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This article talks about how water is very important for the body. It says that it is needed for our organs to function properly. Also that it is very important for the kidneys.

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Keeping hydrated is crucial for health and well-being, but many people do not consume enough fluids each day.

Around 60 percent of the body is made up of water, and around 71 percent of the planet's surface is covered by water.

Perhaps it is the ubiquitous nature of water that means drinking enough each day is not at the top of many people's lists of priorities.

Fast facts on drinking water

Adult humans are 60 percent water, and our blood is 90 percent water.

There is no universally agreed quantity of water that must be consumed daily.

Water is essential for the kidneys to function.

When dehydrated, the skin can become more vulnerable to skin disorders and wrinkling.

Drinking water instead of soda can help with weight loss.

In a CDC questionnaire, 7 percent of respondents reported drinking no water at all daily.

Benefits

The Institute of Medicine recommends that men achieve a daily fluid intake of around 3 liters and that women take in 2.2 liters.

To function properly, all the cells and organs of the body need water.

It is also needed to:

lubricate the joints

form saliva

deliver oxygen throughout the body

cushion the brain, spinal cord, and other sensitive tissues

regulate body temperature

produce hormones and neurotransmitters

help food pass through the intestines

flush body waste

Some of the water required by the body is obtained through foods with a high water content, such as soups, tomatoes, oranges, but most come through drinking water and other beverages.

During everyday functioning, water is lost by the body, and this needs to be replaced. We notice that we lose water through activities such as sweating and urination, but water is lost even when breathing.

Drinking water, whether from the tap or a bottle, is the best source of fluid for the body.

Milk and juices are also good sources of fluid, but beverages containing alcohol and caffeine, such as soft drinks, coffee, and beer, are not ideal because they often contain empty calories. Drinking water instead of soda can help with weight loss.

It was previously thought that caffeinated beverages had diuretic properties, meaning that they cause the body to release water. However, studies show that fluid loss because of caffeinated drinks is minimal.

Recommended intake

The amount of water needed each day varies from person to person, depending on how active they are, how much they sweat, and so on.

There is no universally agreed amount of water that must be consumed daily, but there is general agreement on what a healthy amount is.

According to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the average recommended daily intake of water from both food and drink is:

This would be around 15.5 cups for men and just over 11 cups for women. However, around 80 percent of this should come from drinks, including water, and the rest will be from food.

This means that:

Men should drink around 100 ounces, or 12.5 cups of fluid

Women should drink around 73 ounces, or just over 9 cups

Many people will have heard the phrase, "drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day."

This is a little less than the National Academies' recommendation for women, but "8 by 8" is an easy-to-remember amount that can put people on the right track. Remember, all non-alcoholic fluid counts towards this recommendation.

Kidney damage

The kidneys play a key role in keeping the body healthy.

Water helps dissolve minerals and nutrients, making them more accessible to the body. It also helps remove waste products. These two functions make water vital to the kidneys.

Every day, the kidneys filter around 120-150 quarts of fluid.

Of these, approximately 1-2 quarts are removed from the body in the form of urine, and the rest is recovered by the bloodstream.

Water is essential for the kidneys to function.

If the kidneys do not function properly, waste products and excess fluid can build up inside the body.

Untreated, chronic kidney disease can lead to kidney failure. The organs stop working, and either dialysis or kidney transplantation is required.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the second most common type of infection in the body. They account for around 8.1 million visits to health care providers in the U.S. every year.

If infections spread to the upper urinary tract, including the kidneys, permanent damage can result. Sudden, or acute, kidney infections can be life-threatening, particularly if septicemia occurs.

Drinking plenty of water is a simple way to reduce the risk of developing a UTI and to help treat an existing UTI.

Kidney stones interfere with how the kidneys work. When present, can complicate UTIs. These complicated UTIs tend to require longer periods of antibiotics to treat them, typically lasting 7 to 14 days.

The leading cause of kidney stones is a lack of water. People who report them often do not drink the recommended daily amount of water. Kidney stones may also increase the risk of chronic kidney disease.

In November 2014, the American College of Physicians issued new guidelines for people who have previously developed kidney stones. The guidelines state that increasing fluid intake to enable 2 liters of urination a day could decrease the risk of stone recurrence by at least half with no side effects.

Dehydration happens if we use and lose more water than the body takes in. It can lead to an imbalance in the body's electrolytes. Electrolytes, such as potassium, phosphate, and sodium, help carry electrical signals between cells. The kidneys keep the levels of electrolytes in the body stable when they function properly.

When the kidneys are unable to maintain a balance in the levels of electrolytes, these electrical signals become mixed up. This can lead to seizures, involving involuntary muscle movements and loss of consciousness.

In severe cases, dehydration can lead to kidney failure, which can be life-threatening. Possible complications of chronic kidney failure include anemia, damage to the central nervous system, heart failure, and a compromised immune system.

Effects

Not just the kidneys are affected by a lack of water.

Here are a few of the other negative consequences of dehydration:

Blood is more than 90 percent water. A lack of water can cause blood to become thicker, increasing blood pressure.

When dehydrated, airways are restricted by the body in an effort to minimize water loss. This can make asthma and allergies worse.

The skin can become more vulnerable to skin disorders and premature wrinkling.

The bowel needs water to work properly. Dehydration can lead to digestive problems, constipation, and an overly acidic stomach. This increases the risk of heartburn and stomach ulcers.

Cartilage, found in joints and the disks of the spine, contains around 80 percent water. Long-term dehydration can reduce the joints' shock-absorbing ability, leading to joint pain.

Dehydration can affect brain structure and function. Prolonged dehydration can lead to problems with thinking and reasoning.

Facts

Here are some facts about water:

Babies and children have a higher percentage of water than adults. When babies are born, they are about 78 percent water, but this falls to 65 percent by the age of 1 year.

Fatty tissue has less water than lean tissue.

