Magnesium deficiency and cancer – and magnesium sulfate salt

Magnesium Deficiency and Cancer, Sara Castiglioni, Jeanette AM Maier (2011):

In addition, magnesium concentration in drinking water is inversely correlated with death from breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers, whereas no correlation existed for other tumors [36, 38, 39].”

Looking at the bigger picture can lead to a better understanding of the real underlying issues and we are overlooking or being deceived about the underlying causes of cancer:

Experimental evidence therefore leads to the conclusion that in rodents, magnesium deficiency participates both in early (initiation) and late (progression) phases of tumorigenesis (figure 2).”

Full text: http://www.jle.com/fr/revues/mrh/e-docs/magnesium_and_cancer_a_dangerous_liason_290268/article.phtml?tab=texte

*this article also mentions that low magnesium levels slow down growth of the main cancer tumor but that it is associated with increased spread of the cancer to other areas of the body. There is some speculation that low magnesium could be used to slow growth of cancer tumors but I would point out that the simple answer is math – cancer is very rapidly growing and any rate limiting factor such as reduced levels of essential nutrients such as magnesium or folate would reduce growth of rapidly growing cell groups but also would affect the health of the immune system and rest of the body. Cancer cells are ravenous, they have no off switch and it is the magnesium which provides the body’s ability to kill by apoptosis cells that are defective or too old. The article goes into more detail about oxidative stress, inflammation and mentions factors involved with apoptosis that are dependent on adequate magnesium. Some types of cancer treatments increase the risk of low magnesium and treating with extra magnesium sources has been studied elsewhere. Problems with fingertips occurs in a variety of health situations that involve starvation of some important nutrient including Raynaud’s disease – mentioned here, in an article about the cancer treatment associated with low magnesium: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/1097-0142(19851215)56:12%3C2765::AID-CNCR2820561208%3E3.0.CO;2-2/full

The most well known example of fingertip problems due to lack of essential nutrients is frostbite – warmth is the missing nutrient – is that a nutrient? not really but without warmth nothing else works. I’ve written about a few other type of vasculitis problems that begin with finger symptoms. I’ve included some of that post at the end of this, to be organized later on the effectivecare.info site.

In the case of cold water drowning the body has self preservation techniques that may sacrifice the fingers and toes while saving circulation throughout the heart, brain and lungs – the three most important organs for survival. Drowning victims in very cold water sometimes survive much longer exposure than would be possible in warm water because of this survival tactic that may be based somewhere in our evolutionary past. Life guards are trained on the importance of not giving up on the search for cold water victims. (cold water survival) My first job was as life guard, water safety instructor and camp counselor.

The cancer treatment with magnesium may need a source that can be absorbed through the skin. Many factors can reduce the body’s ability to absorb magnesium as well through the intestines.

Humans intestinal and renal systems are designed with an expectation that we will have lots of magnesium available and not much calcium so magnesium tends to be wasted easily and absorbed poorly. Current water supplies tend to be lower in magnesium content than natural river water might be. An Epsom magnesium sulfate salt bath or foot soak can be a better absorbed source as skin readily absorbs it. 20 minutes with about a cup of the magnesium sulfate salt is a medicinal dose, Staying in longer than 40 minutes might be dangerous due to slowing of the heart, and can cause watery bowel movements for up to a day or two if oversoaking as the magnesium causes relaxation of smooth muscle fibers which are what control the heart rate and the intestinal system. there are early symptoms of a fluttery weaker heart rate that is a signal to rinse off, you spent too long soaking.

Originally posted Feb. 20, 2011 – Regarding Vasculitis:

The first picture that I saw of someone diagnosed with vasculitis reminded me of hypothermia. The person’s fingertips were red and swollen but also shriveling at the tips. I learned about the body’s amazing ability to divert nutrients to the brain and heart during my training as a Water Safety Instructor. People survive drowning in extreme cold sometimes because the body stops circulating blood through the arms and legs. The person might lose fingertips and toes due to frost bite but if they survived an hour under water without brain damage, then it seems like a small price to pay.In the case of vasculitis, however, white blood cells are breaking down blood vessel tissue and destroying function of the area. It has been a mystery – why would the body attack itself and take apart structures?

I suggest that it is occurring for the same reason that anorexics die of heart attacks. In cases of malnutrition the body will catabolize – break down – body parts that are not essential in order to keep the brain alive. In the drowning victim, the brain, lungs and heart continue circulating blood while the extremities are left to freeze. The anorexic’s body needs calories to feed the brain and fat stores won’t work. Muscle tissue can be converted into energy that the brain can use. Over time, the heart and the rest of the muscles are eaten from within to feed the starving brain, leaving the weakened heart muscle at risk from any overwork.

