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From Your Nutritional Education Site

1. Why supplement magnesium?
2. 8 Myths About Alcohol
3. Neuropathy, why the pain, tingling and numbness?
4. What is Choline? What does it do for your health?

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Why supplement magnesium?

We keep hearing that Magnesium is essential for our health but there’s a lot of noise out there. It’s supposedly good for everything which is obviously not true.

In my experience, it’s been GREAT for stress and sleep and I also love it for energy. Let’s get into the potential benefits of magnesium supplementation.

Here are some of the benefits of taking supplemental magnesium:

• Relieves constipation - Magnesium helps draw water into the intestines, which can help relieve constipation. It's often recommended as a natural laxative and is well tolerated.

• Reduces muscle cramps - Magnesium helps regulate muscle contractions and may reduce cramping related to strenuous exercise or deficiencies. It's often taken by athletes.

• Lowers blood pressure - Studies show magnesium
supplementation may mildly lower blood pressure, especially in people with high blood pressure or deficiencies. Please don’t simply replace your meds with Mg though!

• Reduces anxiety - Magnesium plays a role in the production of neurotransmitters that regulate mood. Some research finds it may reduce symptoms of anxiety.

• Strengthens bones - Magnesium is important for bone formation and bone density. Supplements may help prevent osteoporosis, especially in older adults and postmenopausal women.

• Improves sleep - Magnesium has a calming effect and can help induce sleep. Supplements may help improve sleep quality, especially in people with insomnia. It’s part of a comprehensive program I’ve used in my Deep Sleep Solution.

• Boosts exercise performance - Magnesium supplements may enhance exercise performance by reducing lactate build-up in muscles and improving oxygen use.

• Reduces migraines - Some studies show magnesium supplements can reduce migraine frequency and severity in some people. More research is needed here but some people swear by it.

Magnesium is needed for the production of ATP which is your body’s energy currency. Magnesium is a cofactor for the enzyme ATP synthase. ATP synthase catalyzes the final step of ATP production in a process called oxidative phosphorylation. This occurs in the mitochondria.

I often talk about how sensitive mitochondria are to environmental toxins but the flip side is many people are also low in magnesium so they simply don’t have the raw ingredients on board to make energy.

Research shows that cellular magnesium deficiency rapidly decreases ATP synthesis and content in cells.

More magnesium = restoration of ATP production.

More ATP = More Energy

Magnesium essentially activates ATP synthase, the enzyme responsible for generating most ATP in our body. Maintaining optimal magnesium levels is crucial for energy production and physical performance. A magnesium deficiency can significantly impact ATP synthesis capacity.

Ok so what’s the dose?

The optimal dosage of magnesium supplements depends on age, sex and health conditions. Most adults can safely take 400-420 mg per day. That said, it all depends on your needs.

I hope this helps,
Dr Pedram Shojai theurbanmonk.com

Read more about Magnesium and what causes its depletion.

8 Myths About Alcohol

One of the big problems with alcohol is that it is often seen as a safe, socially acceptable substance to consume. There is a world of misconception around alcohol, which may be part of why more people die each year from alcohol-related causes than from all other drugs combined.

One of the first steps towards properly educating people about the dangers of alcohol begins with dispelling some of the myths surrounding the substance.

The Myths, the Science and the Truth

In a country where a significant percentage of the population consumes alcohol (the NIAAA estimates about 55% of adults drink alcohol regularly), it’s virtually impossible to grow up in the U.S. and not hear myths about alcohol. Following are eight myths about alcohol and the true facts to dispel those myths:

Myth #1: Occasional binge drinking is okay.
Binge drinking is always harmful, no matter what. The NIAAA defines binge drinking as “A pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 percent – or 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter – or higher. For a typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming 5 or more drinks (male), or 4 or more drinks (female), in about 2 hours.” This level of drinking is absolutely excessive and harmful. Binge drinking causes damage to the cardiovascular system and the liver. Such drinking hampers one’s judgment and it can lead to unintentional injuries like car crashes, falls, and burns. It can result in poor sexual decisions, violence, even trouble with the law. Binge drinking is never okay.

Myth #2: People don’t drink as much when they get older.
This is untrue. Older people are just as likely to drink alcohol. Research indicates that people become more sensitive to alcohol as they age. Furthermore, other factors like loneliness, depression, chronic pain, and boredom become more likely as one ages, putting this demographic at risk for alcohol misuse.

