, niacin, and riboflavin. These may improve memory, protect against vision problems, and promote a healthier immune system.
Everything in Moderation
The key, it seems, is portion control.
“Meat can be part of a healthy diet when eaten in moderation,” says Mark Gorelick, Ph.D., a San Francisco State University kinesiologist. “The problem is, we don’t order the palm-sized portion of meat — we get the 16-ounce steak. Meat is a good source of protein, but it’s also often high in fat. And if you’re going to eat anything high in fat, and you’re not active, then certainly the calories add up."
People often overestimate the amount of protein they need to consume, he adds. The average individual needs to get just 1.6 to 1.8 grams per kilogram they weigh. In fact, the amount of protein the body can utilize at a time is 20 to 25 grams; anything else is basically lost as waste or stored as fat.
More research is needed before doctors can rule either for or against red meat, but if you do decide to go totally meat-free, you can get the protein you need from other sources, including milk, peanut butter, and fish. And don't worry about your masculinity being called into question: There are plenty of macho vegetarians out there, including Paul McCartney, Forest Whitaker, and Bill Clinton.
By Allison Takeda and Sushma Subramanian
Acheiving Optimal Health through Transdermal Magnesium Therapy
The words "American" and "overweight" are quickly becoming synonymous. When you consume an empty diet of sugar, refined grains and hydrogenated oils, the result is an epidemic of obesity, nutritional deficiencies and chronic illness.A large majority of overweight people are actually starving – for real nutrients. The leptin system that regulates hunger is constantly "on," begging for nutrients for survival. When the body receives empty food, it panics and stores what it can in the form of fat to stay alive and drives the appetite up. The Standard American Diet (SAD) doesn't feed our cells, it just accelerates us to an early grave. Would your patients like to spend their money on whole foods, or healthcare? Ask your patients to pay attention not to what a food tastes like, but how it makes them feel after an hour.
The US Department of Agriculture's 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans identified a number of key nutrients Americans may be deficient in. Since the majority of our patients live on the Standard American Diet, there are a few key symptoms to watch for that may complicate your diagnosis, when all the patient needs is some supplementation, not a drug from their physician. The most common nutritional deficiencies in our diet are calcium, Vitamin C, D, E, K, Potassium, Magnesium and Selenium.
Magnesium
Let's take a look at the value of magnesium for a variety of health challenges. Magnesium is essential for over 300 enzyme body functions including all enzymes associated with utilizing or synthesizing ATP. Deficiency of this mineral is related to a host of chronic health conditions including heart disease, strokes, cancer, migraines, asthma, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Roughly 70 percent of all Americans do not consume the RDA of Magnesium. (Recommended Daily Allowance is 420mg for adult males and 320mg for adult females.) A common symptom of magnesium deficiency is an enhanced "startle" response such as jumping when hearing an unexpected loud noise. After my patients supplement with transdermal magnesium, their startle response fades within a few weeks.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) was developed during World War II by a committee established by the United States National Academy of Sciences in order to investigate issues of nutrition that might "affect national defense."3 It was intended to make sure the American population was getting the bare minimum nutrition in the event of food rationing. It's not about optimal health, but rather about avoiding health conditions related to nutritional deficiencies such as rickets, scurvy, anemia, goiter and beriberi.
Why are we magnesium deficient?
It's not only our diet that drives this deficiency. It's also US agri-business using the soil over and over again, depleting it of minerals, and if magnesium doesn't exist in the soil, it won't be available for the fruit or vegetable grown there. Results from the 1992 Earth Summit revealed that farmlands in North America were 85 percent nutrient depleted, so eating non-organic foods provide 15 percent of the nutritional value they once had 100 years ago.
As you can clearly see, as minerals are on the decline, mineral deficiency diseases are on the rise, and will continue to rise. A 1936 US senate meeting in Congress addressed that issue stating "...unless something is done about the poor nutrient content in the soil, there will be a serious rise in degenerative diseases within 50 years..." that warning was issued over 65 years ago and today we have the worst onslaught of degenerative diseases the world has ever seen: Cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, arthritis as well as infertility, autism, asthma, ADD/ADHD, etc. Compounding this problem is that there are a number of common drugs that deplete magnesium levels such as antacids, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, birth control medication, cardiovascular meds and diuretics.
