Diet, Mineral Imbalances and Kidney Function

[Guest guest]

How Food Can Increase Urine Flow

JoAnn Guest

Oct 28, 2004 22:47 PDT

 

Natural Diuretics –

How Food Can Increase Urine Flow

 

Technically, plants do not function as diuretics the same way

prescription drugs do, says Purdue University expert, Dr. Varro

Tyler. Pharmaceutical diuretics increase the *excretion* of

water, 'important minerals' and salt.

 

Plant diuretics should more accurately be called " aquaretics " , says

Dr. Tyler because they cause a loss of " water " rather than essential

minerals and sodium.

Some do this by irritating the cellular filters (glomeruli) of the

kidney.

 

A fairly potent food " aquaretic " is parsley, says Dr. Tyler. He

says you will get an effect by drinking parsley tea.

Put a couple of heaping teaspoons of dried parsley in a cup of

boiling water. He also rates theopylline (in tea) as a better

diuretic than caffeine.

 

Here is a list of some common foods that exert

Natural *Diuretic* Activity

 

Anise, Asparagus, Celery, Coriander, Cumin, Eggplant, Endive, fresh

Garlic, and Juniper berries,

Lemon, Licorice, Nutmeg (organic), Onion, Parsley, Watermelon and

watermelon seeds tea, Parsnips, Peppermint, and herbal teas.

 

---

Fluid Retention and minerals

 

Normal blood pressure is vital to the nutrition of our cells. When

the blood in the capillary beds becomes concentrated from the loss

of plasma,the blood protein (albumin) attracts tissue fluids that

carry waste into the blood vessels.

 

Thus, by virtue of the blood pressure, all tissues are constantly

bathed in fresh, nutrient-laden fluids. Also, the breakdown products

from worn-out cells are removed.

 

However, when larger amounts of oxygen and nutrients are needed,

the contraction of tiny muscles in the arterial walls causes the

pressure to increase-- and supplies to be pushed more quickly to the

cells. On the other hand, if few nutrients are required, these

muscles relax, the pressure decreases, and food is conserved.

 

As the blood pressure goes up, the heart muscle must work harder to

push blood throughout the body. Just as with other muscles in the

body,

the heart can compensate for the extra work by getting bigger and

stronger, but over the years, the heart basically gets worn out.

 

Two things usually happen to the heart as a result.

First, hypertension accelerates atherosclerosis by stressing and

damaging the inside lining of the arteries, promoting plaque

formation. Since the heart is working harder, it requires a greater

blood supply.

Too much arterial *plaque* can slow or stop the supply to the heart,

resulting in a heart attack.

 

Second, hypertension damages the capillaries throughout the body,

including the heart muscle.

As a result, the muscle cells don't get the oxygen and nutrients

they need as easily, and the heart doesn't beat as strongly.

 

Slowly the heart chambers begin to dilate in an attempt to maintain

the blood pressure, but eventually this fails.

The heart becomes enlarged, floppy and ineffective in pumping blood,

and the result is congestive heart failure.

 

---------------------------

When people consume a higher level of potassium in their diets, they

*excrete* more " sodium " in their urine. But when the opposite is

true,

they retain excess sodium in fluids surrounding cells in the body.

Urinalysis can determine if your potassium and sodium intakes are

out of balance, and if either is too high or low.

 

Potassium- is essential for maintaining the *fluid* balance in our

cells, and is required for the enzymatic reactions taking place

within them.

 

Potassium is used to 'convert' Glucose into Glycogen for storage and

later release. It is also used for nerve transmission, muscle

contraction, hormone secretion and other functions.

 

If a person already has a touch of heart disease, low potassium can

worsen the picture!

 

In the body potassium must exist in balance with sodium. Although

sodium may be an important dietary determinant of blood pressure,

variations in the potassium to sodium ratio in the diet affect blood

pressure under certain circumstances.

 

So when considering potassium levels, we must consider sodium levels

as well and watch out for high sodium foods,

including canned goods, luncheon meats, sausages, and frozen foods.

 

The results of a study done by Harvard researchers suggest that

middle-aged men who eat diets high in potassium have a reduced risk

of stroke.

The researchers looked at the impact of dietary potassium and other

nutrients on the risk of stroke among 43 738 US men, aged from 40 to

75.

The men, who had never been diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases

or diabetes, completed a food questionnaire in 1986.

During 8 years of follow-up, there were 328 strokes.

 

Analysis of the results showed that men in the top fifth of

potassium intake were 38 per cent less likely to have a stroke than

those in the bottom fifth intake.

 

Intakes of whole grain cereal fiber and magnesium, but not calcium

or sodium also reduced the risk of stroke.

Use of potassium supplements also reduced their risks.