Buerger’s Disease

The type of vasculitis most associated with fingertip loss is also most associated with smoking. And  the most effective treatment is to stop smoking. The vascular tissue would be oxygen starved in a chronic smoker as well as magnesium deficient.

Buerger’s Disease,
photo from: [vasculitis.med.jhu.edu/typesof/buergers.html]  John Hopkins Vasculitis Center
Central Nervous System Vasculitis

**This is a rare form of brain vasculitis but the description of symptoms and population at risk reminded me of my migraine days of maximal blood brain permeability and sensitivity to many foods and chemicals.

 
“Treatment and Course of CNS Vasculitis” 
PACNS: Until recently, CNS vasculitis was a fatal condition in a high percentage of cases, with death following diagnosis in a mean of 45 days after diagnosis. The availability of powerful immunosuppressive therapy, however, has significantly improved the prognosis for people with this condition. Some patients with PACNS respond well to treatment with high doses of steroids alone. Others require the addition of cyclophosphamide to the steroid regimen. In many cases, a reasonable approach is to attempt to control the disease with high doses of steroids first (e.g., for one month), adding cyclophosphamide only if steroids fail or if patients begin to develop unacceptable side–effects of steroid treatment.
 
Balancing control of the disease with the possibility of serious side–effects of treatment is often challenging. For PACNS, treatment must often be continued for a year or more.
 
BACNS: Patients who fit the typical patient profile of BACNS and who have clinical presentations compatible with that diagnosis may be candidates for less intensive treatment regimens than those used in clear–cut cases of PACNS. Patients believed to have BACNS may be treated with calcium–channel blockers (a class of drug used to treat high blood pressure and spasm of blood vessels that occurs in a variety of conditions) for a few weeks, along with a comparatively short course of steroids (prednisone). No firm guidelines exist regarding the length of therapy, however, and decisions about the length of treatment must be made on a case–by–case basis.
 
Cocaine use, malignant hypertension, preeclampsia, and intravascular lymphoma can mimic this disease. The best therapy has not been established: many patients are treated with prednisone and cyclophosphamide.”

from:
[vasculitis.med.jhu.edu/typesof/cns.html] – John Hopkins Vasculitis Center

** Calcium channel blockers are a pharmaceutical stand-in for magnesium. Deficiency of the building blocks and energy sources that the body needs for regeneration prevents the body from growing new tissue. When functioning correctly, new skin cells are grown every day. Hypertension and preeclampsia are conditions resulting from magnesium deficiency. Cocaine use is associated with minimal eating and weight loss (appetite for more cocaine instead of food). Cancer is also associated with malfunctioning white blood cell function – apoptosis is required to prune decaying cells before they mutate. Magnesium is essential to grow the white blood cells and to arm them with the enzyme and adhesion powers necessary for apoptosis.

When nutrients are missing the body will recycle nutrients from less important body parts. White blood cells, our work force, will break down and not repair tissues that aren’t supporting the brain, lungs and heart circulation. Tissue with rapid cell turn over will show the lack of repair earliest. The skin and blood vessels in areas of the body that are less physiologically important will show break down and inflammation earliest in the progression of disease. Leaky Gut Syndrome is a similar problem happening with disrepair of the intestinal lining. It leads to worsening malabsorption problems and further malnutrition.

Bypassing the poor intestinal absorption with delivery of nutrients by skin is a low budget, low risk solution worth trying. A magnesium containing skin cream may provide some of the nourishment that the skin cells need for repair. Excess active hormone D also causes increased intestinal calcium absorption and worse magnesium absorption. Some types of infection can cause an increase in active hormone D and cause an imbalance in calcium and magnesium. Consuming extra vitamin D will add to the imbalance in vitamin D vs hormone D levels that the chronic infection is triggering. the increased levels of hormone D cause movement of calcium and magnesium out of the bone tissue and lead to increased urinary magnesium losses. Magnesium deficiency prevents growth and repair of our skin and everything else.

Use of a magnesium containing skin cream may bypass the poor intestinal absorption and bring symptom relief sooner than just taking a supplement of magnesium.

Eating supplements or diets rich in lecithin from egg yolk and omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil, or flax or hemp oils rich in essential fats can help nourish the skin and promote healthy membranes in the brain and throughout the body. Self care and nourishment helps speed healing.  Calcium channel blockers and corticosteroids will not provide any building blocks for growth in the long run.

*I must not have been aware of Epsom salt baths at this stage of my learning more about better self-care – migraine headaches may have to do with vasculitis – 9/12/2021 addition: also TRP channel activators. Certain foods and seasonings contain phytonutrients that can open ion channels and allow the calcium entry. More about TRP channels and oxidative stress (inflammation) is here: Relaxation & Stress.