Foods containing magnesium
The table below offers some suggestions for you to recommend to your patients in addition to transdermal magnesium therapy. These must be organic to have a positive impact on magnesium levels. Note that brown rice has three times the magnesium as a sweet potato.
Inflammation
Inflammation is one of the recent "buzzwords" in the medical research community. C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Homocysteine levels, which reflect inflammation, are far better predictors of heart disease than serum cholesterol and triglycerides. Obesity, type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease are linked to chronic inflammation. What's the major cause of inflammation in the human body? Diet and stress are the two most common causes. People who eat "fast food" are almost always in a pro-inflammatory state. Fungal, viral, and bacterial infections, heavy metal toxicity, sugar, consumption of hydrogenated oils, obesity, insulin and smoking also contribute to systemic inflammation. Chronic low-level inflammation leads to insulin resistance and eventually to full blown diabetes. Magnesium breaks the chemical cascade that leads to inflammation, protecting the body from a number of chronic diseases. In the exceptionally well researched and written book "Transdermal Magnesium Therapy: A New Modality for the Maintenance of Health" by Dr. Mark Sircus, L.Ac., OMD, magnesium is shown to increase oxygen to the cells, protect us from cancer, stroke, heart and vascular disease, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, endocrine problems, diabetes, pain, insomnia, depression and assists in detoxification. I'll address how transdermal magnesium therapy combats the top three causes of death in America today: Heart disease, malignant neoplasms (cancer), and cerebrovascular diseases (stroke).4
Heart Disease
Emergency rooms routinely use magnesium sulfate before, during and after cardiac arrest. One of the most important actions of magnesium is its vasodilating effects, improving the blood supply to ischemic areas and reducing infarct size.5 The results of a recent study in the United Kingdom of over 2,300 patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction showed that magnesium reduced mortality by a stunning 24 percent. It was a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study using magnesium sulphate (8mmol over 5 min followed by 65mmol over 24 hours) vs. physiological saline as the placebo. The outcome measure was 28-day mortality. The researchers' conclusion was "Intravenous magnesium sulphate is a simple, safe and widely applicable treatment. Its efficacy in reducing early mortality of myocardial infarction is comparable to that of thrombolytic or antiplatelet therapy."6
A 1995 study showed that the in-hospital survival rate of heart attack patients was 75 percent higher for those who received IV magnesium compared to those given conventional therapy. Even though the hospitals were using Magnesium Sulphate, the chloride form of magnesium salt is best because it can be taken orally, injected or used transdermally. The major problem with taking any form of magnesium orally is that it is poorly absorbed, and speeds up colon motility leading to diarrhea. (Prunes are high in magnesium.) If your patient has a family history of heart disease or is suffering from atrial fibrillation, angina or has had a heart attack in the past, you should strongly consider adding transdermal magnesium therapy to your treatment plan. Why wait until they have a heart attack when you can offer a prophylactic approach that's safe, well-tolerated, and is beneficial for a broad spectrum of health conditions?
Cancer
Let's begin with a simple definition of cancer as the uncontrolled replication of abnormal cells. What causes cell abnormalities? Carcinogens – broken down into biological, physical and chemical agents. However, the simplest view of cell abnormality is when its "parent" DNA has been damaged and the new mutated cell is "born" without apoptosis (programmed cell death). In theory, cancer cells can live forever, unlike red blood cells that live for about 90 days. Magnesium assists the body in DNA/RNA transcription and repair through ATP.7 Low magnesium levels have been associated with a number of neoplasms. Does this mean that supplementing with transdermal magnesium will protect you from cancer? A study of 25 patients with head and neck cancer were compared to 25 healthy controls and the cancer patients had considerably lower serum magnesium levels compared with the control group.8 This would lead me to believe the answer to that question is yes.
