Tag: protein

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To have optimal Magnesium needs Protein and Phospholipids too

Good news and bad news – magnesium in the form of Epsom salt, magnesium sulfate, has been in use medicinally since the seventeenth century and written about in peer reviewed medical journals since the early nineteenth century. (1) That is both the good and bad news – it is helpful, but it still isn’t used for many conditions where it might be needed. It is not patentable as a pharmaceutical medication because it is a natural substance. It or magnesium chloride and some other forms are in use for a few conditions including preeclampsia, migraines, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. Minor athletic injuries may be treated with Epsom salt soaks (3) and some psychiatric care providers may also recommend the treatment. 

A textbook on the topic of magnesium use for medical conditions reviews the mineral’s role in the body during health and chronic illness or when genetic differences in metabolism are present. It is complex metabolically and just taking a supplement doesn’t always get magnesium to the problem area of the body. Magnesium is primarily found within cells, and most is bound to proteins or phospholipids (such as adenosine triphosphate, ATP) rather than as free ions, in blood plasma or other extracellular fluid and not all forms can cross the blood brain barrier to help with migraines or other brain injuries. (1) Magnesium sulfate and magnesium chloride have been found helpful for those purposes (1) and both can be used topically which can bypass problems with poor absorption in the digestive system. (3)  

“Intracellular magnesium concentrations range from 5–20 mmol/L; 1%–5% is ionized, the remainder is bound to proteins, negatively charged molecules and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) [,].” (6)

Magnesium oxide is a form sometimes used in supplements that has been found to be very poorly absorbed even when the digestive system is in normal health. Only four percent of a dose is likely to be absorbed and the remaining 96% tends to cause loose stools by causing the intestinal muscles to relax too much if the supplement is in a larger dose. (1) Math – a 250 mg supplement of magnesium oxide might only have 10 milligrams absorbed and 240 milligrams pass through in the next bowel movement.  

Magnesium aspartate has been found helpful in some research studies, but the aspartate is an excitatory amino acid that can cause overactivity within brain cells possibly even leading to cell death, so it may not be ideal for people with some conditions such as headaches or brain injury. Other forms of supplements found to typically be well absorbed include magnesium citrate and magnesium glycinate. More recent research is using magnesium threonate as a form that may be more likely to be absorbed through the blood brain barrier. (1) 

Summary points:  

Symptoms of deficiency may include:  

  • Headaches or migraines may be a symptom because magnesium is used within the brain to protect against excess calcium or glutamate entry into brain cells. It is involved in fluid balance so high blood pressure may occur; tiredness and easy weight gain may be symptoms of chronic deficiency as it may cause insulin resistance and is essential within metabolism to turn sugar into a form of usable energy. Muscle cramps are also a common symptom of magnesium deficiency and may include a twitching of the eyelids. Tinnitus, a constant dull ringing sound in the ears, can occur. (1) (2) 

Food sources of magnesium include: 

  • Green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, sweet potato, squash; fruit, bananas; dark chocolate; beans, tofu; nuts such as cashews & almonds; pumpkin, pomegranate and sesame seeds, tahini; peanuts; brown rice, whole grains; yogurt. (2) 
Magnesium Food Sources and Symptoms of Deficiency.

Topical sources of magnesium include:  

  • Epsom salt, magnesium sulfate, can be used in baths or foot-soaks, or in damp poultices placed on other sore body parts. For a bath, about one cup of salt in a half bath, soak for 20 minutes three times a week, no more than 40 minutes to avoid excess absorption.
    Symptoms of excess absorption can include slowing heart rate, an overly relaxed muscles which can cause loose stools, for up to a day if very excessive. (3)
    An advantage of magnesium sulfate includes the sulfate in a form that doesn’t need sunshine exposure to skin in order for the body to be able to transform sulfur found in foods into the bioactive sulfate form. 
    • Epsom Salt Cream is a new product. The website mentions that the bioactive sulfate may help with detoxification of heavy metals, and improve digestion and socialization, if low sulfate was causing the symptoms. (8)
  • Magnesium chloride is available for topical use in body lotions & as an oily feeling liquid solution.People with digestive problems may not be absorbing much magnesium from food or supplements. 
  • The magnesium ions are not absorbed directly through the layers of skin cells. Entry into the body has been found to occur through the openings provided by hair follicles. (5)
Topical sources of Magnesium and bioactive Sulfate.

Supplemental forms of magnesium may include: 

    • Magnesium citrate, Mg glycinate, Mg L-threonate, Mg lysinate, Mg orotate, Mg malate, and Mg taurate are all fairly well absorbed forms and generally don’t cause side effects when taken in smaller amounts a few times a day (200-250 mg) instead of in a large dose (more than 400 mg in a single dose). People using diuretics or with increased sweat or urine losses for other reasons may need extra magnesium intake to make up for increased loss of magnesium in urine or sweat. People with late stage kidney disease may need to avoid excess Mg intake. (1) (4) 

    • Magnesium Glycerophosphate is a newer supplemental form that may be a well absorbed form with less risk of a diarrhea/loose stools side effect. The glycerophosphate can also be used by the body to form ATP, a molecule needed for energy formation within cells. (7)

  • Magnesium sulfate can be taken in water in very small amounts (a few crystals, a very tiny amount) (3), & it or Mg chloride may also be available in capsule form.
    Magnesium aspartate is well absorbed but the aspartate is an excitatory amino acid and may cause headaches for some users. 
  • Magnesium oxide is poorly absorbed (~ only 4%) & may cause loose stools for more users than the other forms. (1) 
Supplemental sources of Magnesium.

Food Sources of Phospholipids and other phospho-nutrients:

Hemp seed kernels and oil; Artemisia turanica/wormwood leaf; amaranth seed; asparagus; avocado fruit or the inner kernel, dried and powdered; beans/legumes; cardamom seeds and powder; carrots; celery stalks and leaves; cocoa beans and cocoa powder, baker’s chocolate, dark chocolate and to a lesser amount milk chocolate and chocolate syrup; coconut; cumin seed/powder; fennel seed, flax seed, pine nuts; sesame seeds, pumpkin seed kernels, squash seeds; butternut squash and pumpkin; gingko leaf; grapefruit and orange juice with the pulp; Jerusalem artichoke (this is a root vegetable rather than a green artichoke); lettuce, spinach and mustard leaves and other leafy green vegetables and herbs; nuts/peanuts, cashews, walnuts; oats; okra seeds; onion root, leek leaves, garlic;  parsnip root; pomegranate seeds and pomegranate peel extract;rice, white or brown but the bran is the best source; rosemary; sorghum;  sweet potato or yam; buckwheat (a seed botanically that is not wheat and is gluten free); wheat. (G.26)   

More information about protein and water needs are available in a post about kidney health: Make every day Kidney Appreciation Day.

/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. Robert Vink, Mihai Nechifor, editors, Magnesium in the Central Nervous System, University of Adelaide Press, 2011, adelaide.edu.au, free ebook pdf, https://www.adelaide.edu.au/press/titles/magnesium/magnesium-ebook.pdf  (1) 
  2. Rachael Link, MS, RD,Top 10 Magnesium-rich Foods, Plus Proven Benefits, DrAxe.com, https://draxe.com/magnesium-deficient-top-10-magnesium-rich-foods-must-eating/ (2) 
  3. Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) – Side Effects Dosage, Interactions, everydayhealth.com https://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/magnesium-sulfate (3) 
  4. Magnesium Types Compared: What is the Best Magnesium for You?, swansonvitamins.com, https://www.swansonvitamins.com/blog/chelsea/magnesium-types-compared  (4)
  5. Chandrasekaran NC, Sanchez WY, Mohammed YH, et al., Permeation of topically applied Magnesium ions through human skin is facilitated by hair follicles., Magnes Res. 2016 Jun 1;29(2):35-42.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27624531 (5)
  6. Uwe Gröber, Joachim Schmidt, and Klaus Kisters, Magnesium in Prevention and Therapy, Nutrients. 2015 Sep; 7(9): 8199–8226.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4586582/ (6)
  7. Prof. Gene Bruno, Magnesium Glycerophosphate: Magnesium for Cardiovascular & Muscular Health. Nov. 1, 2018, naturalpractitionermag.com, https://naturalpractitionermag.com/magnesium-glycerophosphate-magnesium-for-cardiovascular-muscular-health/
  8. Magnesium Sulfate Cream from Kirkman, kirkmangroup.com, http://www.kirkmangroup.com/magnesium-sulfate-cream-113-gm-4-oz.html
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Make every day Kidney Appreciation Day

In case you missed World Kidney Day (March) today is a good day to appreciate kidney health. The pair of kidneys or single kidney clean the body of daily acidic waste from metabolism and dietary sources and remove other excess minerals and toxins. Adequate water is essential for kidney health as dehydration can cause damage that may not be reversible.

The amount of water a person needs per day varies with the size of the person and the amount of heat, humidity and exercise they experience throughout their day. The eight cups per day for an average person is just an estimate based on typical conditions and average size. Dr. Batmanghelidj specialized in water needs for chronic illness or general health and his rough guideline for adults was to aim to drink ounces of water per day equal to half your body weight (in pounds), so a 150 pound adult might benefit from drinking 75 ounces of water per day ~ about 9 cups of water. The fluid content of herbal tea, juice, milk, or soup would be helping reach the goal, while a diuretic type fluid like coffee or caffeinated black or green teas, or alcoholic beverages would not. His book is older and the validity of some of his theories have been questioned but as a fairly easy to follow overview of the importance of water to health, it is helpful. (Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, pdf)

For more information on the chemistry of water see the collected work on the topic by Martin Chaplin (Water Structure Science), a review of inorganic, organic and biochemistry and physics will be helpful first – I’ve only read a few sections and it is fascinating but slow going. The author explains with enough detail and graphs that even lacking the review of the college courses some of the information can be understood.