Magnesium sulfate, Epsom Salt, is a well absorbed topical source of magnesium and the sulfate can be beneficial for health too. It may be particularly helpful for people on the autism spectrum to get more magnesium and more sulfate. Other psychiatric and cognitive or chronic pain conditions might benefit also. Magnesium can be low in a standard diet, but if supplements are also not helping much, then trying the Epsom salt soaks can let you know within 20 minutes whether muscle cramps or a bad mood are improved. (Usually they are!) See: Epsom Salt Footsoaks.

Magnesium overview page: jenniferdepew.com/magnesium.

  • Disclaimer: Opinions are my own and the information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes.  

Alp Luachra, an old name for edematous malnutrition

Alp Luachra is a Celtic fairy with a pet newt. It was considered dangerous to fall asleep near a stream. Alp Luachra might climb into the victim’s mouth along with his pet newt. They would live in the stomach and gobble up nutrients while the rest of the accursed person shriveled away. No matter how much the victim would eat they would eventually starve – because Alp Luachra leeches all the nutrition away. I learned of him from my new book, Tarot of the Celtic Fairies. The picture on the Tarot card does resemble edematous malnutrition with a very round belly and thin, starved looking arms and legs. Maybe it does exist outside of the tropics. (The 9 of Cauldrons card from  Tarot of the Celtic Fairies 14)

Kwashiorkor, (that rare tropical form of malnutrition in toddlers weaned from breast feeding too rapidly, and/or from lack of introduction of insects to the diet at the appropriate stage), has been in the news. An insurance billing watch dog group found an increased use of the diagnosis code for kwashiorkor/malnutrition in a group of California hospitals. Prime Healthcare Service’s response to the allegations that a diagnosis of malnutrition was used to increase reimbursement states that the facts were distorted in order to mislead the public and gain concessions. It continues that the “relevant (i.e., where the diagnosis affected reimbursement) malnutrition rate at all Prime Healthcare hospitals was 3.6%,which is much less than the rates referenced in the article. For example, their relevant malnutrition rate at Huntington Beach hospital was 5.3% rather than the 39% reported by California Watch.”

That seems reasonable to me. It continues to review the disturbing prevalence of malnutrition and their screening program that Prime Healthcare hospitals use for improving patient care and decreasing morbidity and mortality rates a nutritional screening for their elderly patients is part of their routine care.

Published studies estimate that up to 15% of ambulatory elderly patients, up to 44% of homebound elderly patients, up to 65% of hospitalized elderly patients, and up to 85% of nursing home patients are malnourished. Hajjar, R.R., Kamel, H.K., Denson, K., Malnutrition In Aging, The Internet Journal of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Volume 1, Number 1 (2004); Chen, C.C-H, Schilling, L.S., Lyder, C.H., A Concept Analysis of Malnutrition In The Elderly, Journal of Advanced Nursing, Volume 36(1) (2001).

** Prime Healthcare sounds like a good place for dietitians to work. A nutrition screening by a Registered Dietitian is vital for quality preventative health care. A multidisciplinary team allows a thorough assessment from multiple viewpoints – a stethoscope or a microscope or a little Celtic sparkle – who knows the health solutions that teamwork can bring. However, I was just reading about albumin on RD411, an information website, today [16]. I learned that low albumin is not considered useful to tell if a patient is malnourished because it is easily influenced by many factors besides dietary protein intake. However, at the same time I learn that it is associated with increased mortality and morbidity – so I am left to assume that  I needn’t consider the elderly person with an albumin of 7 or 8 as ‘malnourished’ but just to consider them at increased risk of morbidity and mortality instead. The recommendation is to continue dietary calculations as normal, but instead of pouring another Health Shake to add to the malabsorbtion mess I would rather consider what is causing the shift in fluid and what might be better absorbed than what we already have been trying.

In research by Yi-Chia Huang et al, the elderly Taiwanese population had an intake range of 573.9 to 3191.9 kcal/day and no association between functional status and intake could be made.  Intake of at least 55 grams protein per day was associated with better function but higher levels of protein intake again could not be correlated to improved status. [7] In cases of malabsorption we can pour in 3000 calories per day and there will be no guarantee that it will be more helpful than 573. It would probably be more harmful than low intake. Anything that passes through the body has to be brought into safe balance with the chemical needs of the intestinal lining. Magnesium is a buffer that is taken from the bones to “fix” over acidic conditions. High protein, dairy and sugar intakes add to acidic conditions and coffee, carbonated beverages, black tea, and fruit juices can be very acidic. For strong bones try choosing an herbal or green tea and pass on the extra large glass of pop or milk and the triple shot of alcohol too probably.

There is controversy over using just the albumin level for a diagnosis of malnutrition and it is true that short term edema – puffiness – will cause low albumin levels while puffy. With less fluid in the blood and more fluid in the spaces between cells and organs there will be less albumin. It is a blood protein that acts a little like a sponge to attract and keep fluid around it but where the fluid goes it is also attracted to follow. Circular paths are the way of nature. The albumin level that remains low for months – rather than during an acute week of an illness – I would strongly consider the possibility that an underlying malnutrition problem is the cause of puffiness and low albumin, the reasons for the initial malnutrition can vary but once the poor absorption starts the problems picks up pace and the body deteriorates from feeding on itself – there isn’t a newt but there is a brain, heart and lungs as long as the fingers, toes and remaining peripherals hold out (reminder Buerger’s vasculitis disease [15]).

One lab test can be supported by other labs and observed signs and symptoms of health or weakness. Several studies have found that assessing frailty factors seems more correlated with a variety of quality of life factors and improved surgical recovery rates than BMI. More than 3 of 5 of the following – unintentional weight loss, weakness, self-reported poor energy, slow walking speed, and low physical activity  was found associated with risks of falls and fractures. Hand grip strength, and calf muscle to fat area, mid arm circumference, sarcopenia were mentioned as measurements of improved muscle mass with improved health status. Sit ups and leg lifts or just a walk in the woods – better muscle mass is associated with longer life.

Based on the sensitivity of the autoimmune gut and my review of kwashiorkor research, I would surmise that a gluten free, lactose free, low calcium to magnesium ratio with an increase in glucosamine and other essential sugars (super starches) and plenty of B vitamins, C, A, zinc, selenium might help the catabolic patient with edema. We need to provide building blocks that readily make a strong glycocalcyx to reduce the leakiness of the intestinal lining.

I am glad that Prime Healthcare has had to stand up for malnourished patient’s rights – the right to a diagnosis that is accurate. An albumin of 7 or 8 is tragic and just because it is from excessive dilution due to malabsorption/mal-retention and not due to lack of protein in the diet – doesn’t mean it isn’t leading to cell starvation. Just because we don’t quite understand edematous malnutrition and don’t seem to know how to stop it, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist and isn’t killing people in a very costly and agonizingly slow way.

Names matter and the tropics and kwashiorkor is simply where the problem was studied most. Edematous malnutrition is a better name for the condition in my opinion than protein calorie malnutrition. Over the long term edema means that the cells aren’t being well fed or well detoxified. During edema the movement of fluid is reduced and the movement of nutrients and toxins is slowed. Over the long term edema leads to dysfunction and malnourishment. If the fluid in our toilets backed up regularly we would expect the plumber to repair it not just measure the dysfunction. Puffy abdomen and ankles = overflowing waste = better call a doctor on the Prime Healthcare team in case malnutrition is involved (and remember to ask for a referral to a Registered Dietitian); maybe repair is still in the future but recognition is at least a first step.

Kwashiorkor occurs on the same diet as marasmus malnutrition but the children have different metabolic reactions. Recent infection may be associated with the kwashiorkor susceptible population. Their intestinal lining lacked glucosamine and excess fluid movement both directions was the result. An enzyme deficiency for the conversion of glucose or galactose into glucosamine seemed to be a significant difference between the two groups of children and aldosterone levels were also abnormal in the kwashiorkor children but not the maramus group. Edematous malnutrition exists outside of the tropics.
Glucosamine supplements may be crucial for heart disease and other leaky membrane problems (dementia). Zinc and selenium are low in heart disease and B6 and all of the B vitamins are essential for cell growth and energy demands. Vitamin C is also depleted rapidly. Our “health supplement shakes” and complete feeding formulas are not based on ratios that the critically ill can tolerate – they are more harmful than helpful. We need research and development of an isotonic formula with high levels of beneficial nutrients and low levels of a few things that add to the body burden .

In the meantime more magnesium, B complex, zinc, selenium, iodine, glucosamine, taurine, vitamin C, and beta carotene rich dark green and deep orange fruit and vegetables may be helpful to the chronically ill and obese. Mushrooms, aloe vera, fenugreek, slippery elm powder and ginger also have essential sugars – super fiber for building a strong glycocalyx. The intestinal lining is an organ that protects and nourishes our bodies for miles – literally – do we want junk food littering the way or a strong yet fluid, free-form matrix of super starches, trace mineral ions lighting up the place and plenty of strong white blood cells patrolling for trouble.  Cancer wouldn’t stand a chance – or at least reduced chance.

***11-7-11 BTW I figured out what’s happening with the leaky membrane problem – its complicated – call me or read the [bazillion words, “Cantaloupe, listeria, and sea squirts, oh my,” Oct. 5, 2011]

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 /Disclosure: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes./
  1. Olubukola O. Nafiu et al., “The Association of Body Mass Index to Postoperative Outcomes in Elderly Vascular Surgery Patients: A Reverse J-Curve Phenomenon,” Anesthesia & Analgesia 112, no. 1 (January 1, 2011): 23 -29.
  2. Ian M Chapman, “Obesity paradox during aging,” Interdisciplinary Topics in Gerontology 37 (2010): 20-36.
  3. S L Miller and R R Wolfe, “The danger of weight loss in the elderly,” The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging 12, no. 7 (September 2008): 487-491.
  4. Ian Janssen, “Morbidity and mortality risk associated with an overweight BMI in older men and women,” Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) 15, no. 7 (July 2007): 1827-1840.
  5. Kristine E. Ensrud et al., “Frailty and Risk of Falls, Fracture, and Mortality in Older Women: The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures,” The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 62, no. 7 (July 1, 2007): 744 -751.
  6. Meei-Fang Lou et al., “Nutritional status and health outcomes for older people with dementia living in institutions,” Journal of Advanced Nursing 60, no. 5 (December 2007): 470-477.
  7. Yi-Chia Huang et al., “Nutritional Status of Functionally Dependent and Nonfunctionally Dependent Elderly in Taiwan,” J Am Coll Nutr 20, no. 2 (April 1, 2001): 135-142.  (free article)
  8. Matteo Cesari et al., “Frailty syndrome and skeletal muscle: results from the Invecchiare in Chianti study,” The American journal of clinical nutrition 83, no. 5 (May 2006): 1142-1148.  (free article)
  9. H K Vincent, K R Vincent, and K M Lamb, “Obesity and mobility disability in the older adult,” Obesity Reviews: An Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity 11, no. 8 (August 2010): 568-579.
  10. Heppenstall, et al, “Frailty: dominos or deliberation?,” N Z Med J. 2009 Jul 24;122(1299):42-53. http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal/122-1299/3710/.
  11. Fred Chau-Yang Ko, “The clinical care of frail, older adults,” Clinics in Geriatric Medicine 27, no. 1 (February 2011): 89-100.
  12. Stephane M Schneider et al., “Lack of adaptation to severe malnutrition in elderly patients,” Clinical Nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) 21, no. 6 (December 2002): 499-504.
  13. Lilian Liang et al., “Nutritional issues in older adults with wounds in a clinical setting” 1: 63-71.
  14. McElroy, Mark, Tarot of the Celtic Fairies, artwork by Eldar Minibaev, (2010, Lo Scarabeo, Via Cigna 110 – 10155 – Torino- Italy _www.loscarabeo.com_ (I hope this will be viewed as a brief extract and recommendation rather than copyright infringement.  I find Tarot cards a meditative cognitive therapy aid – solitaire for the brain.)
  15. http://www.hopkinsvasculitis.org/types-vasculitis/buergers-disease/ ***I discussed it in my article Vasculitis – Withering from Within.The main cause of this type is smoking and the best treatment is to quit smoking. Smoking depletes oxygen and antioxidants and magnesium – malnourishment from within – second best to quitting smoking would be of course to replenish with extra vitamin C and magnesium supplements and foods and some oxygen would help also vitamin A foods – supplements have not been helpful but the food has helped . . . carrots, peaches, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli and V8, mangos, apricots and cantalope.
  16. http://www.rd411.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=393:albumin-as-an-indicator-of-nutritional-status&catid=105:professional-refreshers&Itemid=400
  17. see my previous blogs Angelina please don’t risk the knife, and We are what we eat, for more Bibliography on kwashiorkor, insects and perimenopause.
  18. see my previous blogs on the glycocalyx and Electrolytes R Us, for more on leaky membranes and hydration.
  19. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-250812435.html . “Prime Healthcare Services Review of State Health Data Confirms Normal Malnutrition Rates Among Its Medicare Patients; Recent Studies Debunked.(Clinical report).” PR Newswire. PR Newswire Association LLC. 2011. HighBeam Research. 9 Apr. 2011 http://www.highbeam.com.

From a different list of reading:
7. Yi-Chia Huang et al., “Nutritional Status of Functionally Dependent and Nonfunctionally Dependent Elderly in Taiwan,” J Am Coll Nutr 20, no. 2 (April 1, 2001): 135-142.  (free article)

Excerpt from Conclusions section:
“There were approximately 36% of functionally dependent subjects who consumed energy less than 75% of the Taiwan RDNA in our study. The elderly with functional dependence might have more difficulties in accessing food. However, we could not find an association between energy intake and functional status. This might be due to large variations of energy intake among individuals ranging from 573.9 to 3191.9 kcal/day.
Consistent with Payette and Gray-Donald [24], the elderly had sufficient mean protein intake, but these authors’ association between protein intake and serum albumin concentration was not found. Morgan et al. [6], however, indicated a positive relationship between protein intake and serum albumin concentrations. It is worth noting that the association was valid only up to protein intake of 55 g/day. Since our subjects had a varied protein intake ranging from 23 g/day to 122 g/day and half of the subjects had a protein intake .55 g/day, the dietary protein intake might no longer have an effect on serum albumin concentration. Another possibility was that chronic conditions play a determinant role in affecting the albumin concentration.”

***Note on vitamin D – The chronically ill may have depressed 25-D levels because they have elevated 1,25 D levels resulting in more than enough of the active hormone for preventing fractures even though the vitamin level seems insufficient for the average person.

The enzyme to activate the vitamin to the steroidal hormone is made by white blood cells as part of the stress/inflammation response and in some cancer cell strains. An active D level above 45 means the bones are losing calcium stores. My five year 1,25-D average, while actively avoiding vitamin D foods, supplements and much time in the sun, was 59 pg/ml and my five year average 25-D was 20 ng/ml. The range was 51-71 pg/ml, 1-25-D and 8.0-26.7 ng/ml for 25D. Ex: 3-31-2009 25-D of 9.0 and 1-25D of 53 pg/ml. If I spend a day on the beach I am hurting two days later from the calcium that is drawn out of the bones – muscle spasms, fatigue and irritability symptoms primarily for me but ringing in the ears and a twitching eyelid have been reduced with magnesium. B vitamins and zinc tend to be involved to – magnesium rich foods would provide those as well as iron and iodine only if it was grown in iodine rich soil.

Kwashiorkor Bibliography

  1. http://www.ajcn.org/content/89/2/592.long ***Reduced production of sulfated glycosaminoglycans occurs in Zambian  children with kwashiorkor but not marasmus also good –
  2.  http://www.icmr.nic.in/ijmr/2009/November/1128.pdf  Tahmeed Ahmed, Sabuktagin Rahman and Alejandro Cravioto, Oedematous malnutrition,  Indian J Med Res 130, November 2009, pp 651-654
  3.  http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_malnutrition20.27e2afa.htmlWilliams, L., Jewett, C., and Doi, S. K., Hospital chain, under scrutiny, reports rare illness (The Press Enterprise Local News)
  4. http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/editorials/stories/PE_OpEd_Opinion_D_op_27_ed_primehealth.1816fbc.html  Shady billing? (The Press Enterprise)
  5. http://www.sacbee.com/2011/02/20/v-print/3414850/medicare-billed-for-exotic-illness.html
  6. Prime Healthcare Should Be Denied New Hospital Licenses Until Federal, State Investigations into Extraordinarily High Septicemia, Malnutrition Rates and Risk to Patients are Complete.Business Wire. Business Wire. 2011. HighBeam Research.
  7. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703293204576106072340020728.html  Marcel Dicke, Arnold Van Huis are professors of entomology at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.  (2-19-11, The Wall Street Journal, pC3)  The Six-Legged Meat of the Future
  8. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1525-139X.2010.00705.x/abstractEffect of Diabetes Mellitus on Protein–Energy Wasting and Protein Wasting in End-Stage Renal Disease, Nazanin Noori1, Joel D. Kopple1,2Article first  published online:13 APR 2010DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-139X.2010.00705.x
  9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19121473  Semin Nephrol. 2009 Jan;29(1):39-49. Causes and prevention of protein-energy wasting in chronic kidney failure. Dukkipati R, Kopple JD. Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Los Angeles Biomedical  Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90509, USA.
  10. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19121477 Semin Nephrol. 2009 Jan;29(1):75-84. Nutrition support for the chronically wasted or acutely catabolic chronic kidney disease patient.Ikizler  TA.Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Vanderbilt University School of  Medicine,Nashville, TN 37232-2372, USA.
11. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16129200Am J Kidney Dis. 2005 Sep;46(3):387-405. Multinutrient oral  supplements and tube feeding in maintenance dialysis: a systematic review and meta-  analysis. StrattonRJ, Bircher G, Fouque D, Stenvinkel P, de Mutsert R, Engfer M, Elia  M.Instituteof Human Nutrition, University of Southampton, UK.

12.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2891019/?tool=pubmed New Insights into the Role of Anabolic Interventions in Dialysis Patients with Protein Energy Wasting Jie Dong and T. Alp Ikizler1 Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2009 November; 18(6): 469–475.doi: 10.1097/MNH.0b013e3283 31489d.

 “Economic Implications of Nutritional interventions It is also important to assess the impact of nutritional supplements not only in terms of changes in nutritional parameters, but to extrapolate these observations to potential improvements in hospitalization, mortality, and cost-effectiveness. In a recent study, Lacson et al showed that a hypothetical increase in serum albumin concentration in the order of 2 g/L in 50%  of the United States dialysis population would be associated with  projections of approximately 1400 lives saved, approximately 6000 hospitalizations  averted, and approximately $36 million in Medicare cost savings resulting  from a reduction of approximately 20,000 hospital days over one year[68]. This is a reasonable estimation since 2 g/L increase in serum albumin is the average improvement reported in most nutritional intervention studies.”

***The above paper is suggesting that giving them growth hormones  and other anabolic steroids along with protein will help them to stop catabolizing and start building albumin. They have had success with the strategy, but wouldn’t magnesium plus protein (ideally combined within the same magnesium foods) be cheaper than hormones and protein?

We are what we eat.

The cattle are as good as the pasture in which they graze.
-Ethiopian proverb
We can build better bodies and better babies with normal healthy food. Tweaking ratios in our supplements and formulas would make it easier to get what we need but in the mean time moderate use of typical foods can feed us well. Babies would benefit from more human milk use whether from individual mothers or donated milk banks. It would help infant’s neuro-development and might help prevent some colic and sleepless nights. If infant formula is necessary than an occasional quarter teaspoon of Milk of Magnesia might prevent problems from the slightly high calcium/magnesium ratio (cow’s milk is quite a bit higher in calcium and protein than the modified formula product and is not suitable for use with young infants).
The levels of a  few nutrients in breast milk can be adversely affected by diet or health and magnesium is one of them. The average is around 30 mg/liter but the level can drop to the low 20’s and does in malnourished populations and teen moms and it can be elevated around 45 mg/liter in diabetic moms.
Young women, aka teen moms, are also more at risk for preeclampsia, as are mothers of twins. Both of these groups have increased nutrient needs – they are eating for baby plus more. These two sub-populations are linked with malnourished women in third world country studies by the unusually low magnesium levels in their breast milk. The high levels in the diabetic women suggests to me that the cell membranes are allowing too much out – that they have become leaky somehow.
We need more vegetables, nuts, seeds, and beans for magnesium but they also give us protein and fiber. The healthy starches are necessary for a strong protective intestinal lining. White blood cells patrol and pick off allergens, infection and other information and send it up to lymph nodes. At the lymph nodes more specialized work takes place to identify the foreign proteins and replicate defensive antibodies if needed. Nature provided us this natural oral vaccination method but healthy foods are necessary to build blood cells and make the glycocalyx jelly lining around the intestinal folds.

The United Kingdom recently released the nutrition recommendation to eat less red meat. Americans were told to eat less red meat a while ago . . . and we did, however we started eating more chicken, and cheese intake also increased — from a USDA report on 1909 to 2000 US nutrient intake. [2 -Table 32] Between 1970 and 2000 red meat use dropped fifteen percent! But chicken use increased 80 percent and cheese 150 percent. Chicken in the form of nuggets and other breaded and fried forms has become a staple that had been a special occasion food . The hidden added oil of fried chickend and the saturated fats of the cheese made “eat less red meat” a nutrition recommendation that worked and failed. We are eating less red meat than we used to in America but we are eating more cheese and chicken .

I would like to encourage a positive spin of less red meat and more beans, nuts and seeds for a protein source that also provides healthy fiber and many other trace nutrients. Having a variety of types of foods daily or throughout the week will generally provide more trace nutrients. We need hundreds of types of chemical compounds, not just ten or twenty vitamins and minerals. A few trace nutrients are considered essential for our health because our bodies can not create them out of other simpler chemicals. However other trace chemicals may become more important to consume in the diet or take as supplements if a person has a problem with some of the conversion steps necessary to make important enzymes or proteins or other more complex molecules. Eating liver and onions once a month may provide a boost to our health because it provides fully formed enzymes that can be more easily reassembled by the body after they are broken down and absorbed during digestion.