 

The authors concluded that the results were " consistent with the

hypothesis that diets rich in potassium, magnesium, and organic

cereal fiber reduce the risk of stroke, particularly among

hypertensive men. "

Circulation 1998; Sep 22, 98:12, 1198-204

 

Food Sources: Potassium is found in a wide range of foods.

Cold-water fish, unprocessed beans, lentils, legumes, organic

fruits, vegetables,and organic whole grains are respectable sources.

 

Monitor your potassium levels-

 

If you are using a diuretic (herbal or otherwise), or are on blood

pressure medication, you may need a physicians prescription for

extra potassium. It would be wise to have your potassium levels

monitored regularly.

 

Remember, when potassium is lost by a " diuretic " drug, so is

magnesium!! You may need to supplement this mineral also!

Magnesium is Critical and Essential!

 

The Journal of the American College of Nutrition reported that

magnesium suppelements are essential for helping control the blood

pressure in people with hypertension and fluid retention.

 

The exact mechanism is not yet completely understood, but it is

thought that magnesium helps *drop* blood pressure by regulating the

*entry-exit* " process " of *calcium* in the smooth muscle cells of

the vascular network.

 

The interaction of magnesium and calcium gives the calcium the

ability to get where it has to in the cells.

Then, magnesium facilitates calcium in getting to the right place

where it has a relaxing effect.

Hypertensives were shown to have significantly *less* magnesium in

their cells than did normal people!

 

The British researchers reported their findings in the " Proceedings

of the National Academy of Science., "

They noted that previous studies had shown magnesium supplementation

to be an effective hypotensive (lowering) agent in various types of

blood pressure.

Intakes of potassium and vitamins A and C were also lower in people

with higher blood pressures, while cholesterol intake was not

consistently different.

 

Calcium should be balanced with magnesium. (Note: Some researchers

say the ratio should be equal. Watch for further studies related to

this.)

And of course, potassium must be taken for additional benefits. You

should include a complete mineral formula which provides:

 

Selenium, zinc, copper, chromium, iodine, boron, manganese,

potassium and vitamin E. It would also be important to include a

complete " stress " vitamin B-complex.

You should check the potencies of your vitamin and mineral formulas

to see if they are adequate.

 

Note: Refined salt is deficient in *natural* minerals, which are

depleted during the 'refining' process. This makes it much more

harmful than sea-salt. Use Celtic sea-salt for maximum health

benefits.

 

 

Pascal's Ribs -

Celery is a member of the umbelliferous family—along with carrots,

parsley and fennel—and is valued for its distinctive flavor and

crisp texture. Served in salads, as a relish, with meats and fish, a

flavoring or vegetable in soups stews and stuffings, celery is

exceptionally low in calories. Originally from the Mediterranean,

celery was cultivated from an indigenous wild celery.

 

Four ribs of celery is about 94 percent water and high in both

potassium and essential naturally occurring sodium.

 

According to James Duke (Handbook of Medicinal Herbs),

" clinically, celery juice has proven 'hypotensive' in those taking

40 milliliters orally three times a day. " Dr. William Elliot (St.

Luke's Medical Center, Chicago) has investigated a component of

celery oil (3-n-butyl phthalide) which is responsible for lowering

systolic blood pressure.

 

In a 1992 abstract (clinical research) Elliot concluded that

*phthalide* directly relaxed vascular smooth muscle through a

mechanism which decreased circulating catecholamines

(amines that stimulate the nervous system).

 

In an earlier paper (1991), Elliot discussed how *phthalide* lowered

systolic blood pressure and its related effects on 'serum

cholesterol' and high density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Celery contains other compounds which are said to enhance the

activity of certain " white blood " cells.

 

A Minneapolis study suggested that the class of bioactive natural

products occurring in edible umbelliferous plants may be effective

as chemo- preventive agents.

---

High Blood Pressure, Sodium Retention and Minerals

---

 

What is behind the new guidelines for treatment of high blood

pressure?

 

In case you missed it, last week new classifications of high blood

pressure and guidelines for treatment were released by the National

Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

 

When I read the newspaper accounts the changes seemed reasonable,

but I was totally disgusted when I read the actual article in JAMA

the Journal of the American Medical Association.

 

Let me first explain the recommendations and then explain why I am

convinced the move is simply designed to put more people on drugs.

 

For more than 3 decades the NHLBI has coordinated a coalition of

major professional organizations and federal agencies to increase

awareness, prevention, treatment, and control of high blood

pressure.

 

The latest report, " The Seventh Report of the Joint National

Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of

High Blood Pressure " (JNC 7) was deemed necessary based on the

publication of many new clinical trials since the sixth version was

released 6 years ago.

 

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and the

chief risk factor for stroke and heart failure, and also can lead to

kidney damage.

