On Magnesium

“Eat your vegetables!” my Mom said to my brother for the umpteenth time as he rolled his eyes at her. If you want to have healthy bones then you have to eat your vegetables. Some of us grew up with the notion that greens were some sort of super food, but even though our parents force-fed us, it still didn’t make a difference. There was no way that we were going to be cajoled into eating those bitter, leafy greens, or worse yet, drinking them via smoothies and shakes. No sir. A McSwirl was all there was to have, but what if I told you that our parents were right about greens and vegetables in general? Well, they were as always. Apart from containing potent organic nutrients, vegetables also contain magnesium, which is the element that we will be discussing in full depth today. Magnesium is well known in the health world not just because its a good nutrient, but because over the years, it has proven to be on of the most effective ways of maintaining energy and keeping our bones strong. Although magnesium is not only contained in vegetables, it is also contained in certain fruits and foods that make it a highly sought after vitamin. Some of examples of magnesium-rich foods are: cashews, almonds, and bananas to name a few.

WHAT IS MAGNESIUM?

Image result for magnesium
Source: Medical News

You may be asking yourself right now: ‘What is Magnesium?”

Simply put, magnesium is a nutrient that is extremely important for the functionality of specific enzymes in the human body. It is a mineral that helps the brain and the body to function at a normal level. It also plays a huge role in ensuring that high blood pressure levels are regulated and normal and the strength of human bones are maintained.  Magnesium plays a part in over 300 enzymatic effects within the body, including the metabolism of food, synthesis of fatty acids and proteins, and the transmission of nerve impulses to the brain. The human body contains about 25 gram (g) of magnesium, 50 to 60 percent of which is stored in the skeletal system. The rest is present in forms of muscle, soft tissues, and bodily fluids.

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A STUDY ON MAGNESIUM

According to an excerpt by Medical News Today, a new study published in the journal Neurology suggests that both very high and very low levels of magnesium may put people at risk of developing dementia. This is interesting considering the fact that magnesium is such an important nutrient to the body. According to Medical News Today, The first author of the study is Dr. Brenda Kieboom, of the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Before carrying out the experiment, Dr. Kieboom and her colleagues measured serum magnesium levels in 9,569 participants who were about 64.9 years of age, on average. The participants did not have dementia at the beginning of the study – that is, between 1997 and 2008. To make this study credible, the participants were clinically followed for 8 years on average, until January 2015. For the study, low serum magnesium levels were defined as equal to or lower than 0.79 millimoles per liter, and high magnesium levels were defined as equal to or above 0.90 millimoles per liter. Magnesium levels were divided into quintiles or fifths; the researchers examined the association between dementia and serum magnesium using the third quintile as a reference. The researchers adjusted for age, sex, education, risk factors for cardiovascular disease, kidney function, and other comorbidities. High or low magnesium raises the risk by a third

Over the follow-up period, 823 people developed dementia. Of these, 662 were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. As for magnesium levels, both those in the high and the low group were significantly more likely to develop dementia compared with those in the middle group. More specifically, participants in both the high- and low-magnesium groups had a 30 percent increase in dementia risk compared with their counterparts in the middle group. The low-magnesium group had 1,771 people, 160 of whom developed dementia. The high-magnesium group comprised 1,748 people, 179 of whom were diagnosed with dementia. In the middle group, 102 of the 1,387 participants developed dementia.

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strengths and Limitations of the study

First of all, the authors of WebMD note, the study only used a single measurement of serum magnesium. Although relatively stable over time, magnesium levels do change and such changes may have biased the results.

Secondly, the study did not examine hypomagnesemia (too little magnesium) or hypermagnesemia (too much magnesium), wherein magnesium levels are abnormally low or abnormally high, respectively. Instead, the scientists only focused on normal levels of the mineral.

Finally, the study is purely observational and cannot explain causality. However, the authors note that precautions against this vulnerability were taken.

Further, in the study, Dr. Kieboom and team performed several analyses in which they excluded dementia cases diagnosed in the first four years after magnesium measurements were taken. The results were similar, which, according to WebMD increases the possibility of a causal relationship.

What are the benefits of magnesium?

Magnesium is a mineral that is crucial to the body’s function, and it is even more effective because many organs would not be able to function effectively without it. Magnesium is also one of the most important elements because it to helps to stabilize blood pressure by keeping it normal. In addition to this, like I mentioned earlier,  bones strong, and the heart rhythm steady.

Additional strengths of the research include the long follow-up duration and the fact that it was population-based, which reduces the possibility of information preference.

Furthermore, according to the authors, a detailed assessment of potential confounders and the fact that correcting for these factors did not alter our effect estimates also strengthens the possibility of a true link between serum magnesium levels and dementia, rather than it being the result of other confounders or intermediates, and to the very best of their knowledge, this is the first time that such an association has been studied. Therefore, future studies should try to replicate these results in other population samples.