Men have more water than women, as a percentage.

Do we drink enough water?

A study carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2013 analyzed data from the National Cancer Institute's 2007 Food Attitudes and Behaviors Survey.

Out of a sample of 3,397 adults, the researchers found:

A recent study conducted by the CDC suggested that many people in the U.S. may not be drinking enough water.

7 percent of adults reported no daily consumption of drinking water

36 percent of adults reported drinking 1-3 cups of drinking water a day

35 percent of adults reported drinking 4-7 cups of drinking water a day

22 percent of adults reported drinking 8 cups or more a day

People were more likely to drink less than 4 cups of drinking water daily if they consumed 1 cup or less of fruits or vegetables a day.

The study only measured the intake of drinking water. While fluid can be gained from other beverages, water is the ideal source of fluid because it is calorie-free, caffeine-free, and alcohol-free.

Seven percent of respondents reported drinking no water at all daily, and those who drank a low volume of water also consumed less fruit and vegetables. This suggests that a certain number of people are risking their health by not getting enough fluid.

Even if the respondents reporting low levels of water intake were obtaining enough fluid, it is likely that they would be obtaining it from sources that could potentially compromise their health in other ways.

"The biologic requirement for water may be met with plain water or via foods and other beverages," write the study authors. "Results from previous epidemiologic studies indicate that water intake may be inversely related to volume of calorically sweetened beverages and other fluid intake."

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Benefits of drinking water: Recommended intake, uses, and facts

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Drinking water is often overlooked as a necessary part of staying healthy. The body and blood are largely made of water, and so we need a lot of fluid to function. Consequences of not drinking enough include urinary infections and kidney stones. Find out here how drinking enough water helps the body function.

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Magnesium is a mineral used by every organ in your body, especially your heart, muscles, and kidneys. If you suffer from unexplained fatigue or weakness, abnormal heart rhythms or even muscle spasms and eye twitches, low levels of magnesium could be to blame.

If you've recently had a blood test, you might assume it would show a magnesium deficiency. But only 1 percent of magnesium in your body is distributed in your blood, making a simple sample of magnesium from a serum magnesium blood test not very useful.

Most magnesium is stored in your bones and organs, where it is used for many biological functions. Yet, it's quite possible to be deficient and not know it, which is why magnesium deficiency has been dubbed the "invisible deficiency."

By some estimates, up to 80 percent of Americans are not getting enough magnesium and may be deficient. Other research shows only about 25 percent of US adults are getting the recommended daily amount of 310 to 320 milligrams (mg) for women and 400 to 420 for men.

Even more concerning, consuming even this amount is "just enough to ward off outright deficiency," according to Dr. Carolyn Dean, a medical and naturopathic doctor.

Magnesium Deficiency May Trigger 22 Medical Conditions

Magnesium is often thought of primarily as a mineral for your heart and bones, but this is misleading. Researchers have now detected 3,751 magnesium-binding sites on human proteins, indicating that its role in human health and disease may have been vastly underestimated.

Magnesium is also found in more than 300 different enzymes in your body and plays a role in your body's detoxification processes, making it important for helping to prevent damage from environmental chemicals, heavy metals, and other toxins. In addition, magnesium is necessary for:

Activating muscles and nerves

Creating energy in your body by activating adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

Helping digest proteins, carbohydrates, and fats

Serving as a building block for RNA and DNA synthesis

Acting as a precursor for neurotransmitters like serotonin

Dr. Dean has studied and written about magnesium for more than 15 years. The latest addition of her book, The Magnesium Miracle, came out in 2014 and in it you can learn about 22 medical areas that magnesium deficiency triggers or causes, all of which have all been scientifically proven. This includes:

Early signs of magnesium deficiency include loss of appetite, headache, nausea, fatigue, and weakness. An ongoing magnesium deficiency can lead to more serious symptoms, including:

The Role of Magnesium in Diabetes, Cancer, and More

Most people do not think about magnesium when they think about how to prevent chronic disease, but it plays an essential role. For instance, there have been several significant studies about magnesium's role in keeping your metabolism running efficiently-specifically in terms of insulin sensitivity, glucose regulation, and protection from type 2 diabetes.

Higher magnesium intake reduces risk of impaired glucose and insulin metabolism and slows progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes in middle-aged Americans. Researchers stated, "Magnesium intake may be particularly beneficial in offsetting your risk of developing diabetes, if you are high risk."

Multiple studies have also shown that higher magnesium intake is associated with a higher bone mineral density in both men and women, and research from Norway has even found an association between magnesium in drinking water and a lower risk of hip fractures.

Magnesium may even help lower your risk of cancer, and a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that higher intakes of dietary magnesium were associated with a lower risk of colorectal tumors.

Results from the meta-analysis indicated that for every 100-mg increase in magnesium intake, the risk of colorectal tumor decreased by 13 percent, while the risk of colorectal cancer was lowered by 12 percent. The researchers noted magnesium's anti-cancer effects may be related to its ability to reduce insulin resistance, which may positively affect the development of tumors.

Surprising Factors That Influence Your Magnesium Levels

Seaweed and green leafy vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard can be excellent sources of magnesium, as are some beans, nuts, and seeds, like pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame seeds. Avocados also contain magnesium. Juicing your vegetables is an excellent option to ensure you're getting enough of them in your diet.

However, most foods grown today are deficient in magnesium and other minerals, so getting enough isn't simply a matter of eating magnesium-rich foods (although this is important too). According to Dr. Dean:

"Magnesium is farmed out of the soil much more than calcium... A hundred years ago, we would get maybe 500 milligrams of magnesium in an ordinary diet. Now we're lucky to get 200 milligrams."

Herbicides, like glyphosate also act as chelators, effectively blocking the uptake and utilization of minerals in so many foods grown today. As a result, it can be quite difficult to find truly magnesium-rich foods. Cooking and processing further depletes magnesium.