 

It affects about 50 million Americans - about one in

four adults and roughly half of the people over 65 years old.

 

With the new classification of " prehypertension " level another 45

million persons are candidates for drug therapy - but, there is a

better way.

 

While I agree 100% with the rationale behind the new classification

and the importance of an optimal blood pressure below 120/80,

what I am totally against are the practical guidelines that

overstress the use of drugs rather than focus on diet, lifestyle,

and appropriate supplementation.

 

Giving people drugs to lower blood pressure is not the best first

step at all. Diet, lifestyle modification, and proper

supplementation

should be the first steps.

 

High blood pressure may be the body's reaction to perceived danger;

sympathetic nervous system activity constricts

peripheral arteries in order to maintain circulation to the brain.

As a short-term response to actual danger, this pattern is not

harmful, but if the sympathetic nerves and the arteries they control

never relax,

damage to the cardiovascular system and kidneys can

result, and heart attacks and strokes are likely.

 

Dietary modification is an effective way to manage high blood

pressure, which is by far the more common direction of the

imbalance.

 

A recent study at six major medical centers found that a lower-fat

nutrient dense diet rich in fruits and vegetables helped people

lower their blood pressure most.

 

People in the study ate 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day,

which helped increase their intake of ptassium, calcium and

magnesium, all of which 'counteract' the blood-pressure- " elevating "

effect of *sodium*.

 

It's also important to exercise regularly and to begin practicing

relaxation techniques. Help your body let goof the fear and stress

that activates the sympathetic nervous system.

 

You should definitely get within five pounds of your ideal weight

and decrease your intake of refined salt,

replacing it with " sea salt " .

It also helps to discontinue coffee and tobacco, and any other

stimulant drugs you are using.

 

Recently, doctors have linked chronic fatigue in some people to

neurally mediated hypotension, in which blood pressure plummets

after standing too long,exercising or spending time in a warm

environment.

 

In these people, the brain responds to a temporary dip in blood

pressure by decreasing it even more, causing lightheadedness,

confusion and dizziness.

 

In one study at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, 75 percent of

23 chronic fatigue patients who were given " sea salt " in their diet

reported some improvement.

 

Seasalt's Hidden Powers - The following information is an excerpt

derived from the book, " Seasalt's Hidden Powers " .

 

" The late French scientist Dr. Alexis Carrel kept a chicken heart

alive for over 27 years by having the pulsating heart IN A SOLUTION

OF SEA SALT, i.e. isotonic seawater.

Dr. Carrel voluntarily ended the experiment after a third of a

century, having proven that living cells can have

physical 'immortality'.

 

Professor C. Louis Kervran with his scientific research and formulas

has been a real asset to the scientific establishment and was a

candidate for the Noble Prize.

 

Professor Kervran links us to the secret of immortality and reveals

its prime source is trace minerals from seawater [and used in]

remedies.

 

Other physicians continued research and found

fermentations of briny salt pickles, salted sour plums, and other

salty fermentations to be powerful and effective medicines.

 

Dr. Jacques de Langre, Ph.D., who wrote the book " Seasalt's Hidden

Powers " , states that naturally and properly sunshine-preserved sea

salt is the difference between life and death, health and illness,

social sanity and planetary panic and its elements are vital for

proper body functions.

 

That natural hand-harvested Celtic ocean salt alone helps to

maintain life, neutralizes 'toxins' and detrimental bacteria,

and " enhances " all our organic function.

 

Sea salt contain 92 essential minerals and most all refined

adulterated sea salts contain

only 2 elements (Na and Cl.

 

Biologically, 24 of these elements in real sea salt have already

been proven necessary and essential to maintain and recover health.

See Scientific American, July 1972: " The Chemical Elements of Life, "

by Earl Friden.

 

When dietary deficiency of trace elements occurs, cells lose the

ability to control their ions—with dire consequences for humans.

 

Even a minute loss of ion equilibrium causes cells to burst,

nervous disorder, brain damage, or muscle spasms, as well as a

breakdown of the cell-regenerating process and growth.

 

In the theory of acid and alkaline balance, chronic disease such as

cancer is caused by the acidification of the blood, lymph and all

cellular tissues.

 

Real sea salt is one of the basic elements necessary part to correct

this problem.

 

Natural sea salt [reconstituted seawater] allows liquids to freely

cross body membranes,

the kidney's glomerulus's and blood vessels walls.

 

Whenever the sodium chloride concentration rises in the blood, the

water in the neighboring tissues is attracted to that salt-rich

blood, and the cells then re-absorb the enriched intra-cellular

fluid.

 

If they are functioning properly, the kidneys remove the saline

fluids easily.

*Refined* salt (i.e. Morton's, etc) does not allow this free-

crossing of liquids and minerals, and causes " accumulated " fluids to

stagnate in joint, producing edema and chronic kidney problems.

