Stress, Magnesium and Disease

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that about 60% of adults in the United States do not consume the estimated average requirement for magnesium. What they don't tell us is that this 60% is based on minimum daily estimates set by the Department of Agriculture are set terribly low, so actually the number is much higher. In the best of times magnesium intake from white processed foods is on the level of starvation of this precious and very necessary mineral. Most Americans are actually malnourished and diseased because of it and because of the toxic loads they carry in their cells and blood.

The normal accepted recommended daily dietary amount of magnesium is only 300-400 mg. Many professionals feel this to be a bare minimum. Some would say that 1,000 mg is probably more in the range of what most people need due to stress (measured by cortisol levels) causing magnesium to be dumped into the sweat in increasing quantities. Actually there are all kinds of cellular stresses that drive down magnesium levels including chemical stress.

Radiation, chemicals and heavy metals put enormous stress on organs, tissues and cells. Magnesium mediates a good part of our body's ability to deal with and remove such toxic insults. Toxicities actually increase as magnesium levels fall. In plain language that means we have more allergic reactions, come down with the flu more often (never listen or trust anything the World Health Organizations says about the flu for most cases are actually not caused by a virus but by chemical stress), suffer from diabetes (diabetes is largely a result of these toxic stresses combined with overall malnutrition especially magnesium deficiency). Magnesium is the Ultimate Heart Medicine for you will always see deficient cellular magnesium in each and every case of heart disease, stroke, cancer and neurological decline.

In the Age of Toxicity we are suffering to live through we are from conception being exposed to poison and increased radiation exposure from medical tests, constant microwave exposure, and strong increases in environmental background radiation that has increased because of the American militaries passion for depleted uranium weapons, which they use on every major battlefield in modern times.

Magnesium levels thus fall through the years and it is not easy to reverse this decline. Oral supplementation is chancy at best because high dosages loosen the intestines. My book Transdermal Magnesium Therapy was a landmark medical text in that it presented what is commonly known as magnesium oil and how it can be applied directly to the skin or put into medical baths for transdermal absorption. The second edition of this in print text will be out in late November.

Mg deficiency increases susceptibility to the physiologic damage produced by stress. The adrenergic effects of psychological stress induce a shift of Mg from the intracellular to the extracellular space, increasing urinary excretion and eventually depleting body stores.¹ - Dr. Leo Galland

Recently the British Journal of Psychiatry published that people with a diet heavy in processed food had a 58% higher risk of depression. What they don't say is that the reason for the depression was lack of dietary magnesium in such diets and that depression can easily and best be treated with magnesium. What they do say is that a "whole food" diet protects against depression because of the combined effect of consuming nutrients from lots of different types of food, rather than the effect of one single nutrient. Though there is a glint of truth to this statement it hides the well-researched reality that it is magnesium levels that provide the key to our mental and emotional states.

In today's stressful world magnesium levels get driven further down. Not only does the stress eat up our magnesium stores at an accelerated pace but how we deal with our stress is also telling. For instance it's generally understood that liquor sales spike during an economic slump. According to a recent poll by Gallup Americans are downing more booze – 67% of Americans report that they consume alcohol on a regular basis. Increased alcoholic intake, which happens frequently in times of stress for some people, depletes magnesium in our bodies. Alcohol increases urinary magnesium excretion by as much as 260% above baseline values; this occurs within minutes of ingestion.2 Often by increasing magnesium, the perceived need for alcohol decreases while some of the depression and anxiety are alleviated.

Research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in 2002 shows that when the diets of 2,566 children ages 11-19 were studied, less than 14% of boys and 12% of girls had adequate intakes of magnesium.

We can actually see the hate and foul viciousness of some of the richest people and companies on earth in this story because the truth and facts about magnesium are well known by researchers around the world. Magnesium is one of the most well studied nutrients and smart doctors reach for it quickly for patients suffering from heart attacks or strokes. We would have an entirely different world if governments got behind magnesium supplementation. People would be healthier and happier, would miss less days of work, would be less stressed and would be able to work harder and enjoy life more. We would also cut the world's medical bill down by a trillion or two dollars. This would upset people likeBill Gates and others like him who want to cut population not increase it.

