Tag: Mineral

Phosphorus: 6 important facts 🙌

by drjurisharma, posted in Life

1. Phosphorus is an abundant mineral present in the body. It is found mostly intracellular and in bones and teeth. We get ample amount of Phosphorus from dietary sources. The kidneys remove the excess Phosphorus. Though mostly ignored, this mineral is essential for many vital functions in the body.


2. Functions are primarily :
– Strengthen bones along with Calcium
– Detoxifies the body by helping the kidneys to eliminate the wastes.
– Maintain the ph balance
– Improves digestion
– Assists in the production of energy molecules ATP and releases the energy by breaking the phosphate bonds
– RNA and DNA synthesis
– Needed for growth and development (especially children)
– For Cognitive health
– For dental health

3. Phosphorus level is essential in the body with a standard range of 2.5 to 4.5 mg/dl. Usually, excess Phosphorus gets eliminated by the kidneys. But when the kidneys are weak like in chronic kidney diseases, the extra level in the body can cause damage to organs. High level of Phosphorus can pull the Calcium from the bones, making them weaker and brittle. High level of Calcium and Phosphorus can cause calcium deposits in the heart, blood vessels, eyes and lungs. Such an individual has a higher risk of stroke and heart attack.

4. Sources: Plant sources are mainly in the form of phytates. Other sources are dairy, cereals, meat and fishes.
Familiar sources available: Lentils, cheese, yoghurt, almonds, halibut, turkey, chicken and beef.
A healthy adult requires about 700mg/day.
Growing children, pregnant and breastfeeding women require more of Phosphorus for proper growth and development.

5. Hypophosphatemia: When the serum level is below 2.5mg/dl.
Causes: Usually, the deficiency is rare as enough of Phosphorus is available from food sources.
Certain Conditions where Hypophosphatemia occurs:
Reduced intake in the diet,
Alcoholism,
Vitamin D deficiency, alkalosis,
Diabetic ketoacidosis,
Hyperparathyroidism
People who have renal insufficiency (acute tubular necrosis)
People on renal therapies.
People on parenteral nutrition
Hypomagnesemia/ Hypokalemia
Anabolic steroids
Diuretics
The symptoms are Fragile bones, bone pain, stiff joints, irregular breathing (arrhythmia), anxiety, fatigue, loss of appetite, irritability, tingling and numbness.
Usually, dietary sources are advised for deficiency. If severe, clinically treated with parenteral supplementation.

6. Hyperphosphatemia: When the serum level is more than 4.5mg/dl.
The causes are:
Excess oral sources,
Renal insufficiency like in Chronic kidney diseases
Cellular necrosis,
Excess use of laxatives,
Diabetic ketoacidosis
Hypoparathyroidism
Cell lysis like in tumour lysis syndrome,
The symptoms are Anorexia, neuromuscular cramps, tingling, calcification of soft tissues, joints, cornea, blood vessels (like in ESRD end-stage renal disease), Arterioslecrosis,
It is usually recommended by Physician to limit the dietary sources, use of phosphate binders, renal replacement therapies like Haemodialysis depending on the actual cause.
This post gives general information about understanding the importance of Phosphorus in our body. It’s not for clinical purpose or recommendation.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

 

 

 

 

Potassium: Facts to know 🙌

by drjurisharma, posted in Life

Hello everyone ! Have a great and safe day 🙋🏻

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Potassium is an essential mineral which is used as an electrolyte by our body to conduct electrical impulses throughout our body to carry out many vital functions like blood pressure regulation. Since our body doesn’t produce Potassium on its own, it has to be sourced from the food items, we eat.

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Other vital functions of Potassium include
fluid balance,
muscle contractions,
nerve impulses,
Heart rythm
aid in digestion
Maintain the ph balance

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People get enough necessary Potassium by eating a healthy balanced diet. Too little Potassium state is called Hypokalaemia may cause health problems. The Hypokalaemic condition is diagnosed by a blood level of less than 3.5 mmol/lit. Similarly, high potassium state is called Hyperkalaemia when blood level is more than 5.0 mmol/lit, which also causes health issues. So, the right balance is required. Daily Potassium requirement for the body is 3500 – 4700 mg per day. So, that is quite a massive amount of quantity for daily consumption.

