Natural Foods that Boost Testosterone Levels in Men and Women

According to Medical News Today

Testosterone is a sex hormone that plays a role in fertility, sexual function, bone health, and muscle mass.

A person’s testosterone level will fall naturally with age, but some medical conditions, lifestyle choices, and other factors can influence the amount of this hormone in the body.

In this article, we list the best foods for increasing testosterone levels. We also describe products to avoid and other ways to increase testosterone production.

The best way to boost testosterone levels is to eat a nutritionally balanced diet – prioritizing whole foods and limiting alcohol, saturated fats, and highly processed products – reaching a moderate weightTrusted Source and exercising regularlyTrusted Source.

There is no single food that can instantly boost a person’s testosterone. However, the following examples may support testosterone production as part of a balanced diet.

Oysters

Zinc is essentialTrusted Source for reproductive health, and oysters contain more zinc per servingTrusted Source than any other food.

Males with severe zinc deficiency may develop hypogonadism, in which the body does not produce enough testosterone. They may also experience impotence or delayed sexual maturation.

People can also find the mineral in:

• other shellfish
• red meat
• poultry
• beans
• nuts

It is important to note that zinc and copper compete for absorption. Take care when choosing supplements to avoid consuming too much of either mineral.

Leafy green vegetables

Vegetables such as spinach, Swiss chard, and kale are rich in magnesium, which may increase the body’s testosterone level.

Leafy green vegetables are also rich in many other nutrients and can help support a balanced diet.

Other good dietary sources of magnesium are:

• beans and lentils
• nuts and seeds
• whole grains

Fatty fish and fish oil

Studies linkTrusted Source low fat diets to low testosterone production. Fatty fish and fish oils are sources of ‘good’ fats, known as omega-3 fatty acids. These compounds have numerous health benefits, such as supporting heart and joint health.

Eating fatty fish or taking fish oils in moderation can help increase a person’s total dietary fat intake in a healthy way.

Examples of fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids include:

• mackerel
• herring
• salmon
• sardines
• trout

Extra-virgin olive oil

Olive oil is a staple of the Mediterranean diet, which may have many health benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer.

The oil is rich in monounsaturated fat and vitamin E, an antioxidant. Similarly to fatty fish and fish oils, extra-virgin olive oil can help to increase a person’s overall fat intake, promoting testosterone production.

Results of a small 2013 studyTrusted Source indicate that the oil may boost serum testosterone levels in healthy adults.

Onions

Onions are good sources of several nutrients and antioxidants. A 2019 studyTrusted Source found that onion and onion extract can support hormone production, increase antioxidant activity, and may raise overall testosterone levels.

Ginger

People have used ginger for medicinal and culinary purposes for centuries. Aside from anecdotal evidence, test tube and animal studiesTrusted Source have found that ginger extract may help increase testosterone production. However, it is important to note that these findings have not been confirmed in controlled human studies.

Ginger supplementation may also help reduce blood pressure and increase blood flow – both risk factors for sexual dysfunction.

Pomegranates

The pomegranate is an age-old symbol of fertility and sexual function, and its antioxidant levels may support heart health and stress reduction.

Also, results of an older study from 2012 indicate that pomegranate may boost testosterone levels. At the end of the study period, participants displayed an average 24% increase in salivary testosterone levels. They also experienced improvements in mood and blood pressure.

Foods to limit

Some foods can reduce a person’s testosterone levels. People looking to raise their levels may wish to avoid:

Processed foods

Many frozen or prepackaged meals and snacks are processed foods. They offer little nutritional value and are often high in calories, salt, fat, and sugar.

In particular, processed foods often contain high amounts of trans fats, which can reduce testosterone levels and impair testicular function.

Canned or plastic-packaged foods

Foods and drinks canned or packaged in plastic can impactTrusted Source hormone levels.

For example, this can occur when people ingest chemicals, such as bisphenol A (BPA) or bisphenol S, from water in plastic bottles or reheated food in plastic containers. However, it is important to note this is still an emerging area of study.

Alcohol

However, drinking too much alcohol can markedly reduce testosterone levelsTrusted Source and sexual function. Excessive alcohol consumption not only impairs hormone productionTrusted Source but can also decrease sperm count and increase the risk of sexual dysfunction.