Since two of the most common cancers in America are prostate and breast cancer, let's look at the data. In a recent study performed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, researchers found that low blood magnesium levels were associated with a high-grade prostate cancer, and that the ratio of calcium to magnesium also played a critical role.9 Isn't it an interesting coincidence that another group of researchers found that high serum Ca/Mg can lead to increased development in breast cancer in postmenopausal women?10 The researchers assert that "magnesium is essential for DNA duplication and repair and Mg deficiency favors DNA mutations leading to carcinogenesis." Heavy metal toxicity is also linked to cancer growth. Dr. Russell Blaylock, known for his work in autism, asserts that low magnesium levels cause an increase in oxidation while reducing glutathione – one of the only antioxidant molecules in your body known to bind to and remove mercury.
Stroke
More than 80 percent of strokes are due to a cerebral infarction – the remainder are due to a hemorrhage. Timing is key in survival since the most positive outcomes are when treatment is administered within a few hours of the event. Unfortunately, since magnesium is a naturally occurring substance, pharmaceutical companies can't patent it and therefore can't make any money and do not promote it to physicians. Another issue is choosing something whose molecules are small enough to pass the blood/brain barrier (and magnesium salts meet that requirement). The most common treatment is TPA (Tissue Plasminogen Activator) but imaging must be performed first to confirm a clot, and it must be administered within three hours of the stroke where the majority of stroke victims do not act immediately upon presentation of symptoms. TPA is contraindicated for hemorrhagic strokes.
On the bright side, in Los Angeles, Calif., a trial named "FAST-MAG" (Field Administration of Stroke Therapy) has EMTs pushing magnesium intravenously in response to receiving a stroke victim. So far, the results are promising with feedback of being easy to administer, safe and potentially effective.11 A recently published study evaluating 58,615 healthy Japanese aged 40-79 years based on a food questionnaire over a period of 15 years showed that "Dietary magnesium intake was inversely associated with mortality from hemorrhagic stroke in men and with mortality from total and ischemic strokes, coronary heart disease, heart failure and total cardiovascular disease in women." The researchers' conclusion was that those with high magnesium levels had a greatly reduced chance of mortality from cardiovascular disease, especially for women.12
A meta-analysis was performed last year on dietary magnesium intake and the risk of stroke. The authors searched NIH PubMed and EMBASE from 1966-2011 and found seven prospective studies with 6,477 cases of stroke and 241,378 participants that were eligible for the meta-analysis. Their results demonstrated that magnesium intake was inversely associated with risk of ischemic stroke, but not intracerebral hemorrhage or subarachnoid hemorrhage.13 It appears that magnesium supplementation is not only effective for post-stroke victims, but supplementation will benefit those who may otherwise be prone to strokes. Magnesium supplementation reduces systemic inflammation, assists in heavy metal detoxification, protects DNA against damage, and positively effects vasodilation to prevent heart attacks and strokes. It's also known to be amazing for migraine treatment and prevention.
Administration of Transdermal Magnesium
Magnesium "oil" is made by mixing flakes of magnesium chloride with purified water (why the makers coined the term "oil" is beyond me). Dr. Norm Shealy states that it may take a year to return to normal cellular levels of magnesium versus six weeks using transdermal magnesium therapy. Dr. Shealy's Biogenics Magnesium Lotion Spray contains approximately 275mg of elemental magnesium in 10 sprays. The directions recommend applying 10 sprays twice a day. Experts in this therapy suggest applying it to your forearms, underarms, abdomen or anywhere there is relatively "thin" skin. Transdermal application delivers the medicine/substance through the skin and right into the bloodstream and is one of the best ways of administering medicines quickly and effectively, while avoiding the "first pass" effect of the hepatic portal system. Fick's law of membrane permeability states that the amount of solute to be absorbed is based on: 1. The concentration of the applied dose, 2. The surface area you apply it to, and 3. How long it is in contact with the membrane/skin. Magnesium oil is applied to the skin's surface and then diffuses out of its vehicle (water) into the stratum corneum. In the stratum corneum a reservoir of magnesium is built and diffuses through the stratum spinosum. At this point, it can be metabolized and binded to receptors to exert its effect. Finally magnesium is delivered into subcutaneous fat, the circulatory system and achieves systemic absorption.