Meanwhile, certain foods can actually influence your body's absorption of magnesium. If you drink alcohol in excess, for instance, it may interfere with your body's absorption of vitamin D, which in turn is helpful for magnesium absorption. If you eat a lot of sugar, this can also cause your body to excrete magnesium through your kidneys, "resulting in a net loss," according to Dr. Danine Fruge, associate medical director at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Florida. The following factors are also associated with lower magnesium levels:

Excessive intake of soda or caffeine

Menopause

Older age (older adults are more likely to be magnesium deficient because absorption decreases with age and the elderly are more likely to take medications that can interfere with absorption)

Certain medications, including diuretics, certain antibiotics (such as gentamicin and tobramycin), corticosteroids (prednisone or Deltasone), antacids, and insulin

An unhealthy digestive system, which impairs your body's ability to absorb magnesium (Crohn's disease, leaky gut, etc.)

Calcium, Vitamin K2, and Vitamin D Must Be Balanced with Magnesium

It may seem like you could remedy the risks of low magnesium simply by taking a supplement, but it's not quite that simple. When you're taking magnesium, you need to consider calcium, vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 as well, since these all work synergistically with one another. Excessive amounts of calcium without the counterbalance of magnesium can lead to a heart attack and sudden death, for instance. Research on the Paleolithic or caveman diet has shown that the ratio of calcium to magnesium in the diet that our bodies evolved to eat is 1-to-1. Americans in general tend to have a higher calcium-to-magnesium ratio in their diet, averaging about 3.5-to-1.

If you have too much calcium and not enough magnesium, your muscles will tend to go into spasm, and this has consequences for your heart in particular. "What happens is, the muscle and nerve function that magnesium is responsible for is diminished. If you don't have enough magnesium, your muscles go into spasm. Calcium causes muscle to contract. If you had a balance, the muscles would do their thing. They'd relax, contract, and create their activity," Dr. Dean explains.

When balancing calcium and magnesium, also keep in mind that vitamins K2 and D need to be considered. These four nutrients perform an intricate dance together, with one supporting the other. Lack of balance between these nutrients is one of the reasons why calcium supplements have become associated with increased risk of heart attacks and stroke, and why some people experience vitamin D toxicity. Part of the explanation for these adverse side effects is that vitamin K2 keeps calcium in its appropriate place. If you're K2 deficient, added calcium can cause more problems than it solves, by accumulating in the wrong places, like your soft tissue.

Similarly, if you opt for oral vitamin D, you need to also consume it in your food or take supplemental vitamin K2 and more magnesium. Taking mega doses of vitamin D supplements without sufficient amounts of K2 and magnesium can lead to vitamin D toxicity and magnesium deficiency symptoms, which include inappropriate calcification that may damage your heart.

Tips for Increasing Your Magnesium Levels

One way to really increase your magnesium, as well as many other important plant-based nutrients, is by juicing your greens. I typically drink one pint to one quart of fresh green vegetable juice every day, and this is one of my primary sources of magnesium. Organic foods may have more magnesium if grown in nutrient-rich soils but it is very difficult to make that determination. If you opt for a supplement, be aware that there are a wide variety of magnesium supplements on the market, because magnesium must be bound to another substance. There's simply no such thing as a 100 percent magnesium supplement.

The substance used in any given compound can affect the absorption and bioavailability of the magnesium, and may provide slightly different, or targeted, health benefits. The table that follows summarizes some of the differences between the various forms. Magnesium threonate and citrate are some of the best sources, as it seems to penetrate cell membranes, including your mitochondria, which results in higher energy levels. Additionally, it also penetrates your blood-brain barrier and seems to do wonders to treat and prevent dementia and improve memory. If you take a supplement, you can use the "bowel test" to determine if you're taking too much magnesium. Dr. Dean explains:

"The best way to tell if you are getting enough magnesium is the "bowel test". You know when you have too much magnesium when your stools become loose. This, in fact, may be a blessing for people with constipation... [which] is one of the many ways magnesium deficiency manifests."

Besides taking a supplement, another way to improve your magnesium status is to take regular Epsom salt baths or foot baths. Epsom salt is a magnesium sulfate that can absorb into your body through your skin. Magnesium oil can also be used for topical application and absorption. Whatever supplement you choose, be sure to avoid any containing magnesium stearate, a common but potentially hazardous additive.

Magnesium glycinate is a chelated form of magnesium that tends to provide the highest levels of absorption and bioavailability and is typically considered ideal for those who are trying to correct a deficiency.

Magnesium oxide is a non-chelated type of magnesium, bound to an organic acid or a fatty acid. Contains 60 percent magnesium, and has stool softening properties

Magnesium chloride/Magnesium lactate contain only 12 percent magnesium, but has better absorption than others, such as magnesium oxide, which contains five times more magnesium

Magnesium sulfate/Magnesium hydroxide ( milk of magnesia) are typically used as laxatives. Be aware that it's easy to overdose on these, so ONLY take as directed

Magnesium carbonate, which has antacid properties, contains 45 percent magnesium

Magnesium taurate contains a combination of magnesium and taurine, an amino acid. Together, they tend to provide a calming effect on your body and mind

Magnesium citrate is magnesium with citric acid, which like most magnesium supplements has laxative properties but is well absorbed and cost effective

Magnesium threonate is a newer, emerging type of magnesium supplement that appears promising, primarily due to its superior ability to penetrate the mitochondrial membrane, and may be the best magnesium supplement on the market

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80% of Americans don't get enough of this mineral, and it's making them tired, sick and weak

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Magnesium is a mineral used by every organ in your body, especially your heart, muscles, and kidneys. If you suffer from unexplained fatigue or weakness, abnormal heart rhythms or even muscle spasms and eye twitches, low levels of magnesium could be to blame.

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In the article they talks about how calcium supplements increase the risk of dementia in elderly woman. Also that stroke patients that take calcium supplements risk of dementia increases 7 times more

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Calcium supplements may increase the risk of developing dementia in senior women with cerebrovascular disease, finds a study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Women who took calcium supplements were twice as likely to develop dementia.

Cerebrovascular diseases are conditions caused by problems that affect the blood supply to the brain. The four most common types of cerebrovascular disease are stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), subarachnoid hemorrhage, and vascular dementia.

These diseases are the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and increase the risk of developing dementia.

"Osteoporosis is a common problem in the elderly. Because calcium deficiency contributes to osteoporosis, daily calcium intake of 1,000 to 1,200 mg is recommended. Getting this recommended amount through diet alone can be difficult, so calcium supplements are widely used," says study author Silke Kern, M.D., Ph.D. with the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

"Recently, however, the use of supplements and their effect on health has been questioned," she adds.

The researchers hypothesized that calcium supplementation is associated with an increased risk of dementia, and this association is heightened in individuals already compromised by ischemic cerebrovascular disease.

The team tested their theory using a population of elderly women initially free from dementia. A total of 700 women between the ages of 70-92 were involved in the analysis and were followed for 5 years.

Participants received tests of memory and thinking skills at the beginning and end of the study, and a CT brain scan was performed on 447 participants at the start of the research.

Also examined, was the use of calcium supplements by participants, and whether they received a diagnosis of dementia over the duration of the study.

Calcium use in stroke patients increased dementia risk by seven times

At the beginning of the investigation, a total of 98 women were taking calcium supplements. History of stroke was noted in 54 individuals at the start of the study, and 54 more women experienced stroke, while 59 women developed dementia by the study follow-up.

Of the women who received CT scans, 71 percent had lesions in the white matter - a marker for cerebrovascular disease - of their brain.

Results of the study showed that when compared with women who do not take calcium supplements, women who take calcium supplements are twice as likely to develop dementia. However, the increased risk was only observed in women with cerebrovascular disease.

Moreover, women with a history of stroke who also took calcium supplements were seven times more likely to develop dementia than women with a history of stroke who did not supplement calcium.

The participants who had white matter lesions and took calcium supplements had a three-times increased risk of developing dementia, compared with women with white matter lesions and no calcium supplementation.

Women without a history of stroke and women without white matter lesions had no greater risk of dementia when taking calcium supplements.

Foods containing calcium safe, protective against vascular problems

Overall, out of the 98 women who supplemented with calcium, 14 of them (14 percent) developed dementia, compared with 45 out of 602 women (8 percent) who did not take calcium supplements.

Of the women with a history of stroke who took calcium supplements, six out of 15 of them developed dementia, compared with 12 out of 93 women with a history of stroke who did not take supplements.

Among the 83 women who took calcium supplements with no history of stroke, 18 of them developed dementia, compared with 33 out of the 509 who did not take supplements.

"It is important to note that our study is observational, so we cannot assume that calcium supplements cause dementia."

Silke Kern, M.D., Ph.D.

Kern also cautioned that the small nature of the study means that the results cannot be generalized to the overall population; therefore, additional studies need to be conducted to confirm the findings.

Although these findings have been observed in calcium supplements, calcium from foods affects the body differently to calcium supplements and is suggested to be safe and even protective against vascular problems, Kern concludes.

Read about how higher calcium intake may protect older people from CVD but not stroke and fractures.

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Dementia risk increased with calcium supplements in certain women

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Calcium supplements may increase the risk of developing dementia in senior women with cerebrovascular disease, finds a study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Women who took calcium supplements were twice as likely to develop dementia. Cerebrovascular diseases are conditions caused by problems that affect the blood supply to the brain.

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"You have gorgeous veins," said the woman giving me intravenous infusions of a detoxifying antioxidant which, she said, "whitens the skin from the inside out."

My tawny complexion should look "brighter" in the next few days, she assured me, and the various B vitamins coursing through my bloodstream would give me loads of energy.

These days, health and wellness addicts are getting their nutrient fix through IV drips, bypassing the sluggish digestive system and flooding their cells with vitamins-or so they're told.

Pop-up IV therapy spas are now widespread in New York and L.A., with companies like Reviv and NutriDrip offering bespoke menus of vitamin transfusions that promise to boost everything from immunity to mood and libido.

Celebrities rave about the benefits of being tube-fed these detoxing and revitalizing concoctions. Rihanna, Madonna, Rita Ora, Lily Allen, and Simon Cowell are all fans.

In the spirit of Cara Delevingne and Miley Cyrus, who have Instagrammed pictures of themselves being intravenously nourished, I went to NutriDrip's latest pop-up spa in New York's East Village and rolled up my sleeve.

A smartly dressed man introduced himself as Alain Palinsky, "designer" of the Alchemist's Kitchen, a new space which he describes as a "plant-based café and herbal pharmacy." They've partnered with NutriDrip for the pop-up with the intention of offering their services permanently, along with a speakeasy space and other spa-like services downstairs (an infrared sauna and a cell-regenerating therapy that allegedly stems from Nikola Tesla's research in electromagnetic fields).

Palinsky co-founded Juice Press in 2008 but left two years later, just as the juice bar was becoming a wildly successful corporate enterprise (it now has 46 locations in New York alone, along with a handful in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Connecticut).

He officially opened the Alchemist's Kitchen, formerly home to the infamous Mars Bar, in June, transforming the space into a haven for wellness-obsessed, well-moneyed city dwellers.

There's a tonic bar with Scandinavian-style stools, a plant wall, and a modern apothecary stocked with pricey tinctures, potions, lotions, tarot cards, recipe books, and other accoutrements for a bougie New Age lifestyle.

NutriDrip's telescoping IV poles are stationed at the apothecary counter.

"I brought my feng shui guy here and we prayed on every wall and all that crazy stuff," said Palinsky, a salubrious salesman with an endearing lisp. He is 34 but looks 10 years older, despite his strict adherence to a "karma diet" (no meat or animal products except raw sheep's cheese on special occasions).

"You stop eating the animals once you start talking to them," he chortled, showing me videos of his sister's puppy while a NutriDrip nurse pumped my IV bag with fluorescent liquid transfusions: Glutathione (the so-called mother of all antioxidants), magnesium, theanine, vitamin C, B complex, and B12.

I had opted for "The Detoxifying Journey," a $249 package specially designed for the pop-up.

"Reset and recharge your system with this powerful detox drip and help your body purge harmful toxins and free radicals caused by stress, chemicals, and urban pollutants," the menu promised.

While the IV drip worked its magic, an herbalist served me a "golden glow shot" (turmeric root, lemon juice, and ginger juice) and a "spirit elixir" (blue lotus, skullcap, and lemon balm tea).

The herbalist referred to them as "state-changing elixirs" that would help me "detoxify on a cellular level, activating circulation so that whatever you're getting through the nutrient trip will enter to the cells." Or something.

Simon Cowell has said that you can "feel all the vitamins going through you," and summed up IV therapy as "indescribable but very calming." Yet more than 30 minutes into my session, I felt nothing beyond a faint metallic taste in the back of my throat, as if I had indigestion from eating too many chewables.

Apolo Ohno, the Olympic champion speed skater, has been getting vitamin IV drips "frequently since 2004," he wrote in an email to The Daily Beast.

"When feeling run down or in need of additional recovery, the blend of B-vitamins, powerful antioxidant c, alpha-lipoic acid, and glutathione was a savior for inflammation and fatigue."

Medical experts don't buy it.

"I would put this under the heading of 'scam,'" said Stanley Goldfarb, a kidney specialist and medical professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

"Some of these anti-hangover therapies will give you a couple of liters of fluid to rehydrate you, but there's no rationale for giving IV vitamins," he added. "This is an old remedy that people have been using for years.

"People have been getting vitamin B shots for decades and it's just a placebo. They can't point to specific studies that support any of this. You can hang it up as something that is unlikely to have any benefit because there's no scientific proof."

What's more, a big dose of vitamins-like the 25,000 mg in NutriDrip's "Super Level" detox blend -can damage the kidneys, according to Goldfarb.

Dr. Wahida Karmally, director of nutrition for the Irving Center for Clinical Research and associate research scientist at Columbia University Medical Center, is equally skeptical.

"There's a place for IV nutrition for people who are very sick-who cannot eat or have some kind of bowel or digestive dysfunction-but what's preferred is anything that goes through the gut," Wahida told me.

"There is a synergy of nutrients in food which helps absorption and metabolism. Vitamins are co-enzymes in the metabolic process, so I don't see the value in intravenous drips. That doesn't mean there isn't any, but they have to show it through research. Until then we don't have any data to support it.

"I don't even think people understand what they're detoxing. What are you trying to get rid of? How are these vitamins going to replace the toxins in your body?"

As for me, I left feeling more tired than when I arrived, which a NutriDrip specialist explained was a normal side-effect for toxic people who get the detox drip. "This isn't making you sleepy," she said. "It's telling you that you need sleep."

Alas, I tell myself the same thing every day.
The Drip Alchemy pop-up is open to the public starting Sept. 9 at the Alchemist's Kitchen. Sign up for treatments at Nutridrip.com/DripBar.

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"You have gorgeous veins," said the woman giving me intravenous infusions of a detoxifying antioxidant which, she said, "whitens the skin from the inside out." My tawny complexion should look "brighter" in the next few days, she assured me, and the various B vitamins coursing through my bloodstream would give me loads of energy.

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In the article they say that people spend alot of money on vitamins supplements. It says that the most popular supplements are multivitamins and mineral supplements. They suggest to not take too many supplements.

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One in two adults takes a daily vitamin pill, and Americans spend tens of billions of dollars each year on supplements. Now, a small coterie of physicians writing in a leading medical journal has offered this blunt advice: "Stop wasting money."

In an unusually direct opinion piece, the five authors say that for healthy Americans worried about chronic disease, there's no clear benefit to taking vitamin and mineral pills. And in some instances, they may even cause harm.

The authors make an exception for supplemental vitamin D, which they say needs further research. Even so, widespread use of vitamin D pills "is not based on solid evidence that benefits outweigh harms," the authors wrote. For other vitamins and supplements, "the case is closed."

"The message is simple," the editorial continued. "Most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their use is not justified, and they should be avoided."

"We have so much information from so many studies," Dr. Cynthia Mulrow, senior deputy editor of Annals of Internal Medicine and an author of the editorial, said in an interview. "We don't need a lot more evidence to put this to bed."

Officials with the Natural Products Association, a trade organization that represents supplement suppliers and retailers, said they were shocked by what they termed "an attack" on their industry, pointing to a study published last year that found a modest reduction in overall cancers in a long, randomized, controlled trial of 15,000 male doctors.

"Our members market and sell their products in order to assist people to achieve a healthier lifestyle," said John Shaw, executive director of the association, adding that he could not understand why the industry was being criticized "for trying to promote health and wellness."

Demand for vitamin and mineral supplements has grown markedly in recent years, with domestic sales totaling some $30 billion in 2011. More than half of Americans used at least one dietary supplement from 2003-06, up from 42 percent from 1988-94, according to national health surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most popular products are multivitamin and mineral supplements, which are consumed by some 40 percent of men and women in the United States, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Whether regular long-term use can prevent heart disease and cancer has never been clearly established, and the authors of the editorial are not the first to point that out.

The Cochrane Collaboration, which publishes reviews of medical evidence, has also concluded that taking vitamins does not extend life. An updated review of the evidence by the United States Preventive Services Task Force, published online on Nov. 12, likewise concluded that there was limited evidence that vitamin and mineral supplementation could prevent cancer or cardiovascular disease.

The task force pointed out, however, that two clinical trials had found slight cancer reductions among men who took multivitamins. Yet other studies have found that beta-carotene supplements may actually increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers, the task force review noted, and that high doses of vitamins A and E cause harm and may increase the risk of death.

The editorial in the Annals is accompanied by two new studies reporting dismal results for multivitamins in helping preserve cognitive function and preventing heart attacks. In one study of nearly 6,000 male physicians 65 and older, participants who took a multivitamin for over a decade were no more likely to retain cognitive function as they aged than similar doctors who took a dummy pill.

But Dr. Francine Grodstein, one of the lead authors of that study, said that since physicians tend to have healthy diets and be well-nourished, the added nutrients may not have made a difference in their cases. "I do think there's room for more research," said Dr. Grodstein, who did not write or sign the editorial.

Demonstrating the prevention of chronic diseases can take decades and conducting long-term, randomized, controlled trials is both tricky and very costly. "We don't and probably never will have randomized trial data over decades," she said.

The results of another clinical trial published in the journal found that high-dose vitamins and minerals did not protect heart attack patients 50 and older from experiencing additional cardiovascular events, though the research was marred by a high dropout rate.

There have been few randomized clinical studies of the effects of multivitamins and minerals on heart disease, cancer and risk of death, said Dr. Stephen P. Fortmann, of the Kaiser Center of Health Research, who led the task force review. A draft of new task force recommendations, based on the updated review, said there was insufficient evidence to recommend taking or not taking vitamins.

But Dr. Fortmann, who also did not write or sign the editorial, suggested that those who buy vitamins may be "throwing their money away," adding: "Don't think it makes up for a bad diet, that you can eat a lot of fast food and then take a bunch of supplements. That's not a good idea."

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One in two adults takes a daily vitamin pill, and Americans spend tens of billions of dollars each year on supplements. Now, a small coterie of physicians writing in a leading medical journal has offered this blunt advice: "Stop wasting money."

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In the article it says that a build up of certain proteins is a characteristic of Alzheimers. It also says that as we get older our ability to break down proteins gets weaker which then allows the proteins to build up.

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Despite decades of research, the molecular mechanisms behind Alzheimer's disease are poorly understood. New research investigating the pattern of protein build-up in Alzheimer's brains may open the door to a deeper understanding.

Mapping the way in which protein is managed in the brain gives fresh insight into Alzheimer's.
Image credit: J Freer

Alzheimers is the most common form of dementia, with an estimated 5 million Americans living with the disease today.

It is a progressive condition, normally appearing around the age of 60.

Alzheimer's disease begins with mild memory loss and can end with the individual losing touch with the environment around them.

Although a great deal has been learned about the disease, there is no cure, and many questions remain unanswered.

Alzheimer's is characterized by a build-up of proteins in the brain, known as plaques and tangles.

Although the proteins responsible are found in healthy brains, in Alzheimer's they are misfolded and stick together. Why these proteins, called amyloid-beta and tau, should behave in this way is not understood.

Previous research has identified that certain areas of the brain are more sensitive to the aggregation of proteins. The disease often begins in the entorhinal region (at the base of the brain) and spreads out to all of the neocortex (the largest part of the cerebral cortex).

Protein changes in Alzheimer's brains

A study published this week in Science Advances set out to understand why certain areas of the brain are more susceptible to the build-up of plaques and tangles. The researchers hope that by understanding why specific regions are more prone to attack, they might have a better understanding of the molecular processes that underpin it.

The team was led by Prof. Michele Vendruscolo, of the Centre for Misfolding Diseases at Cambridge's Department of Chemistry in the United Kingdom. They attempted to predict disease progression by looking for patterns in healthy brains. Prof. Vendruscolo says:

"We wanted to know whether there is something special about the way these proteins behave in vulnerable brain tissue in young individuals, long before the typical age of onset of the disease."

The team analyzed more than 500 samples of healthy brain tissue taken from the Allen Brain Atlas. In the healthy tissue, they spotted a signature produced by a group of genes involved in the control of amyloid-beta and tau.

When this gene signature was compared with Alzheimer's brains, they found the same pattern in the progression of the disease throughout the brain. Prof. Vendruscolo explains the findings:

"Vulnerability to Alzheimer's disease isn't dictated by abnormal levels of the aggregation-prone proteins that form the characteristic deposits in disease, but rather by the weaker control of these proteins in the specific brain tissues that first succumb to the disease."

Prof. Michele Vendruscolo, senior author

In healthy brains, there are a number of mechanisms that help prevent and clear up abnormal protein aggregation; they are referred to as protein homeostasis mechanisms.

As we age, these mechanisms are less effective; this allows proteins to start building up, particularly in areas where protein management was already weaker.

The team effectively charted the weak spots of protein homeostasis in healthy brains and found that they matched up neatly with the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Co-author Prof. Christopher Dobson says: "Linking the properties of specific protein molecules to the onset and spread of neuronal damage is a crucial step in the quest to find effective drugs to combat this dreadful neurodegenerative condition."

A boost for Alzheimer's research

Prof. Vendruscolo hopes that the findings will prompt further research into protein control systems and that, in the future, "we may become capable of helping our brains age more healthily."

Earlier in the year, the same team of investigators wrote about the possibility of "neurostatins." They predict that, in the future, in the same way that statins are taken to prevent heart disease, theoretical neurostatins could be taken to stop or at least slow Alzheimer's progression.

Of course, a wonder drug that prevents Alzheimer's is, unfortunately, some way off. But in the shorter term, the findings of the present study have the potential to assist in the research effort.

Currently, one of the hindrances to Alzheimer's research is the lack of an animal model. Models of disease are an essential tool in the study of poorly understood diseases. Because Alzheimer's molecular origins are a mystery, it has been difficult to replicate in animals.

Additionally, the findings might prove beneficial for the research of other conditions. Rosie Freer, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemistry and lead author of the study, says: "It is exciting to consider that the molecular origins identified here for Alzheimer's disease may predict vulnerability for other diseases associated with aberrant aggregation - such as ALS, Parkinson's disease, and frontotemporal dementia."

The road ahead of Alzheimer's researchers is still a long one, but studies such as this bring new hope.

Learn how a specific brain-training technique might reduce dementia risk.

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Poor protein control key to Alzheimer's progression

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Despite decades of research, the molecular mechanisms behind Alzheimer's disease are poorly understood. New research investigating the pattern of protein build-up in Alzheimer's brains may open the door to a deeper understanding.

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Protein is an essential macronutrient, but not all food sources of protein are created equal, and you may not need as much as you think. Learn the basics about protein and shaping your diet with he...

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When it comes to dietary fat, what matters most is the type of fat you eat. Contrary to past dietary advice promoting low-fat diets, newer research shows that healthy fats are necessary and beneficial for health.

When food manufacturers reduce fat, they often replace it with carbohydrates from sugar, refined grains, or other starches. Our bodies digest these refined carbohydrates and starches very quickly, affecting blood sugar and insulin levels and possibly resulting in weight gain and disease. (1-3)

Findings from the Nurses' Health Study (4) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (5) show that no link between the overall percentage of calories from fat and any important health outcome, including cancer, heart disease, and weight gain.

Rather than adopting a low-fat diet, it's more important to focus on eating beneficial "good" fats and avoiding harmful "bad" fats. Fat is an important part of a healthy diet. Choose foods with "good" unsaturated fats, limit foods high in saturated fat, and avoid "bad" trans fat.

"Good" unsaturated fats - Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats - lower disease risk. Foods high in good fats include vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn), nuts, seeds, and fish.

"Bad" fats - trans fats - increase disease risk, even when eaten in small quantities. Foods containing trans fats are primarily in processed foods made with trans fat from partially hydrogenated oil. Fortunately, trans fats have been eliminated from many of these foods.

Saturated fats, while not as harmful as trans fats, by comparison with unsaturated fats negatively impact health and are best consumed in moderation. Foods containing large amounts of saturated fat include red meat, butter, cheese, and ice cream. Some plant-based fats like coconut oil and palm oil are also rich in saturated fat.

When you cut back on foods like red meat and butter, replace them with fish, beans, nuts, and healthy oils instead of refined carbohydrates.

Read more about healthy fats in this "Ask the Expert" with HSPH's Dr. Walter Willett and Amy Myrdal Miller, M.S., R.D., formerly of The Culinary Institute of America

References

1. Siri-Tarino, P.W., et al., Saturated fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease: modulation by replacement nutrients. Curr Atheroscler Rep, 2010. 12(6): p. 384-90.
2. Hu, F.B., Are refined carbohydrates worse than saturated fat? Am J Clin Nutr, 2010. 91(6): p. 1541-2. 3. Jakobsen, M.U., et al., Intake of carbohydrates compared with intake of saturated fatty acids and risk of myocardial infarction: importance of the glycemic index. Am J Clin Nutr, 2010. 91(6): p. 1764-8. 4. Hu, F.B., et al., Dietary fat intake and the risk of coronary heart disease in women. N Engl J Med, 1997. 337(21): p. 1491-9. 5. Ascherio, A., et al., Dietary fat and risk of coronary heart disease in men: cohort follow up study in the United States. BMJ, 1996. 313(7049): p. 84-90. 6. Hu, F.B., J.E. Manson, and W.C. Willett, Types of dietary fat and risk of coronary heart disease: a critical review. J Am Coll Nutr, 2001. 20(1): p. 5-19.
Terms of Use

The contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice. You should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The Nutrition Source does not recommend or endorse any products.

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When it comes to dietary fat, what matters most is the type of fat you eat. Contrary to past dietary advice promoting low-fat diets, newer research shows that healthy fats are necessary and benefic...

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In the article it says that you should eat unsaturated fats because they are way better for you. But also that if you eat too much fats that you will gain weight and potentially become overweight. Also that 25%- 35% of the calories you eat a day should be fats.

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fat and cholesterolwhat is saturated fat

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Due to the lapse in government funding, only websites supporting excepted functions will be updated unless otherwise funded. As a result, the information on this website may not be up to date and the agency will not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

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Carbohydrates: quality matters

What's most important is the type of carbohydrate you choose to eat because some sources are healthier than others. The amount of carbohydrate in the diet - high or low - is less important than the type of carbohydrate in the diet. For example, healthy, whole grains such as whole wheat bread, rye, barley and quinoa are better choices than highly refined white bread or French fries. ( 1)

Many people are confused about carbohydrates, but keep in mind that it's more important to eat carbohydrates from healthy foods than to follow a strict diet limiting or counting the number of grams of carbohydrates consumed.

What are carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are found in a wide array of both healthy and unhealthy foods-bread, beans, milk, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, soft drinks, corn, and cherry pie. They also come in a variety of forms. The most common and abundant forms are sugars, fibers, and starches.

Foods high in carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy diet. Carbohydrates provide the body with glucose, which is converted to energy used to support bodily functions and physical activity. But carbohydrate quality is important; some types of carbohydrate-rich foods are better than others:

The healthiest sources of carbohydrates-unprocessed or minimally processed whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans-promote good health by delivering vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a host of important phytonutrients.

Unhealthier sources of carbohydrates include white bread, pastries, sodas, and other highly processed or refined foods. These items contain easily digested carbohydrates that may contribute to weight gain, interfere with weight loss, and promote diabetes and heart disease.

The Healthy Eating Plate recommends filling most of your plate with healthy carbohydrates - with vegetables (except potatoes) and fruits taking up about half of your plate, and whole grains filling up about one fourth of your plate.
Try these tips for adding healthy carbohydrates to your diet:
1. Start the day with whole grains.
Try a hot cereal, like steel cut or old fashioned oats (not instant oatmeal), or a cold cereal that lists a whole grain first on the ingredient list and is low in sugar. A good rule of thumb: Choose a cereal that has at least 4 grams of fiber and less than 8 grams of sugar per serving.

2. Use whole grain breads for lunch or snacks.
Confused about how to find a whole-grain bread? Look for bread that lists as the first ingredient whole wheat, whole rye, or some other whole grain -and even better, one that is made with only whole grains, such as 100 percent whole wheat bread.

3. Also look beyond the bread aisle.
Whole wheat bread is often made with finely ground flour, and bread products are often high in sodium. Instead of bread, try a whole grain in salad form such as brown rice or quinoa.

4. Choose whole fruit instead of juice.
An orange has two times as much fiber and half as much sugar as a 12-ounce glass of orange juice.

5. Pass on potatoes, and instead bring on the beans.
Rather than fill up on potatoes - which have been found to promote weight gain - choose beans for an excellent source of slowly digested carbohydrates. Beans and other legumes such as chickpeas also provide a healthy dose of protein.

References
1. Mozaffarian D, Hao T, Rimm EB, Willett WC, Hu FB. Changes in diet and lifestyle and long-term weight gain in women and men. N Engl J Med. 2011;364:2392-404.
Terms of Use

The contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice. You should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The Nutrition Source does not recommend or endorse any products.

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Carbohydrates: quality matters What's most important is the type of carbohydrate you choose to eat because some sources are healthier than others. The amount of carbohydrate in the diet - high or l...

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In the article they say that one reason that people tend to overeat is because they eat too many sugary carbohydrates.It aslo says that we need to cut down on eating refined carbohydrates and eat more whole foods.

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Are all calories created equal? A new study suggests that in at least one important way, they may not be.

Sugary foods and drinks, white bread and other processed carbohydrates that are known to cause abrupt spikes and falls in blood sugar appear to stimulate parts of the brain involved in hunger, craving and reward, the new research shows. The findings, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest that these so-called high-glycemic foods influence the brain in a way that might drive some people to overeat.

For those who are particularly susceptible to these effects, avoiding refined carbohydrates might reduce urges and potentially help control weight, said Dr. David Ludwig, the lead author of the study and the director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston Children's Hospital.

"This research suggests that based on their effects on brain metabolism, all calories are not alike," he said. "Not everybody who eats processed carbohydrates develops uncontrollable food cravings. But for the person who has been struggling with weight in our modern food environment and unable to control their cravings, limiting refined carbohydrate may be a logical first step."

Regardless of the diet they choose, most people who lose a great deal of weight have a difficult time keeping it off for good. For many people, despite their best efforts, the weight returns within six months to a year. But a few studies of weight loss maintenance, including a large one in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2010, have reported some success with diets that limit high-glycemic foods like bagels, white rice, juice and soda.

In addition to raising blood sugar, foods that are sugary and highly caloric elicit pronounced responses in distinct areas of the brain involved in reward. Earlier imaging studies have shown, for example, that the main reward and pleasure center, the nucleus accumbens, lights up more intensely for a slice of chocolate cake than for blander foods like vegetables, and the activation tends to be greater in the brains of obese people than it is in those who are lean.

But do rich desserts have a select ability to change our longer-term eating habits?

To get a better idea, Dr. Ludwig and his colleagues recruited a dozen obese men and then fed them milkshakes on two different occasions separated by several weeks. In each case, the milkshakes were nearly identical: flavored with milk and vanilla, and containing the same amount of calories, carbohydrates, protein and fat.

But on one occasion, the shakes were made with high-glycemic corn syrup; on the other, a source of low-glycemic carbohydrates was used. "These test meals were identical in appearance and tastiness, and we verified that our subjects had no preference for one or the other," Dr. Ludwig said.

As expected, blood sugar levels rose more quickly in response to the high-glycemic milkshake. But the researchers were especially interested in what happened several hours later, about the time most people are ready for their next meal.

What they found was that four hours after drinking the high-glycemic shake, blood sugar levels had plummeted into the hypoglycemic range, the subjects reported more hunger, and brain scans showed greater activation in parts of the brain that regulate cravings, reward and addictive behaviors. Although the subject pool was small, every subject showed the same response, and the differences in blood flow to these regions of the brain between the two conditions "was quite substantial," Dr. Ludwig said.

"Based on the strength and consistency of the response," he added, "the likelihood that this was due to chance was less than one in a thousand."

Previous research suggests that when blood sugar levels plummet, people have a tendency to seek out foods that can restore it quickly, and this may set up a cycle of overeating driven by high-glycemic foods, Dr. Ludwig said. "It makes sense that the brain would direct us to foods that would rescue blood sugar," he said. "That's a normal protective mechanism."

Christopher Gardner, a nutrition scientist at Stanford University who was not involved in the new study, said that after decades of research but little success in fighting obesity, "it has been disappointing that the message being communicated to the American public has been boiled down to 'eat less and exercise more.'"

"An underlying assumption of the 'eat less' portion of that message has been 'a calorie is a calorie,'" he said. But the new research "sheds light on the strong plausibility that it isn't just the amount of food we are eating, but also the type."

Dr. Gardner said it was clear that the conventional approach of the past few decades was not working. A more helpful message than "eat less," he said, may be "eat less refined carbohydrates and more whole foods."

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Are all calories created equal? A new study suggests that in at least one important way, they may not be. Sugary foods and drinks, white bread and other processed carbohydrates that are known to cause abrupt spikes and falls in blood sugar appear to stimulate parts of the brain involved in hunger, craving and reward, the new research shows.

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