Exercise and Prostate Health

 www.truefitnessbootcamp.com

    Vigorous aerobic exercise after prostate cancer diagnosis was associated with a 60% lower risk of fatal prostate cancer and a 49% lower risk of all-cause mortality among men initially diagnosed with localized disease. The dose-specific effect of larger quantities of vigorous physical activity having greater survival benefit has also been reported by Friedenreich et al. In addition, one prospective study reported that resistance exercise was associated with a 33% lower risk of all-cause mortality in male and female cancer survivors while overall physical activity was not.6 These findings emphasize the potential benefits of exercise as an adjuvant treatment in prostate cancer. However, data on exercise and cancer survival to date have been from observational studies in which bias from confounding and reverse causation are of concern. Thus, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) is needed to test whether exercise, in particular higher intensity aerobic exercise and resistance exercise, impacts overall survival (OS) in men with prostate cancer. Additionally, treatment-related fatigue is a common side effect in men with advanced prostate cancer, and exercise may decrease fatigue and increase adherence to treatment regimens.

    While the prevailing view among patients and clinicians has been that exercise may be problematic for patients with cancer with advanced disease, recent research has demonstrated tailored resistance and aerobic exercise to be well tolerated, safe and effective for improving physical structure and function. Moreover, in patients with bone metastases, a highly tailored exercise prescription implementing a modular, multimodal approach and avoiding excessive loading of the skeletal lesions has been demonstrated to be safe and effective.

    There are many potential mechanisms by which exercise may lower risk of prostate cancer progression. Exercise influences all hormonal systems in the body, including key hormones relevant to prostate cancer, such as testosterone, growth hormone, insulin and insulin-like growth factor. The androgen receptor (AR) and its transactivation by ligand are among the most important determinants of prostate cancer progression. Measurements of serum androgens (including its receptors and binding proteins) provide an important biomarker for the effectiveness of androgen deprivation and prostate cancer progression. The effects of exercise on serum androgen levels remain elusive to date.

TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5961562/

Antioxidants and Cancer

 Shop at www.truefitnessbootcamp.com

 

Antioxidants are substances that inhibit the oxidation process and act as protective agents. They protect the body from the damaging effects of free radicals (by-products of the body's normal chemical processes). Free radicals attack healthy cells, which changes their DNA, allowing tumors to grow. Research is underway to investigate the role of antioxidants in decreasing the risk of developing cancer.

Antioxidants include:

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), vitamin C may protect against cancer of the oral cavity, stomach, and esophagus and may also reduce the risk of developing cancers of the rectum, pancreas, and cervix. Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C may provide protection against breast and lung cancer.
According to the American Dietetic Association and USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, the following foods are good sources of vitamin C:

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin C has recently been increased to 75 milligrams per day for women and 90 milligrams per day for men. If you smoke cigarettes, it is recommended to increase your intake of vitamin C to 100 milligrams per day.

Beta carotene

Beta carotene, also known as provitamin A, may help decrease the risk of developing cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, this nutrient may prevent certain cancers by enhancing the white blood cells in your immune system. White blood cells work to block cell-damaging free radicals.

Good sources of beta carotene are dark green leafy and yellow-orange fruits and vegetables. In the body, beta carotene is converted to vitamin A. Eating foods rich in beta carotene is recommended to possibly decrease the risk of developing stomach, lung, prostate, breast, and head and neck cancer. However, more research is needed before a definite recommendation on beta carotene consumption can be made. Overdosing on beta carotene is not recommended. Large doses can cause the skin to turn a yellow-orange color, a condition called carotenosis. High intakes of beta carotene in supplement form may actually cause lung cancer in people at risk, such as smokers.

While there is a recommended dietary allowance for vitamin A, there is not one for beta carotene. Examples of some foods high in beta carotene include the following:

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is essential for our bodies to work properly. Vitamin E helps to build normal and red blood cells, as well as working as an antioxidant. Research is finding evidence that vitamin E may protect against prostate and colorectal cancer. The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin E is 15 milligrams per day. The adult upper limit for vitamin E is 1,000 milligrams per day. Good sources of vitamin E (and the amount each serving contains) include the following:

Since some sources of vitamin E are high in fat. A synthetic form of a vitamin E is available as a supplement. Vitamin E supplementation is probably not needed for most individuals because vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin and is stored in our bodies. Very high doses of vitamin E can also interfere with the way other fat-soluble vitamins work. Also, large doses of vitamin E from supplements are not recommended for people taking blood thinners and some other medications, as the vitamin can interfere with the action of the medication. To make sure you are meeting your needs, eat a varied diet that includes whole-wheat breads and cereals

Source: https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-clinics/cancer-nutrition-services/reducing-cancer-risk/antioxidants.html

15 Incredible Benefits of Guava Leaf Tea

Now we all know that guava (amrood in Hindi) has been hailed as one of the super fruits as it provides several health benefits, but did you know that guava leaves are great for your well-being too? The young leaves of the guava tree can be brewed to make a magical tea, that has in fact been part of traditional medicine for centuries in Mexico and parts of South America.