Using a variety of protein sources throughout the week or mixed in the meal may provide more variety of some of the more unusual types of essential sugars. A rich beef stock made from marrow rich bones will yield glucosamine, one of the essential sugars or glyco-nutrients. Many people use it as a supplement for arthritis pain. It can have a positive effect after taking it for a few weeks. Glucosamine is found in the synovial fluid that cushions the area between the bones of the knee and other joints in the body. A supplement recommendation is 1500 mg/day. [Synovial and plasma glucosamine concentrations in osteoarthritic patients following oral crystalline glucosamine sulphate at therapeutic dose, S. Persiani, Ph.D, et. al., Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, Volume 15, Issue 7, July 2007, Pages 764–772]
Supplements may be from a shellfish source as it is frequently derived from crustacean shells so people with shellfish allergies should look for a vegetarian source.
Glucosamine is also found in the chitin of insects. The use of insects in the diet may have helped prevent kwashiokor in young children in tropical regions. The intestinal lining in some individuals, possibly those who had a recent infection, seems to malfunction in the ability to convert other sugars into glucosamine. The use of a rich broth from a bone stock might suit more people’s taste than insects. Although there are chefs presenting some appetizing dishes. . . . citations to follow when I am more awake.
Moderate use of dairy products like cheese, milk, yogurt and other calcium rich foods would benefit bone health without sacrificing magnsium absorption. Two to three dairy servings per day would provide adequate calcium. Supplements are not generally needed.
The food pyramid and http://www.mypyramid.gov is a nice start but I tend to recommend:
    • a bit less grains – swap some starchy root vegetables for the carbohydrate calories,
    • and a bit more vegetables -AICR – recommends 5-9 veg and fruit per day as anticancer medicine.
    • Juice is concentrated and limiting to 4-6 oz/day is healthy – especially for small bodies.
    • A bit less meat and dairy groups and use the calories for nuts, beans, and seeds.

/Disclosure: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes./

*2015, edit, I’m not sure why I included this chart in 2011 but I’m leaving it here for now.

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/             nutrient data base

NBD #
Food
Unit
kcal
protein
fat
Calcium
Magns.
Vit D IU
Vit A IU
01211
Whole milk no added A or D
1 cup
149
7.67 gr
7.98 gr
276 mg
24 mg
5 IU
395 IU
01107
Human milk, mature
1 cup
172
2.53 gr
10.77 gr
79 mg
7 mg
7 IU
522 IU
03850
Infant Formula, similac
100 gr x 2.43 = 1 cup
158
3.3 gr
8.62 gr
124 mg
10 mg
95 IU
479 IU

**Note that the example infant formula is fortified with vitamin D at 13.6 times the amount of human milk and 19 times the amount in cow’s milk. There are more nutrients but the blog is narrow.

1.      http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703293204576106072340020728.html  Marcel Dicke, Arnold Van Huis are professors of entomology at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.  (2-19-11, The Wall Street Journal, pC3)  The Six-Legged Meat of the Future, Insects are nutritious and easy to raise without harming the environment. They also have a nice nutty taste

2. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/publications/foodsupply/foodsupply1909-2000.pdf Gerrior, S., Bente, L., & Hiza, H. (2004). Nutrient Content of the U.S. Food
Supply, 1909-2000. (Home Economics Research Report No. 56). U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1525-139X.2010.00705.x/abstract
 Effect of Diabetes Mellitus on Protein–Energy Wasting and Protein Wasting in End-Stage Renal Disease, Nazanin Noori1, Joel D. Kopple1,2Article first  published online:13 APR 2010DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-139X.2010.00705.x

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19121473  Semin Nephrol. 2009 Jan;29(1):39-49. Causes and prevention of protein-energy wasting in chronic kidney failure. Dukkipati R, Kopple JD. Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Los Angeles Biomedical  Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90509, USA.
 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19121477 Semin Nephrol. 2009 Jan;29(1):75-84. Nutrition support for the chronically wasted or acutely catabolic chronic kidney disease patient.
Ikizler  TA.Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Vanderbilt University School of  Medicine,Nashville, TN 37232-2372, USA.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16129200Am J Kidney Dis. 2005 Sep;46(3):387-405. Multinutrient oral  supplements and tube feeding in maintenance dialysis: a systematic review and meta-  analysis. StrattonRJ, Bircher G, Fouque D, Stenvinkel P, de Mutsert R, Engfer M, Elia  M.Instituteof Human Nutrition, University of Southampton, UK.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2891019/?tool=pubmed New Insights into the Role of Anabolic Interventions in Dialysis Patients with Protein Energy Wasting Jie Dong and T. Alp Ikizler1 Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2009 November; 18(6): 469–475.doi: 10.1097/MNH.0b013e3283 31489d.
 “Economic Implications of Nutritional interventions It is also important to assess the impact of nutritional supplements not only in terms of changes in nutritional parameters, but to extrapolate these observations to potential improvements in hospitalization, mortality, and cost-effectiveness. In a recent study, Lacson et al showed that a hypothetical increase in serum albumin concentration in the order of 2 g/L in 50%  of the United States dialysis population would be associated with  projections of approximately 1400 lives saved, approximately 6000 hospitalizations  averted, and approximately $36 million in Medicare cost savings resulting  from a reduction of approximately 20,000 hospital days over one year[68]. This is a reasonable estimation since 2 g/L increase in serum albumin is the average improvement reported in most nutritional intervention studies.”

***The above paper is suggesting that giving them growth hormones  and other anabolic steroids along with protein will help them to stop catabolizing. They have had success with the strategy, but wouldn’t magnesium plus protein (ideally magnesium foods) be cheaper than hormones and protein.