 

Salt is the single element required for the proper breakdown of

plant carbohydrates into useable and assimiable human food. Only

when salt is added to fruits and vegetables can saliva and gastric

secretions readily break down the 'fibrous' store of

*carbohydrates*, etc.

 

Once salt is dissolved and ionized, the salt possesses a definite

reactivity, has full electromagnetic capabilities, and passes more

easily into the large colon where it will have a sanitizing effect.

 

 

Refined Table Salt (Mortons):

 

To further prevent any moisture from being reabsorbed, the salt

refiners add " aluminosilicate of sodium " or yellow prussiate of soda

as desiccants plus different " bleaches " to the final salt formula.

 

After these processes, the table salt will no longer *combine* with

human body fluids,

it invariably causes severe problems of edema (water retention) and

several other health disturbances.

 

In ancient Celts times, salt was used to treat major physical and

mental disturbances, severe burns, and other ailments. Today

biologists attest that seawater

 

(also called 'mother liquor')

restores hydro-electrolytic 'imbalances',

 

a disorder that causes loss of immune response, creates allergies,

and causes many health problems.

 

Also the therapeutic effect of seawater is recognized and used by

the best European medical professionals because of its effectiveness

in so many situations.

 

The use of real sea salt-free diets are showing up in the reality of

our modern world as society is coming apart.

 

It is basically a starvation of macro- and trace minerals and

biological deficiencies which cannot be corrected by *refined*

sodium chloride alone.

 

Celtic salt is a good product because it is naturally extracted by

the use of sunshine. If one redissolved salt in water in the proper

ratio or combine it in the moisture of foods, its properties re-

create the amazing powers of the " ocean " and bears an

astonishing " likeness " to human blood and body fluids.

 

During World War II, Navy doctors would use sea salt water for blood

transfusions when blood supplies ran out and many lives were saved.

 

Sea Salt Directions

 

Dr. Langre, Ph.D. writes that, " Rare gases are locked within real

sea crystals and began to release in contact of additional moisture

and is effective in maintaining and restoring human energy.

 

Note that Celtic salt should not be ground until used because as it

is milled the salt releases a subtle fragrance reminiscent of

violets, another telltale sign that gases, floral-like vital

essences, are being released.

 

Note that these elements are easily trapped and stored in a

preparation called sesame salt and a recipe is given in the

Seasalt's Hidden Powers.

 

Real sea salt needs to be stored in an air tight container and kept

in a dark cool place. The moisture has a tendency to settle to the

bottom of the salt and the salt should be mixed before removing the

salt for sure.

 

Real sea salt needs to penetrate foods allowing the moisture of the

fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. to liquefy the salt which activates

it. If dry salt is used it enters the body in a non-ionized form and

can create thirst (a sign of being poisoned)

and lessens its abilities because it is not being assimilated and

utilized properly.

 

Sea water loses its properties of destroying bacilli if stored in

bottles and when dries out.

 

A pinch of seasalt can be added to a small amount of water to

dissolve to activate its powers and added to fruits, vegetables,

grains to aid in better digestion of those items while helping to

alkalize the body.

 

Adding a pinch to water supplies adds alkaline properties and the

mineral content. The minerals it contains are too

valuable to ignore.

--

80 Elements dicovered in 'Sea Water'

--

People who eat Refined salt develop 'cravings' for salt, because the

salt that they eat is not 'satisfying' their needs.

Than they use more and more salt, in the desperate try to get what

they need.

 

Taking big amounts of refined salt (chemicals) burden *kidneys* and

*adrenal glands* that are very important for 'calcium utilization'.

 

Modern physiology has demonstrated that an excess of salt interferes

with the " absorption " of nutrients and " depletes " calcium,

while if used in a moderate doses, sea salt " enhances " calcium

absorption and nutrient utilization in general.

 

It is known that absorption of calcium depends on the health of the

kidney-adrenal function and that calcium " metabolism " is of

essential importance for the health of the nerves, muscles, heart,

vascular system, and bones. Simply. the whole body is dependant on

dietary calcium uptake.

_________________

Prevalence of Sodium -

-

It is in everything....

Chicken soup, pickles, pork and beans, peanut butter, bread,

macaroni and cheese, ketchup, mustard and relish, canned vegetables,

pizza, hot dogs, salad dressings, not to mention the endless list of

junk foods,

jam packed and stuffed to capacity with refined salt (sodium).

 

Organic salt or sodium is an essential mineral and is naturally

present in fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

We need only a small amount of sodium, easily supplied by these

natural sources.

 

The sodium in fruits and vegetables is complexed with other organic

molecules, causing them to be absorbed slowly.

 

In contrast, refined table salt is unbuffered and enters quickly

through the stomach lining.