"These leaves are a powerhouse of antioxidants like Vitamin C, and flavonoids such as quercetin", says Delhi-based Nutritionist Anshul Jaibharat. To make guava leaf tea, all you need to do is soak guava leaves in a cup of hot water and drink up!

Here are 15 benefits of guava leaves, and reasons you need to start drinking guava leaf tea immediately -

1. Diarrhea

According to a study published in the Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo, guava-leaf extracts inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, a common cause of diarrhea. People suffering from diarrhea who drink guava leaf tea may experience less abdominal pain, fewer and less watery stools, and a quicker recovery, according to Drugs.com. Add the leaves and root of guava to a cup of boiling water, strain the water and consume it on an empty stomach for quick relief.

2. Lowers Cholesterol

According to an article published in Nutrition and Metabolism, study participants who drank guava leaf tea had lower cholesterol levels after eight weeks.

3. Manages Diabetes

Japan has approved guava leaf tea as one of the foods for specified health uses to help with the prevention and treatment of diabetes. The compounds in the tea help regulate blood sugar levels after meals, by inhibiting the absorption of two types of sugars - sucrose and maltose. According to an article published in Nutrition and Metabolism, guava leaf tea inhibits several different enzymes that convert carbohydrate in the digestive tract into glucose, potentially slowing its uptake into your blood.

4. Promotes Weight Loss

Guava leaves help prevent complex carbs from turning into sugars, promoting rapid weight loss. Drink guava leaf tea or juice regularly to reap the benefits.

5. Fights Cancer

Dr. Anju Sood says, "Guava leaves can lower the risk of cancer" - especially breast, prostate, and oral cancers - due to high quantities of the antioxidant lycopene. Various studies have revealed that lycopene plays a significant role in lowering the risk of cancer.

 6. Heals Cold and Cough

Guava leaves contain high levels of Vitamin C and iron, and a decoction of guava leaves is very helpful in relieving cough and cold as it helps get rid of mucus. It also disinfects the respiratory tract, throat and lungs.

7. Reduces Acne

Due to their high percentage of Vitamin C, guava leaves can help get rid of acne when crushed and applied to trouble spots.

8. Improves Skin Texture

Guavas have high astringent properties, and guava leaves rank even higher. Apply a decoction of the leaves on your skin to help tone and tighten facial muscles.

9. Prevents Hair Loss

Suffering from hair loss? Guava leaves can be boiled and massaged onto the scalp. Note: Make sure the water is cool before applying it to the scalp.

 10. Beats Toothache

"Guava leaves are anti inflammatory in nature and help in maintaining good oral health", says Delhi-based Nutritionist Anshul Jaibharat. Guava leaf tea works as a fantastic home remedy for toothache, swollen gums and oral ulcers due to the powerful antibacterial agents. You can also grind the leaves into a paste and apply it to your gums and teeth to cure these problems.

11. Improves Quality of Sleep

"Drinking guava leaf tea regularly helps improve quality of sleep", says Dr. Ashutosh Gautam, Clinical Operations and Coordination Manager at Baidyanath. It calms your nerves and quietens your mind, making it easier to slip into slumber.

 12. Boosts Immunity

According to Bangalore-based Nutritionist Dr. Anju Sood, "guava leaf tea helps boost the immune system", thereby reducing the risk of various illnesses.

13. Soothes Gastrointestinal Issues

Guava leaves are useful in treating gastrointestinal issues because they reduce the production of extra mucus that can irritate the digestive system, and prevent further microbial growth in the intestines due to anti-bacterial properties.

14. Promotes Heart Health

"Guava leaf tea may also benefit your heart and circulatory system", says Anshul Jaibharat.

15. Good for Your Brain

"Guava leaves contain vitamin B3 (niacin) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), which help in improving blood circulation to the brain, stimulating cognitive function and relaxing the nerves", remarks Dr. Manoj K. Ahuja.  

Source: https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/15-incredible-benefits-of-guava-leaf-tea-1445183

Can Overtraining Lead to Mineral Depletion

Dana Green Remedios, Registered Holistic Nutritionist, former personal trainer, former Health Club Manager

• Strenous Exercise itself can deplete certain nutrients, or rather, use them up quickly.

These include the antioxidant vitamins - Vitamins A, C and E (plus glutathione, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, polyphenols...)

Oh yes, about the process...basically, for the last 2 decades, we have believed something like this

"It has been postulated that the generation of oxygen free radicals is  increased during exercise as a result of increases in mitochondrial  oxygen consumption and electron transport flux, inducing lipid  peroxidation. The literature suggests that dietary antioxidants are able  to detoxify the peroxides produced during exercise, which could  otherwise result in lipid peroxidation, and that they are capable of  scavenging peroxyl radicals and therefore may prevent muscle damage." Sports Med. 1996 Mar;21(3):213-38.

This has resulted in an idea that too much exercise is 'aging' at the cellular level, in that there is a lot of oxidative stress placed on cells. Antioxidants are thought to reduce oxidative stress. However, that doesn't mean that you should necessarily run out and supplement with astaxanthin or another powerful antioxidant...Because in the last few years it has been discovered that antioxidant supplementation may actually reduce the insulin lowering effects of exercise. So if you are exercising to stay out of the pre-diabetes zone, think twice.

• Perspiration will cause the body to lose minerals, so these are more of a concern if you are a heavy sweater or enjoy Bikram's yoga, or run outside in Arizona.

These include potassium, magnesium, chloride, sodium, bicarbonate and others.

Your body fluids are like seawater - full of these salts, or ions, that we call electrolytes. They get the electro portion of their name because they regulate electrical impulses in our nerves and muscles. Your kidneys regulate them, but if you lose a lot of them through urine and sweat and just replenish with water, they will eventually be depleted.

• The increased rate of metabolism that can accompany regular vigorous exercise would also eventually cause one to generally go through micronutrients more quickly than if one were sedentary.

These include zinc, calcium, leucine, sodium, potassium and more.

They are being expelled in urine and feces and used up in the muscle breakdown/repair/regeneration cycle.

 * * * * *

If you are undertaking regular moderate exercise and eating a fairly nutritious diet without a lot of processed junk, you should be fine...

However, there is a common misconception that "if you exercise, it doesn't matter what you eat" when really, the opposite is true; if you exercise, it matters even more what you eat! So it is good that you are looking into the matter.

To help the antioxidant situation in a healthy way - eat a few more dark Green and Colourful Vegetables daily, and vary your fruits every day, looking for Red cherries and Orange apricots etc, and avoid transfats (which are sources of free radicals and peroxides) such as bakery pastries and deep fried chips.
*Eat lots of (blue)berries, salmon, red beans, and other nutrient dense foods.

To help with the ones lost to sweat, little flavoured electrolyte packages are easy to add to water for after runs in the sun...coconut water is good too, bananas are easy, and try using Real Salt or himalayan salt or Redmond salt every day instead of plain table salt. You'll get all the trace minerals that way.

Overall, eat a balanced, varied, unprocessed, colourful diet. Eat healthy fats daily, such as avocado and nuts, and eat a variety of nutritious grains like millet and quinoa, aim to get plenty of zinc and calcium (get adventurous with bouillabasse and cooked greens) and you will be alright.

If you feel you need to supplement with antioxidants, omega 3s, magnesium, zinc or other things, get some more help from a professional. You might find that a good quality chemical-free protein drink powder or greens powder mixed into water every day you do hard exercise helps you a lot.

Source: https://www.quora.com/Does-too-much-exercise-deplete-certain-vitamins-and-minerals-What-is-the-process-behind-this-depletion

Shop at www.truefitnessbootcamp.com

Increase mental & physical performance while reducing exhaustion. Keep driving while competitors are fading. WorkoutExtreme™ contains a unique blend (caffeine, ginseng, taurine, glucuronolactone) that is designed to increase exercise focus, performance, and intensity without the weight gain associated with creatine products. Higher quality training sessions can ultimately improve performance, boost total calorie burn and enhance weight loss results, especially if you’ve hit a plateau. www.truefitnessbootcamp.com

Stock Available: $19.95

MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY AND EXERCISE

WHY ARE WE MAGNESIUM DEFICIENT?

By Immune Matrix LLC (Copyright)

The Weekend Warrior, Over training
It has been found that exercisers that feel weak and tired are highly likely to be suffering from mineral deficiency. Magnesium is lost via sweat and can bring on fatigue, muscle cramps, impaired glucose and oxygen transport into muscle cells, especially the heart. Sweating from exercise or saunas, steam rooms, when done regularly require the regular replacement of magnesium. In severe cases, with extreme athletes, body builders and long distance runners, depletion of heart tissue magnesium can cause Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD), myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, and heart arrhythmias.

The mechanism of sudden death after a stressful event can be traced to magnesium depletion that causes oxygen depletion in the heart muscle, and increased arrhythmia from increased catecholamine output.  Magnesium loss was the first electrolyte derangement seen even before potassium loss. Intravenous magnesium therapy has increased survival rates.

Without optimum “cellular magnesium” levels (our ATP/cellular energy synthesis) optimum muscle contraction and oxygen utilization suffers, sometimes with fatal consequences. Therefore, over-training, overexertion, excessive sweating, either done in one event or done repetitively, especially without sufficient electrolyte replacement will burn magnesium at a faster rate and send us into intracellular deficiency of magnesium.

A runner need not drop dead on the course of sudden cardiac death to be magnesium deficient. Sudden cardiac death strikes the youth and prime even post event when intracellular heart magnesium is not replenished. Over training, and not becoming aware of the state of one’s intracellular magnesium could be fatal as you might not have other magnesium deficient symptoms such as cramping of muscles to warn you of a problem!

In a treadmill study of 44 healthy male athletes and 20 untrained men, the athletes’ their average maximum oxygen consumption was higher, their work capacity increased 50% and they had lower lactate after exercise than the untrained men. This is to be expected. What was not expected was to find a correlation between oxygen consumption and serum magnesium. When magnesium was depleted, oxygen consumption declined along with endurance and performance. Therefore, magnesium’s role in facilitating oxygen delivery to muscles is significant.

Another interesting study was performed on marathon runners measuring their free fatty acid levels during a 26 mile race and their serum magnesium levels. They compared their values against an untrained runner who was given magnesium supplementation of 375mg/day for a week before the run. The marathon runners showed increasing levels of free fatty acids as they approached 26 miles (indicating increasing levels of stress perceived by the body and stress hormones released as a result) and corresponding decreasing levels of serum magnesium levels, but not with the untrained runner! Because he was talking magnesium, his body was able to burn the magnesium to ward of an increase in stress hormones. He had lower stress hormone excretion, less lactic acid build up and more magnesium to spare. The end result, he ended the race healthier metabolically than the marathon runners who did not take magnesium supplementation! (Pratt K, Moody ML, Cinlee RK, Rueddel H, Frnz KB; Changes in serum free fatty acids and magnesium during a marathon. Magnesium 4:207-208, 1985.

Another study found that the stress of marathon running had caused these runners to have increased platelet aggregation factor TXB2 levels as serum magnesium levels were depleted. TXB2 causes vasoconstriction as well as sticky blood. Clearly, magnesium replacement during runs are as or even more important than plain water to prevent dehydration during and after a race!

Additional silent damage, the consequence of magnesium deficiency, induced by strenuous exercise, leads to calcium overload, resulting in cell membrane lipid anti-per oxidative activity. In lay terms, this means magnesium deficiency increases one’s free radical activity, leading to increased stress on one’s heart muscle, leading to aggravation of all heart conditions. Free radical accumulation from extreme exercise and magnesium deficiency was buffered by taking vitamin E and magnesium. The fact that extreme athletes and those regularly engaging in strenuous exercise do not have a longer lifespan may be attributed to magnesium depletion leading to increased oxidative stress and metabolic induced inflammation which could be avoided by paying attention to one’s magnesium!

Therefore, even before we begin to push our bodies for strenuous exercise, if our tissue magnesium stores are low, we will notice more fatigue, decreased exercise capacity despite regular exercise. We will feel dragy, winded and have a hard time picking our energy up from exercise. If we continue to push our bodies, we will then suffer muscle stiffness, spasms or strains and sprains from the stiffness that results from low intracellular magnesium. Biochemically, we will increase our stress hormones even more when we are magnesium deficient, and suffer more free radical synthesis, increased cholesterol! and oxygen depletion to our heart muscle. However, our heart tissue can become deficient in magnesium before other tissues of the body. Thus we might not have any body symptoms to warn us of a more serious heart muscle deficiency. The consequences to the heart can be fatal. Beware the stressed executive that dies on his/her treadmill as this can be the silent vicious cycle of mineral depletion.

