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General health tips

The gut, microbiome and muscles

We have heard about the gut-brain axis, but what about the gut-muscle axis? And most importantly, how does it work and what conditions does it work in? A 2017 review investigated the role of the gut microbiome in sarcopenia and whether there is a gut-muscle axis that may be involved in its pathogenesis.1 Primary sarcopenia … Read more

Heartburn – low not excess stomach acid

The human requirement for vitamins, minerals and other nutrients remains relatively constant throughout adult life. Unfortunately our ability to properly digest food and absorb vital nutrients declines with advancing age. Surprisingly, one of the most common age-related causes of impaired digestive function is the reduction of hydrochloric acid produced by the stomach. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) … Read more

Is it worms or a behaviour disorder?

Chronic pinworm infection can lead to disruptions in mood, behavior and sleep, particularly in children. Recognize some key manifestations of this often overlooked, insidious co-infection. A common presentation, often undiscovered and ill-perceived, may relate to parasitic or worm infections and the complications known to arise from it. Although often asymptomatic,2 this article aims to shed light … Read more

Can Naturopathy help me?

Recently someone commented that when reading articles about natural medicine, the use of words such as “may help”, “may relieve” and “may support” a particular condition or symptoms did not create a lot of confidence in them towards complementary therapies.  The Australian regulatory authorities and TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) do not permit the use of … Read more

Exposing hidden heavy metal toxicity

Heavy metals are so ubiquitous in our environment that everyone is exposed to them.  They cannot be avoided completely and are found in virtually everyone to some degree.  Sources of heavy metals range from environmental, occupational, household (including  foods, water, paints, cosmetics, etc), medical and hobbies. Heavy metals can enter the body through inhalation, intestinal … Read more

IBS and Anxiety

Research is linking gut and mental health problems revealing more and more studies that highlight the importance of a holistic approach. The psychological burden associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is high, with estimates that up to 60 percent of sufferers experience comorbid psychiatric illnesses such as anxiety, and almost 40 percent contemplate suicide.1 Rectal … Read more

Things are changing

Shifting Climates, Foods, and Diseases: The Human Microbiome through Evolution Human evolution has been punctuated by climate anomalies, structuring environments, deadly infections, and altering landscapes. How well humans adapted to these new circumstances had direct effects on fitness and survival. Research is showing how the gut microbiome could have contributed to human evolutionary success through … Read more

When is a period not a period?

3 Signs Your Period Is Not Really a Period   by Dr Lara Briden Irregular periods? They might not be periods at all. Instead, they might be the breakthrough bleeding of anovulatory cycles. What does that mean? A real period is the bleed that comes at the end of an ovulatory menstrual cycle. In other words, it’s the bleed that … Read more

The importance of a menstrual cycle

The Secret Powers of Ovulation (It’s Not Just for Making a Baby) September 11, 2019 by Dr Lara Briden Ovarian hormones estrogen and progesterone are highly beneficial for health. That means that natural ovulatory menstrual cycles are beneficial for health because cycling is the only way to make ovarian hormones. Does that surprise you? Men make their … Read more

Magnesium – why it is so important

Why is magnesium so important? Why are we all so deficient?

We’re deficient because our cells dump magnesium during stress. We actively push it out of our bodies as a way to rev up our nervous system and cope with daily life.

A revved-up nervous system is what an average modern human needs to get through an average modern day. If you work, commute, drink coffee or worry, then you are deficient in magnesium. If you live the meditative life of a monk on a mountainside, then you’re probably okay.

Magnesium helps regulate hormones

  • Regulates cortisol. It calms your nervous system and prevents excessive cortisol. Your stress hormonal system—also called your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis—is your central hormonal system. When it functions well, then your other hormones (thyroid and reproductive hormones) will function well too. 
  • Reduces blood sugar and normalizes insulin. It’s so effective at improving insulin sensitivity that I refer to magnesium as “natural metformin.” Healthy insulin sensitivity means fewer sugar cravings and is effective treatment for weight loss and PCOS. 
  • Supports thyroid. Magnesium is essential for the production of thyroid hormone. It is also anti-inflammatory, which helps to quiet the autoimmune inflammation that underlies most thyroid disease. Other ways to address thyroid autoimmunity include gluten-elimination and a selenium supplement. 
  • Aids sleep. Magnesium is the “great sleep-promoter,” and sleep is crucial for hormone production. Sleep is when we should enjoy a beneficial surge of anabolic hormones such as DHEA and growth hormone. 
  • Fuels cellular energy. It’s so intricately involved with mitochondria and energy production, that we can safely say: “Without magnesium, there is no cellular energy”. Hormonal tissue has a high metabolic rate, and so requires even more cellular energy and more magnesium than other tissue. 
  • Supports a healthy hormone response. It aids in the manufacture of steroid hormones including progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone. It also normalizes the action of progesterone on the central nervous system, which could be why it relieves symptoms of PMDD, migraines, and menopause. 
  • Activates vitamin D. Without enough magnesium, vitamin D cannot do its job. Conversely, too much vitamin D supplementation causes magnesium deficiency. 
  • Slows aging. It prevents telomere shortening, reduces oxidative stress, and enhances the production of glutathione.

 

Powerful medicine

Magnesium is a big player in emergency rooms, where it treats heart arhythmias, heart attack, and migraines. But why should it be restricted to acute care? It’s time for magnesium to take up its role in treating hormonal problems.

In addition to the big eight ways that magnesium rescues hormones, the mineral is also effective treatment for period pain, PMS, migraines, and the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. For more information, read:

Should you test for magnesium deficiency?

No. The majority is inside your cells, so there no accurate way to measure it with a blood test (not even with “red cell magnesium”). Download your mineral deficiency questionnaire here. If you are unable to attend the clinic, on-line or telephone consultations are also available.

The best magnesium supplement

The best supplement is magnesium citrate, glycinate or bisglycinate (the mineral joined to the amino acid glycine). This is the least laxative supplement, and also the most absorbable. And it has the added benefit of glycine which has a calming effect on GABA receptors. Food sources of magnesium include leafy greens, almonds, chocolate, and mineral water.

For assistance in assessing your magnesium needs as well as the best product for your body, contact us at True Medicine on 07 5530 1863.