Magnesium deficiency could be the reason you aren’t feeling so great

Magnesium deficiency is known to be extremely hard to diagnose, but it affects so many people who aren't even aware of it.

“Magnesium is involved in over 300 biochemical reactions in your body. It affects everything from your heartbeat to your muscles to your hormones,” Dr. Danine Fruge, Associate Medical Director at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami, Florida told CNN.

“Studies have shown that only about 25% of U.S. adults are at or above the recommended daily amount of 310 to 320 milligrams for women and 400 to 420 for men,” says Fruge. The 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) also showed that at least half of the U.S. population had inadequate intakes of magnesium.

The main symptoms involved with the deficiency are loss of appetite, nausea, fatigue, tingling, cramping, numbness and contractions, which could resemble many other health conditions – being the reason it’s hard to diagnose. But getting magnesium in your system really isn’t that difficult.

“It’s very easy to get enough magnesium. I think the reason so many people are deficient is because a lot of food and drink can make magnesium unavailable to their bodies,” says Fruge.

The main culprits: soda, caffeinated beverages and alcohol, according to Fruge. If you love sipping on soft drinks, you’ll be less likely to have adequate amounts of nutrients including magnesium in your diet, according to several studies. And drinking alcohol doesn’t help, either. 

Consuming too much alcohol can interfere with your body’s absorption of vitamin D, which aids magnesium absorption. As for food, refined sugar causes the body to excrete magnesium through the kidneys, resulting in a net loss, according to Fruge.

As far as getting your magnesium intake back in check, you should check with your doctor before taking supplements, Fruge says. Sticking to eating foods rich in magnesium is a better bet.

“Your body has built-in mechanisms that don’t allow it to overdose from food, but that doesn’t exist for supplements. Too much magnesium via supplement can put your heart into an arrhythmia and that can even be fatal, particularly for people with issues like diabetes,” said Fruge.

Magnesium deficiency could be the reason you aren't feeling so great

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9 Veggies You Thought Were Good For You

If it’s a vegetable, it’s healthy, right? Well, not always. There are some vegetables that are most certainly more beneficial than others. A lot of this has to do with the ways in which these vegetables are grown and harvested. The following 9 vegetables are not always the greatest option in terms of your waistline, toxic exposure, and overall health.

Safe to eat?

1. Potatoes

White potatoes do provide some nutritional benefits; however, many consider them to be more of a starch than a vegetable. In comparison to many green and colour-rich vegetables, potatoes don’t really compare in terms of nutrients.

Potatoes are high on the GI index, meaning they tend to spike your blood sugar. This increases insulin secretion, leading to potential weight gain and other weight-related issues. Also, potatoes are one of the dirtiest vegetables regarding pesticide use. Whenever possible, opt for organic and begin replacing mashed potatoes with creative options like mashed cauliflower.

2. Corn

Not that corn is technically bad for you, but the ways in which it’s currently grown are. Corn and soy are two of the worst foods in terms of GMO’s (genetically modified organisms). These introduce new foreign proteins into our body, which disrupt hormones and create sensitivities. Also, corn is being replaced by grass as a major food source for cattle, leading to further complications when consuming conventionally-raised meat.

3. Conventional Spinach 

There’s no doubt that organically grown spinach is incredible for your health. The problem is that conventional spinach often contains over 48 pesticide residues, which leads to serious complications in your body. These toxins may be safe within small amounts; however, many also accumulate in the body. These toxins hinder hormone production and function, expose us to carcinogens, and deliver neurotoxins to our brains. If you’re going to purchase spinach, go for organic. 

4. Summer Squash 

Squash provides your body with fibre, as well as various vitamins and minerals. Once again, conventional squash has been linked to over 40 toxic pesticide residues, which then affect our internal systems. Not only do these toxins disrupt hormone function, but are toxic to bees as well. Squash also contains compounds that can influence kidney stones. If you are suffering from a kidney condition, speak to your doctor about the potential effects. 

5. Cucumber 

Cucumbers are refreshing, especially when added to a glass of water. However, cucumbers have been deemed the second dirtiest food in terms of pesticide exposure. Not only is their chemical exposure sky high, but cucumbers are also often covered with a synthetic wax. If you’re trying to decide which vegetables to buy organic, cucumbers are definitely an important choice. 

6. Beets 

There’s no doubt that beets contain high levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, which protect your health, especially regarding cancer prevention. However, beets are high in oxalates. These can create small crystals, which may contribute to kidney stones, gout, or worsened arthritic symptoms. For the most part, beets are healthy; but take caution if you suffer from one of the above conditions. 

7. Eggplant 

Eggplant does provide health benefits, but don’t ever eat it raw. Eggplant contains solanine, which actually disrupts and hinders your body’s ability to absorb calcium. Consumption of raw eggplant can also lead to a wide range of gastrointestinal and even neurological problems. Once cooked, solanine levels are neutralized. 

8. Baby Carrots 

These carrots are convenient, but what about the ways in which they influence one’s health? Carrots are good for your health, so this can be confusing. The reason that baby carrots should be avoided is due to the way they are grown and then processed. 