Stress
We all underestimate stress because we live in it daily and take it as part of our daily lives. But stress takes it’s toll on us. Stress, both physical and mental aggravation, frustration, irritability, causes you to burn magnesium at a faster rate. Stress makes your body more acidic. Magnesium is used to buffer that acid. Therefore, stress causes you to burn magnesium faster to neutralize the acid.

Our adrenals and nerves secrete stress hormones called catecholamines and corticosteroids, when under emotional or physical stress. Do you know when your body is releasing these stress hormones? No! Like using up the gasoline in one’s car, it’s a slow and steady drain. These stress hormones cause the loss of cellular magnesium leading directly to problems with cellular energy production, and skeletal and heart muscle performance that lead to blood clotting and heart arrhythmias.

There was a study comparing Type A and Type B individuals that found that Type A personalities excreted more stress hormones in response to noise and mental stress and depleted their magnesium faster than Type Bs! This explains the increased risk among Type A’s for mitral valve prolapse, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Becoming aware of our stressors, managing how we react to stress and increasing one’s magnesium will help to buffer us from daily stress.

The bad thing about stress is that as it depletes you silently of your magnesium, low intracellular magnesium causes the excretion of MORE stress hormones. Therefore, magnesium is protective in preventing excessive release of these stress hormones! In addition, adrenal stress that causes the adrenals to release the hormone epinephrine (our fight or flight hormone) burns intra cellular magnesium at such a fast rate that one quickly becomes depleted.

What causes our adrenals to release more epinephrine? Physical stress, as in strenuous exercise, strenuous training, runners, especially marathon runners and those suffering from prolonged emotional, familial, and work stress. Please see our other articles about cortisol function.

The stress hormones also signal the body to release free fatty acids as an energy source. However, there is a price to pay for this extra needed energy boost during times of stress. These free fatty acids bind and inactivate magnesium in your blood stream and heart, slowing down the transport of glucose and oxygen into muscles and prevent magnesium from being used by the Kreb’s cycle to make ATP as energy, using a more inefficient free fatty acid source for energy. Fatigue, cellular oxygen deprivation especially of heart tissue, increased free radicals, loss of glucose transport, and our cholesterol ratios are thrown out of balance. We hit a wall energetically.

Imagine the typical stressed executive, by nature of his/her lifestyle is already burning magnesium at a faster rate because of their adrenal output of stress hormones. He wakes up and has a high acid breakfast of coffee, eggs and a muffin that consumed intracellular magnesium to neutralize the breakfast. He dashes to work out already feeling short on time. Then this driven executive goes to the gym and does a rigorous 30 minute treadmill run, sweating out magnesium and continuing to push his adrenals to excrete epinephrine for energy to keep up with his strenuous activity. If the night before, he had to entertain clients and had several alcoholic drinks (causing him to urinate extra magnesium) and he ate a large steak for dinner (high acid meal), then his lifestyle continues to deplete him of magnesium. If there was a work deadline pending the next few days, or this executive had a fight with his wife the night before or with his kids that morning before hitting the gym, his body is in peak demand for magnesium. Depending on the duration of his life stressors and duration of his acid diet, combined with his life stressors, it becomes no surprise when this executive drops dead on his treadmill from sudden cardiac arrest, in large part from severe depletion of myocardial intracellular magnesium.

If this stressed executive does not drop dead that morning, then continued stress hormones coupled with consumed intracellular magnesium cause calcium overload in the tissues. This will lead to heart arrhythmias and calcium deposits in blood vessels, accelerating atherosclerosis, the development of kidney stones and bone spurs, accelerating osteoporosis for men and women. It will push his cholesterol out of optimal range despite his efforts to eat a heart healthy diet!

Now that we know that our food and lifestyle predisposes us to magnesium wasting, what do we have to fear aside from sudden cardiac death with chronic depletion of magnesium?
Part 3 will discuss why magnesium is so essential to our health. It will also go into what medical conditions pre-dispose you to magnesium deficiency and discuss specific conditions and their mechanism of depleting us of magnesium, in turn making the condition worse!

Please note:
Information on this site is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment.