 

When a surplus of refined salt enters the bloodstream, the body is

forced to *store* the salt between the cells until the kidneys can

filter it.

 

Salt then causes a caustic, burning effect on the surrounding

tissue.

 

For protection, the cells release water into the " intercellular

fluid " to 'dilute' the " excess " salt. As the cells give up their

water, they lose elasticity and shrink.

This, in turn, causes an imbalance of the cell's chemistry through a

*loss* of potassium.

 

Low potassium levels cause more " sodium " to 'penetrate' the cell

walls.

 

When the sodium level of the cell rises,

water then enters to dilute it,

causing the cell to become swollen.

 

The continuous disruption of the cell's " fluid balance " can, in

time, " calcify " , scar and " destroy " the muscles,

valves and arteries of the entire coronary 'route'.

 

It may culminate in *congestive heart failure* (CHD).

In this way, salt becomes an accomplice to North America's most

voracious killer,stroke and cardiovascular disease!

 

In China, a traditional method of *suicide* was drinking water

saturated with table salt.

 

One ounce of refined salt causes the body to hold six pounds

of 'excess' fluid.

Salt in large quantities can be *lethal*.

 

When you eat salty foods the body has to compensate to

maintain 'homeostasis'.

 

If you eat salty foods for a long period of time, as with caffeine,

heroin and nicotine, the body becomes dependent on salt to maintain

balance.

Therefore reducing salt intake can create physical withdrawal.

 

http://www.freedom-you.com/addiction/salt%20addiction.htm

---

Importance of " Dietary " *Potassium* against Stroke.

--

A study by Kay-Tee Khaw, M.D. and Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, M.D.,

found that a high intake of dietary potassium protected people

against stroke and stroke-related deaths.

 

In fact, they found that " as little as one extra serving of a

potassium-rich food, such as a fruit or vegetable, may reduce the

risk of stroke death by up to 40 percent. "

 

These researchers based their findings on a study of 850 men and

women in an affluent community in southern California.

 

During the twelve years covered by their study, 24 stroke-related

deaths occurred. These individuals were all found to have

significantly lower potassium intake than survivors and individuals

who died from causes other than stroke.

 

They also found the relationship between dietary potassium and

stroke mortality was independent of blood pressure, as it also was

of obesity, cholesterol level, cigarette smoking, alcohol and blood

sugar.

 

They found that a lack of 'potassium' intake was the independent

risk

factor in these stroke-related deaths.

One does not need to take a very big leap of logic to conclude that

an increased intake of potassium *lowers* the *risk* of stroke, and

a decreased intake raises the risk!

 

Optimum Sodium to Potassium ratio

 

A one-year study headed by James C. Smith, Jr. Ph.D., a chemist at

the USDA's Agriculture Research service found that the 28 men and

women in their study ate too much 'refined' table salt (sodium

chloride)

and not enough potassium, exceeding the safe and adequate daily

ratio recommended by the National Academy of Sciences in Washington,

D.C.

 

That ratio is 600 mgs of sodium for 1,000 mg of potassium.

 

The adults in this study were consuming 1,300 mgs of sodium

daily for every 1,000 mgs of potassium.

 

Recommended Range-

As a matter of general information, a teaspoon of refined table salt

contains 2,500 mg of sodium.

The recommended range of potassium is between 1,900 mg and 5,600 mg

daily.

 

Vitamin and mineral supplements, by FDA regulation, are only allowed

to contain 99 mgs of potassium.

To take a higher amount you may need to include more potassium rich

foods and/or need a prescription.

 

How silly this seems when a medium- sized banana contains

approximately 630 mg of potassium.

 

When people consume a high level of potassium in their diets, they

*excrete* more " sodium " in their urine.

But when the opposite is true, they retain excess sodium in fluids

surrounding cells in the body.

 

Urinalysis can determine if your potassium and sodium intakes are

out of balance, and if either is too high or low.

 

Monitor your potassium levels-

If you are using a diuretic (herbal or otherwise), or are on blood

pressure medication, you may need a physicians prescription for

extra potassium.

It would be wise to have your potassium levels monitored regularly.

Remember, when potassium is *lost* by a " diuretic " drug,

so is magnesium You may need to supplement this essential mineral as

well.

Magnesium is Critical and Essential!!

 

The Journal of the American College of Nutrition reported that

magnesium suppelements are essential for helping control the blood

pressure in people with hypertension.

 

The exact mechanism is not yet completely understood, but it is

thought that magnesium helps drop blood pressure by regulating the

*entry-exit* " process " of *calcium* in the smooth muscle cells of

the vascular network.

 

The proper balance of magnesium and calcium appear to help the blood

vessels contract and relax properly!

