A newly developed magnesium supplement may help boost memory.

Late last year I predicted that 2010 would be magnesium’s year.  And with the latest study on magnesium, my prediction is bearing fruit.

True, magnesium hasn’t dominated the health headlines this year like, say, vitamin D has in terms of frequency.  But in terms of import, magnesium’s time to shine is now, as a recent study suggests that this magnificent mineral helps buoy one’s memory.

Researchers from Israel’s Tel Aviv University recognized magnesium’s magnificence after supplementing two groups of rats with the same food regimen, but tinkered with one of the rat groupings by adding a new-fangled magnesium supplement that purports to better penetrate the brain than contemporary magnesium supplements.

Through brain scans and cognitive tests, researchers found that, indeed, the magnesium-supplemented group outperformed the other group both in cognitive function and brain development.

In a statement, the researchers said they were “pleased” by the findings, but they couldn’t help but be somewhat disconcerted by the findings at the same time.

Apparently when they used over the counter magnesium supplements, there was no measurable difference in cognition between the two groups.

Translation:  According to the researchers, magnesium supplements on the market today don’t help with brain function.

Now, this study should not suggest that magnesium supplements on the market don’t work period, only that they don’t seem to be effective for brain health and development.  Researchers are confident, however, that when the new and improved magnesium supplement becomes commercially available—magnesium-L-theronate, or MgT— it will help make memories magnificent.

In the meantime, increase your magnesium intake by supplementing with – you guessed it – magnesium-rich foods.

Some of the richest magnesium sources come from seeds (like pumpkin seeds), leafy greens (like spinach) and beans (like black beans).  A quarter cup of pumpkin seeds has 184 milligrams of magnesium, a cup of boiled spinach has 156 milligrams and a cup of black beans has 120 milligrams.

Not to be outdone as a solid source for magnesium is salmon.  A four-ounce serving of salmon has 138 milligrams of magnesium.  Other significant sources for magnesium in the seafaring family include halibut (4 oz.=121 mg), scallops (4 oz.=77 mg), tuna (4 oz.=72 mg) and shrimp (4 oz.=38 mg).

Adult men should be getting at least 420 milligrams of magnesium per day, while women should get about 320 milligrams per day.

Sources:
whfoods.com
newsmaxhealth.com

Hey, fellas: Lower your risk for bladder cancer by eating these vegetables.

When it comes to bladder cancer, men are three times more likely to develop it than women.  One way to decrease this risk is to do the very thing that your parents told you to do since you were a youngin’:  Eat your vegetables.

Now, if you were anything like me when you were young, you didn’t give two hoots about vitamins and minerals.  All you cared about was when you could be dismissed from the table so you could go back out and play.

But now that you’re older—and hopefully a bit wiser—you’re taking advantage of the things you didn’t fully appreciate when you were a young whippersnapper.  You’re eating better, trying to get as much exercise as possible, and doing you’re darndest to avoid devastating diseases.  And as researchers from Australia have found, you’re decreasing your risk for bladder cancer by eating right.

Researchers from the Cancer Council Victoria in Australia reviewed the eating habits of about 565 people, approximately half of whom had previously been diagnosed with bladder cancer.  The remaining participants were healthy adults that served as controls.

These healthy controls had a lot in common, though.  Besides being the only ones in the study without bladder cancer, they were also considerably higher in specific nutrients.  And these nutrients were associated with a protection from bladder cancer.

For example, blood work analysis found that the people that had the highest concentrations of vitamin E were 34 percent less likely to develop bladder cancer.  But that was nothing compared to people who had high concentrations of phosphorus.  For them, the bladder cancer risk was reduced by 51 percent!

Other vitamins and minerals that had protective properties included vitamin D, niacin, and carotenoids.  Carotenoids are naturally occurring pigments found in brightly colored fresh fruits and veggies.  They’re a form of vitamin A.

The study was published in the journal Cancer Causes and Control and was funded in part by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Cancer Institute at the US National Institutes of Health.

Fortunately, these vitamins and minerals (with the exception of vitamin D) aren’t hard to find in the food supply.  But if you’re looking for a specific vegetables for specific minerals and vitamins:

Phosphorus sources:  Chickpeas, lentils, garlic, soybeans

Vitamin E sources:  Spinach, broccoli, wheat germ

Niacin sources:  crimini mushrooms, asparagus, romaine lettuce

Sources:
naturodoc.com
nutraingredients.com
ods.od.nih.gov
whfoods.org