For more information on healthy diet for general health or aging and the prevention of chronic kidney or vascular disease see the recently published article about nutrition for health written by a nephrologist. A recent review of organic and biochemistry will be helpful but again some of the basic concepts can be picked up from the thorough description of the issues that may be causing chronic illness and chronic kidney disease.

The summary points – excess protein and sodium and acid producing foods is tasking on the kidneys and may increase risk of chronic illness while adequate to plentiful amounts of potassium rich vegetables and fruit is protective.

How much is considered excess protein?: “The average American consumes 1.2 gm protein/kg/day [23], exceeding the recommended intake (~0.8–1.0 gm/kg/day) for a healthy adult.” (1)

Math – the 150 pound average person is about 68 kilograms (kg) and is averaging an intake of 82 grams of protein per day (1.2 gm/kg/day) instead of the recommended range of 54.4-68 grams per day. For perspective to daily meals – 8 ounces of milk contains about 8 grams of protein, one ounce of meat or one egg or a half cup of beans, about 7 grams, one piece of bread, about 2-3 grams. (Protein content of foods, Today’s Dietitian)

Second only to anyone who doesn’t keep children in cages – nephrologists(kidney/renal health specialists) are my favorite people. The author of the article is saying with a lot of detail that prevention is the best medicine. Treat yourself to healthy habits and you may be lucky enough to never need to meet a nephrologist as a patient. Diets for kidney dialysis patients are extremely restrictive.

Mark your calendars – World Kidney Day 2019 is planned for March 14th. (World Kidney Day)

  • For more information about kidney disease and risk factors see “Who Lives, Who Dies with Kidney Disease,” by Mohammad Akmal and Vasandhara Raghaven, (2018), amazon.com. The book includes personal stories of a variety of patients, real, with some names and identifying details changed for anonymity, starting with some of the first patients diagnosed and treated with kidney dialysis or kidney transplants. The stories may inspire and may leave you reaching for a tissue for tears – they may leave you appreciating kidney health for you and your loved ones and the pioneers who have made treatment more possible. Kidney donors are also worthy of appreciation, today and everyday. The latter part of the book includes an overview of chronic and acute conditions that place [patients more at risk for developing kidney disease, preventative care that may help and current medical treatments that are available.

Addition, Oct. 9, 2020,  elevated blood sugar is also a risk that can lead to irreversible kidney damage. Bitter taste receptors are found within the kidney and are involved in clearance of calcium. They are also found in the intestinal tract and help tell us we are satisfied after a meal or snack that contains bitter tasting phytonutrients.

  • In order for the body to produce bitter or other types of taste and odor receptors we need to have adequate zinc as it is involved in mRNA production of the receptor protein chain. See the post Zinc… for more information and reference list.

    Zinc – big news, CoV and other illness related. (Sept. 27, 2020)

  • In order for the bitter taste receptors to be activated and function we need to eat bitter tasting nutrients – and then we can have better appetite control and they are also involved in better blood sugar control – and the kidney function.

Diabetic Kidney Disease

This video by a nephrologist, Dr. Jason Fung, is easy to follow along regarding the risk of high blood sugar for kidney health and how excess protein while fine for someone with normal kidney function, may worsen the health of someone’s kidneys when there is already some loss of renal function. He does not mention the benefit or need for zinc or bitter tasting nutrients in the diet for appetite and blood sugar or kidney function, however. Those are fairly new areas of research.  – Dr. Jason Fung on Diabetic Kidney Disease.

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. Thanks.

  1. Qi Qian, Dietary Influence on Body Fluid Acid-Base and Volume Balance: The Deleterious “Norm” Furthers and Cloaks Subclinical Pathophysiology, Nutrients 2018, 10(6), 778; Open Access, http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/6/778/htm  (1)
  2.  Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, M.D., Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, Global Health Solutions, Inc.; Third Ed. (November 1, 2008), https://www.amazon.com/Your-Bodys-Many-Cries-Water/dp/0970245882/ (2), http://www.cci-coral-club.okis.ru/file/cci-coral-club/knigi/FereydoonBatmanghelidj_Your_Bodys_Many_Cries_for_Water_eng.pdf (pdf)
  3. Martin Chaplin, BSc, PhD, CChem, FRSC, Water Structure Science: a website concerned with the physical, chemical and biological properties of water., London South Bank University, (Water Structure Science)   http://www1.lsbu.ac.uk/water/water_structure_science.html (3
  4. Protein Content of Foods, webinar pdf, Today’s Dietitian, (Protein content of foods, Today’s Dietitian)   http://www.todaysdietitian.com/pdf/webinars/ProteinContentofFoods.pdf (4)
  5. World Kidney Day 2019, cute-calendar.com, (World Kidney Day) https://www.cute-calendar.com/event/world-kidney-day/33701.html (5)