Wheat brain

30. March 2011 William Davis (52)
Among the most common effects of wheat are those on the brain.

Consume wheat and susceptible individuals will experience a subtle euphoria. Others experience mental cloudiness or sleepiness. (This is what I personally get.)

It gets worse. Children with ADHD and autism have difficulty concentrating on a task and have behavioral outbursts after a cookie. Schizophrenics experience paranoid delusions, auditory hallucinations, and worsening of social detachment. People with bipolar disorder can have the manic phase triggered by a breadcrumb. All these effects are blocked by administering drugs that block the brain's opiate receptors. (This is why, by the way, a drug company is planning to release an oral agent, naltrexone, formerly administered to heroin addicts to help control addiction, for weight loss: block the euphoric effect, take away the temptation, lose weight.)

Here is Heart Scan Blog reader, Nicole's, mental fog story:

I have been grain-free (no gluten free grains either) for quite a long time (about a year and a half). Earlier this week, I decided to try white bread and pasta. The experiment only lasted two days. I had horrible terminal insomnia both nights, causing me on the second night to wake up at 2:30 am unable to get back to sleep at all. I felt drugged and in a mind-fog all the next day and even dozed off a few times! Luckily I had the day off work.

I had very bad forgetfulness also. I forgot that I left my bag and groceries at work, so I had to go back for them. Then I had to use my husband's keys to get in because I thought my keys were in my bag, but it turns out they were in my pocket. Then I got my bag, set the alarm, locked the door and then realized I forgot my groceries. So I had to re-open the door, unset the alarm, and go back for the groceries. Then I locked the door, forgetting to set the alarm, so I had to unlock it, open up and set the alarm. It was just ridiculous, I am NEVER like that!

In addition to the insomnia and forgetfulness, I also had horrible anxiety and paranoia, almost to the point of panic. Which I NEVER have, I am usually very easy-going, even-tempered, and worry-free. But this was horrible, I really was quite paranoid and anxious about everything. Weird!

And the worst, was that in just two days of eating wheat, I gained 4 lbs and 2% bodyfat!! It's two days wheat-free now, and it's finally going back down, but wow. Just two days of wheat-eating caused that much weight and fat gain!

Anyway, I've learned my lesson and will continue to avoid grains (including gluten free grains) entirely.

Eat more "healthy whole grains"? Modern dwarf Triticum aestivum, perverted even further by agricultural geneticists and modern agribusiness, subsidized by the U.S. government to permit $5 pizza, is better than any terrorist plot to discombobulate the health and performance of the American people.

The Westman Diet

27. March 2011 William Davis (71)
Dr. Eric Westman has been a vocal proponent of carbohydrate restriction to gain control over diabetes, as have Drs. Richard Bernstein, Mary Vernon, Richard Feinman, and Jeff Volek.

Several studies over the years have demonstrated that reductions in carbohydrate content of the diet yield reductions in weight and HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin, a reflection of average blood glucose over the preceding 60-90 days).

Among the more important recent clinical studies is a small experience from Duke University's Dr. Eric Westman. In this study, obese type 2 diabetics reduced carbohydrate intake to 20 grams per day or less: no wheat, oats, cornstarch, or sugars. Participants ate nuts, cheese, meats, eggs, and non-starchy vegetables.

After 6 months, average weight loss was 24.4 lbs, BMI was reduced from 37.8 to 34.4. At the end of the study, 95% of participants on this severe carbohydrate restriction reduced or eliminated their diabetes medications.

That was only after 6 months. Note that the ending BMI was still quite well into the obese range. Imagine what another 6-12 months would do, or achieving BMI somewhere closer to ideal.

Curiously, this idea of severe low-carbohydrate restriction to cure or minimize diabetes is not new. Sir William Osler, one of the founders of Johns Hopkins Hospital and author of the longstanding authoritative text, Principles and Practice of Medicine, advocated an diet identical to Dr. Westman's diet. So did Dr. Frederick Banting, discoverer of the pancreatic extract, insulin, to treat childhood diabetics. Before insulin, Banting and his colleagues at the University of Toronto used carbohydrate elimination (less than 10 g per day) to prolong the lives of children with diabetes.

This lesson was also learned many times during war time, when staples like bread were unavailable. The Siege of Paris in 1870 yielded cures for diabetes in many (or at least they stopped passing urine that tasted--yes, tasted--sweet and attracted flies), only to have it recur after the siege was over.

These are lessons we will have to relearn. As long as the American Diabetes Association and most physicians continue to advocate a diet of reduced fat, increased carbohydrate that includes plenty of "healthy whole grains," diabetics will continue to be diabetics, taking their insulin and multiple medications while developing neuropathy (nervous system degeneration), nephropathy (kidney disease and failure), atherosclerosis and heart attack, cataracts, and die 8 to 10 years earlier than non-diabetics.

All the while, we've had the combined wisdom from antiquity onwards: Carbohydrates cause diabetes; elimination of carbohydrates cures diabetes.

(This applies, of course, only to adult overweight type 2 diabetics, not type 1 or some of the other variants.)

Handy dandy carb index

25. March 2011 William Davis (21)
There are a number of ways to gauge your dietary carbohydrate exposure and its physiologic consequences.