Pharmaceutical companies especially don't want us to know anything about using simple minerals to help depression, reduce violence, reduce stress or stay healthy and out of the doctor's office and out of hospitals. Since the arrival of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors antidepressants (SSRIs) and atypical antipsychotics on the market, countless studies have shown the so-called "new generation" of psychiatric drugs to be ineffective and dangerous but exceptionally profitable. There is no such thing as a substitute for the mineral magnesium.

Worldwide, sales of anti-psychotics went from $263 million in 1986 to $8.6 billion in 2004 and antidepressant sales went from $240 million in 1986 to $11.2 billion in 2004. For these two classes of drugs combined, sales went from $500 million in 1986 to nearly $20 billion in 2004, a 40-fold increase, according to Robert Whitaker, best-selling author of Mad in America.³ And God only knows how high these numbers have climbed to in the year 2010 when stress, mental and emotional disturbances are going off the charts.

Despite a dramatic increase in treatment of psychiatric disorders during the past 10 years, there has been no decrease in the rate of suicidal thoughts and behavior among adults, according to a federal study primarily funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. - The Washington Post

Police Chief Nannette H. Hegerty of Milwaukee said a few years ago that, "We're seeing a very angry population, and they don't go to fists anymore, they go right to guns," she said. "When we ask, 'Why did you shoot this guy?' it's, 'He bumped into me.' or, 'He looked at my girl the wrong way.'" said Police Commissioner Sylvester M. Johnson of Philadelphia. "It's not like they're riding around doing drive-by shootings. It's arguments – stupid arguments over stupid things." While arguments have always made up a large number of homicides, the police say the trigger point now comes faster. In robberies, Milwaukee's Chief Hegerty said, "Even after the person gives up, the guy with the gun shoots him anyway. We didn't have as much of that before."

A marginal deficiency can easily be transformed into a more significant problem when stressful events trigger additional magnesium loss. In the extreme situations stressful events trigger sudden drops of serum magnesium leading to cardiac arrest. Even a mild deficiency of magnesium can cause increased sensitivity to noise, nervousness, irritability, mental depression, confusion, twitching, trembling, apprehension, and insomnia.

In recent years we've seen an increase of all kinds of weird violence as magnesium levels are driven lower and lower. Almost every week now we hear reports of people walking into schools in China stabbing teachers and children and in America also mass killings are slaughtering people and there they hide the fact that most of these assaulters are on pharmaceutical medications that drive their magnesium levels to the bottom.

I am in no way saying that magnesium is the answer to every problem in the world but it would go a long way to calm people down and reset the trigger points much higher. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended drinking water containing 25-50 mg of magnesium (Mg) per liter to prevent deaths from heart attack and stroke. American bottled water contains about 5 mg of Mg per liter, well below the 20 mg/l in the rest of the world's bottled water, according to the WHO. If the WHO was really interested in helping Americans, like they want to help with their dangerous vaccines, they would make sure that the government implemented these kinds of recommendations that would save countless lives.

Magnesium deficiency causes serotonin deficiency with possible resultant aberrant behaviors, including depression suicide or irrational violence. - Paul Mason

The Department of Family Medicine, Pomeranian Medical Academy, states that dietetic factors can play a significant role in the origin of ADHD and that magnesium deficiency can result in disruptive behavior.⁴ Even a mild deficiency of magnesium can cause sensitiveness to noise, nervousness, irritability, mental depression, confusion, twitching, trembling, apprehension, and insomnia. A significant number of researchers have shown that as much as 60-90% of illnesses are directly caused or exacerbated by stress. And in fact, numerous studies have shown that stress is related to major illnesses like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

There is now little question that stress can kill, meaning that magnesium deficiencies can put you in your grave. Harvard physiologist Walter Cannon recognized 90 years ago that when confronted by a threat – physical or emotional, real or imagined – the body responds with a rise in blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension and breathing rate. We now know that this physiological "stress response" involves hormones and inflammatory chemicals that can foster everything from headaches to heart attacks in overdose.

It is clear that magnesium deficiency or imbalance plays a role in the symptoms of mood disorders. Observational and experimental studies have shown an association between magnesium and aggression,^5,6,7,8,9 anxiety,^10,11,12 ADHD,^13,14,15,16 bipolar disorder,^17,18 depression,^19,20,21,22and schizophrenia.^23,24,25,26 So you tell me who the real terrorists are? The sea is full of magnesium and it is easily sourced and applied orally, transdermally, through IVs and even nebulized directly into the lungs.