Myth #3: “I do not have a problem because I can hold my liquor.”
Just the concept of “holding one’s liquor” is flawed because it suggests some people can “tolerate” alcohol. That is a misconception because it suggests some people have a biological defense against the effects of alcohol. This is not the case. When it appears that someone’s behavior, mood, or senses are not being affected by alcohol, that does not mean the substance isn’t still affecting them in other ways, biologically. It might take a larger person several drinks to be aware of “feeling something” from the alcohol. But as soon as they have that first drink, the alcohol begins causing damage to their internal systems.

Myth #4: “I only drink on the weekends. It’s not a problem.”
An alcohol misuse problem does not have to be a daily occurrence. Binge drinking does not have to happen every day for it to constitute alcohol misuse. Just one instance of binge drinking is an instance of misusing alcohol. If a person consumes more than two drinks per day (for a man) or more than one drink per day (for a woman), that constitutes drinking too much. Furthermore, if someone drinks on any day and consumes more than four drinks (for a man) or more than three drinks (for a woman), that constitutes heavy drinking and cannot be justified by saving such drinking habits for “Only on the weekend.”

Myth #5: Increased tolerance to alcohol helps protect your body from any harm from drinking.
As one drinks alcohol over time, one’s body will begin to build up a tolerance to the substance. Alcohol is a foreign substance to the human body. Unlike food or water, humans do not need alcohol to survive, so the body’s natural response to the foreign liquid is to build up a tolerance of it, to prevent the substance from altering one’s behavior, mind, and physiological function, as alcohol does. However, increased tolerance to alcohol does not protect the individual from the poisonous effects that excessive drinking has on the body.

Myth #6: Alcohol has legitimate uses in pain management.
There is no doubt that alcohol can have a pain-relieving effect (and the NIAAA estimates that 28% of chronic pain patients use alcohol for this purpose). However, alcohol is not a medically accepted form of pain relief, and drinking to reduce pain bears significant health risks. Primarily, one must drink more alcohol than is recommended to experience an analgesic effect. This means drinking to excess to relieve pain, essentially trading one problem for another. Furthermore, withdrawal from alcohol use often increases pain sensibility. There are healthy ways to treat pain, but alcohol consumption is not one of them.

Myth #7: Beer is less intoxicating than other alcoholic beverages, meaning you can drink more of it.
This is not true, as a standard drink of alcohol is the same, regardless of the type of alcohol that drink is consumed in. According to the NIAAA, “A standard drink is any drink that contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol (about 0.6 fluid ounces or 1.2 tablespoons).” The NIAAA also offers information on the volume of different types of alcohol one has to consume to drink this amount of pure alcohol. A single 12 oz. serving of beer will constitute a standard drink. According to the data, men should not drink more than 1 – 2 drinks per day, and women should not have more than 1 drink per day. (But even with that being said, it’s important to note that any amount of alcohol consumption carries risk and should be avoided).

Myth #8: Cold showers and hot coffee help sober you up.
While cold showers and hot coffee may give the appearance of alertness, there is no remedy for drunkenness except for the passage of time. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Coffee, fresh air, cold showers or eating will not help to remove the alcohol or other drug combination from the circulatory system. Time is the only medically-proven method to remove alcohol or other drug combinations from the circulatory system. It takes about an hour for the body to get rid of one normal drink from the circulatory system. Therefore, if someone has had four normal drinks, the person should wait four hours or more before driving.” Only by giving the body time to process and remove alcohol can one recover from the effects of the substance.

Getting Help for an Alcohol Problem

Alcohol misuse is a serious health crisis that affects the mind, body, and soul. It’s important to understand what alcohol misuse and alcohol addiction are and know that alcohol myths do not hold up under inspection. If you know someone who is drinking alcohol and who cannot stop or who drinks too much alcohol, please get them entered into a drug and alcohol treatment center as soon as possible. Alcohol addiction is a life-threatening crisis.

Read Source data and about the Author
Read: Learn more about Alcohol

Neuropathy, why the pain, tingling and numbness?

Neuropathy has many symptoms. It may start with a tingling feeling and end up with numbness. It can be a pricking, or burning sensation, loss of reflexes and muscle shrinkage, abnormal sensations, or sensitivity to touch. Its worse symptom is pain, sometimes so excruciating that a person would amputate rather than continue the pain.

It is called many names such as paresthesia, neuritis, neuralgia, dysesthensia, hypoesthesia, hypesthesia, hypalgesia, hypealgesia and hyperesthesia due to its many different kinds of symptoms.

But, what underlies all these symptoms?