One of my favorite ways is to do fingerstick blood sugars for a one-hour postprandial glucose. I like this because it provides real-time feedback on the glucose consequences of your last meal. This can pinpoint problem areas in your diet.

Another way is to measure small LDL particles. Because small LDL particles are created through a cascade that begins with carbohydrate consumption, measuring them provides an index of both carbohydrate exposure and sensitivity. Drawback: Getting access to the test.

For many people, the most practical and widely available gauge of carbohydrate intake and sensitivity is your hemoglobin A1c, or HbA1c.

HbA1c reflects the previous 60 to 90 days blood sugar fluctuations, since hemoglobin is irreversibly glycated by blood glucose. (Glycation is also the phenomenon responsible for formation of cataracts from glycation of lens proteins, kidney disease, arthritis from glycation of cartilage proteins, atherosclerosis from LDL glycation and components of the arterial wall, and many other conditions.)

HbA1c of a primitive hunter-gatherer foraging for leaves, roots, berries, and hunting for elk, ibex, wild boar, reptiles, and fish: 4.5% or less.

HbA1c of an average American: 5.2% (In the population I see, however, it is typically 5.6%, with many 6.0% and higher.)

HbA1c of diabetics: 6.5% or greater.

Don't be falsely reassured by not having a HbA1c that meets "official" criteria for diabetes. A HbA1c of 5.8%, for example, means that many of the complications suffered by diabetics--kidney disease, heightened risk for atherosclerosis, osteoarthritis, cataracts--are experienced at nearly the same rate as diabetics.

With our wheat-free, cornstarch-free, sugar-free diet, we have been aiming to reduce HbA1c to 4.8% or less, much as if you spent your days tracking wild boar.

Battery acid and oatmeal

23. March 2011 William Davis (38)
Ever notice the warnings on your car's battery? "Danger: Sulfuric acid. Protective eyewear advised. Serious injury possible."

Sulfuric acid is among the most powerful and potentially harmful acids known. Get even a dilute quantity in your eyes and you will suffer serious burns and possibly loss of eyesight. Ingest it and you can sustain fatal injury to the mouth and esophagus. Sulfuric acid's potent tendency to react with other compounds is one of the reasons that it is used in industrial processes like petroleum refining. Sulfuric acid is also a component of the harsh atmosphere of Venus.

Know what food is the most potent source of sulfuric acid in the body? Oats.

Yes: Oatmeal, oat bran, and foods made from oats (you know what breakfast cereal I'm talking about) are the most potent sources of sulfuric acid in the human diet.

Why is this important? In the transition made by humans from net-alkaline hunter-gatherer diet to net-acid modern overloaded-with-grains diet, oats tip the scales heavily towards a drop in pH, i.e., more acidic.

The more acidic your diet, the more likely it is you develop osteoporosis and other bone diseases, oxalate kidney stones, and possibly other diseases.

Here's one reference for this effect.

What'll it be: Olive oil or bread?

21. March 2011 William Davis (0)
We frequently discuss the advisability of consuming fats, carbohydrates, and various types within each category.

But what's the worst of all? Combining fats with carbohydrates.

Putting aside the wheat-is-worst form of carbohydrate issue and treating bread as a prototypical carbohydrate, let's play out a typical scenario, a make-believe feeding study in which a theoretical person is fed specific foods.

John is our test person, a 40-year old, 5 ft 10 inch, 210 lb, BMI 27.7 (roughly the mean for the U.S.) He starts with an average American diet of approximately 55% carbohydrates and 30% fat. Starting lipoproteins (NMR):

LDL particle number 1800 nmol/L
Small LDL 923 nmol/L


(The LDL particle number of 1800 nmol/L translates to measured LDL cholesterol of 180 mg/dl, i.e., drop last digit or divide by 10.)

Also, calculated LDL cholesterol is 167 mg/dl (yes, underestimating "true" measured LDL), HDL 42 mg/dl, triglycerides 170 mg/dl.

We feed him a diet increased in carbohydrates and reduced in fat, especially saturated fat, with more breakfast cereals, breads and other wheat products, pasta, fruit juices and fruit, and potatoes. After four weeks:

LDL particle number 2200 nmol/L
Small LDL 1378 nmol/L

Note that LDL particle number has increased by 400 nmol/L due entirely to the increase in small LDL particles triggered by carbohydrate consumption. Lipids show calculated LDL cholesterol 159 mg/dl--yes, a decrease, HDL 40 mg/dl, triglycerides 189 mg/dl. (At this point, if John's primary care doctor saw these numbers, he would congratulate John on reducing his LDL cholesterol and/or suggest a fibrate drug to reduce triglycerides.)

John takes a rest for four weeks during which his lipoproteins revert back to their starting values. We then repeat the process, this time replacing most carbohydrate calories with fats, weighed heavily in favor of saturated fats like fatty red meats, butter and other full-fat dairy products. After four weeks:

LDL particle number 2400 nmol/L


Let's

Chocolate peanut butter cup smoothie

19. March 2011 William Davis (18)
Here's a simple recipe for chocolate peanut butter cup smoothie.

The coconut milk, nut butter, and flaxseed make this smoothie exceptionally filling. If you are a fan of cocoa flavonoids for reducing blood pressure, then this provides a wallop. Approximately 10% of cocoa by weight consists of the various cocoa flavonoids, like procyanidins (polymers of catechin and epicatechin) and quercetin, the components like responsible for many of the health benefits of cocoa.


Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (without alkali)
2 tablespoons shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 tablespoons natural peanut, almond, or sunflower seed butter
Non-nutritive sweetener to taste (stevia, Truvia, sucralose, xylitol, erythritol)
4 ice cubes

Combine ingredients in blender. Blend and serve.

If you plan to set any of the smoothie aside, then leave out the flaxseed, as it absorbs water and will expand and solidify if left to stand.

For an easy variation, try adding vanilla extract or 1/4 cup of sugar-free (sucralose) vanilla or coconut syrup from Torani or DaVinci and leave out the added sweetener.

The compromise I draw here is the use of non-nutritive sweeteners. Beware that they can increase appetite, since they likely trigger insulin release. However, this smoothie is so filling that I don't believe you will experience this effect with this recipe.

Letter from the insurance company

18. March 2011 William Davis (24)
Claudia got this letter from her health insurance company:

Dear Ms. ------,

Based on a recent review of your cholesterol panel of January 12, 2011, we feel that you should strongly consider speaking to your doctor about cholesterol treatment.

Reducing cholesterol values to healthy levels has been shown to reduce heart attack risk . . .

Okay. So the health insurer wants Claudia to take a cholesterol drug in the hopes that it will reduce their exposure to the costs for her future heart catheterization, angioplasty and stent, or bypass surgery. This is understandable, given the extraordinary costs of such hospital services, typically running from $40,000 for a several hour-long outpatient catheterization procedure, to as much as $200,000 for a several day long stay for coronary bypass surgery.

So what's the problem?

Here are Claudia's most recent lipid values:

LDL cholesterol 196 mg/dl
HDL 88 mg/dl
Triglycerides 37 mg/dl
Total cholesterol 291 mg/dl

By the criteria followed by her health insurer, both total and LDL cholesterol are much too high. Note, of course, that LDL cholesterol was a calculated value, not measured.

Here are Claudia's lipoproteins, drawn simultaneously with her lipids:

LDL particle number 898 nmol/L
Small LDL particle number less than 90 nmol/L (Values less than 90 are not reported by Liposcience)

LDL particle number is, by far and away, the best measure of LDL particles, an actual count of particles, rather than a guesstimate of LDL particles gauged by measuring cholesterol in the low-density fraction of lipoproteins (i.e., LDL cholesterol). It is also measured and is highly reproducible.

To convert LDL particle number in nmol/L to an LDL cholesterol-like value in mg/dl, divide by ten (or just drop the last digit).

Claudia's measured LDL is therefore 89 mg/dl--54% lower than the crude calculated LDL suggests.

This is because virtually all of Claudia's LDL particles are large, with little or no small. This situation throws off the crude assumptions built into the LDL calculation, making it appear that she has very high LDL cholesterol.

Do you think that Big Pharma advertises this phenomenon?

Healthy smoothies

15. March 2011 William Davis (51)
I've now seen several people who have either caused themselves to be diabetic or to have other phenomena associated with excessive consumption of carbohydrates, all by innocently indulging in a carbohydrate-packed smoothie every morning.

Kay, for instance, has a smoothie of a half-pint blueberries, a banana, a scoop of whey, low-fat yogurt, a cup of milk every morning. The rest of her diet was fairly healthy: salads with oil-based dressing for lunch, salmon and asparagus for dinner, only an occasional carbohydrate indulgence outside of her morning smoothie ritual. Yet she had a HbA1c (a reflection of prior 60 to 90 days average blood sugar) at the near-diabetic range of 5.9%.

The mistake most people make when making smoothies is relying too heavily on carbohydrates like fruit. A smoothie like the one made by Kay can easily top 50, 60, or 70 grams carbohydrates per serving, more than sufficient to send blood sugars up to 150 mg/dl or more.

So what can you put in your smoothie and not send you over the edge to diabetes, small LDL, and all the other undesirable phenomena of excessive carbohydrates? Here's a list:

--coconut milk, unsweetened almond milk. Less desirable: milk, full-fat soymilk
--ground flaxseed
--oils: flaxseed oil, coconut oil (melted), extra-light olive oil, walnut oil
--dried coconut
--extracts: vanilla, almond, coconut, cherry, hazelnut
--spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger
--herbs: mint leaves, cilantro
--cocoa powder (unsweetened)
--nut or seed butters (peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter)
--tofu
--exotic ingredients (ingredients you wouldn't expect in a smoothie): spinach, kale, cucumber

How do you sweeten a smoothie? This is what trips up most people. If you resort to fruit like bananas, pineapple, or apple, you will readily send your blood sugar skyward. Honey, agave syrup, and sugar, of course, all increase blood sugar and/or have the adverse effects of fructose. Be careful of yogurt, also, for similar reasons.

Therefore, to sweeten your smoothie, consider:

--Small servings of berries, e.g., 8-10 blueberries, 2 strawberries, a few wedges of apple, half a kiwi
--Non-nutritive sweeteners like stevia, Truvia, sucralose, xylitol, erythritol. Also, sugar-free (sucralose-based) syrups like those from DaVinci and Torani are useful. (Just be aware that non-nutritive sweeteners can increase appetite--use sparingly.)