According to Dr. Kieboom, one of the spear-headers of the research, the results need to be confirmed with additional studies, bu the results so far seem to be intriguing to the medical field as a whole Doctors who worked on the study confirmed that since the current treatment and prevention options for dementia are limited, there is a big need to urgently identify new risk factors for dementia that have the potential to be adjusted. Doctors also specify that if people who do not get enough magnesium in their system could reduce their risk for dementia through diet or supplements, that could be very beneficial in the long run.

Recent scientific studies say that magnesium is one of the most important elements in the body. In fact, the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body, and it plays several important roles in the health of the body as well as the brain.

It is very common for people to not get sufficient magnesium even though they are very healthy and eat a balanced diet every single day, so if you suspect that you may not be incorporating enough of magnesium into your diet then you are probably right. A healthy body is very important for a healthy mind, and learning to balance how much magnesium you need in your diet so that you are not taking in too little or too much. If you are wondering where to buy a magnesium supplement,  you can check our online store for the best deal. Our product is guarantees to complement your food choices and promote a healthy lifestyle.

Topless Man Wearing Grey And Black Shorts Sprinting On Concrete Road

Sources

Steen, Juliette. “12 Everyday Foods Which Contain Magnesium.” HuffPost Australia, HuffPost Australia, 11 July 2017, www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/07/10/what-foods-contain-magnesium_a_23024245/.

“What Is Magnesium?” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/diet/qa/what-is-magnesium. [1]

“What Is Magnesium?” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/diet/qa/what-is-magnesium. [2]

 

Everything You Need to Know About Suppplements

What are Supplements?

Supplements are a topic that has become more frequently addressed over the past five years. I remember the first time I found supplements in my mother’s room. Of course, being the curious child that I was, I decided to taste it. Its metallic taste made me realize that tasting it probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do. So what are supplements, and what do they do? The term “dietary supplement” describes a wide and assorted class of products that you consume or drink to maintain excellent health and enhance your diet.

Dietary supplements are not medications, neither should they be regarded as a replacement for food, instead, they should “supplement” whatever plan of action one has in place to tackle a health or dietary issue.  Ordinarily, dietary supplements can be made up of one or more aggregates of any of the following:

  • Vitamin
  • Mineral
  • Fiber
  • Herbs or other botanical compounds
  • Amino acid (the individual building blocks of a protein)
  • Concentrate, metabolite, constituent, or extract

Supplements are manufactured and are meant to act as support structures for the maintenance of the human body. Dietary supplements can further comprise of certain elements that have not been established as being essential to life but are promoted as having a helpful organic outcome, such as plant pigments. Animals can also be a source of supplement ingredients, and a very good example of this is the collagen from chickens or fish. These are also sold individually or in combination, and may be combined with different ingredients.

Types of Supplements

Dietary supplements also come in a number of forms including:

  • Tablets: (Perhaps one of the most popular ways of producing supplements)
  • Capsules: (Capsules are also very popular)
  • Powders
  • Softgels
  • Gelcaps
  • Liquids
  • Lozenges

These supplements can be found at a number of retailers including:

  • Pharmacies
  • Grocery stores
  • Vitamin and health food stores
  • Online stores
  • Mail-order catalogs.

Dietary supplements include:

  • Botanicals (derived from plants and possibly including herbs)
  • Vitamins
  • Minerals
  • Fatty Acids
  • Other Dietary Supplements

Dietary supplements are generally obtainable in health food stores, drug stores, grocery stores, fitness stores / gyms, and online stores. They come in many forms including two-piece capsules, soft gels, tablets, bottles of liquid, powders and gummies.

Ingredients Contained in Supplements

According to the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act defines a dietary element as a vitamin; mineral, herb, amino acid or other plant-produced dietary substance that is set in place for use by human beings to supplement the diet by increasing the total dietary intake; or a concentrate, metabolite, component, extract, or compound of the above-mentioned substances.

supplements

Also according to the FDA, unlike medical drugs, supplements are not intended to treat, diagnose, prevent, or cure any ailments. Instead, they are meant to do just what their name suggests: supplement. That means supplements should not make claims, such as “reduces pain” or “treats heart disease.” Claims like these can only legitimately be made for drugs, not dietary supplements.

What is in dietary supplements?

Dietary supplements include such ingredients as vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, and enzymes. Dietary supplements are marketed in forms such as tablets, capsules, soft gels, gelcaps, powders, and liquids.

gel capsule

Below are some of the ingredients that are contained in some supplements, but beware, some of the ingredients are approved by the FDA, and some are not. Below are a few examples of ingredients that are in certain supplements.