You can mix it with your favorite liniment and apply it directly where your patient has pain ("magnesium massage'). Optimally, the patient should take magnesium orally in addition to transdermally for the best outcome. The major problem, as I stated earlier in this article is that dosing at pharmacologic levels has been challenging due to adverse intestinal effects. Dr. Jay Cohen suggests ramping up from 250mg to 500mg per day to as much as 600mg to 5000mg per day in divided doses. The patient will slowly increase their tolerance to the magnesium and maintain normal bowel movements. Vitamin B6 increases the amount of magnesium that can enter the cells, so these nutrients can be taken together. Conversely, magnesium will "compete" for absorption with calcium and it's best to supplement with calcium along with oral magnesium. Why is Epsom Salt excellent for sore, tight muscles? It's magnesium sulfate! If your patient is suffering from plantar fasciitis, have them soak their foot in a high concentration of Epsom Salt or spray and rub magnesium chloride directly on the area of discomfort. Results are immediate.
Contraindications to Magnesium Therapy
The information I've presented provides a compelling argument to offer this amazing nutritional support not only to your patients, but to yourself as well. Transdermal magnesium therapy is well tolerated, and any excess magnesium will be excreted from your body, unless you have impaired kidney function or severe renal insufficiency. Since magnesium oil is essentially a salt solution, spraying it on a cut or broken skin will sting. Some of my patients complain of a slight tingling or itching sensation, although I haven't experienced it personally. Children may be sensitive and beginning with a conservative dosage or diluting the solution would be appropriate if there's any skin rash or itching. Dr. Sircus warns in his book that "Magnesium toxicity can occur in people with hypothyroidism, those using magnesium containing medication such as antacids, laxatives, cathartics, and those with certain types of gastrointestinal disorders, such as colitis, gastroenteritis, and gastric dilation, which may cause an increased absorption of magnesium."14 Magnesium may have a negative interaction with Amiloride, Calcium Acetate, Dexamethasone, Misoporstol, Spironolactone and Triamterene. My online resource shows a large number of drugs that magnesium may make less effective such as Warfarin, Tetracycline and Doxycycline.15 Please consult a trusted reference on potential interactions before recommending magnesium supplementation to your patients on multiple pharmaceutical drugs.
Final Thoughts
The beauty of this therapy is that it's well within our scope of practice, regardless what state you practice (for those licensed states, that is…) and dovetails wonderfully with our approach to whole health. If you plan on stepping forward and incorporating this therapy in your practice, I strongly recommend you read Dr. Mark Sircus' book to introduce yourself to the myriad of conditions magnesium is known to treat.
By Bill Reddy, LAc, Dipl. Ac.
The Paleo Diet For Athletes
The Paleo diet for athletes is not the typical diet that you will find elsewhere. Others may be skeptical about the change but what you should know is that the Paleo diet is great for athletes because it aims to increase one's endurance and strength. The diet also increases muscle development and anabolic function. These are only a few of the things that an athlete looks for in a diet and which the Paleo diet can provide. Read on to find out more:
An athlete's diet consists largely of pasta, rice, milk, bread, potatoes and everything else rich in carbohydrates. In the Paleo diet however, an athlete does not need all these carbohydrates. The diet believes that carbohydrates, dairy, grains and other starchy vegetables are of no good to the body and consumption of large amounts of them are even harmful. It may contradict a typical athlete's diet but the Paleo diet makes up for the lack of carbohydrates in other kinds of food like meats rich in protein.
Upon hearing that the Paleo diet is low in carbohydrates, most athletes will turn their backs and not take a second look anymore because athletes take meals full of carbohydrates and this is what they have been used to all their lives. The Paleo diet is quite new to athletes especially, and many are quite hesitant to try it. They think that shifting to a whole new diet could affect their performance and so they aren't willing to take the risk.
What these athletes' do not know is that it only takes a few weeks of being on the diet to feel the many positive effects. It is undeniable that the first few days will not be easy, mainly because the body is still adjusting to the change, so we will want to give our bodies time to adjust when trying something new.