Source:

http://chronicfatigueandnutrition.com/vitamins-and-minerals/why-are-we-magnesium-deficient/ 

Shop at www.truefitnessbootcamp.com

Increase mental & physical performance while reducing exhaustion. Keep driving while competitors are fading. WorkoutExtreme™ contains a unique blend (caffeine, ginseng, taurine, glucuronolactone) that is designed to increase exercise focus, performance, and intensity without the weight gain associated with creatine products. Higher quality training sessions can ultimately improve performance, boost total calorie burn and enhance weight loss results, especially if you’ve hit a plateau. www.truefitnessbootcamp.com

Stock Available: $19.95

Hypomagnesemia (Low Magnesium)

What Is Hypomagnesemia?
Hypomagnesemia is an electrolyte imbalance and is indicated by a low level of magnesium in the blood.  The normal adult value for magnesium is 1.5-2.5 mEq/L.   

Magnesium is one of many electrolytes in your body and normal levels of magnesium are important for the maintenance of heart and nervous system function.

What Causes Hypomagnesemia?
Your body regulates magnesium levels by shifting magnesium into and out of cells.  A shift of potassium into the cells causes hypomagnesemia.
Magnesium can be excreted by your kidneys. Any damage to your kidneys, when they are not working properly, may cause a decrease in magnesium levels.
There are other causes of hypomagnesemia.  These include:

• You may be taking in too little magnesium in your diet.
• If you have stomach or bowel problems, you may not be able to absorb the magnesium you take in.
• Magnesium may not be absorbed properly due to alcohol use, diarrhea, or laxative use.
• Increased excretion of magnesium from your body
• Renal (kidney) damage - Losses of magnesium from the kidneys are a common cause of magnesium deficit.
• Certain drugs, including Cisplatin, Amphotericin B, or certain antibiotics may affect your kidneys.
• Endocrine disorders - such as Aldosteronism, or dysfunction with the thyroid and parathyroid glands or diabetes.
• Pregnancy

What Are Some Symptoms of Hypomagnesemia To Look For?
You may not have any symptoms, unless your blood test results show that your magnesium levels are significantly decreased.
Muscle weakness, confusion, and decreased reflexes with severely low blood magnesium levels.  You may also notice "jerky" movements, high blood pressure, and irregular heart rhythms with severely low blood magnesium levels.
Things You Can Do If Your Blood Test Results Indicate Hypomagnesemia:

• Follow your healthcare provider's instructions for increasing your blood magnesium level. If your blood levels are severely lowered, he or she may prescribe medications to lower the levels to a safe range.
• Take all of your medications as directed.
• Drink 2 to 3 liters of fluid every 24 hours, unless you were told to restrict your fluid intake. 
• Follow all of your healthcare provider's recommendations for follow up blood work and laboratory tests if blood test results indicate hypomagnesemia.

Drugs That May Be Prescribed By Your Doctor for Hypomagnesemia:

• Magnesium supplements - This medication is given usually intravenously, to increase your blood magnesium level, if you have severely low blood magnesium levels. You may also take magnesium oxide in a pill form.
• Calcium and potassium supplements - If you have severely low blood magnesium levels, you may also have low calcium and potassium electrolyte levels. Your healthcare provider may order supplements in an IV or a pill form. Magnesium, potassium and calcium levels will not return to normal, unless all of these electrolytes are corrected.

When To Call Your Doctor or Health Care Provider About Hypomagnesemia:

• Feeling your heart beat rapidly (palpitations).
• Nausea that interferes with your ability to eat, and is unrelieved by any prescribed medications.
• Vomiting (vomiting more than 4-5 times in a 24 hour period).
• Diarrhea (greater than 5 stools per day).
• Muscle weakness, or twitching.
• Shortness of breath, chest pain or discomfort; swelling of your lips or throat should be evaluated immediately. 
• Source: http://chemocare.com/chemotherapy/side-effects/hypomagnesemia-low-magnesium.aspx 
  

  

   Shop at www.truefitnessbootcamp.com

  Increase mental & physical performance while reducing exhaustion. Keep driving while competitors are fading. WorkoutExtreme™ contains a unique blend (caffeine, ginseng, taurine, glucuronolactone) that is designed to increase exercise focus, performance, and intensity without the weight gain associated with creatine products. Higher quality training sessions can ultimately improve performance, boost total calorie burn and enhance weight loss results, especially if you’ve hit a plateau. www.truefitnessbootcamp.com
  Stock Available: $19.95