Magnesium

Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis.

Deficiency signs and symptoms

•   Muscle cramps and spasm
• Personality changes (irritability, depression )
• Difficulty concentrating
• Reduced pain threshold 
• Cold hands and feet
• Palpations
• Pre-eclampsia in expectant mothers
• Poor muscle recovery
• PMS
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue
• Nausea/vomiting
• Low blood sugar
• Eye twitches
• Reduced endurance
• Menstrual pain

Causes of Magnesium Deficiency

• Reduced dietary intake
• Poor gastrointestinal absorption
• Excessive sweating
• Laxative use 
• Alcohol
• Diabetes
• Pregnancy
• Diarrhoea
• Vomitting
• Calcium supplementation

Indications for magnesium 

•  Unstable blood glucose levels
• Poor cardiovascular function
• Muscular complaints such as:

-       General muscle cramps

-       Mild aches and pains

-       Aches, pains and cramps associated with menstruation

• Muscle and energy recovery 
• Maintenance of bone health
• Chronic fatigue
• Fibromyalgia
• Nervous tension
• Headaches
• Anxiety
• Behavioural problems
• Insulin resistance
• Kidney stones

The better dietary sources of magnesium are plant foods, including wholegrain cereals, green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes. However, the magnesium content in food is heavily dependent on the magnesium content of the soil and growing conditions. Magnesium is not a routinely added mineral to fertilisers and therefore if magnesium is not in the soil, foods grown will be low in magnesium. Further considerations for determining magnesium adequacy in the diet relates to the fact that processing and refining practices compound mineral losses in these foods. Taking these factors into consideration, sub-optimal magnesium intake is a real threat in the modern food supply.

Sources

• Buckwheat (½ cup)                 196mg
• Almonds (¼ cup)                     95mg
• Spinach (½ cup)                      75mg
• Cashews                                 75mg
• Millet (¼ cup)                          55mg
• Brown rice (½ cup)                  40mg
• Kidney beans (½ cup)             35mg
• Avocado (½ regular)               35mg
• Skim milk (1 cup)                    27mg
• Carrot (2 medium)                  14mg
• Garlic (4 cloves)                       4mg
• Sweet potato (1 medium)      32mg
• Potato skin on (1 large)         50mg
•  Broccoli (1 cup)                     19mg
• Blackberries (1 cup)               29mg
• Rye bread (4 slices)               52mg
• Banana (1 medium)               20mg

For more information on magnesium and how supplementation might benefit you

Or to book an appointment please call Courtney on 0421125517

Or email courtney@vitalianaturalhealth.com.au

 

PRODUCT REVIEW

Nutella

Have you got a jar of nutella in your cupboard? Have you ever looked at the label? I bet you would be surprised.

Nutella is one of a small group of products in which I have been unable to find the actual ingredients listed on their website. According to food law ingredients must be listed in descending order from first (largest ingredients from weight) to last ingredient. The ingredients are listed on the website as follows:

Hazelnuts, cocoa powder, skim milk powder, vegetable oil, sugar, soy lecithin and vanillin

Yes these ingredients are in nutella but not in that order. Nutella would like you to believe that it is composed mainly of hazelnuts and cocoa so they rearrange the true order to make a better impression and fail to list the actual percentage and the correct additive names.

To find the true ingredients you have to look at the genuine product. The ingredients are as follows:

Sugar, vegetable oil, hazelnuts (13%), cocoa powder (7.4%), non-fat milk solids, emulsifier (soy lecithin), flavor (vanillin).

So now we know that the first (read main) ingredient is sugar (not hazelnuts), followed by “vegetable oil” (not cocoa), then hazelnuts, then cocoa solids, followed by non-fat milk solids, soy lecithin and vanilla flavour.

Don’t be fooled by cleaver advertising. Here is what I have uncovered about nutella.

-          Sugar is the first ingredient. In fact Nutella is 55 per cent sugar! That puts Nutella on a par with chocolate.

-          The vegetable oil is palm oil, a semi-solid fat that’s needed to give Nutella its spreadable texture. At least this was disclosed on the website (see below). The manufacturer says they were using hydrogenated oil until a couple of years ago but switched to palm oil to cut back on the trans-fat in 2006. Palm oil is free of Tran’s fat but is still high in saturated fat so it’s not good for you. It’s a no-win oil choice that many manufacturers face.

-          Cocoa solids (or powder) gives Nutella its chocolaty taste.

-          Soy lecithin – a common emulsifier that keeps the sugar, oil, nuts and cocoa nicely blended and stops them separating out during the months on the shelves. Nothing sinister about it.

-          Flavour (vanillin)This is not vanilla or vanilla extract such as you use at home. Vanillin, which is most likely the synthetic form identical to the natural vanillin, but much less expensive is the largest flavour component of the vanilla bean but much less interesting.

I would like you to think of Nutella as chocolate in spreadable form. With 30 per cent fat and almost 55 per cent sugar, Nutella almost mirrors chocolate in its composition. In fact, Cadbury hazelnut chocolate contains 23% hazelnuts as opposed to 13% in nutella and has 19% less sugar. Would you serve you kids chocolate for breakfast?



What would you like to see review? Email me your suggestion courtney@vitalianaturalhealth.com.au