Patients who had made suicide attempts (by using either violent or nonviolent means) had significantly lower mean CSF magnesium level irrespective of the diagnosis.²⁷

Resources

• [1] www.mdheal.org/magnesiu1.htm

• [2] With chronic alcohol intake, body stores of magnesium become depleted. Reasons include inadequate intake, starvation ketosis, vomiting and diarrhea, and urinary excretion.www.mgwater.com/adequate.shtml

• [3] Evelyn Pringle: www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/ssri_offlabel.html

• [4] The effects of magnesium physiological supplementation on hyperactivity in children with ADHD. Mag Res 1997; 10(2):149-56.

• [5] Izenwasser SE et al. Stimulant-like effects of magnesium on aggression in mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 25(6):1195-9, 1986.

• [6] Henrotte JG. Type A behavior and magnesium metabolism. Magnesium 5:201-10, 1986.

• [7] Bennett CPW, McEwen LM, McEwen HC, Rose EL. The Shipley Project: treating food allergy to prevent criminal behaviour in community settings. J Nutr Environ Med 8:77-83, 1998.

• [8] Kirow GK, Birch NJ, Steadman P, Ramsey RG. Plasma magnesium levels in a population of psychiatric patients: correlation with symptoms. Neuropsychobiology 30(2-3):73-8, 1994.

• [9] Kantak KM. Magnesium deficiency alters aggressive behavior and catecholamine function. Behav Neurosci 102(2):304-11, 1988

• [10] Buist RA. Anxiety neurosis: The lactate connection. Int Clin Nutr Rev 5:1-4, 1985.

• [11] Seelig MS, Berger AR, Spieholz N. Latent tetany and anxiety, marginal Mg deficit, and normocalcemia. Dis Nerv Syst 36:461-5, 1975.

• [12] Durlach J, Durlach V, Bac P, et al. Magnesium and therapeutics. Magnes Res 7(3/4):313-28, 1994.

• [13] Durlach J. Clinical aspects of chronic magnesium deficiency, in MS Seelig, Ed. Magnesium in Health and Disease. New York, Spectrum Publications, 1980.

• [14] Kozielec T, Starobrat-Hermelin B. Assessment of magnesium levels in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Magnes Res 10(2):143-8, 1997.

• [15] Kozielec T, Starobrat-Hermelin B. Assessment of magnesium levels in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Magnes Res 10(2):143-8, 1997.

• [16] Starobrat-Hermelin B, Kozielec T. The effects of magnesium physiological supplementation on hyperactivity in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Positive response to magnesium oral loading test. Magnes Res 10(2):149-56, 1997.

• [17] George MS, Rosenstein D, Rubinow DR, et al. CSF magnesium in affective disorder: lack of correlation with clinical course of treatment. Psychiatry Res 51(2):139-46, 1994.

• [18] Kirov GK, Birch NJ, Steadman P, Ramsey RG. Plasma magnesium levels in a population of psychiatric patients: correlations with symptoms. Neuropsychobiology 1994;30(2-3):73-8, 1994.

• [19] Linder J et al. Calcium and magnesium concentrations in affective disorder: Difference between plasma and serum in relation to symptoms. Acta Psychiatr Scand 80:527-37, 1989

• [20] Frazer A et al. Plasma and erythrocyte electrolytes in affective disorders. J Affect Disord 5(2):103-13, 1983.

• [21] Bjorum N. Electrolytes in blood in endogenous depression. Acta Psychiatr Scand 48:59-68, 1972.

• [22] Cade JFJA. A significant elevation of plasma magnesium levels in schizophrenia and depressive states. Med J Aust 1:195-6, 1964.

• [23] Levine J, Rapoport A, Mashiah M, Dolev E. Serum and cerebrospinal levels of calcium and magnesium in acute versus remitted schizophrenic patients. Neuropsychobiology 33(4):169-72, 1996.

• [24] Kanofsky JD et al. Is iatrogenic hypomagnesemia common in schizophrenia? Abstract. J Am Coll Nutr 10(5):537, 1991.

• [25] Kirov GK, Tsachev KN. Magnesium, schizophrenia and manic-depressive disease. Neuropsychobiology 23(2):79-81, 1990.

• [26] Chhatre SM et al. Serum magnesium levels in schizophrenia. Ind J Med Sci 39(11):259-61, 1985.

• [27] Banki CM, Vojnik M, Papp Z, Balla KZ, Arato M. Cerebrospinal fluid magnesium and calcium related to amine metabolites, diagnosis, and suicide attempts. Biol Psychiatry. 1985 Feb;20(2):163-71.

The Remarkable Healing Properties of Pumpkin Seed

Pumpkin seeds, like all edible seeds, pack an immense nutritional  and medicinal punch. After all, they contain future worlds within their compact structure. As Emerson said, "the creation of a thousand forests is within one acorn."

In order to prepare their "babies" for survival outside the pumpkin, Nature equips these seeds with an extremely dense source of organically-bound nutrients, including exceptionally high levels of key, health-promoting minerals.

For example, a one cup serving (64 grams) of pumpkin seeds has 44% daily value (DV) of zinc, 22% of copper, 42% magnesium, 16% manganese, 17% potassium, and enough iron (17% DV) to improve iron-deficiency associated anemia.

But beyond the obvious nutritional virtues of the seed, recent scientific investigations have revealed that pumpkin seed meal, as well as its pressed oil, may have great value in alleviating the following conditions:

Prostate Growth: pumpkin seed has been studied for its ability to inhibit testosterone-induced prostate growth, a common causative factor in benign prostatic hyperplasia.[i] [ii]

Postmenopausal Symptoms: Women supplemented with 2,000 mg of pumpkin seed oil over the course of 12 weeks were found to have reduced blood pressure, increased HDL cholesterol, as well as reduction in the severity of hormone insufficiency associated symptoms, e.g. hot flash, headaches and join pain.[iii]  Additional experimental research indicates that adverse cardiovascular changes associated with estrogen deficiency, such as blood pressure and lipid abnormalities, can be mitigated with pumpkin seed oil. [iv]

Calcium-Oxalate Kidney Stones: According to a study performed in 1987 and published in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition, children with calcium-oxalate crystals in their urine responded favorably to the supplementation of their diet with pumpkin seeds.[v]

Cardiovascular and Liver Disease: A mixture of flaxseed and pumpkin seed was found to have heart-protective and liver-protective properties in an animal study from 2008 published in the Journal of Food Chemistry & Toxicology.[vi]

Drug & Chemical Toxicity: The protein isolate of pumpkin seed has been shown to alleviate acetaminophen (Tylenol) toxicity on the liver,[vii] and as methotrexate-induced small intestine damage in an animal model.[viii] It has also been studied to protect against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury.[ix]

Arthritis: Pumpkin seed oil was found to compare favorably with the NSAID drug indomethacin in an experimental model of arthritis, but without causing liver damage, in a study published in 1995 in the journal of Pharmacological Research.[x]

Hypertension: Animals fed pumpkin seed oil were found to respond more favorably to conventional drug-treatment with Ace-inhibitors and  Calcium Channel Blockers, likely because of its beneficial antioxidant properties.[xi]

Parasites: A preclinical canine study has shown that pumpkin seeds have significant activity against canine intestinal parasites.[xii]

Insomnia/Anxiety:  Pumpkin seeds contain a high level of tryptophan (22mg/gram of pumpkin seed protein), the amino acid precursor to serotonin – which is itself converted to melatonin, the "sleep hormone," in the evening. Research published in 2007 in the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology found that when de-oiled pumpkin seed  was taken in combination with glucose, a clinical effect similar to that of pharmaceutical-grade tryptophan was achieved.[xiii]  A 2005 study published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience found that pumpkin seed sourced tryptophan in combination with carbohydrate was as effective as pharmaceutical tryptophan in reducing awake time during the night.

These, of course, are only some of the experimentally confirmed beneficial properties of pumpkin seed. Like all foods, there are likely countless properties which within the right context, the right timing, and the right amount, fulfill Hippocrates' age-old and timelessly true proclamation that food can be our medicine.