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Naturally, the kidneys maintain the level of Potassium in the body with the excess being eliminated in the urine. Majority of the Potassium in the body that is almost 98% is stored inside each bodily cell and the rest in liver, RBCs and bone.

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Hypokalaemia: Symptoms can be muscular cramps, spasms, fatigue, constipation and irregular heartbeats. Health problems that cause this state can be:

Diuretics (water pills for high BP)
Excessive fluid loss (diarrhoea, vomiting, sweating)
Kidney diseases
Magnesium deficiency

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The sources of Potassium-rich food are Avocado, Potatoes, sweet potatoes, all greens, most of the varieties of beans, Salmon, bananas.

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Hyperkalaemia: In a healthy individual, the condition of Hyperkalaemia usually is not seen. So, there is no adverse effect on consuming potassium-rich food daily. However, such a state is seen in people with compromised kidney functions like in chronic kidney diseases, and those who take medications that affect kidney functions like blood pressure medication (ACE inhibitors). The most common symptom of Hyperkalaemia is abnormal heartbeat called Arrhythmia. Calcium gluconate is usually used to stabilize such cases.

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In such an individual, food that is known to be rich sources of Potassium should be avoided.

Potassium is crucial for the body’s vital functions. To maintain the correct blood potassium level, consuming varieties of food items are good enough, to add up to a group of 4700 mg per day. Over the counter, Potassium supplements can provide only a small fraction of it, which is hardly useful. So, it is not recommended to use Potassium supplements unless specifically prescribed by your Physician.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

 

Magnesium : A mineral with great benefits 🙌

by drjurisharma, posted in Life

Hello everyone. Have a beautiful and safe day 🙋🏻

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Being irritable at times, feeling less energetic, having sleep disturbances may not be familiar with me alone but with many of you as well. We blame it to our lifestyle of working up to late hours, stress, anxiety or maybe having too much tea/ coffee in the day. But, we fail to understand that this could be the reason for the deficiency of mineral-like Magnesium—an unknown epidemic which most of us are generally not acquainted. About 80% of the population suffer from magnesium deficiency, so imagine how prevalent the problem exists.

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A vital mineral as well as an electrolyte, Magnesium is used in many biochemical processes within our body. Lifestyle habits like stress, anxiety, lack of sleep, sugar intake, having carbonated drinks can deplete magnesium storage in the body. Even the soil where crops and greens are grown can be devoid of Magnesium. Therefore, many reasons contribute to magnesium deficiency issue. So, despite following a healthy diet, we may end up having a magnesium deficiency.

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Magnesium is a vital mineral used as a co-factor in many of the essential enzymatic biochemical processes. Energy production cycle called the Krebs cycle; it plays an important role. Magnesium contributes as a vasodilator, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant. It is used in a considerable amount in the mineralisation of bones. Almost 60% of Magnesium is stored in bones, and the rest is stored in the red blood cells, kidney.
Clinically, Magnesium deficiency or Hypomagnesemia is measured by a blood test or magnesium level in urine. But, despite being such a common problem, many physicians failed to acknowledge it because of lack of enough researches or maybe it isn’t easy to measure the exact level in the body.

Some common causes of magnesium deficiency are:

1. Decreased intake: High intake of processed food and prolonged fasting.
2. Malabsorption: Irritable bowel syndrome-like Crohn’s disease, frequent laxative use and diarrhoea.
3, Certain conditions like SIADH (a condition in which the body secretes too much of antidiuretic hormone),
4, Acute pancreatitis, Burns, lactation, diabetes, excessive sweating and alcoholism.
5. Medication that causes of depletion of stored Magnesium are antibiotics, antivirals, antiepileptics,
6. Uses of Cisplatin, corticosteroids, proton pump inhibitors and diuretics.

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Some common symptoms are :
1. Muscle twitching, cramps, spasm.
2.Tiredness, dysphagia.

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3. Irregular heartbeats.
4. Migraine headache.
5. Insomnia
6. Kidney stones
7. Weight gain
8. Anxiety
9.Autoimmune diseases
10. Ringing in the ears.

