Minerals

Minerals

Daily Mineral Requirements

Jan 272017
 

The Daily Mineral Requirements matrix below breaks down the mineral content of some basic foods that are required to ensure the thyroid, and therefore other systems, are able to work correctly. It also shows the percentage of the daily requirement DV that each particular food provides for the given quantity.

The matrix is focused on Iodine, Selenium, Magnesium. Zinc and Iron.
Other nutrient requirements (eg Calcium, Omega 3, Vitamins ) are generally provided by the same foods that provide these five.

Daily Mineral requirements that can be obtained from whole foods, not “fortified”.

Iodine

Dose of Iodine supplement for Hashimotos is 100-300 mcg per day

Foods containing sufficient amounts of Iodine:

Average Max
Adults 150 mcg 1,100 mcg
Food mcg
per serving		 DV % Selen
mcg/
DV		 Pot
mcg/
DV		 Magn
mcg/
DV		 Iron
mg/
DV		  Zinc
mg/
DV		 Calc
mg/
DV		 Mang
mcg/
DV		 Om3
Seaweed, whole or sheet, 1 g 16 to 2,984 11% to 1,989%
Cod, baked,
3 ounces		 99 66%  y
Yogurt, plain, low-fat,  1 cup 75 50% 8/
11%		 42/
11%		 1.7/
11%		 415/
42% 
Milk, reduced fat, 1 cup 56 37% 8/
11%		 24-27/
6-7%		   1/
7%		 293/
29%
Egg,
1 large		 24 16% 15/
21%		  1/
6%
Tuna, canned in oil, drained,
3 ounces		 17 11% 1/
6%		  y
Corn, cream style, canned,
1/2 cup		 14 9%
Prunes, dried,
5 prunes		 13 9%
Cheese, cheddar,
1 ounce		 12 8% 1/
6%		  .9/
6%		  307/
31%
Lima beans, mature, boiled,
1/2 cup		 8 5%  6/
9%
Apple juice,
1 cup		 7 5%
Green peas, frozen, boiled,
1/2 cup		 3 2%  1/
6%		 .5/
3% 		  
Banana,
1 medium		 3 2% 32 /
8%

 

Selenium

Foods containing sufficient amounts of Selenium:

Average Max
Adults  55 mcg 400 mcg
Food mcg
per serving		 DV % Iodine
mcg/
DV		 Pot
mcg/
DV		 Magn
mg/
DV		 Iron
mg/
DV		 Zinc
mg/
DV		 Calc
mg/
DV		 Mang
mg/
DV		 Om3
Brazil nuts, (1-2 nuts) 135 190%
Sardines, canned in oil, drained solids with bone,
3 ounces		 45 64% 2/
11%		  325/
33%		 y
Beef steak, bottom round, roasted,
3 ounces		 33 47% 2/
11%		 7/
47%
Turkey, boneless, roasted,
3 ounces		 31 44% 1/
6%
Beef liver, pan fried, 3 ounces 28 40%  5/
28%
Chicken, light meat, roasted,
3 ounces		 22 31% 22/
6%		 1/
6%		    
Cottage cheese, 1% milkfat, 1 cup 20 29%        138/
14%
Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked, 1 cup 19 27% 42/
11%		  1/
6%		    
Beef, ground, 25% fat, broiled,
3 ounces		 18 26% 20/
5%		    
Egg, hard-boiled,
1 large		 15 21%    1/
6%		    
Baked beans, canned, plain or vegetarian,  1 cup 13 19%     2.9/
19%
Oatmeal, regular and quick, unenriched, cooked with water, 1 cup 13 19%
Spinach, frozen, boiled, 1 cup 11 16% 74/
19%		  3/
17%
Milk,
1% fat,  1 cup		 8 11% 56/
37%		     1/
7%		 293/
29%
Yogurt, plain, low fat, 1 cup 8 11% 75/
50%		     1.7/
11%		  415/
42%
Lentils, boiled,
1 cup		 6 9%        3/
17%		    
Cashew nuts, dry roasted,
1 ounce		 3 4%     74/
19%		  2/
11%		 1.6/
11%
Corn flakes,
1 cup		 2 3%            

 

Magnesium

Foods containing sufficient amounts of Magnesium:

Average Max
Male 420 mg
Female 320 mg 350 mg
Food (mg) per
serving		 DV % Iodine
mcg/
DV		  Pot
mcg/
DV		 Selen
mcg/
DV		 Iron
mg/
DV		 Zinc
mg/
DV		 Calc
mg/
DV		 Mang
mg/
DV		 Om3
Almonds, dry roasted,  1 ounce 80 20%    .9/
6%		  
Spinach, boiled,
½ cup		 78 20%  11/
16%		    3/
17%		    
Cashews, dry roasted,
1 ounce		 74 19% 3/
4%		  2/
11%		 1.6/
11%
Peanuts, oil roasted,
¼ cup		 63 16%
Cereal, shredded wheat, 2 large biscuits 61 15%
Soymilk, plain or vanilla, 1 cup 61 15% 299/
30%
Black beans, cooked,
½ cup		 60 15%
Peanut butter, smooth,  2 tablespoons 49 12%
Bread, whole wheat,
2 slices		 46 12% 2/
11%		  60/
6%
Avocado, cubed, 1 cup 44 11%
Potato, baked with skin,  3.5 ounces 43 11%     2/
11%
Rice, brown, cooked,
½ cup		 42 11% 19/
27%		 1/
6%
Yogurt, plain, low fat, 8 ounces 42 11% 75/
50%		 8/
11%		 1.7/
11		  415/
42%
Oatmeal, instant,
1 packet		 36 9%    
Kidney beans, canned,  ½ cup 35 9%      2/
11%
Banana,
1 medium		 32 8%  3/
2%		    
Salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked,
3 ounces		 26 7%     y
Milk, 1 cup 24–27 6–7% 56/
37%		     293/
29%
Halibut, cooked,
3 ounces		 24 6%     y
Raisins,
½ cup		 23 6%      1/
6%
Chicken breast, roasted,  3 ounces 22 6% 22/
31%		  1/
6%		 2.4/
16%
Beef, ground,
90% lean, pan broiled,
3 ounces		 20 5%     5.3/
35%
Broccoli, chopped and cooked,  ½ cup 12 3%      1/
6%		  21/
2%
Rice, white, cooked,
½ cup		 10 3%    
Apple,
1 medium		 9 2%    
Carrot, raw,
1 medium		 7 2%    

 

Zinc

Foods containing sufficient amounts of Zinc:

Average Max
Male  11 mg
Female  8 mg
Food mg
per serving		 DV % Iodine
mcg/
DV		 Pot
mcg/
DV		 Selen
mcg/
DV		 Iron
mg/
DV		 Magn
mg/
DV		 Calc
mg/
DV		 Mang
mg/
DV		 Om3
Oysters, cooked, breaded and fried,  3 ounces 74.0 493%  8/
44%		 y
Beef chuck roast, braised,
3 ounces		 7.0 47% 33/
47%		  2/
11%
Beef patty, broiled,
3 ounces		 5.3 35%
Pork chop, loin, cooked,
3 ounces		 2.9 19%
Baked beans, canned, plain or vegetarian, ½ cup 2.9 19% 13/
19%
Chicken, dark meat, cooked,
3 ounces		 2.4 16%  1/
6%
Yogurt, fruit, low fat,
8 ounces		 1.7 11%  75  50  8/
11%
Cashews, dry roasted,
1 ounce		 1.6 11%  3/
4%		  2/
11%
Chickpeas, cooked,  ½ cup 1.3 9%    2/
11% 
Cheese, Swiss,  1 ounce 1.2 8%    
Oatmeal, instant, plain, prepared with water, 1 packet 1.1 7%  13/
19%
Milk, low-fat or non fat,
1 cup		 1.0 7%  56/
37%		  8/
11%		 293/
29%
Almonds, dry roasted,
1 ounce		 0.9 6%      80/
20%
Kidney beans, cooked,
½ cup		 0.9 6%        
Chicken breast, roasted, skin removed,  ½ breast 0.9 6%  22/
31%		  22/
6%
Cheese, cheddar or mozzarella, 1 ounce 0.9 6%   1/
6% 		  307/
31%
Peas, green, frozen, cooked,
½ cup		 0.5 3%    1/
6%

 

Iodine optimisation

Jan 272017
 

Why optimizing your iodine intake is so crucial, and why both too little and too much iodine can be harmful.

Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of hypothyroidism worldwide. Once researchers realized this, health authorities around the world began adding iodine to table salt.

This strategy was effective in correcting iodine deficiency. But it had an unanticipated—and undesired—effect. In countries where iodine has been added to table salt, the rates of autoimmune thyroid disease have risen.

Why does this happen? Because increased iodine intake, especially in supplement form, can increase the autoimmune attack on the thyroid. Iodine reduces the activity of an enzyme called thyroid peroxidase (TPO). TPO is required for proper thyroid hormone production.

On the other hand, restricting intake of iodine can reverse hypothyroidism. In one study, 78% of patients with Hashimoto’s regained normal thyroid function with iodine restriction alone.

However—and this is a big “however”— it appears that iodine may only pose a problem for people with Hashimoto’s and other autoimmune thyroid diseases in the presence of concurrent selenium deficiency. In the study above where rats developed goiter while receiving excess iodine, when they were given adequate selenium they did not develop the goiter.