Acacia rigidula

According to the Food and Drug Administration, Acacia rigidula is labeled as a dietary ingredient in some products marketed as dietary supplements. However, the Food and Drug Administration  is not aware of any information demonstrating that A. rigidula was lawfully marketed as a dietary ingredient in the United States before October 15, 1994. As a result, A. rigidula is a new dietary ingredient, and for dietary supplements that contain A. rigidula to be lawfully marketed, one of the following must apply:

  1. the product containing the dietary ingredient must contain only dietary ingredients that have been present in the food supply as an article used in food in a form in which the food has not been chemically altered, or
  2. There must be a history of use or other evidence of safety establishing that the dietary ingredient, when used under the conditions recommended or suggested in the product labeling, will reasonably be expected to be safe; and at least 75 days before the product is introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce, the manufacturer or distributor must notify FDA of the basis on which the manufacturer or distributor has concluded that a dietary supplement containing such dietary ingredient will reasonably be expected to be safe.
supplements
Image source: Frontline

Since neither of these conditions has been met by those marketing products that contain A. rigidula as a dietary ingredient, these products are deemed to be adulterated.

Acacia rigidula is also known as:

  • Vachellia rigidula
  • Chaparro Prieto
  • blackbrush

BMPEA

According to the Food and Drug Administration, BMPEA is a substance that does not meet the statutory definition of a dietary ingredient. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act defines a dietary ingredient as a vitamin; mineral; herb or other botanical; amino acid; dietary substance for use by man to supplement the diet by increasing the total dietary intake; or a concentrate, metabolite, constituent, extract, or combination of the preceding substances. BMPEA is none of these, rendering misbranded any products that declare BMPEA as a dietary supplement.

BMPEA is also known as:

  • βMePEA
  • R-beta-methylphenethylamine
  • R-beta-methylphenethylamine HCl
  • Beta-methylphenethylamine
  • β-methylphenethylamine
  • 1-amino-2-phenylpropane
  • 2-phenylpropane-1-amine
  • 2-phenylpropanolamine
  • alpha-benzylethylamine
  • 1-phenyl-1-methyl-2-aminoethane
  • beta-methylbenzeneethanamine
  • beta-phenylpropylamine
  • 2- phenyl-1-propanamine

DMAA

DMAA (1,3-dimethylamylamine) is an amphetamine derivative that has been marketed in sports performance and weight loss products, many of which are sold as dietary supplements. DMAA is not a dietary ingredient, and DMAA-containing products marketed as dietary supplements are illegal and their marketing violates the law.

Also known as methylhexanamine or geranium extract, DMAA is often touted as a “natural” stimulant; however, the FDA is not aware of any reliable science indicating that DMAA exists naturally in plants. Although DMAA at one time was approved as a drug for nasal decongestion, it is no longer approved for this use and no medical use of DMAA is recognized today. DMAA, especially in combination with other stimulant ingredients such as caffeine, can be a health risk to consumers. Taking DMAA can raise blood pressure and lead to cardiovascular problems ranging from shortness of breath and tightening in the chest to heart attack.

The FDA continues to advise consumers not to buy or use products marketed as dietary supplements that contain DMAA due to the health risks they present.

DMBA

DMBA is labeled as a dietary ingredient in some products marketed as dietary supplements. However, the FDA is not aware of any information demonstrating that DMBA was lawfully marketed as a dietary ingredient in the United States before October 15, 1994. As a result, for dietary supplements that contain DMBA to be lawfully marketed, one of the following must apply:

the product containing the dietary ingredient must contain only dietary ingredients that have been present in the food supply as an article used in food in a form in which the food has not been chemically altered, or
there must be a history of use or other evidence of safety establishing that the dietary ingredient, when used under the conditions recommended in the product labeling, will reasonably be expected to be safe; and prior to bringing the products to market, the manufacturer or distributor must notify FDA of the basis on which the manufacturer or distributor has concluded that a dietary supplement containing such dietary ingredient will reasonably expected to be safe.

Since neither of these conditions has been met by those marketing products that contain or are labeled as containing DMBA as a dietary ingredient, the FDA considers these dietary supplements to be adulterated.

DMBA is also known as:

  • 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine
  • 2-Amino-4-Methylpentane Citrate
  • 4-Amino-2-Methylpentane Citrate
  • 4-Amino Methylpentane Citrate
  • Amperall
  • AMP
  • AMP Citrate
  • 4-AMP Citrate
  • 4-Methyl-2-Pentanamine

Keep an eye out for the second portion of this blog post. What do you think? What are your thoughts on the ingredients contained in some supplements? Have you checked out our great supplements? Right now is the best time to check out the array of supplements that we have. For example, we have biotin supplement, magnesium supplement and turmeric curcumin supplement to name a few. What is even more amazing is that you can find some of these items on sale right now. Head over to www.justpotent.com to take advantage of huge savings on supplements that work.

SOURCES:

Types of Dietary Supplements.” American Diabetes Association, www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/medication/other-treatments/herbs-supplements-and-alternative-medicines/types-of-dietary-supplements.html.

Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “Dietary Supplements.” U S Food and Drug Administration Home Page, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, www.fda.gov/Food/DietarySupplements/.