Also, note that, if you have divorced yourself from wheat, cornstarch, and sugars, your desire for sweet should be much reduced. Foods other people find just right will taste sickeningly sweet to you. You might therefore find that foods like peanut butter or coconut milk have a mild natural sweetness; added sweetness is only minimally necessary.

Coming next: I'll share a smoothie recipe or two of mine. Anyone want to share a recipe?

Insulin secretagogue

14. March 2011 William Davis (34)
Dairy products have the peculiar property of triggering pancreatic release of insulin. The research group at Lund University in Sweden have contributed the most to documenting this phenomenon:




Mean (±SEM) incremental changes (?) in serum insulin in response to equal amounts of carbohydrate from a white-wheat-bread reference meal (x) and test meals of whey (?), milk (?), cheese (?), cod (?), gluten-low (?), and gluten-high (?) meals. From Nilsson 2004.

Note that it is the area under the curve (AUC), not the peak value, that assumes greatest importance.

Dairy products, especially milk, whey, and yogurt, are insulin secretagogues: they stimulate pancreatic release of insulin. The effect is likely due to amino acids and/or polypeptides in dairy products. (The effect is less prominent with cheese. Also see this study.)

By conventional wisdom, this may be a good thing, since the excess insulin will blunt the glucose rise after consumption. However, in my book, this is not such a good thing, since most of us have tired, beaten, overworked pancreatic beta cells from our decades of carbohydrate overconsumption. I fear that the effect of dairy products just take us a bit closer to beta cell failure: diabetes.

Good news: The effect is least with cheese.

Be gluten-free without "gluten-free"

9. March 2011 William Davis (23)
While I've discussed this before, it is such a confusing issue that I'd like to discuss it again.

I advocate wheat elimination because consumption of products made from modern dwarf Triticum aestivum:

--Triggers formation of extravagant quantities of small LDL and LDL particle number (or apoprotein B)
--Triggers inflammatory phenomena like c-reactive protein, increases leptin resistance, and reduction of the protective adipocytokine, adiponectin.
--Encourages accumulation of deep visceral fat ("wheat belly") that is inflammatory and causes resistance to insulin
--Increases blood sugar more than nearly all other foods--higher than a Milky Way bar, higher than a Snickers bar, higher than table sugar.
--Is being linked to a growing number of immune-mediated diseases, including celiac disease (quadrupled over past 50 years), type 1 diabetes in children, and cerebellar ataxia and peripheral neuropathies.

This last group of wheat-related phenomena are primarily due to gluten, the collection of 50+ proteins found in each wheat plant. For this reason, people diagnosed with celiac disease are advised to eliminate gluten from wheat and other sources (barley, rye, triticale, bulgur) and to eat gluten-free foods.

Gluten-free has therefore come to be viewed as wheat-free and problem-free. It ain't so.

Among the few foods that increase blood glucose higher than wheat: cornstarch, rice starch, potato starch, and tapioca starch--Yup: the ingredients commonly used to replace wheat in gluten-free foods. They are also flagrant triggers of the small LDL pattern, along with increased triglycerides, reduced HDL, increased visceral fat, increased blood pressure. In short, gluten-free foods lack the immune and brain effects of wheat gluten, but still make you fat, hypertensive, and diabetic.

I tell patients to view gluten-free foods like jelly beans: Gluten-free pancakes, muffins, breads, etc. are indulgences, not healthy replacements for wheat. It's okay to have a few jelly beans now and then. But they should not be part of a frequent or daily routine. Same with gluten-free foods.
Magnesium and arrhythmia

Magnesium and arrhythmia

11. February 2010 William Davis (35)
Because magnesium is removed during municipal water treatment and is absent from most bottled water, deficiency of this crucial mineral is a growing problem.

Magnesium deficiency can manifest itself in a wide variety of ways, from muscle cramps (usually calves, toes, and fingers), erratic blood sugars, higher blood pressure, to heart rhythm problems. The abnormal heart rhythms that can arise due to magnesium deficiency include premature atrial contractions, premature ventricular contractions, multifocal atrial tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and even ventricular tachycardia, fibrillation, and Torsade de Pointes (all potentially fatal). Magnesium is important!

Magnesium supplementation is therefore necessary for just about everybody to maintain normal tissue levels. (The exception is people with kidney disorders, who should not take magnesium without supervision, since they retain magnesium.)

Here is a Heart Scan Blog reader's dramatic rhythm-correcting response to magnesium supplementation:



Dr. Davis,

A few months ago, I contacted you inquiring if you had written any articles on arrhythmia. You were generous enough to answer and guide me to an LEF article you'd written in which you stressed fish oil and magnesium. I had been suffering with bad PVCs [premature ventricular contractions] for over 20 years, and they had gotten so bad recently that I was told my next options were ablation or pacemaker!

I was already on fish oil and had not seen any difference, and so I researched the magnesium you suggested more thoroughly and found a huge body of studies supportng its effect on arrhythmia. I also read many posts on heart forums with people having success with it. After getting advice from various bloggers, I tried magnesium taurate in the morning and Natural Calm (an ionized form of mag citrate) in the afternoon and evening. Within three days the PVCs were quite diminished and by 2 weeks totally gone! As long as I keep taking it, they never return---not even one irregular blip---even when I drink strong coffee! The magnesium also cleared up my restless leg syndrome, my eye twitching, and insomnia. (Apparently, I was the poster-girl for magnesium deficiency.)