But after the body has gotten used to and has adapted to the new diet, then the athlete will feel the positive effects: firstly, he/she will have a very evident increase in endurance and strength aside from feeling better in general. The 'feeling-better' is experienced by everyone who has gone into the diet, this is because the body has detoxified and therefore is in a much better shape.
The Paleo diet is great for athletes for other reasons: one, it lowers the ratio between omega-6 and omega-3, and most athletes know that this is vital in healing the muscles and tissues by reducing the inflammation. Two, it increases the branched chain amino acid (BCAA) that is responsible for muscle development and anabolic function. Three, it lowers body acidity, this stimulates muscle protein synthesis while reducing the catabolic effect of acidosis on bones and muscles. Fourth, it is high in trace nutrients or vitamins and minerals and these contribute to long term recovery from exercise as well as promoting optimal health.
Athletes do not necessarily have to strictly follow the Paleo diet, and the same goes with everyone else. The diet recognizes that each one has his/her own individual needs which is why it allows leeway for changes. Take the Paleo diet as an inspiration and make it your own.
By J. Wheeler
Vegan Athletes - How Much Vegan Protein Do You Need?
Vegan athletes are often concerned with getting enough protein. They're also often likely to be skeptical of a vegan diet, as they think they won't get enough protein from vegan foods.
In fact, there are many vegan athletes who are totally ripped, so you have nothing to worry about. Let's see why the protein myth is unfounded...
Energy Needs of Vegan Athletes
The limiting factor for muscle building is actually calorie intake, not protein intake. I know you may have heard differently, but your body needs energy and that comes from carbohydrates, so carbs are super important for athletes.
Exercising/working out uses stores of glycogen, which is produced when you consume carbohydrates. If you take too much protein to replace carbohydrates in your vegan diet, your muscles will not have the energy to perform as they should.
Your body is in a constant state of rebuilding, so it's really important to think about what you eat all day rather than just before and after exercise, but I'm going to look at those 2 times of day here because that's what the sports nutrition books and magazines talk about most often.
Nutrition Before your Workout
Performance and the maintenance of muscle mass while exercising is actually dependent on making sure you have enough carbohydrates in your diet. Vegan athletes should eat a light snack 1-2 hours before exercise to give your body time to build energy for your workout.
Your muscles use the glycogen (carbohydrate) content stored up in the muscles and liver for energy first, because it is more efficient that using fats and proteins.
Nutrition After Your Workout
There is a lot of emphasis put on the 2 hours window of time after your workout, but it's really only important for competitive athletes who train for 2 hours or more each day.
For us vegan athletes who aren't triathletes and aren't hoping to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger circa late 1970s, some fruit or a smoothie with a tablespoon of vegan protein powder will be all you need.
You should generally wait an hour before a bigger protein and carbohydrate meal.
Regular Vegan Athletes - Specific Requirements
Protein needs for all athletes, including vegan athletes, are the same when calculated as a percentage of calories. The range for adults is 15%-20%. Athletes do have a need for more protein, but they also need more calories overall.
The protein, carbohydrates and fats should still be balanced at the same percentages.
Competitive Vegan Athletes - Specific Requirements
Protein above the recommended daily allowance for adults is beneficial to vegan athletes who are actively training. Still, there is no benefit in going above the following ranges.
The main study commonly references found optimal intake to be between 1.4 and 1.5 grams/kg of body weight/day for athletes doing very intense weight training six days a week. This is for elite bodybuilding.
Other ranges of optimal protein intake for competitive vegan athletes are:
Endurance: 1.2-1.4g/kg
Strength & Power: 1.4-1.8g/kg
Athletes focused on fat loss: 1.6-2.0g/kg
Athletes focused on weight gain: 1.8-2.0g/kg
For a more detailed analysis of protein requirements specifically for your vegan athlete body, check out this simple, free calculator: http://www.healthyveganrecipes.net/featured/protein-calculator
Heather Nauta is a registered holistic nutritionist who teaches you how to live a healthy vegan/vegetarian lifestyle, including how to get proper nutrition, enough protein, vitamin b12 and other minerals, and how to make an amazing variety of simple, fast healthy recipes that taste incredible for you and your family.