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[i] Inhibition of testosterone-induced hyperplasia of the prostate of sprague-dawley rats by pumpkin seed oil.  QJM. 2008 Mar;101(3):167-79. Epub 2008 Jan 25. PMID: 16822218

[ii] Pumpkin seed oil and phytosterol-F can block testosterone/prazosin-induced prostate growth in rats.  Urol Int. 2006;77(3):269-74. PMID: 17033217

[iii] Improvement in HDL cholesterol in postmenopausal women supplemented with pumpkin seed oil: pilot study. Climacteric. 2011 May 5. Epub 2011 May 5. PMID: 21545273

[iv] Supplementation with pumpkin seed oil improves plasma lipid profile and cardiovascular outcomes of female non-ovariectomized and ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rats. Phytother Res. 2008 Jul;22(7):873-7. PMID: 18567058

[v] The effect of pumpkin seeds on oxalcrystalluria and urinary compositions of children in hyperendemic area.  Am J Clin Nutr. 1987 Jan;45(1):115-21. PMID: 3799495

[vi] Hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective effects of flax and pumpkin seed mixture rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in hypercholesterolemic rats. Food Chem Toxicol. 2008 Dec;46(12):3714-20. Epub 2008 Oct 1. PMID: 18938206

[vii] In Vitro antioxidative activity of pumpkin seed (Cucurbita pepo) protein isolate and its In Vivo effect on alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase in acetaminophen-induced liver injury in low protein fed rats. Phytother Res. 2006 Sep ;20(9):780-3. PMID: 16807884

[viii] Protective effect of ellagic acid and pumpkin seed oil against methotrexate-induced small intestine damage in rats. Indian J Biochem Biophys. 2011 Dec ;48(6):380-7. PMID: 22329239

[ix] Effect of pumpkin seed (Cucurbita pepo) protein isolate on the activity levels of certain plasma enzymes in CCl4-induced liver injury in low-protein fed rats.  Phytother Res. 2005 Apr ;19(4):341-5. PMID: 16041732

[x] Effect of pumpkin-seed oil on the level of free radical scavengers induced during adjuvant-arthritis in rats. Pharmacol Res. 1995 Jan;31(1):73-9. PMID: 7784309

[xi] Pumpkin-seed oil modulates the effect of felodipine and captopril in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Pharmacol Res. 2000 May;41(5):555-63. PMID: 10753555

[xii] [Preclinical studies of cucurbita maxima (pumpkin seeds) a traditional intestinal antiparasitic in rural urban areas]. Rev Gastroenterol Peru. 2004 Oct-Dec;24(4):323-7. PMID: 15614300

[xiii] Protein-source tryptophan as an efficacious treatment for social anxiety disorder: a pilot study. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2007 Sep;85(9):928-32. PMID: 18066139

7 Benefits of Quinoa: The Supergrain of the Future

Quinoa dates back three to four thousand years ago when the Incas first realized that the quinoa seed was fit for human consumption. According to WHFoods quinoa “was the gold of the Incas” because the Incas believed it increased the stamina of their warriors. The Quinoa Corporation calls quinoa the “Supergrain of the Future. ”

Here are seven health benefits of quinoa:

1. Quinoa is one of the most protein-rich foods we can eat. It is a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids.

2. Quinoa contains almost twice as much fiber as most other grains. Fiber is most widely known to relieve constipation. It also helps to prevent heart disease by reducing high blood pressure and diabetes. Fiber lowers cholesterol and glucose levels, may lower your risk of developing hemorrhoids and may help you to lose weight as it takes a longer time to chew than does other foods because it makes you feel fuller for longer and is less “energy dense” which means it has fewer calories for the same volume of food.

3. Quinoa contains Iron. Iron helps keep our red blood cells healthy and is the basis of hemoglobin formation. Iron carries oxygen from one cell to another and supplies oxygen to our muscles to aid in their contraction. Iron also increases brain function because the brain takes in about 20% of our blood oxygen. There are many benefits of iron some more of which include neurotransmitter synthesis, regulation of body temperature, aids enzyme activity and energy metabolism.

4. Quinoa contains lysine. Lysine is mainly essential for tissue growth and repair.

5. Quinoa is rich in magnesium. Magnesium helps to relax blood vessels and thereby to alleviate migraines. Magnesium also may reduce Type 2 diabetes by promoting healthy blood sugar control. Other health benefits of magnesium include transmission of nerve impulses, body temperature regulation, detoxification, energy production, and the formation of healthy bones and teeth.

6. Quinoa is high in Riboflavin (B2). B2 improves energy metabolism within brain and muscle cells and is known to help create proper energy production in cells.

7. Quinoa has a high content of manganese. Manganese is an antioxidant, which helps to prevent damage of mitochondria during energy production as well as to protect red blood cells and other cells from injury by free radicals.

Vitamins and Minerals: How to Get What You Need

Vitamins and Minerals: How to Get What You Need
What are micronutrients?  Calcium, Potassium, Fiber, Magnesium, Vitamins A, C and E

Calcium: Your body needs calcium to build strong bones and teeth in childhood and adolescence. As an adult, you need calcium to maintain bone mass. According to the USDA, the average American adult (eating roughly 2,000 calories per day) should get 1,136 milligrams of calcium each day. The following foods are good sources of calcium:

• Nonfat or low-fat yogurt (8 ounces = 345-452 milligrams)

• Nonfat or low-fat cheese (2 ounces = 400 milligrams)

• Low-fat milk (1 cup = 290 milligrams) or skim milk (1 cup = 306 milligrams)

• Fish and seafood such as sardines (3 ounces = 325 milligrams), pink salmon (3 ounces = 181 milligrams) and ocean perch (3 ounces = 116 milligrams)

• Beans such as soybeans (1/2 cup = 130 milligrams) and white beans (1/2 cup = 96 milligrams

• Spinach (1/2 cup = 146 milligrams)

• Oatmeal (1 packet = 99-110 milligrams

Potassium: A diet rich in potassium helps your body maintain a healthy blood pressure. The USDA recommends that the average American consume 4,044 milligrams of potassium each day. The following foods are good sources of potassium:

• Sweet potatoes (1 sweet potato = 694 milligrams) and regular potatoes (1 potato = 610 milligrams)

• Beans such as white beans (1/2 cup = 595 milligrams), soybeans (1/2 cup = 485 milligrams), lima beans (1/2 cup = 484 milligrams) and kidney beans (1/2 cup = 358 milligrams)

• Nonfat yogurt (8 ounces = 579 milligrams) or low-fat yogurt (8 ounces = 531 milligrams)

• Skim milk (1 cup = 382 milligrams) or low-fat milk (1 cup = 366 milligrams)

• Fruit such as bananas (1 medium banana = 422 milligrams), peaches (1/4 cup = 398 milligrams), cantaloupe (1/4 medium melon = 368 milligrams), and honeydew melon (1/8 medium melon = 365 milligrams)

• Fish such as halibut (3 ounces = 490 milligrams), yellowfin tuna (3 ounces = 484 milligrams), rockfish (3 ounces = 442 milligrams) and cod (3 ounces = 439 milligrams)

• Tomato paste (1/4 cup = 664 milligrams), puree (1/2 cup = 549 milligrams), juice (3/4 cup = 417 milligrams) and sauce (1/2 cup = 405 milligrams)

Magnesium: A nutrient that helps your body produce energy, and helps your muscles, arteries and heart work properly. According to the USDA, the average American adult should get 380 milligrams of magnesium each day. The following foods are good sources of magnesium:

• Vegetables such as pumpkin (1 ounce = 151 milligrams), spinach (1/2 cup = 81 milligrams) and artichokes (1/2 cup = 50 milligrams)

• Bran cereal (1 ounce = 103 milligrams)

• Beans such as soybeans (1/2 cup = 74 milligrams), white beans (1/2 cup = 67 milligrams), black beans (1/2 cup = 60 milligrams), navy beans (1/2 cup = 48 milligrams) and great northern beans (1/2 cup = 44 milligrams)

• Tofu (1/2 cup = 47 milligrams)

• Brown rice (1/2 cup = 42 milligrams)

• Nuts such as brazil nuts (1 ounce = 107 milligrams), almonds (1 ounce = 78 milligrams), cashews (1 ounce = 74 milligrams) and peanuts (1 ounce = 50 milligrams)

Vitamin A: is associated with vision development and cellular growth and maintenance. The following foods are good sources of vitamin A:

• Organ meats such as liver and giblets (3 ounces = 1490-9126 micrograms)

• Vegetables such as sweet potatoes (1 medium potato = 1096 micrograms), pumpkin (1/2 cup = 953 micrograms), carrots (1/2 cup = 679 micrograms), spinach (1/2 cup = 573 micrograms) and turnip greens (1/2 cup = 441 micrograms)

• Cantaloupe (1/4 medium melon = 233 micrograms)

Vitamin C:  helps the body form collagen (which is the main protein used as connective tissue in the body) in blood vessels, bones, cartilage and muscle. The following foods are good sources of vitamin C:

• Fruits such as guava (1/2 cup = 188 milligrams), oranges (1 medium orange = 70 milligrams), kiwi (1 medium kiwi = 70 milligrams), strawberries (1/2 cup = 49 milligrams), cantaloupe (1/4 medium melon = 47 milligrams), papaya (1/4 medium papaya = 47 milligrams), pineapple (1/2 cup = 28 milligrams) and mango (1/2 cup = 23 milligrams)

• Vegetables such as raw red sweet pepper (1/2 cup = 142 milligrams), raw green sweet pepper (1/2 cup = 60 milligrams), Brussels sprouts (1/2 cup = 48 milligrams), broccoli (1/2 cup 38 milligrams), sweet potatoes (1/2 cup = 34 milligrams) and cauliflower (1/2 cup = 28 milligrams)

Vitamin E: an antioxidant, which is a nutrient that helps fight damage to the cells in the body.
The following foods are good sources of vitamin E:

• Nuts and seeds such as sunflower seeds (1 ounce = 7.4 milligrams), almonds (1 ounce = 7.3 milligrams), hazelnuts (1 ounce = 4.3 milligrams), pine nuts (1 ounce = 2.6 milligrams), peanuts (1 ounce = 2.2 milligrams) and brazil nuts (1 ounce = 1.6 milligrams)

• Turnip greens (1/2 cup = 2.9 milligrams)

• Peanut butter (2 tablespoons = 2.5 milligrams)

• Spinach (1/2 cup = 1.9 milligrams) and avocado (1/2 avocado = 2.1 milligrams)

• Tomato paste (1/4 cup = 2.8 milligrams), sauce (1/2 cup = 2.5 milligrams) and puree (1/2 cup = 2.5 milligrams)

Other Organizations

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Source

Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals found in food that nourish your body and help keep you healthy.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), adult Americans do not typically get enough of the following nutrients:

Try to incorporate more of these nutrients in your daily diet. Keep in mind that it's best to consume a variety of foods, instead of just taking a multivitamin, to make sure that your body is able to absorb the micronutrients properly. If you are unable to get all the nutrients you need from food alone, ask your doctor if dietary supplements are right for you.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005. 6th Edition by U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, DC (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture January 01, 2005,http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/)

Health Benefits of Almonds

Getting up in the morning with a headache is the worst feeling in the world. For many of us headache is a stark reality. When it strikes everything comes to a halt. You can not put your mind into any thing until you are relieved from it. Also you have no idea when, where or why it strikes.

Worse, unlike migraine it is not a documented disease. People do not go to doctor for treatment of a headache, even if it causes them as much distress and handicap as say, a migraine.

Don't we all just take an over the counter drug and get on with it? While it gives immediate relief, taking un-prescribed drugs frequently has its pitfalls.The danger also lies in the fact that popping the pill too frequently might make you resistant to it.

Lot of theories go around regarding the reasons of headache. Some of them are:

• Poor diet
• Stress and anxiety
• Lack of sleep
• Poor posture
• Not drinking enough water
• Depression
• Eyestrain
• Excessive caffeine consumption
• Artificial sweeteners
• Consuming something that one is allergic to Etc.

None of them made any sense to me. Then a friend recommended almonds, which according to her helped. But she recommended that they needed to be eaten slowly. Using your teeth to slowly shave the surface and digesting with your saliva.

After getting relief from this perennial problem I decided to find out the reason behind the almond's pain relieving properties.

To my surprise I found ample material online that substantiates my belief in almond's ability to relieve headache. Following are some important facts about almond's pain relieving qualities:

Health Benefits of Almonds:
• Almonds contain a natural pain-killing agent called salicin. This agent is also contained in over the counter pain killers like asprin.
• Almonds offer other health benefits such as the ability to lower blood cholesterol levels and to regulate blood pressure.
• Almonds contain high level of magnesium, that helps in muscle relaxation and minimizing nerve excitability therefore, it helps to reduce headaches due to stress and anxiety.

Almond is used as a pain reliever in traditional medicines because of these qualities. They can be eaten in any way. They can be soaked overnight, or just popped during meals, or munched as a between meals heath snack. 10-12 almonds should be eaten daily for general health benefit.

Apart from this some life style changes like good sleep, healthy diet, regular exercise, and drinking 8-10 glasses of water every day are important for a healthy and fulfilling life.