Before these baby carrots are packaged, they are exposed to a chlorine bath. This is a standard practice for foods that have been pre-cut, reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses. It’s also been found that baby carrots are lower in nutrients, so always opt for organic, fresh carrots whenever possible. 

9. Lima Beans 

Once again, do not eat this vegetable raw. These legumes contain high levels of cyanide, which is a natural component regarding their defense system. Yes, vegetables can have defense systems! Think about when you cut an onion and it makes you cry, this is a natural defense system that is meant to protect the onion. Always ensure that your lima beans are thoroughly cooked. Cooking your beans uncovered will also allow some of the potentially poisonous gas to escape.

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What It Means to Have Dense Breasts

Your breasts might be dense and you don’t even know it. At least that is what a report in the American Journal of Roentology says. More specifically, 40% of U.S. women unknowingly have dense breasts. 

Women with dense breasts are at risk for breast cancer

And there’s good reason why you shouldn’t be dim about your chest physiology—women with dense breasts are four to five times more likely to incur breast cancer, and 10 times more likely for a mammogram to miss one. 

What are dense breasts?

When our girls are dense it doesn’t mean that they are stupid, it means that they have less fatty tissue than normal breasts. Think of it this way: less fat tissue may allow for more gland and support tissue. (We heard one physician call them “young” breasts.) Unfortunately, a self-breast exam will not help you identify whether your boobs are dense, only a mammogram can do it. So if your mother had dense breasts (and she knew about it), let your doctor know.

Dense is better? Think twice

When firm breasts are a hazard

It’s normal for breast density to increase into your 30s and decrease as you enter your 40s, says Ian Grady, MD, FACS, founder of the North Valley Breast Clinic in Redding, Calif. But for about 20% of women, that density—caused by excess collagen in the breast—doesn’t go away. Researchers from the University of Washington St. Louis identified a protein—DDR2—on the surface of breast cancer tumors that, when it binds with that excess collagen encourages the cancer cells to spread. 

When firm breasts are a hazard?

“We know that, in cancer metastasis, a certain cellular pathway called EMT that turns regular breast cells from ducts to invasive cells,” says Greg Longmore, MD, senior author of the study and director of the Bright Institute at the university. “When DDR2 binds with that collagen, it keeps the pathway on like a green traffic light, allowing tumor cells to leave the tumor and spread—potentially reaching blood vessels or the lymphatic system.” And because there is so much extra collagen in dense breasts, that pathway stays open both longer and steadier. 

DDR2 is present in 70% of invasive ductal carcinomas, the most common type of breast cancer, but not expressed by normal breast cells. Researchers are beginning to search for DDR2 on other types of tumors, but the hope for now is to develop an antibody to target the dangerous protein.

Rest assured, breast density is not an independent risk factor for breast cancer, but rather a biomarker of risk, says Grady. “If you have other risk factors, they’ll show up on the mammogram as breast density,” he says. “The key with breast cancer these days is early detection, and breast density can make it much harder.” That’s why doctors usually send patients with dense breasts for whole breast ultrasounds or, if there is a family history or past premalignant lesions, breast MRIs. 

The Bottom Line

Increased breast density makes it harder for your doctor to detect early stage (read: treatable) breast cancers, which have a tendency to spread faster within dense breasts. Here are ways to be your own advocate at your next mammogram:

Know your family history.

“Increased breast density is an inheritable trait,” says Grady. “If your mother has it, you’re more likely to have it too.” Women with dangerous gene mutations are also more likely to have dense breasts, he says.

Know your family history

Read the radiology report. 

There are four grades of breast density, says Grady, and breasts deemed heterogeneous or extremely dense should head to a comprehensive breast clinic or, at the very least, begin whole breast ultrasounds. How do you know what grade yours fall under? Ask your doctor, or request a copy of the original radiology report and find out for yourself.

4 grades of breast density

Interpret new screening protocols carefully. Recent controversial research found that women over 50 only need a mammogram every two years. But these new screening recommendations only apply to women at average risk. If you have dense breasts, you are at a higher risk; keep up with your screening yearly.

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7 Things Your Gas Is Trying To Tell You

We hate to break it to you, but gas is just a fact of life—sure, it can be uncomfortable and embarrassing, but it happens to the best of us. But if you're dealing with more frequent gas than usual, your body might be trying to send you some hints about how it's functioning. Read on to see if one of these culprits is behind your sudden stinkiness.

Oh no.. How embarrassing

Your bacteria is out of whack

"Bacteria ferments food that we've eaten," explains Rebekah Gross, MD, a gastroenterologist at the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health at NYU Langone Medical Center. "That can happen down in the colon, but some colon bacteria can make its way into the small intestine." This is called small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. That bacteria then encounters food before it's done digesting, and it all ferments together, leading to gas. If gas is being produced in the small intestine and colon, it tends to move down through the system and come out as flatulence," says Gross. You could also have a bacterial imbalance in your gut, especially if you've recently had some sort of illness. "A lot of people who have the stomach flu or an infection clear it out, but then have a change in composition of flora in the gut and may have more gas than usual for a while," says Gross.