They are created by a specific type of nerve damage. This nerve damage can come from too much sugar in the blood (the reason it is a side effect of diabetes). It can be caused by exposure to chemicals such as cancer treatments, poisons, alcoholism, or a side effect of some medications. It can be the result of kidney or liver failure, infectious disease or nutritional deficiencies especially B vitamins. The reasons are many; the damage they produce is the same.

What creates the problem is damage done to the outer lining of the nerve cell. Cells have coverings much like an electrical wire has an insulation of plastic. Have you ever seen a wire whose insulation is damaged – the electrical current doesn’t flow correctly. It can send electricity out from the area where it is damaged, it can stop the flow of electricity or it can damage what it’s supposed to be supplying electricity to.

A damaged nerve covering does the same thing. It can send out “sparks” that cause tingling, it can stop the flow resulting in numbness. It can create feelings of hot or cold or sensitivity due to crossed signals. It can definitely cause pain especially as the damage gets worse.

The idea is to fix this outer covering. This is called the myelin sheath. What is needed are specific B vitamins. The only question is how to get these B vitamins in sufficient amounts so that the body can actually build healthy nerves. Isolated B vitamins that are sold at the health food stores or local drug stores get washed out of the system too quickly to fix the damage. It would be hard to take enough of this type of nutrients to make a difference. You can’t get it from vitamins made in a laboratory.

What is needed is a whole food supplement with methylcobalamine and benfotiamine and other B vitamins that the body can use to build healthy nerve cells. That is one of the functions of the body, to build health. But it does need specific nutrients to do its job.

Nutrients are what a body runs on. A car runs on gas. If you drive the car down the road, it uses up a steady amount of that gas. If you take that same car and speed down the freeway, you will use up a lot of gas. When you take a body “out on the freeway”, or put it under physical stress, it uses up a lot more nutrients. Thus, getting the right supplements in the right amount is important.

Just as a car won’t drive without giving it gas a body can’t or function correctly or build health without the proper nutrients it needs to “drive”. In the case of neuropathy, it needs these B vitamins.

Neuropathy can be a side effect of many things. Although most often it is caused by too much sugar in the blood – Diabetes – there are many factors. Chemotherapy and some drugs have neuropathy as a side effect and it can be caused by surgery damaging the nerves – there are others.

For more information about neuropathy.

Success in Handling the Nerve Damage of Neuropathy

We got lots of different people who got nerve damage from many different reasons who have written up what happened to them.

Read about getting relief by building healthy nerves.

What is Choline? What does it do for your health?

Choline is an essential nutrient, which means your body can’t make enough of it on its own.

All this means is you need to be sure to consume choline in your diet. Why you want to be sure to do this is that, aside from being found in every cell, choline plays an important role in:

• Liver function
• Brain function
• Muscle function
• Kidney function
• Fat metabolism
• Cell repair

But before you start searching for a choline supplement, getting enough through food is relatively easy to do and likely a better way of reaching adequate levels.

Foods like beef and chicken livers as well as eggs have the highest amounts of dietary choline. In fact, people who regularly eat eggs and egg yolks generally have double the intake of choline when compared to those who don’t eat eggs. Non-meat options are kidney beans and quinoa.

To learn more about the health benefits of choline, how much you should be getting every day for your age, and more choline-rich foods, check out the article.

In Health,

Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC

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Sidebar:

Nerve Damage - Why R-Alpha Lipoic and Acetyl L-Carnitine?

If you have nerve damage, R-Alpha lipoic acid and acetyl L-carnitine are two key supplements that you should add to your daily routine.

Evidence indicates that alpha lipoic acid has an ability to kill free-radicals which may help provide added nutritional support to people who have nerve damage in the arms and legs, such as:

- pain
- burning
- itching
- tingling
- numbness

Alpha lipioc acid comes in two forms. R and S. Alpha lipoic acid is a combination of these two forms. Most supplements have alpha lipoic acid with both forms, not just the R form.

The R form of alpha lipoic acid is the form normally found in the body. Studies indicate the R-alpha lipoic acid form appears to be better absorbed than the combination of R and S alpha lipoic acid.

Additionally, some small preliminary studies suggest acetyl L-carnitine may help provide nutritional support to people with pain and who want to improve feeling in affected nerves. It is also possible that acetyl L-carnitine can help nerves regenerate.

The Nerve & Energy Booster is a nutritional supplement which contains acetyl L-carnitine and R-alpha lipoic acid (the better, more absorbable form of R-alpha lipoic acid).

Find out more and order the Nerve & Energy Booster

Or you can call us at (888) 758-5590 or (818) 252-1038

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