 

The interaction of magnesium and calcium gives the calcium the

ability to get where it has to in the cells.

 

Then, magnesium facilitates calcium in getting to the right place

where it has a relaxing effect.

Hypertensives were shown to have significantly 'less' magnesium in

their cells than did normal people!

 

The British researchers reported their findings in the " Proceedings

of the National Academy of Science., "

They noted that previous studies had shown magnesium supplementation

to be an effective hypotensive (lowering) agent in various types of

blood pressure.

 

 

Intakes of potassium and vitamins A and C were also lower in people

with higher blood pressures, while cholesterol intake was not

consistently different.

 

You should include a complete mineral formula which provides:

 

Selenium, zinc, copper, chromium, iodine, boron, manganese,

potassium and vitamin E. It would also be important to include a

complete " stress " vitamin B-complex. You should check the potencies

of your vitamin and mineral formulas to see if they are adequate.

 

Potassium

Our cells contain more potassium than other minerals.

A total of approximately 250 mgs of this nutrient can be found in

the adult body.

A growing body of evidence indicates that low levels of potassium

are associated with high blood pressure and therefore deserve more

attention!

 

This association may be especially strong when the sodium to

potassium ratio is high.

 

Some researchers feel that in some cases, low potassium may play a

more significant role in hypertension than high sodium does.

Potassium may prove to be of value to the cardiovascular system in

other ways as well. In one animal study, rats were given stroke-

inducing diets.

 

The group that was supplemented with potassium suffered a 2 percent

rate of fatal strokes, as compared with the 83 percent rate of the

unsupplemented group.

In another animal study,potassium supplementation was able to

protect against the kidney damage resulting from hypertension.

 

Other Uses

Potassium is essential for maintaining the 'fluid' balance in our

cells, and is required for the enzymatic reactions taking place

within them.

 

Potassium is used to convert Glucose into glycogen for storage and

later release. It is also used for nerve transmission, muscle

contraction, hormone

secretion and other functions.

 

RDIs and DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS

 

Potassium deficiency symptoms include nausea, vomiting, which

canlead

to further potassium losses, listlessness, feelings of apprehension,

muscle weakness, muscle spasms, and cramps, tachycardia, (rapid

heartbeat) and in extreme cases, heart failure!

 

There is no Reference Daily Intake for potassium, but it has been

estimated that the average American Diet contains from 2 to 6 grams

per day.

Potassium deficiency can result from severe malnutrition,

alcoholism, anorexia nervosa, vomiting or diarrhea or from illnesses

that seriously interfere with appetite.

 

Potassium may be depleted following severe tissue injury due to

surgery, or burns, and during prolonged fevers.

 

The excessive use of steroids, laxatives, and some diuretics also

encourages potassium loss.

If a person already has heart disease, low potassium can worsen the

picture. In the body potassium must exist in balance with sodium.

 

Although sodium may be an important dietary determinant of blood

pressure, variations in the potassium to sodium ratio in the diet

affect blood pressure under certain circumstances.

 

So when considering potassium levels, we must consider sodium levels

as well and watch out for high sodium foods, including canned goods,

luncheon meats, sausages, and frozen foods.

 

Food Sources:

 

Potassium is found in a wide range of foods.

Organic meat and cold-water fish are good sources. Legumes, fruits,

vegetables,and organic whole grains are also respectable sources.

 

People who are taking diuretics for the treatment of high blood

pressure are frequently advised to eat fruits such as bananas along

with organic potatoes and tomatoes for their potassium content.

 

However, the amount of potassium in these foods is

minimal compared with the amount excreted in urine as a result of

diuretic use!

It would take an enormous amount of bananas per day to provide the

recommended amount of potassium for a patient taking diuretics!

 

Many physicians often prescribe high-dose potassium supplements for

these patients. However it is doubtful that the potassium is

sufficiently replaced even then, considering the excessive amounts

which are constantly being

flushed out of the body by these harmful drugs.

 

Bear in mind, too, that potassium is lost through cooking, although

the amount of potassium lost varies according to the cooking method

used.

A boiled potato may have lost up to 50 percent of its original

potassium content. A steamed potato, only 3 to 6 percent.

 

SUPPLEMENTS

Potassium is available in tablet and liquid form.

 

OPTIMUM DAILY INTAKE- ODI

Since potassium is so widely available in fresh foods, most people

do not require a potassium supplement. Rather, most people should be

advised to reduce sodium intake so that a sodium-to-potassium ratio

of 1 to 1 is achieved.

If however, you wish to take a supplement, the Optimum Daily Intake

of potassium is: 99-300 mgs for men and women.

 

Remember: If you have a medical condition, please consult your

physician before taking supplements.

 

TOXICITY AND ADVERSE EFFECTS

 

Potassium toxicity is seen when daily intakes exceed 18 grams, an

amount that is unlikely to be ingested through foods.