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Usually, the ideal dose is about 400mg/day. The important sources can be dietary sources like Almonds, nuts, seeds, spinach, pulses.
Other methods are magnesium ionic drops, magnesium oils for body massage and supplements. Oral supplements are available in bound form like Mg oxide, citrate, glutamate, glycinate, taurate and so on. But, supplementation should be used under a physician’s supervision.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

 

 

 

Selenium : An amazing mineral 😇

by drjurisharma, posted in Uncategorized

Hello everyone 🤗 Have a wonderful day and stay safe 🙋🏻

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Today, I am going to write about an amazing mineral called Selenium. This mineral is present as a trace mineral in the body’s skeletal muscles. It is an essential mineral which acts as a coenzyme to some almost 25 proteins in the body. Its main function is that it is a powerful antioxidant, protects our body from the damage of oxidative stress caused by free radicals, helps in maintaining a healthy immune system, also improves our cognitive functions. The ideal dose of Selenium as a daily intake is 55 mcg. The therapeutic dose is usually recommended as 200 mcg. A person can tolerate safely up to 400 mcg of selenium daily but beyond that, there are chances of selenium toxicity. Researches have shown that there are 2 forms of Selenium: Organic as selenomethionine and inorganic as selenite or selenate. So, the sources of selenium can be both dietary and supplementation.

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 8 amazing benefits of Selenium are :

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Glutathione structure

1.The most powerful benefit is that selenium is involved in the synthesis of glutathione which is a powerful antioxidant and protects the body from oxidative stress caused by free radicals, heavy metals, harmful chemicals, or too much sugar causing damage to the nerve, muscle cells in the body. This is why selenium is very useful for people with chronic conditions like Diabetes, heart issues, peripheral neuropathy. It also helps in reducing the complications of such chronic conditions. It protects the brain and nervous system.

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 2.Another important benefit of selenium is that it helps in the proper functioning of the thyroid gland and the synthesis of the thyroid hormones. Therefore, a person with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune thyroid diseases where the production of thyroid hormones become low, selenium is of great help. It also helps in reducing significantly the thyroid peroxidase antibodies. This is why, selenium is recommended as therapeutic supplement in such conditions. 

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3.Selenium has a high impact on our immune system. It helps in the increase production of activated T cells and natural killer cells making the immune system strong and reduces the susceptibility to viral infections, diseases and tumours. It also reduces inflammation in the body.

4. It helps to protect us from the damage of mercury. Consuming fishes and shellfish, we are exposed to Methylmercury, an organic form of mercury which isn’t good for the body at all. It may have a toxic effect on the nervous system, kidney, lungs, skin and in eyes. Selenium which is also present in fishes counteract with the mercury and make it inactive thereby protecting the body from the toxicity.

5. Anti Cancer effect: Since it reduces the oxidative stress in the body , therby reducing the damage to DNA Mitochrondria. This effect can counteract the carcinogens of harmful chemicals and toxins that enters the body through various sources.

6. Liver disease: Selenium helps to prevent or rather helps in reducing liver damage caused like alcohol use, obesity and liver scarring called Cirrhosis.

7. Prostate : It helps to reduce certain condition of prostate like Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy.

8. Arsenic: It helps to reduce the effect of Arsenic Poisoning.

Though selenium has some amazing benefits, it is wise to take the appropriate amount daily. Just as the deficiency can cause certain problems in the body, the excess quantity can cause certain toxicity.

Deficiency of Selenium:
Compromised immune system causing us more susceptible to disease.
Cognitive problems like difficulty in thinking and concentrating.
Infertility.
Hair loss
Weight gain.

Some effects of Selenium toxicity :
Skin rashes
Nervous system abnormalities.
Fatigue
Diarrhoea.

Finally, the dietary sources of Selenium:

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Brazil nuts: Though brazil nuts are highest in selenium concentration. They have another substance called Phytic acid which makes the selenium difficult to absorb in the body. So, brazil nuts should be soaked overnight so that the layer of Phytic acid is removed and the selenium can be absorbed properly.

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Grains, bread.

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Fishes like tuna, salmon, sardines, halibut.
Poultry.
Eggs.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