Too much bacteria in stomach cause bloating

If you have a bacterial imbalance, Gross says certain antibiotics, as well as diet low in fermentable carbohydrates, may help. This is known as a low-FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) diet. FODMAPs are found in stone fruits like avocados, cherries, and plums; legumes like beans, lentils, and soybeans; and wheat, onions, and garlic, among others. Since they can cause bloating and gas, avoiding these foods can help keep your G.I. tract in better shape.

You're eating on the run

If you're eating really quickly, eating while chatting in an attempt to multitask, or even chewing gum, you're probably swallowing a lot of air. "Air is made up of gas," says Gross. "When you're taking in a lot of gas, you're going to produce more gas." Think of it as blowing up a balloon: the more air you pump into your system, the more inflated your stomach will get. The gas has to come out somehow, and it'll probably be as a burp. "Burping is often more related to swallowing air because the stomach is higher up in the system," says Gross.

Eating too fast

You're all about dairy

Even if you've always been able to handle milk and milk products, that can change as you get older. "Your system can diminish the amount of the lactate enzyme available to digest milk over the course of time," says Gross. "It might become less comfortable for you to process." If you notice an upset stomach every time you polish off a wedge of cheese, there's an easy way to test whether dairy is really your issue. "Sometimes the best thing to do is just strictly eliminate all dairy from your diet for even just a few days and see if it makes you feel more comfortable," says Gross. Your doctor can also test for it, but if you get gassy every time you take in dairy, that's probably enough confirmation, says Gross.

Too much of dairy food

You have gluten sensitivity or Celiac disease

If your body is having trouble breaking down certain foods, it'll let you know via gas. "There can be real malabsorption problems that happen with celiac or other autoimmune disorders when people's bodies don't react well to gluten and start breaking down the lining of the small intestine," says Gross. If you recognize these signs of gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, head to the doctor for a formal diagnosis.

Your hormones are changing

When you're going through menopause or have a condition that's throwing your hormones off, your body might amp things up on the gas front. "It's not clear whether estrogen or progesterone are predominantly responsible for it, but a lot of women whose hormones are changing feel like they're not moving their bowels as they did when they were younger," says Gross. No matter what the underlying cause of gas is, exercise can be helpful, as can keeping bowel movements regular and taking probiotics, says Gross. Not being able to poop can also translate into gas. Which leads us to…

Hormone changes

You're constipated

As if being clogged up weren't annoying (and painful!) enough, it can turn you into a farting machine. "When stool isn't moving, people often feel like they make more gas—and more noxious smelling gas—than they did before," says Gross. That's because the poop is mainly made up of bacteria, so you have more of it just sitting around in your system, fermenting and releasing fumes out into the world. If you’re constipated, make sure to drink a ton of water, exercise, and include good sources of fiber in your diet, says Gross.

Constipation

Your body's just more sensitive to gas

"Some people are very sensitive to normal amounts of gas they produce," says Gross. While you might not necessarily make more gas than someone else, you could experience more irritation as a result of symptoms like bloating, sharp gas pains, and flatulence. If that's true, you could be somewhere on the irritable bowel spectrum, says Gross. If you suspect that may be the case, your doctor can help you come up with a plan to relieve your symptoms as much as possible.

You may have irritable bowel spectrum

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What Your Sleep Habits Say About Your Blood Pressure

You’re careful with your diet, get lots of exercise, and yet your blood pressure’s still not what it should be. What gives? You may want to scrutinize your shut-eye. According to a new study, high blood pressure can have an unlikely cause in women: sleep apnea. 

My blood pressure always high

Up to 50% of women have some form of sleep apnea—a condition marked by pauses in breathing during sleep due to blocked airways—say researchers from Umeå University in Sweden. After studying a random sampling of 400 women ages 20 to 70, study authors were surprised to see that it wasn't the usual sleep apnea symptom—daytime sleepiness—that gave women away; it was their high blood pressure. 

OMG, Sound of the thunder

What’s a problem like sleep apnea got to do with hypertension? When you wake up in the middle of the night, your sympathetic nervous system pumps out adrenaline, causing blood pressure to rise, explains Steven Y. Park, MD, an otorhinolaryngologist and integrative sleep surgeon specializing in obstructive sleep apnea at Montefiore Medical Center in New York.

My pressure going to up

 “When sleep disruptions occur multiple times during the night, every night, blood pressure levels eventually come to stay elevated during the day,” he says. The adrenaline increase can also raise blood sugar and cholesterol levels, as well as up your chances of having a heart attack or stroke.

Check your pressure regularly and inform doctor about your sleep apnea

And yet most docs miss high blood pressure as being a sign of sleep apnea. Why? Drowsiness during the day is still considered a hallmark sign of sleep apnea because it’s the telltale sign in men, says Dr. Park, and many experts still tend to consider men’s symptoms as standard indicators of a problem. But just like with heart attacks and strokes, “women’s bodies can respond to sleep apnea differently than men’s bodies,” he says. In fact, researchers of the new study say blood pressure screening should be used in diagnosing sleep apnea in women.

Sleep Well tonight

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