Toxicity usually occurs only through the uneducated use of

supplements, or when an individual has kidney failure.

 

Nutritional Tips for High Blood Pressure:

David Edelberg, M.D. an internist and medical director of the

American Holistic Center of Chicago, has suggested the following as

a nutritional therapy for lowering high blood pressure:

 

1) Cut back on refined sugar, refined salt and sodium, caffeine

(decaf as well) and alcohol

2) Reduce or eliminate Dairy and red meat in the diet,

3) 400 mgs of magnesium, two or three times each day

4) one tablespoon of Udo's oil once a day or more

(www.udoerasmus.com

5) 75 mgs of coenzyme Q10, three times a day

6) two hawthorn berry capsules, at least twice a day

 

The addition of sardines or other low-mercury fish several times

each week and pharmaceutical grade fish oil capsules may be

beneficial

 

www.udoerasmus.com

www.spectrumnaturals.com

---

 

Tylenol and Ibuprofen drugs may boost Hypertension

By Randy Dotinga

HealthScoutNews Reporter

---

MONDAY, Oct. 28 (HealthScoutNews) -- New research suggests that

young and middle-aged women who take painkillers such as Tylenol,

Motrin and Advil may be setting themselves up for significantly

higher blood pressure even if they don't already suffer from

hypertension.

 

" Lots of people believe that these medications are completely safe

because they're available over the counter, " says study co-author

Dr. Gary C. Curhan, an epidemiologist at Harvard School of Public

Health. " But we

know that (they) can have multiple other effects. This would be one

more thing that people should consider if they use these medications

on a regular basis. "

 

There are three main types of over-the-counter painkillers --

aspirin, acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

(NSAIDS) --which

include ibuprofen-based medications such as Advil and Motrin.

Researchers have linked NSAIDs to high blood pressure, but previous

studies only looked

at people who already suffered from the condition, which is also

known as hypertension, Curhan says.

 

In the new study, Curhan and his colleagues examined an ongoing

study of nurses who have been followed since 1989. The researchers

found 80,020 women, aged 31 to 50, who had no history of

hypertension and studied their answers to a 1995 survey about their

use of painkillers.

 

The findings appear in recentissues of the Archives of Internal

Medicine.

 

About half the women took aspirin at least one day a month, and

between 72 and 77 percent took NSAIDs or acetaminophen.

 

When various risk factors were taken into account, those who took

acetaminophen at least 22 days month had twice the risk of

developing

hypertension compared to those who took no drugs from that class.

Those who took NSAIDs had an 86 percent higher risk.

" I consider that pretty substantial, " Curhan says.

 

 

 

NSAIDs and acetaminophen may interfere with the ability of blood

vessels to remain dilated, Curhan explains: " If the blood vessels

constrict,

then the blood pressure can go up. "

Some experts liken blood vessels to a garden hose. If you squeeze

the hose, the pressure inside will build.There's another potential

problem, Curhan adds. " It can cause the body to retain sodium, and

that can raise blood pressure. "

 

Curhan said the study results still need to be confirmed by further

research, which may shed light on how long it takes for painkiller

use to affect blood pressure.

" Nobody's done a study like this before, " he says.

 

If this is your problem, drink at least six glasses of fluids a

day to increase blood volume, and try walking a bit after meals to

get your heart pumping.

 

Diuretic Tea

---

 

Diuretic Tea

http://1stholistic.com/Recipes/tea_herbal-tea-diuretic.htm

 

Ingredients

 

1 quart boiling water

2 teaspoons dandelion root

½ teaspoon nettle leaf

½ teaspoon oat straw

½ teaspoon fennel seed

½ teaspoon corn silk

 

Directions

 

Pour boiling water over herbs, then steep in a covered container for

20

minutes.

Strain herbs.

Drink 1 or 2 cups as needed.

 

---

Japanese Way of Health: Calcium competes with sodium

 

---

 

www.billsardi.com

 

Bill Sardi's three day report following his recent six day tour of

Japan. Bill Sardi visits Wakayama prefecture, south of Osaka, a rich

agriculture area.

 

Bill Sardi with monster Daikon radish

 

Part I: Why the Japanese live so long and so healthy

 

Part II: When the Japanese can't eat rice

 

Part III: In Japan, everybody is having a rice day

 

Part I: Why the Japanese live so long and so healthy

 

 

Japan has become the modern land of health and longevity. The World

Health Organization now says the Japanese live the longest and have

the

most years of disease- free living, compared to any other human

population. Among 191 countries, the Japanese can expect to live

74.5

years in full health. By comparison, the US ranked 24th at 70.0

years of

healthy living. [World Health Organization June 4, 2000]

 

The Japanese paradox is that many drink hard liquor (sake) and smoke

tobacco, yet they still live longer and healthier overall. Japanese

smokers don't develop lung cancer at the same rate as American

smokers.