I am so angry that after all these years of suffering, trying various medications, and seeing at least 4 different cardiologists that NOT ONE ever even mentioned trying magnesium. The generosity of the few minutes you took to answer my email and steer me in a helpful direction brought me total relief.

Thank you SO MUCH!

Warmly,
Catherine C.
Tags :

Comments (35) -

  • Emily

    2/11/2010 4:17:58 PM |

    are there not food sources of magnesium that are bio-available as well as the option of supplementing?

  • Mike

    2/11/2010 4:33:25 PM |

    I'll echo my thoughts on magnesium's anti-arrythmic properties; in my early 20's, I found I had intermittent episodes of frequent multi-focal PVC (premature ventricular contractions), exacerbated by stress and caffeine.  I saw a cardiologist for this, and had no subsequent treatment or follow up.

    In my 30's, I started supplementing with ZMA (zinc, magnesium and B6) to improve athletic recovery; I  noticed a nice, regular sinus rhythm on the cardiac monitor (I work as a firefighter/paramedic).  

    I have no doubt that a vast majority of people, especially athletes, are deficient in magnesium.  One of thee most important minerals!  Even with a solid diet, Mg is hard to come by, and excretion is enhanced through physical activity and sweating.  I like ZMA personally, but I have heard good things about Natural Calm.

  • davide

    2/11/2010 5:48:23 PM |

    ...three other very common results of magnesium deficiencies:

    1. Constipation
    2. Headaches
    3. Muscle tension/cramps


    I say this from first hand experience. I will not go a day without it. But it is important to use the right kind of magnesium. Magnesium oxide is the least preferred.

  • TedHutchinson

    2/11/2010 6:02:55 PM |

    68% of USA adults don't reach the current RDA intake for magnesium and most people who understand the issue would say, like the RDA for Vitamin D, the current magnesium RDA is woefully inadequate.
    KRISPIN has a useful  
    Formula to Calculate Magnesium Daily Requirement-  5 to 10 milligrams per day per kilo of ideal body weight or 2.5 to 4.5 milligrams per day per pound of ideal body weight.  

    Example: 70 kilos or 150 pounds= 350 mg. to 700 mg. daily.  
    Magnesium is an incredibly safe mineral to supplement with and too much magnesium passes into the colon where it's hygroscopic properties means it attracts water and the result is loose stools. So you will be made aware when you have taken too much magnesium.
    Fellow misers may want to consider DEAD SEA SALTS magnesium chloride available in 25kg sacks from Equine  suppliers, Country Traders, suppliers to small farmers and livestock merchants. In the UK its pretty cheap £7ish a bag. Epsom Salts works as well if not better if you have arthritis. (Think Health Spa) but may be twice the price.Here's how to use it The advantage of having a soak in  magnesium rich bath water is your body won't absorb more than it needs transdermally.
    Do take note of the fact that magnesium calms nerves and relaxes muscle fibers.
    Soaking in a hot bath enriched with magnesium chloride (Dead Sea salts or magnesium sulphate (Epsom Salts) will leave you ready for bed and a good nights sleep. So later in the day, rather than morning.
    Lots of good magnesium info here MGWATER

    Don't try telling anyone on Diabetes forums of the relationship of magnesium to diabetes it's almost as provocative as trying to explain the Vitamin D Diabetes interrelation and will surely see you banned.

  • Anonymous

    2/11/2010 6:24:34 PM |

    The onset of PVC's in my mid-40's occurred about the same time as the onset of blindlingly painful nocturnal leg cramps of the calves and thighs.

    God only knows how many tests were ordered by the cardiologist I saw, or the other doctors that followed.  A lot of tests, not much to show for it except the threat of a statin prescription, a prescription for a "heart healthy" diet, a la the American Heart Association, and a pat on the head or two.

    Relief came several years later in the form of daily supplementation with magnesium glycinate ordered by a physician, whose practice is devoted to wellness... not sickness.

    madcook

  • DancinPete

    2/11/2010 8:46:11 PM |

    Is there an easy/cheap way to find out if you're magnesium deficient without getting a blood test?

  • TedHutchinson

    2/11/2010 11:25:51 PM |

    @ DancinPete
    Is there an easy/cheap way to find out if you're magnesium deficient without getting a blood test?
    Magnesium supplementation is so cheap and safe it's probably worth assuming you are deficient, take an effective amount, and if or when you start to get loose stools, back down a bit so you don't have that problem.

    Least well absorbed form is magnesium oxide.

    I use magnesium malate but magnesium citrate is fine for those who need the laxative properties.

  • Anonymous

    2/11/2010 11:40:11 PM |

    On a  very low-carb diet with little vegetables and no fruit, is it important to supplement potassium as well as magnesium?  If so, how much potassium?

  • polyhex

    2/12/2010 12:10:33 AM |

    I have seen the same thing in myself.  

    I had leg cramps in pregnancy which I stopped cold with magnesium.  An unanticipated side effect was the total resolution of a minor but persistent arrhythmia.  Recently I was lax in taking the supplements and my arrhythmia came back, exacerbated by exhaustion (new baby) and caffeine (new baby.)  I started the magnesium again and it's gone!

  • Chloe

    2/12/2010 12:57:06 AM |

    On magnesium and calcium from my experience:  I increased my D3 supplementation (boosted 7 reading to 98, GrassRoots Health testing), but started to experience very high "fluttery" pulse, 140+ and I am in my 60s.  OMG how bad I felt.  Practically everywhere I searched said up the magnesium.  I did (magnesium taurate) but this problem continued.  I then changed on the following page and it has saved me:  
    http://www.ithyroid.com/ca_and_mg.htm

    Calcium citrate powder in water with a little bit of vitamin C powder (read calcium better absorbed in acidic environment) would bring my pulse and blood pressure down within 30 minutes.  

    Since I am without health insurance or the means to see a doctor anyway, I can only deal with the symptoms and not know the official diagnosis.

    My pulse was high, weak, and "fluttery."  Now that I supplement with 2000 mg of calcium citrate and 1000 mg of magnesium taurate my heart problems have disappeared.

  • Mike

    2/12/2010 3:27:33 AM |

    Nice posts, Ted.  And excellent blog!

  • Anonymous

    2/12/2010 4:44:22 AM |

    I take Natures Calm at night (makes me sleep like a baby) and pop a few mg citrates during the day.  If I take Natures Calm during the day I get way too relaxed.

    Heart palpitations and leg cramps seems to go hand in hand with me. Extra mg knocks out both.

    However, one time I ran out of my citrate tabs and grabbed a container of a mag/cal supplement.   That combination did nothing for me, no matter how much I took.  The ratio of calcium to mg was way off favoring calcium.  Also, I notice if I take in too much yogurt and cheese the effects of my mg seems to wane.

    My only theory is that its true that if your calcium intake exceeds your mg intake by too much it can block the benefits. So far that has been my experience. Not a psychosomatic response, since I knew nothing of it until I looked it up after the cal/mg  blend didn't help me. Wow.

  • Barkeater

    2/12/2010 7:09:40 PM |

    I looked into blood tests, but concluded that that was not a very practical or accurate way to assess magnesium deficiency.  

    I concur with those that say if you have symptoms that might be magnesium deficiency, go ahead and supplement because your probably are deficient and there is no harm in it.  I had a lifetime pattern of getting severe leg cramps any time I exercised hard (like playing soccer) for more than say 80 minutes.  That was a very good hint.

    But, I was not content to leave it at that.  I looked at my diet, the reported mg content of food in it, and the RDA for me of 420mg of magnesium per day.  It was totally obvious that, even with my pretty healthy diet, I must be below 300mg of mg per day.  IT IS SO EASY TO GUESTIMATE YOUR NUTRIENT INTAKE THIS WAY, but nobody seems to suggest it.  Instead you see mindless blather about eating a few other foods that are high in mg -- go ahead and do the math and you will see that you need to be really dedicated to make that work.

    This kind of a self-assessment of the nutrient content of your normal diet, in many cases, will show that you don't take in recommended levels of iodine, potassium, and selenium, either.  Like mg, these are involved in countless ways in our biology.  Potassium is the one of these that is trickier to supplement - that you probably need to correct by shifting salt use to mixed salts (or no-salt) that have potassium chloride.  It turns out that my cramping issue needs both mg and potassium to be kept at bay, but together they work.  (Getting salt-potassium in better balance is good for blood pressure, too.  My systolic and diastolic dropped 10 points each since joining TYP a year ago.)

    I supplement mg with mag water, per the TYP web site.  Cheap and absorbable, no side effects, easy to incorporate into your regimen, and nice not to take one more pill.

  • Dr. William Davis

    2/12/2010 7:41:41 PM |

    The only way to truly know your magnesium status, short of waiting for clear-cut evidence of deficiency (muscle cramps, heart rhythm disorders, etc) is to check a blood level, preferably an RBC level, not a serum level. The RBC level is a rough approximation of tissue levels.

  • DrStrange

    2/14/2010 6:49:56 PM |

    If you hunt around you can also get magnesium ascorbate which gives a nice two-fer.  I get mine from Intensive Nutrition, one tablet contains 100mg magnesium and 1000 mg vit C as ascorbate.  Also, NOW brand makes a powdered one and Source Naturals also...

  • Anonymous

    2/16/2010 7:23:15 AM |

    Magnesium is one of the essential components necessary for the body to function normally. It is not just necessary for human; rather, it is essential for all living organisms as magnesium ions are a part of the nucleic acid chemistry of all living cells and things. Because it is so vital, you can imagine what should happen if someone were to be magnesium deficient. It is not a pretty picture, indeed.

    More Info: Sign and Symptoms of Magnesium

  • chris

    2/16/2010 4:56:50 PM |

    Theres no need to supplement if you are eating several servings of legumes and nuts every day.

    I have replaced most grain use in recipes with legumes, and nuts are a good food on the go.

  • Mike

    2/16/2010 11:55:59 PM |

    "Several serving s of legumes and nuts" will effectively increase your intake of inflammatory lectins and omega-6s.

    I'll stick to supplementing.

  • Anonymous

    2/24/2010 11:47:52 PM |

    My leg cramps were also resolved by magnesium supplementation. Many people don't realize that eating grains will severely inhibit the absorption of minerals, due to their phytate content (an "anti-nutrient") and will therefore contribute to magnesium and other mineral deficiencies. The phytates in grains can be mostly eliminated by soaking and/or sprouting them before consumption.

  • L. Cramp

    3/16/2010 7:52:39 PM |

    I have always been fascinated by the question ,why some people can and others cant. I spent years trying to figure this out. At first it was mainly for myself. I remember growing up with little confidence and under the impression that others were more capable than I was. The fact was that this impression was true. It was true because i believed it.

  • Helena

    4/15/2010 6:54:29 PM |

    Hi Dr Davis,

    I just had my first experience, at least I think so, of arrhythmia on Tuesday night... My heart was beating really, really fast for about a minute or two and then it all just stopped and went back to normal.

    I try to take 150 mg of magnesium every day (on Tuesday I forgot to take all my supplements). What is your recommendation on how much I should take each day? Does it matter what kind, should I spread it out over the day or is once a day dose ok?

    The whole experience was a bit overwhelming for me and I want to make sure it does not happen again! If it however does, should I go to a doctor? What can I requests as far as 'safe' tests?

    My experiences with tests are usually pretty bad as I always end up in the 'normal' range... whatever that means. And I get the "You are just a crazy hypochondriac, go home" look from the doctors.

    Appreciate your comment on this. Thank you.

  • TedHutchinson

    4/16/2010 9:25:42 AM |

    @ Helena
    150mg magnesium daily probably isn't sufficient.
    Krispin's formula suggests someone 70 kilos = 150 pounds should have a  total intake between 350mg to 700mg daily.
    The current magnesium RDA of 420mg/men, 320mg/(non-pregnant) women but average US female intake is just 228mg/daily.

    You also do not state the form of magnesium supplement you take.
    Many of the magnesium blends available include magnesium oxide. It's likely, where percentages are not stated, this cheapest (least effective) form constitutes the bulk present. Only 4% of magnesium oxide is absorbed.

    Magnesium is best absorbed (like calcium) from small amounts, through the day, with meals. I find it easier to take magnesium with each meal of the day and before bed.

    Does a higher ratio of serum calcium to magnesium increase the risk for postmenopausal breast cancer?
    This paper hypothesizes that low levels of magnesium  increase calcium retention, higher calcium levels further depress magnesium absorption and the resulting cellular imbalance leads to cancer initiation. Magnesium intake is an extremely important aspect of Vitamin D supplementation that is often overlooked.

  • Dave, RN

    5/14/2010 4:25:51 AM |

    TEedHutchison, I've been there with the diabetes forum. When I suggested a  paleo very low carb diet to a confused person who was just diagnosed, I was called a "dangerous extremest" by who I believe was the moderator. All of my suggestions about magnesium and D3 were poo-pood by him, and besides an extremest, I was brushed of as "one of those people who occasionally shows up here".

  • Helena

    5/27/2010 3:05:03 PM |

    Thank you Ted.
    I will look at what type of Mg I am taking... and also increase the dose. If not I will order the magnesium you suggested. I have not had an event since that one time but I have had some slight feelings of dizziness and fluctuations in pulse. This is all due to coming off of a birth control pill that was killing me I am sure, it just takes time getting to know your body once again after years on synthetic hormones. Thank you again.

  • Anonymous

    5/28/2010 3:54:24 PM |

    Just want to say what a great blog you got here!
    I've been around for quite a lot of time, but finally decided to show my appreciation of your work!

    Thumbs up, and keep it going!

    Cheers
    Christian, iwspo.net

  • Anonymous

    6/7/2010 2:49:32 AM |

    Dr. Davis, I stumbled across The Heart Scan Blog after months and months of being frustrated with a heart arrhythmia that appeared out of the blue after a period of high stress and anxiety attacks late last fall.  I was feeling a lot of "skipped heartbeats" and immediately went to a cardiologist who ordered a stress echo and 24 hr holter monitor.  He told me it was a benign premature heartbeat which I was relieved about but after months of getting 20-30 a day, it was all I could think about.  Reading your blog and the discussion regarding magnesium has given me hope.  A few weeks ago, due to ease, I  was eating large quantities of quinoa which is rich in magnesium and noticed that the skipped beats subsided a bit to 5x a day.  I didnt know if there was a link but I am hopeful that there is a link and willing to give magnesium a try.  I've already purchased the magnesium taurate - what do you recommend in dosage? Please note, I am always worried about taking any supplements....are there negative side effects. Could it make my heart arrhythmia worse?  Thanks so much!! I am desperate to get back to a life where the skipped beats are not on my mind 24/7.

  • Phyllis

    6/9/2010 5:37:37 PM |

    I have had an annoying arrythmia for a very long time. Its worse at times, better at times. I have seen a cardiologist. He did an ekg which said that I had had a heart attack. Echo was done and Doc said I had not had a heart attack, but have PAC's and a leaky tri-cuspid valve. He also did a 24 hour holter monitor. Basically he said there wasn't anything bad wrong, but he put me on sotalol to try and clear up the palpitations and rapid-ish heart rate. Also, my BP was in the 100's range for the lower number.
    I have not noticed much difference as far as the palpitations go, after over a year on the sotalol.
    I have however gotten my eating/health under control, with low carb, I have lost around 45 pounds and am within 10 pounds of my goal weight. My blood pressure is running around 117/75 most mornings, I feel like a new person, now if these annoying palpitations would just go away...
    To that end, after reading this post I have just recieved my bottle of magnesium taurate and plan on adding it to me list of supplements which includes 5000 units of vitamin D per day for about the last 6 months.
    My reason for posting this here is I hope to be posting soon that the palpitations have cleared up.
    LOVE this blog, its one of the very few that I have discovered and gone back and read many of the older posts.
    God Bless you, Doc, for taking the time to really help people!

  • Tiza

    8/30/2010 6:37:32 PM |

    Nice blog. Basically, I couldn't do without my magnesium malate. If it wasn't for the magnesium, I probably would not be able to walk, or at least not very good because of my back.

    I noticed that someone asked about having their magnesium tested. First, blood tests are really worthless for testing magnesium. I've never had mine tested, but there is a test that Dr. Dean talks about.  It's here at this link, and it's a non-evasive test:

    http://www.exatest.com/

  • blogblog

    10/31/2010 8:42:09 AM |

    The cheapest and simplest magnesium supplement is Epsom Salts (magnesium sulphate). It only costs about $1/year. It is also extremely safe and is widely used in medicine. About 1/10th of a teaspoon dissolved in 1L water will do the trick. It is also an extraordinarily effective laxative in higher doses.

  • buy jeans

    11/2/2010 8:41:18 PM |

    Magnesium supplementation is therefore necessary for just about everybody to maintain normal tissue levels. (The exception is people with kidney disorders, who should not take magnesium without supervision, since they retain magnesium.)

  • Drew

    1/6/2011 7:04:43 PM |

    Magnesium truly is the body's "master mineral." Without it, so many other minerals cannot be properly used in the body.

    Most people have a hard time with taking oral magnesium supplements and don't get the results their body needs.

    I was fortunate enough to come across "Transdermal Magnesium" or better know to me now as "Magnesium Oil."

    Magnesium Oil is simply a magnesium rich mineral solution that has been sourced from some body of salt water.

    Since the minerals in sea water are constantly being subjected to sunlight, it in turn makes the minerals ionic (ready for the body to use).

    It is as simple as spraying the solution on your skin and the body absorbs it directly into the cell. No digesting needed!!

    There are some concerns to be aware of however. Where are they sourcing their raw materials from? Is it clean of pollution and heavy metals?

    I have researched about every brand out there and a lot of them can be misleading.

    My favorite, by far, is Magnesoothe! They can be found at https://magnesoothe.com/index.html They handle there product in the very best manor from start to finish. They have the most helpful customer service. And their source goes unsurpassed!

    Their source is the Dead Sea and there is no other body of salt water like it on the  face of the planet! You can read more on the Dead Sea here at https://magnesoothe.com/dead-sea-facts.htm

    If you want to know more on the purity of Magnesoothe, you can read that here at https://magnesoothe.com/purity-cleanliness-clarity-magnesoothe.htm

    I hope that my 2 cent will be helpful to someone.

    Best of Health!
    The Magnesium Man

  • Hal

    4/26/2011 8:51:32 PM |

    About 1 1/2 years ago I started having arrhythmia issues which were diagnosed as atrial fibrillation.  I had my atenolol increased and this did help some but I was still having (mostly short) episodes on an almost daily basis a month later.  Looking around the net I found a paper that talked about how using preoperative Mg for open heart surgery reduced the incidence of AFib after surgery.  So I decided to try Mg.

    I started taking it to tolerance (IE. increased dose until I had loose stools and then back off a little) and in about a week the AFib episodes had gone away.  Now I only have AFib episodes if I forget taking Mg for a few weeks and it goes away in a few days if I start taking Mg again.

    What I find most distressing about this is that none of my doctors even considered recommending giving Mg a try as far as I can tell.   Why wouldn't it be one of the first things they try if there is no other apparent cause (like high/low potassium, for example).  In those cases where I told the doctor that Mg had helped their reaction was mostly along the lines of Mg can't cause too many issues so go ahead and take it.  But nothing about how it should be considered for treating arrhythmia.

  • kend

    11/21/2011 2:57:24 AM |

    A few yrs. back, I read a very interesting article written by a cardiologist concerning his having successfully treated a patient with arrythmia  with an intravenous solution of magnesium.

  • Ray

    2/9/2012 8:30:57 PM |

    I have had arrythmia for a few years now, I have been to two different consultants and both say "it''s benign and won''t do any harm" I however could not stand the horrible fluttery feeling when it happened so they put me on 2.5mg  of bisopronol. I found this was making me dizzy and so after getting the all clear from my angiogram with the doctors ok stopped taking them. I had read about the successful results of taking mangnesium and so at the start of this new year started taking 1000 mg a day and started a diary of taking my blood pressure and heart rate three times a day (I have a good home blood pressure meter that shows up arrythmia as well)  So far it seems to have cleared the arrythmia apart from the odd reading.
    I forgot to mention that where I differ from everyone elses posts is that I have a very slow pulse, 40-45 sitting and only 65 when I fast walk to work but it will go up to 120 if I do a hard session on the treadmill.  I am 61 and did have a slow heart rate when I did long distance jogging up to the age of forty.
    I would be interested to hear from anyone else that has a slow pulse.

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