Other studies have shown that selenium protects against the effects of iodine toxicity and prevents the triggering and flaring of autoimmune disease that excess iodine without selenium can cause.

Always test for both iodine deficiency and Hashimoto’s when a patient presents with hypothyroid symptoms. If they are iodine deficient, start them on a trial of iodine and selenium together. In most cases, patients see a significant improvement. In a minority of cases, they cannot tolerate supplemental iodine even with adequate selenium intake.

Unfortunately, the blood test for iodine that your doctor might run is not very accurate. The best way to determine iodine status is with a 24-hour urine loading test. This involves taking a large dose of iodine and collecting your urine for 24 hours afterward. If you are iodine deficient, you’ll retain more of the ingested iodine than you should and the level of iodine excreted in the urine will be lower than expected.

If your doctor or health care practitioner won’t order these tests, you can simply begin an iodine protocol. This involves starting with a low dose of iodine ( start with kelp tablets that contain 325 mcg of iodine per tablet) and increasing very slowly over time. It’s crucial that you also take 200 mcg of selenium per day during this protocol to protect against the potentially adverse effects of iodine supplementation, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease.

Physicians that specialize in treating hypothyroidism with iodine suggest doses as high as 50 mg per day may be necessary to restore iodine levels in those that are deficient. It’s imperative that patients build up to such high doses very slowly, and I don’t recommend doing it without the supervision of a clinician experienced with iodine treatment. Be aware that high doses of iodine can lead to a transient increase in TSH levels, which can be mistakenly interpreted as a sign of hypothyroidism.

Finally, it’s important to keep in mind that a minority of patients with Hashimoto’s confirmed by biopsy (the gold standard) never test positive for thyroid antibodies. This is probably because their immune systems are so depressed they can no longer produce antibodies. If you have a combination of hyper- and hypothyroid symptoms, I would still suspect Hashimoto’s even if your thyroid antibody tests are normal. It’s wise to be cautious with iodine if you have any signs of autoimmune thyroid disease, even without a confirmed diagnosis.

How much Iodine per day

Life Stage Recommended Amount
Birth to 6 months 110 mcg
Infants 7–12 months 130 mcg
Children 1–8 years 90 mcg
Children 9–13 years 120 mcg
Teens 14–18 years 150 mcg
Adults 150 mcg
Pregnant teens and women 220 mcg
Breastfeeding teens and women 290 mcg

How much is too much

Life Stage Upper Limit
Birth to 12 months: Not established
Children 1–3 years: 200 mcg
Children 4–8 years: 300 mcg
Children 9–13 years: 600 mcg
Teens 14–18 years: 900 mcg
Adults: 1,100 mcg

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-Consumer/

Bioavailabilty of Nutrients

Jan 272017
 

The importance of bioavailability
It’s not just the amount of nutrients that a food contains that is important, it’s how bioavailable those nutrients are to the body.
Bioavailability refers to the portion of a nutrient that is absorbed by the body.
The amount of nutrients we absorb from a food is invariably lower than the absolute amount of nutrients the food contains.
The nutrients in some foods are more bioavailable to humans than others. For example, the grass on your front lawn is loaded with vitamins and minerals, but they’re largely inaccessible to humans. Grass contains large amounts of a plant fibre called cellulose, which humans cannot break down. Since we can’t break down the cellulose, we can’t absorb the nutrients grass contains.
On the other hand, nutrients in animal products like fish, meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs are highly bioavailable. This means we can absorb them easily.
The key to nourishing your body, then, is to maximize your intake of bioavailable nutrients. This will ensure that your body has everything it needs to function optimally.

The nutrient density and bioavailability of foods
The table below ranks foods according to their nutrient density and bioavailability.

HIGH MEDIUM  LOW
Organ meat Whole grains* Refined grains (i.e.bread,
pasta, crackers, etc.)
Meat,wild game and poultry Legumes*  Sugar
Fish and shellfish Plant fats and oils**  Industrial seed oils
Eggs Animal fats and oils**  Processed food and snacks
Fruits Dairy products  Sugar-sweetened beverages
Vegetables  Artificial ingredients
Nuts and seeds*  Alcohol
Herbs and spices  Natural sweeteners

* Whole grains, legumes, and nuts and seeds contain substances called “nutrient inhibitors” that impair the  absorption of some of the nutrients they contain.
** Plant and animal fats are relatively low in nutrients, but they play other crucial roles, including helping us to absorb the nutrients in other foods.

Looking at the table you might notice several interesting things.

Firstly, all of the most nutrient-dense foods are real, whole foods, and all of the least  nutrient-dense foods are processed and refined foods.

Processed and refined foods are destroying our health because they promote overeating and inflammation, and inflammation is at the root of all modern disease. Here  we see yet another problem with these foods: they are at the bottom of the scale in  terms of nutrient density.

Secondly, you might be surprised to see that organ meats, meat, fish and shellfish are in  the highest category of nutrient density. In fact, when the major nutrients required for human function are considered, these foods are even more nutrient-dense than fruits  and vegetables.

One serving of beef (about 3.5 ounces) typically contains more B12,  niacin (B3), vitamin D, retinol (vitamin A), zinc, iron, potassium, phosphorus, and EPA and  DHA than the same amount of blueberries or kale, which are two of the most nutrient dense plant foods. In addition, the nutrients in meat are highly bioavailable when  compared to foods like cereal grains, nuts and seeds, and legumes. The bioavailability of zinc, for example, is four times higher in meat than it is in grains.

Thirdly, while neither animal nor plant fats are especially nutrient dense, they do play other important roles in the diet. Perhaps most importantly, they help us to absorb the nutrients that are present in other foods.

Finally, look at where whole grains and legumes are on the table; they’re not the  nutritional powerhouses you may have been led to believe they are. Not only do they lack important nutrients, but they also contain substances called “nutrient inhibitors” that make it more difficult for us to absorb some of the nutrients they do contain.

Cultures who ate a lot of grains and legumes went to great lengths to break down these nutrient inhibitors so they could better absorb the nutrients in these foods.
Methods included soaking, sprouting, fermenting, and leavening.
If you have the time and energy to prepare grains and legumes in these ways, and you tolerate them well, there’s no reason they can’t be part of a diet that emphasizes other more nutrient dense foods like meat, fish, eggs, and fruits and vegetables.

Likewise, if you eat nuts and seeds, you should soak and then dehydrate or roast them first in order to increase the bioavailability of the nutrients they contain.

Body pH

Jan 272017
 

The number One cause of massive inflammation , toxicity and decreased immune response is Acidity.
Body acidity is caused by poor diet, toxins, heavy metals, electromagnetic pollution, dental infections and negative emotions.
You have to be alkaline for your body to heal.

Your body pH has to be between 6.4 – 7.0
Over 7.0 is bad because your body is leeching minerals (calcium, magnesium and others) out of the blood, and as soon as you correct the problem the pH will drop to 4.5 – 5.0

Check body pH by testing first morning urine after 5 am for a period of at least 2 weeks.
It has to be the first morning urine pH after 5 a.m. because you are checking the body’s metabolism.
There are doctors that check salivary pH which is not as accurate as the urine pH because the salivary pH has not metabolized through the body.
Just about EVERY thyroid patient will probably be acidic!
When you’re acidic, your body leaches minerals out of your bones to buffer your blood!
These minerals, calcium, magnesium and trace minerals are VERY IMPORTANT to the thyroid patient because cells of your body need to accept the thyroid hormone, T3, and they cannot accept T3 without an ample supply of minerals.
There are so many medical doctors chasing symptoms by prescribing T4 and T3 medications instead of getting to the CAUSE by addressing the patient’s acidity and low minerals which suppresses T4 and T3.
Many doctors, including some “thyroid experts,” miss this fact completely!

T4 conversion to T3 is dependent on the mineral zinc and low levels of selenium will cause inactivity of T3.
Should one take handfuls of zinc and selenium? NO! You should get it from the food that you eat!
Beef, lamb, veal, crab, shrimp, scallops, oysters, turkey, pumpkin, yogurt, peanuts, sesame and squash seeds all contain high levels of zinc.
Tuna, cod, halibut, sardines, shrimp, salmon, beef, turkey, and lamb are all high in selenium.
Instead of taking handfuls of the medications T3 and T4, why not let good food be a part of our healing process?

When you are acidic, you are at greater risk for heavy metal toxicity which in turn causes a downward spiral of free radicals!
Being acidic creates a welcoming environment for viruses and bacteria to flourish! You may have noticed that you are more susceptible to more colds and flu, this is one of the reasons WHY.

How does one become more alkaline?

Change your diet!
STOP eating junk! NOW!
There is no such thing as “junk food,” there is food and there is junk.
Eat more :
organic vegetables,
lean grass-­‐fed, organic meat,
wild fish and game and
a limited amount of organic fruits.
Preferably, eat only stone fruits or fruits with a pit in it like a peach or plum because they are lower on the glycemic index.
Berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries) are also low on the glycemic index.
Eat more organic vegetables and drink fresh-­‐squeezed, organic vegetable juice!
Drink good, high-­‐quality water! Avoid tap water as it is full of chemicals.

Calcium

Jan 272017
 

Calcium, the most abundant mineral in the body, is found in some foods, added to others, available as a dietary supplement, and present in some medicines (such as antacids). Calcium is required for vascular contraction and vasodilation, muscle function, nerve transmission, intracellular signaling and hormonal secretion, though less than 1% of total body calcium is needed to support these critical metabolic functions. Serum calcium is very tightly regulated and does not fluctuate with changes in dietary intakes; the body uses bone tissue as a reservoir for, and source of calcium, to maintain constant concentrations of calcium in blood, muscle, and intercellular fluids.

The remaining 99% of the body’s calcium supply is stored in the bones and teeth where it supports their structure and function. Bone itself undergoes continuous remodeling, with constant resorption and deposition of calcium into new bone. The balance between bone resorption and deposition changes with age. Bone formation exceeds resorption in periods of growth in children and adolescents, whereas in early and middle adulthood both processes are relatively equal. In aging adults, particularly among postmenopausal women, bone breakdown exceeds formation, resulting in bone loss that increases the risk of osteoporosis over time.

Recommended Intakes

 Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Calcium
Age Male Female Pregnant Lactating
0–6 months 200 mg 200 mg
7–12 months 260 mg 260 mg
1–3 years 700 mg 700 mg
4–8 years 1,000 mg 1,000 mg
9–13 years 1,300 mg 1,300 mg
14–18 years 1,300 mg 1,300 mg 1,300 mg 1,300 mg
19–50 years 1,000 mg 1,000 mg 1,000 mg 1,000 mg
51–70 years 1,000 mg 1,200 mg
71+ years 1,200 mg 1,200 mg

 

Sources of Calcium

Food

Milk, yogurt, and cheese are rich natural sources of calcium and are the major food contributors of this nutrient to people in the United States. Nondairy sources include vegetables, such as Chinese cabbage, kale, and broccoli. Spinach provides calcium, but its bioavailability is poor. Most grains do not have high amounts of calcium unless they are fortified; however, they contribute calcium to the diet because they contain small amounts of calcium and people consume them frequently. Foods fortified with calcium include many fruit juices and drinks, tofu, and cereals. Selected food sources of calcium are listed in Table 2.

Table 2: Selected Food Sources of Calcium
Food Milligrams (mg)
per serving		 Percent DV
Yogurt, plain, low fat, 8 ounces 415 42
Mozzarella, part skim, 1.5 ounces 333 33
Sardines, canned in oil, with bones, 3 ounces 325 33
Yogurt, fruit, low fat, 8 ounces 313–384 31–38
Cheddar cheese, 1.5 ounces 307 31
Milk, nonfat, 8 ounces** 299 30
Soymilk, calcium-fortified, 8 ounces 299 30
Milk, reduced-fat (2% milk fat), 8 ounces 293 29
Milk, buttermilk, lowfat, 8 ounces 284 28
Milk, whole (3.25% milk fat), 8 ounces 276 28
Orange juice, calcium-fortified, 6 ounces 261 26
Tofu, firm, made with calcium sulfate, ½ cup*** 253 25
Salmon, pink, canned, solids with bone, 3 ounces 181 18
Cottage cheese, 1% milk fat, 1 cup 138 14
Tofu, soft, made with calcium sulfate, ½ cup*** 138 14
Ready-to-eat cereal, calcium-fortified, 1 cup 100–1,000 10–100
Frozen yogurt, vanilla, soft serve, ½ cup 103 10
Turnip greens, fresh, boiled, ½ cup 99 10
Kale, fresh, cooked, 1 cup 94 9
Ice cream, vanilla, ½ cup 84 8
Chinese cabbage, bok choi, raw, shredded, 1 cup 74 7
Bread, white, 1 slice 73 7
Pudding, chocolate, ready to eat, refrigerated, 4 ounces 55 6
Tortilla, corn, ready-to-bake/fry, one 6” diameter 46 5
Tortilla, flour, ready-to-bake/fry, one 6” diameter 32 3
Sour cream, reduced fat, cultured, 2 tablespoons 31 3
Bread, whole-wheat, 1 slice 30 3
Kale, raw, chopped, 1 cup 24 2
Broccoli, raw, ½ cup 21 2
Cheese, cream, regular, 1 tablespoon 14 1

 

Iron

Jan 272017
 

Iron is a mineral that is naturally present in many foods, added to some food products, and available as a dietary supplement. Iron is an essential component of hemoglobin, an erythrocyte protein that transfers oxygen from the lungs to the tissues. As a component of myoglobin, a protein that provides oxygen to muscles, iron supports metabolism. Iron is also necessary for growth, development, normal cellular functioning, and synthesis of some hormones and connective tissue.

Dietary iron has two main forms: heme and nonheme.
Plants and iron-fortified foods contain nonheme iron only,
whereas meat, seafood, and poultry contain both heme and nonheme iron.

Heme iron, which is formed when iron combines with protoporphyrin IX, contributes about 10% to 15% of total iron intakes in western populations.

Most of the 3 to 4 grams of elemental iron in adults is in hemoglobin. Much of the remaining iron is stored in the form of ferritin or hemosiderin (a degradation product of ferritin) in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow or is located in myoglobin in muscle tissue. Humans typically lose only small amounts of iron in urine, feces, the gastrointestinal tract, and skin. Losses are greater in menstruating women because of blood loss. Hepcidin, a circulating peptide hormone, is the key regulator of both iron absorption and the distribution of iron throughout the body, including in plasma.

Many different measures of iron status are available, and different measures are useful at different stages of iron depletion. Measures of serum ferritin can be used to identify iron depletion at an early stage. A reduced rate of delivery of stored and absorbed iron to meet cellular iron requirements represents a more advanced stage of iron depletion, which is associated with reduced serum iron, reticulocyte hemoglobin, and percentage transferrin saturation and with higher total iron binding capacity, red cell zinc protoporphyrin, and serum transferrin receptor concentration. The last stage of iron deficiency, characterized by iron-deficiency anemia (IDA), occurs when blood hemoglobin concentrations, hematocrit (the proportion of red blood cells in blood by volume), mean corpuscular volume, and mean cell hemoglobin are low. Hemoglobin and hematocrit tests are the most commonly used measures to screen patients for iron deficiency, even though they are neither sensitive nor specific. Hemoglobin concentrations lower than 13 g/dL in men and 12 g/dL in women indicate the presence of IDA. Normal hematocrit values, which are generally three times higher than hemoglobin levels, are approximately 41% to 50% in males and 36% to 44% in females .

Recommended Intakes

Table 1 lists the current iron RDAs for nonvegetarians.

The RDAs for vegetarians are 1.8 times higher than for people who eat meat. This is because heme iron from meat is more bioavailable than nonheme iron from plant-based foods, and meat, poultry, and seafood increase the absorption of nonheme iron.

Table 1: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Iron
Age Male Female Vegetarian Male Female
Birth to 6 months 0.27 mg 0.27 mg
7–12 months 11 mg 11 mg
1–3 years 7 mg 7 mg
4–8 years 10 mg 10 mg
9–13 years 8 mg 8 mg
14–18 years 11 mg 15 mg
19–50 years 8 mg 18 mg 14 mg 32 mg
51+ years 8 mg 8 mg  14 mg 14 mg

 

Sources of Iron

Food

The richest sources of heme iron in the diet include lean meat and seafood.

Dietary sources of nonheme iron include nuts, beans, vegetables, and fortified grain products.

In the United States, about half of dietary iron comes from bread, cereal, and other grain products.

In the United States, Canada, and many other countries, wheat and other flours are fortified with iron.

Heme iron has higher bioavailability than nonheme iron, and other dietary components have less effect on the bioavailability of heme than nonheme iron.
The bioavailability of iron is approximately 14% to 18% from mixed diets that include substantial amounts of meat, seafood, and vitamin C (ascorbic acid, which enhances the bioavailability of nonheme iron) and 5% to 12% from vegetarian diets.
In addition to ascorbic acid, meat, poultry, and seafood can enhance nonheme iron absorption, whereas phytate (present in grains and beans) and certain polyphenols in some non-animal foods (such as cereals and legumes) have the opposite effect.
Unlike other inhibitors of iron absorption, calcium might reduce the bioavailability of both nonheme and heme iron. However, the effects of enhancers and inhibitors of iron absorption are attenuated by a typical mixed western diet, so they have little effect on most people’s iron status.

Some plant-based foods that are good sources of iron, such as spinach, have low iron bioavailability because they contain iron-absorption inhibitors, such as polyphenols.

Table 2: Selected Food Sources of Iron
Food Milligrams
per serving		 Percent DV*
Breakfast cereals, fortified with 100% of the DV for iron, 1 serving 18 100
Oysters, eastern, cooked with moist heat, 3 ounces 8 44
White beans, canned, 1 cup 8 44
Chocolate, dark, 45%–69% cacao solids, 3 ounces 7 39
Beef liver, pan fried, 3 ounces 5 28
Lentils, boiled and drained, ½ cup 3 17
Spinach, boiled and drained, ½ cup 3 17
Tofu, firm, ½ cup 3 17
Kidney beans, canned, ½ cup 2 11
Sardines, Atlantic, canned in oil, drained solids with bone, 3 ounces 2 11
Chickpeas, boiled and drained, ½ cup 2 11
Tomatoes, canned, stewed, ½ cup 2 11
Beef, braised bottom round, trimmed to 1/8” fat, 3 ounces 2 11
Potato, baked, flesh and skin, 1 medium potato 2 11
Cashew nuts, oil roasted, 1 ounce (18 nuts) 2 11
Green peas, boiled, ½ cup 1 6
Chicken, roasted, meat and skin, 3 ounces 1 6
Rice, white, long grain, enriched, parboiled, drained, ½ cup 1 6
Bread, whole wheat, 1 slice 1 6
Bread, white, 1 slice 1 6
Raisins, seedless, ¼ cup 1 6
Spaghetti, whole wheat, cooked, 1 cup 1 6
Tuna, light, canned in water, 3 ounces 1 6
Turkey, roasted, breast meat and skin, 3 ounces 1 6
Nuts, pistachio, dry roasted, 1 ounce (49 nuts) 1 6
Broccoli, boiled and drained, ½ cup 1 6
Egg, hard boiled, 1 large 1 6
Rice, brown, long or medium grain, cooked, 1 cup 1 6
Cheese, cheddar, 1.5 ounces 0 0
Cantaloupe, diced, ½ cup 0 0
Mushrooms, white, sliced and stir-fried, ½ cup 0 0
Cheese, cottage, 2% milk fat, ½ cup 0 0
Milk, 1 cup 0 0

 

Diet Plan for Hypothyroidism

Jan 272017
 

Video with explanation of hypothyroidism and tips on diet to help resolve the problem.

8 minutes.

 

Diet rich in;

  • Protein
  • Iodised salt
  • Sea salt
  • Most fish
  • Fish oil
  • Sea weed / kelp
  • Eggs
  • Certain cheeses
  • Green leafy vegetables

Eat foods that contain a lot of fatty acids;

  • Almonds
  • Walnuts
  • Whole grains
  • Lean Meat
  • Milk
  • Egg Whites

Eat foods with Selenium that contain anti-oxidants, anti-aging, anti-cancer enzymes;

  • Rice
  • Corn
  • Wheat
  • Brazil Nuts
  • Walnuts
  • Onions
  • Oats
  • Garlic
  • Soybeans

Chicken, Beef and certain fish also contain Selenium so be careful not to overdose.

Eat Vitamins

  • A
  • B2
  • B3
  • B6
  • C

Eat foods that contain these vitamins including;

  • Bananas
  • Bok Choy
  • Broccoli
  • Cantaloupe
  • Carrots
  • Egg Yokes
  • Figs
  • Oranges
  • Spinach

Stay away from;

  • Sugar
  • Junk food & fast food – especially fried fast food
  • Vegetables that contain high amounts of iron – cauliflower, mustard
  • Alcohol

 

7 foods that help with Hypothyroidism

4 minutes

  1. Coconut oil – 1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil per day
  2. Ginger Tea   source of zinc, magnesium, potassium
  3. Fish – selenium, iodine, B12, Omega 3
  4. Apple Cider Vinegar – restore pH balance
  5. Nuts – for selenium – Brazil nuts, Macadamia, Hazelnuts
  6. Wild Oats – selenium, iron, zinc, manganese, fiber
  7. Black Walnut – iodine, magnesium.  Blood purifier- removes toxins from blood

The Elimination Diet
Dr. Izabella Wentz with Tom Malterre on the Elimination Diet

45 min

Magnesium

Jan 272017
 

Magnesium, an abundant mineral in the body, is naturally present in many foods, added to other food products, available as a dietary supplement, and present in some medicines (such as antacids and laxatives). Magnesium is a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in the body, including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation. Magnesium is required for energy production, oxidative phosphorylation, and glycolysis. It contributes to the structural development of bone and is required for the synthesis of DNA, RNA, and the antioxidant glutathione. Magnesium also plays a role in the active transport of calcium and potassium ions across cell membranes, a process that is important to nerve impulse conduction, muscle contraction, and normal heart rhythm.

An adult body contains approximately 25 g magnesium, with 50% to 60% present in the bones and most of the rest in soft tissues. Less than 1% of total magnesium is in blood serum, and these levels are kept under tight control. Normal serum magnesium concentrations range between 0.75 and 0.95 millimoles (mmol)/L . Hypomagnesemia is defined as a serum magnesium level less than 0.75 mmol/L. Magnesium homeostasis is largely controlled by the kidney, which typically excretes about 120 mg magnesium into the urine each day. Urinary excretion is reduced when magnesium status is low.

Assessing magnesium status is difficult because most magnesium is inside cells or in bone. The most commonly used and readily available method for assessing magnesium status is measurement of serum magnesium concentration, even though serum levels have little correlation with total body magnesium levels or concentrations in specific tissues. Other methods for assessing magnesium status include measuring magnesium concentrations in erythrocytes, saliva, and urine; measuring ionized magnesium concentrations in blood, plasma, or serum; and conducting a magnesium-loading (or “tolerance”) test. No single method is considered satisfactory. Some experts consider the tolerance test (in which urinary magnesium is measured after parenteral infusion of a dose of magnesium) to be the best method to assess magnesium status in adults. To comprehensively evaluate magnesium status, both laboratory tests and a clinical assessment might be required.

Recommended Intakes

 

 Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Magnesium
Age Male Female Pregnancy Lactation
Birth to 6 months 30 mg 30 mg
7–12 months 75 mg 75 mg
1–3 years 80 mg 80 mg
4–8 years 130 mg 130 mg
9–13 years 240 mg 240 mg
14–18 years 410 mg 360 mg 400 mg 360 mg
19–30 years 400 mg 310 mg 350 mg 310 mg
31–50 years 420 mg 320 mg 360 mg 320 mg
51+ years 420 mg 320 mg

 

Sources of Magnesium

Food

Magnesium is widely distributed in plant and animal foods and in beverages. Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, are good sources. In general, foods containing dietary fiber provide magnesium. Magnesium is also added to some breakfast cereals and other fortified foods. Some types of food processing, such as refining grains in ways that remove the nutrient-rich germ and bran, lower magnesium content substantially.

Tap, mineral, and bottled waters can also be sources of magnesium, but the amount of magnesium in water varies by source and brand (ranging from 1 mg/L to more than 120 mg/L).

Approximately 30% to 40% of the dietary magnesium consumed is typically absorbed by the body.

Selected Food Sources of Magnesium
Food Milligrams
(mg) per
serving		 Percent
DV
Almonds, dry roasted, 1 ounce 80 20
Spinach, boiled, ½ cup 78 20
Cashews, dry roasted, 1 ounce 74 19
Peanuts, oil roasted, ¼ cup 63 16
Cereal, shredded wheat, 2 large biscuits 61 15
Soymilk, plain or vanilla, 1 cup 61 15
Black beans, cooked, ½ cup 60 15
Edamame, shelled, cooked, ½ cup 50 13
Peanut butter, smooth, 2 tablespoons 49 12
Bread, whole wheat, 2 slices 46 12
Avocado, cubed, 1 cup 44 11
Potato, baked with skin, 3.5 ounces 43 11
Rice, brown, cooked, ½ cup 42 11
Yogurt, plain, low fat, 8 ounces 42 11
Breakfast cereals, fortified with 10% of the DV for magnesium 40 10
Oatmeal, instant, 1 packet 36 9
Kidney beans, canned, ½ cup 35 9
Banana, 1 medium 32 8
Salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked, 3 ounces 26 7
Milk, 1 cup 24–27 6–7
Halibut, cooked, 3 ounces 24 6
Raisins, ½ cup 23 6
Chicken breast, roasted, 3 ounces 22 6
Beef, ground, 90% lean, pan broiled, 3 ounces 20 5
Broccoli, chopped and cooked, ½ cup 12 3
Rice, white, cooked, ½ cup 10 3
Apple, 1 medium 9 2
Carrot, raw, 1 medium 7 2

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/

People with gastrointestinal diseases

The chronic diarrhea and fat malabsorption resulting from Crohn’s disease, gluten-sensitive enteropathy (celiac disease), and regional enteritis can lead to magnesium depletion over time. Resection or bypass of the small intestine, especially the ileum, typically leads to malabsorption and magnesium loss.

 

Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs) for Supplemental Magnesium
Age Male Female Pregnant Lactating
Birth to 12 months None established None established
1–3 years 65 mg 65 mg
4–8 years 110 mg 110 mg
9–18 years 350 mg 350 mg 350 mg 350 mg
19+ years 350 mg 350 mg 350 mg 350 mg

 

T3 – Triiodothyronine

Jan 262017
 

Triiodothyronine (T3) is made by the thyroid and uses Selenium, Zinc and Iodine to do so.
T3 is also made by the liver by converting T4.

TSH from the Pituitary Gland causes the thyroid gland to make two hormones: triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4).

Testing the blood for T3 levels is a good indicator if the thyroid is working correctly or not, however if there is a deficiency of Selenium, Zinc and Iodine, a low level of T3 may not be an indicator of a thyroid not working, but more an indicator of the deficiency. This is why it is important to also test for other indicators.

eg A normal level of T4 combined with a low T3 may not be an indicator of problem thyroid function, because if the thyroid can’t convert the T4 to T3, due to a mineral deficiency,  then the problem is the deficiency, not the thyroid.

Synthetic thyroxin such as Synthoid is T4, so if you are taking it, the T4 levels may show as correct even with low T3.

Natural forms of desiccated thyroxin will normally contain a mix of both T4 and some T3.

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