To understand this phenomenon, I traveled to Wakayama prefecture in

Japan, a large agricultural center south of Osaka, to observe the

dietary and health practices of the Japanese. Here is what I

observed.

 

Island living forces the Japanese to live off the sea and grow their

own

foods.

 

An island nation that has often suffered from a lack of food supply,

the

only food that Japan is self sufficient in is rice. This has forced

Japan to use every available plot of flat land to cultivate

vegetable

gardens or rice fields. Therefore, many of the plant foods consumed

by

the Japanese are obtained from local sources

 

and are freshly picked and may have more nutrient value. North

Americans

are eating grapes picked in South America, lettuce grown in Mexico,

and

apples crated in from New Zealand. This means these foods may have

lost

much of their nutrient value by the time they are consumed.

Freshness is

the hallmark of the Japanese plant-based diet. Table fruits and

vegetables are likely to have been picked on the day they were sold,

often from a roadside market.

 

 

All available land is used

to plant rice.

 

Because Japan has been forced to search for food beyond its land

mass,

fish and sea vegetables have become a major part of the diet. The

Japanese consume more fish per capita than any other nation. Since

fish

consume omega-3-rich phytoplankton, this essential fat which is

required

for the nervous system is consumed in greater amounts than in many

other

countries. In approximately 20% of Americans no tissue levels of

essential omega-3 fats can be found. The major fat in the human

brain is

omega-3. Any wonder why the Japanese have a higher literacy rate

than

the USA? They feed their brains properly.

 

The dishwasher problem

 

The Japanese have the biggest dishwashing problem in the world. They

serve a myriad of different foods at one meal on very small dishes.

While consuming a traditional Japanese plant-food based diet in the

mountain village at Mt. Koyasan I inquired of an 81-year old woman

of

the Japanese diet. In her youth she recalled there was very little

food

in Japan. Now food is readily available.

 

She told me that the Japanese will eat as much as 35 different foods

in

a day. This was apparent by the many small dishes of food that were

placed in front of me, including Daikon radish, persimmon, sea

vegetables, sweet potatoes, tofu cakes (soy), onions, green leafy

spinach and lettuce, Inoki mushroom, cabbage, along with the pungent

Wasabe and soy sauce. The lesson here is variety in the daily diet.

 

 

The Japanese dishwasher problem- They eat a wide variety of foods

delivered on individual plates.

Agriculture products traced to farmers.

 

I visited a farmer's market, part of a growing chain of such markets

in

Japan, where I observed huge heads of lettuce, cabbage and radishes.

These were grown to a large size by the farmers and would dwarf the

vegetables sold in supermarkets in the USA. The green leaves were

much

greener than American vegetables, indicative of more magnesium

content,

since magnesium is required for the production of chlorophyll.

 

A remarkable practice at the farmer's markets is an identification

mark

for each farmer on the produce sold. Small bar-code labels include

the

farmer's ID in Japanese language. The farmers set their own price

for

their products in these markets and the most respected farmers can

actually charge a bit more. Imagine knowing the name of the farmer

who

grew your spinach or radishes? In these Japanese farmers markets

there

is traceability and accountability. Problems can be traced right

back to

the farmer, who is required to answer consumer complaints directly.

 

Low dairy consumption

 

One observation is that all Asian populations appear to consume

plenty

of food, yet they do not exhibit the obesity seen in western

countries.

One reason is the lack of dairy products. In the USA obesity is

highest

in Wisconsin, the dairy state. Just don't mention this fact to the

American Dairy Council.

 

The Japanese diet is low on calcium consumption because dairy

products

must be imported. There are less than 1 million milk cows to supply

a

population of 125 million in Japan. There are more than 9 million

milk

cows in the USA for a population of that is a bit more than twice

that

of Japan. The overall mortality rates in the world indicate those

human

populations that consume the most calcium from dairy products have

the

highest mortality rates. (See chart below) As much as calcium is

promoted in the USA to prevent bone thinning (osteoporosis) with

advancing age, Japanese women consume marginal amounts of calcium

yet

exhibit little osteoporosis.

 

In part this is due to the much lower consumption of salt in the

Japanese diet. Americans consume 4000 milligrams of sodium per day,

most of it being laced in canned and prepared foods to enhance

taste.

 

Americans pay a price for over-consumption of salt with a high rate

of hypertension (high blood pressure) since salt retains more water

in the circulatory system, and in bone thinning since sodium

competes with calcium for absorption.

 

All-Cause Mortality Rate and Consumption of Milk

Source: International Journal Cardiology 33: 19, 1991

_________________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes