June Challenge: Mg, K, Ca, Zn

[banshee]

OK, Just to get the ball rolling on this, I decided to start with the Periodic Table of Elements. (Doesn't that bring back visions of high school?! :D) I'm quoting all this information from WebElements (http://www.webelements.com/), the periodic table of elements on the web, posted by The University of Sheffield (http://www.shef.ac.uk/chemistry/).

Magnesium (Mg), Atomic number: 12, Atomic weight: 24.3050, Standard State: solid at 298 K, Colour: silvery white, Classification: Metallic

Magnesium is a grayish-white, fairly tough metal. Magnesium is the eighth most abundant element in the earth's crust although not found in it's elemental form. It is a Group 2 element (Group IIA in older labelling schemes). Group 2 elements are called alkaline earth metals.

Magnesium tarnishes slightly in air, and finely divided magnesium readily ignites upon heating in air and burns with a dazzling white flame. Normally magnesium is coated with a layer of oxide, MgO, that protects magnesium from air and water.

Magnesium is an important element for plant and animal life. Chlorophylls are porphyrins based upon magnesium. The adult human daily requirement of magnesium is about 0.3 g day.

Isolation: Here is a brief summary of the isolation of magnesium.

Magnesium can be made commercially by several processes and would not normally be made in the laboratory because of its ready availability. There are massive amounts of magnesium in seawater. This can be recovered as magnesium chloride, MgCl2 through reaction with calcium oxide, CaO.

CaO + H2O → Ca2+ + 2OH-

Mg2+ + 2OH- → Mg(OH)2

Mg(OH)2 + 2HCl → MgCl2 + 2H2O

Electrolysis of hot molten MgCl2 affords magnesium as a liquid whih is poured off and chlorine gas.

cathode: Mg2+(l) + 2e- → Mg anode: Cl-(l) → 1/2Cl2 (g) + e-

The other method used to produce magnesium is non electrolytic and involves dolomite, [MgCa(CO3)2], an important magnesium mineral. This is "calcined" by heating to form calcined dolomite, MgO.CaO, and this reacted with ferrosilicon alloy.

2[MgO.CaO] + FeSi → 2Mg + Ca2SiO4 + Fe

The magnesium may be distilled out from this mixture of products.


Potassium (K), Atomic number: 19, Atomic weight: 39.0983, Standard State: solid at 298 K, Colour: silvery white, Classification: metallic

The metal is the seventh most abundant and makes up about 1.5 % by weight of the earth's crust. Potassium is an essential constituent for plant growth and it is found in most soils. It is also a vital element in the human diet.

Potassium is never found free in nature, but is obtained by electrolysis of the chloride or hydroxide, much in the same manner as prepared by Davy. It is one of the most reactive and electropositive of metals and, apart from lithium, it is the least dense known metal. It is soft and easily cut with a knife. It is silvery in appearance immediately after a fresh surface is exposed.

It oxidises very rapidly in air and must be stored under argon or under a suitable mineral oil. As do all the other metals of the alkali group, it decomposes in water with the evolution of hydrogen. It usually catches fire during the reaction with water. Potassium and its salts impart a lilac colour to flames.

Isolation: Here is a brief summary of the isolation of potassium.

Potassium would not normally be made in the laboratory as it is so readily available commercially. All syntheses require an electrolytic step as it is so difficult to add an electron to the poorly electronegative potassium ion K+.
Potassium is not made by the same method as sodium as might have been expected. This is because the potassium metal, once formed by electrolysis of liquid potassium chloride (KCl), is too soluble in the molten salt.

cathode: K+(l) + e- → K (l)

anode: Cl-(l) → 1/2Cl2 (g) + e-

Instead, it is made by the reaction of metallic sodium with molten potassium chloride at 850°C.

Na + KCl http://www.webelements.com/webelements/support/media/icon/equil.gif K + NaCl

This is an equilibrium reaction and under these conditions the potassium is highly volatile and removed from the system in a form relatively free from sodium impurities, allowing the reaction to proceed.


Calcium (Ca), Atomic number: 20, Atomic weight: 40.078, Standard State: solid at 298 K, Colour: silvery white, Classification: metallic

Calcium is a metallic element, fifth in abundance in the earth's crust, of which it forms more than 3%. It is an essential constituent of leaves, bones, teeth, and shells.

The metal is a silvery colour and is rather hard. Chemically it is one of the alkaline earth elements; it readily forms a white coating of nitride in air, reacts with water, burns with a yellow-red flame, forming largely the nitride.

Calcium does not occur free in nature. Calcium is found mostly as limestone, gypsum and fluorite. Stalagmites and stalactites contain calcium carbonate.

Isolation: Here is a brief summary of the isolation of calcium.

Calcium metal is readily available commercially and there is no need to make it in the laboratory. Commercially it can be made by the electrolysis of molten calcium chloride, CaCl2.

cathode: Ca2+(l) + 2e- → Ca anode: Cl-(l) → 1/2Cl2 (g) + e-

The calcium chloride is made by the action of hydrochloric acid upon calcium carbonate. Calcium chloride is also a byproduct in the Solway process used to make sodium carbonate.

CaCO3 + 2HCl → CaCl2 + H2O + CO2

Alternatively, and on small scale, calcium can be made through the reduction of CaO with aluminium or of CaCl2 with sodium metal

6CaO + 2Al→ 3Ca + Ca3Al2O6

CaCl2 + 2Na→ Ca + 2NaCl


Zinc (Zn), Atomic number: 30, Atomic weight: 65.409, Standard state: solid at 298 K, Colour: bluish pale grey, Classification: metallic

Zinc is a bluish-white, lustrous metal. It is brittle at ambient temperatures but is malleable at 100 to 150°C. It is a reasonable conductor of electricity, and burns in air at high red heat with evolution of white clouds of the oxide.

Zinc-deficient animals require 50% more food to gain the same weight of an animal supplied with adequate amounts of zinc. Zinc is not particularly toxic and is an essential element in the growth of all animals and plants.

Plating thin layers of zinc on to iron or steel is known as galvanising and helps to protect the iron from corrosion.

Isolation: Here is a brief summary of the isolation of zinc.

Zinc metal is readily available commercially so it is not normally necesary to make it in the laboratory. Most zinc production is based upon sulphide ores. These are roasted in industrial plants to form zinc oxide, ZnO. This may be reduced with carbon to form zinc metal, but in practice ingenious technology is required to ensure that the resulting zinc does not contain oxide impurities.

ZnO + C → Zn + CO

ZnO + CO → Zn + CO2

CO2 + C → 2CO

The other type of extraction is electrolytic. Dissolution of crude zinc oxide, ZnO, in sulphuric acid gives zinc sulphate, ZnSO4 in solution. Cadmium is an impurity and this is removed as a precipitate of cadmium sulphate by the addition of zinc dust. Electrolysis of the ZnSO4 solution using aluminium cathodes and lead alloyed with silver anodes gives pure zinc metal coated on the aluminium. Oxygen gas is liberated at the anode.

Very pure zinc may be formed from crude zinc by zone refining and single crystals can be grown with purities of better than 99.9999%.

[banshee]

I was thinking the table of elements info would be pretty basic, but I've already learned something from this info. I never realized that potassium and calcium were metallic in nature! I also wasn't aware that a zinc deficiency made it difficult to gain weight. (Guess most of us aren't deficient there! :p)

I'm going to try to do my reading over the weekend, so probably won't post much more until next week...

[Missy]

Banshee?

I'd like to hear about your Magnesium solution and how it effected you in detail..(before and after and why you decided you needed it? ...if you don't mind sharing.

I'm gonna be gone too for till next weds...so if you do see me replying that's why.

My Dr...and several chiropractor's said after I lost my gallbladder was that it was related to a zinc deficency.

And, I don't take added calcium because I ran into trouble with it interferring with my thyroid medicine....calcium was blocking the thyroid receptors and therefore not allowing the thyroid meds to be absorbed...I got myself into quite a "hypo" state one time when I didn't KNOW that information and was taking the calcium at the same time as my thyroid meds. I stopped taking the calcium all together after that.

I think I could take it opposite time during the day from my thyroid meds, but I don't want to experience THAT ever again. Plus calcium can ...um...constipate you! :rolleyes:

[Ottawa]

This looks great. I want more.:D I like the intro to the four of them and look forward to the work that they do for us.

[Billie]

Banshee it does wet your appetite for more information, thanks so much!

[banshee]

OK, here are some articles from the National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements about these minerals. Oddly, they didn't have a fact sheet about Potassium, so I found a rather long article about the effects of low potassium at eMedicineHealth.com to review. I've also quoted the intro for each article, which provides info on what each does for the body.

Magnesium (http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium.asp)


Magnesium: What is it?

(http://www.proteinpower.com/forum/)Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is essential to good health. Approximately 50% of total body magnesium is found in bone. The other half is found predominantly inside cells of body tissues and organs. Only 1% of magnesium is found in blood, but the body works very hard to keep blood levels of magnesium constant.

Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. There is an increased interest in the role of magnesium in preventing and managing disorders such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Dietary magnesium is absorbed in the small intestines. Magnesium is excreted through the kidneys.
Potassium (http://www.emedicinehealth.com/low_potassium/article_em.htm)


Potassium is one of the minerals (also referred to as electrolytes) in the body. Almost 98% of potassium is found inside the cells. Small changes in the potassium that is present outside the cells can have severe effects on the heart, nerves, and muscles.
Potassium is important to maintain several bodily functions.

Our arms and legs, for example, need potassium for the muscles to move.
The heart would not beat without potassium, which is also necessary to regulate blood pressure.
The kidney is the main organ that controls the balance of potassium. It removes excess potassium into the urine.
When potassium levels are low, you can become weak as cellular processes are impaired.

If you have your blood checked, you might compare your readings with normal levels. The normal potassium level is 3.5-5.0 mEq/L (this is a measure used to evaluate the level). Low potassium is defined as a potassium level below 3.5 mEq/L.

Almost 1 out of 5 people hospitalized in the United States have a low potassium level. Up to 14% of people otherwise seen in doctors' offices have slightly low potassium levels. Calcium (http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium.asp)


Calcium: What is it?

(http://www.proteinpower.com/forum/)Calcium, the most abundant mineral in the human body, has several important functions. More than 99% of total body calcium is stored in the bones and teeth where it functions to support their structure. The remaining 1% is found throughout the body in blood, muscle, and the fluid between cells. Calcium is needed for muscle contraction, blood vessel contraction and expansion, the secretion of hormones and enzymes, and sending messages through the nervous system. A constant level of calcium is maintained in body fluid and tissues so that these vital body processes function efficiently.

Bone undergoes continuous remodeling, with constant resorption (breakdown of bone) and deposition of calcium into newly deposited bone (bone formation). The balance between bone resorption and deposition changes as people age. During childhood there is a higher amount of bone formation and less breakdown. In early and middle adulthood, these processes are relatively equal. In aging adults, particularly among postmenopausal women, bone breakdown exceeds its formation, resulting in bone loss, which increases the risk for osteoporosis (a disorder characterized by porous, weak bones).
Zinc (http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/cc/zinc.html)


Zinc: What is it?
Zinc is an essential mineral that is found in almost every cell. It stimulates the activity of approximately 100 enzymes, which are substances that promote biochemical reactions in your body. Zinc supports a healthy immune system, is needed for wound healing, helps maintain your sense of taste and smell, and is needed for DNA synthesis. Zinc also supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence.

I'll provide comments on each of these in separate postings.

[Mitra]

Here are the Food Standards Agency reviews:

Magnesium (http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/main/multimedia/pdfs/evm_magnesium.pdf)
Potassium (http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/main/multimedia/pdfs/evm_potassium.pdf)
Calcium (http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/main/multimedia/pdfs/evm_calcium.pdf)
Zinc (http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/main/multimedia/pdfs/evm_zinc.pdf)

[banshee]

Thanks for posting those links, Mitra. I was going to go there next!

[Mitra]

Here's another collection of reviews of the evidence for the safety and effectiveness of lots of herbs and supplements:

http://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetContent.aspx?token=7e9094f4-c284-4b3a-8f7c-867fd12b36ee&chunkiid=33802

[banshee]

After my initial reading, I find it interesting that I picked these four nutrients to study. It was semi-random, and based partly on the supplements that I'm already taking.

But while reading, I find that magnesium deficiency can lead to deficiencies in potassium and calcium as well! I knew that there was some connection, because I'll often see supplements that combine calcium with magnesium, and I've read that when you "flush water" from your system, you lose both magnesium and potassium, but I wasn't aware that a magnesium deficiency can cause calcium and potassium deficiencies because magnesium is one of the nutrients needed for the body to be able to adequately absorb the other two.

Zinc doesn't seem to have the same connection, although the same things that lower levels of the other three can also lower zinc. (excessive sweating, diarhhea, etc.)


More later...

[banshee]

Missy, I know I've talked about this extensively in the past, but I think my original detailed success posting about this ended up in the great Bit Bucket in the Sky when the old board died.

Anyway, I spent several very miserable years after having my gallbladder removed. I was following a strict low-fat diet that my doctor put me on after the surgery. During that time, I gained a lot of weight and started having all sorts of health problems. Eventually, I self-diagnosed myself as having fibromyalgia and my doctor agreed. (She said she had suspected it all along, but hadn't wanted to tell me because fibromyalgia doesn't have a cure.) Anyway, we tried various treatments, and I eventually ended up on 4-5 different prescription medications to try and control the pain/fatigue/etc. that I was experiencing. This went on for years. The meds helped me at least function on a day-to-day basis, but I was never what I would consider healthy. Doing anything but sitting was exhausting and would lead to a sick day the next day because I was in too much pain to get out of bed. During that time I mostly lived like an 80 year old lady in poor health, and I have to admit that while I never seriously contemplated suicide, I wondered many times if it was worth living like that for another 50-60 years.

During this time, I had tried low-carb a couple times. It helped with the symptoms, enough that I could reduce the dosages on some of my meds, but I kept falling off the wagon. The last time I recommited and again was able to reduce my meds but was still in a lot of pain. A friend of my Dad's told him that he had fibro and was able to become pain free by taking magnesium, so I started researching that. I found out two things. First, that some people with fibro were helped by magnesium supplements but other weren't, and second, magnesium supplements are cheap. So I decided it couldn't hurt to try it for a couple weeks.

Lo and behold, I started feeling better almost immediately. I talked to my doctor, who agreed to let me try slowly weaning myself off the meds even though she was skeptical because she hadn't had any luck with magnesium in treating her other patients with fibro. But a year later I was off all of the prescription meds and haven't needed them since. I feel like I have my life back, and my friends all agree that I'm 100% better than I was before. I've since done even more research and I've found that a lot of the symptoms of magnesium deficiency are similar (almost identical) to the symptoms of fibromyalgia, which leads me to believe that I never had fibro, but was just deficient in Mg. Since I have an allergic reaction to a lot of the foods that are high in Mg, it's not surprising to me that I'd be deficient. (Even now, I have to wonder how many people who think they have fibro actually have an undiagnosed magnesium deficiency.)

The funny thing is that if I'd followed the recommendations for supplements in the Protein Power books, I'd have found this out sooner, but I had one of those knee-jerk emotional reactions when I first read the supplement suggestions. I don't know where I got it from, but I had the mindset that "Supplements are only for old people or health nuts."

Of course, after seeing the amazing results from just the Mg supplementation, I started looking into the other supplements that might help me. I may be taking more than I really need now, but as my husband says "don't mess with success". But for me, the "magic pill" will always be Mg. Even if there's a day when for whatever reason I forget to take my other supplements, I always make sure to get in my Mg.

[Shadow]

Mary - I am so glad you told your story again! I had forgotten what all you went through and am amazed at what a supplement did for you :D! Thanks for sharing it with us again :).

[banshee]

Here's another interesting fact. I was reading some abstracts on PubMed and I came across an abstract that mentions "protein-calorie malnutrition" in relation to magnesium deficiency. I still have some more reading to do, but apparently when you don't get enough protein in combination with getting too few calories, the body experiences reduced intestinal absorption of magnesium.

So let's see - someone tries to go on the typical low-fat diet, which we know is often deficient in protein and which also tends to really restrict calories. I know for sure that this is how I was eating when I tried to lose weight after I was put on a low-fat diet when my gallbladder was removed. Hmmmm... Granted, I doubt I would fit the true profile for malnutrition, but I'd bet that my absorption of Mg was at least partly reduced...

I found another article on magnesium (http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/004/Y2809E/y2809e0k.htm). It seems a bit more scientific in nature, so may take a bit to fully absorb, but it also mentions protein-calorie malnutrition. I may just have to delve further into this type of malnutrition as my next learning experience... a Google search of "Magnesium and protein-calorie malnutrition" yields a ton of results, so apparently the relation between the two is well known.

[banshee]

Here is another article on Potassium (http://www.hkpp.org/general/potassium_health.html). I don't necessarily agree with all of the dietary recommendations, but they do include a fairly large number of low-carb foods in their list of foods high in potassium, so while they seem to have a bias toward the low-fat foods, they aren't removing the high fat foods from the list. (As evidenced by the fact that they include avocados in the list.)

There is an interesting subtext in this article. It mentions hypertension a lot, and specifically targets the fact that the sodium/potassium balance has switched in our modern diet. It says that along with lowering sodium intake, people with hypertension need to increase potassium intake. That doesn't seem to be in the "general knowledge pool". Pretty much everyone thinks they should be reducing their sodium, but I don't remember hearing this paired with increasing potassium. I wonder if this is why some people do well reducing sodium (those who are already eating a good amount of high potassium foods?) and other see no change (because they aren't getting enough potassium?)

and here are some more interesting quotes from the article to ponder:

people who eat lots of sugar also may become low in potassium

Low potassium may impair glucose metabolism and lead to elevated blood sugar.

[banshee]

Here's an article on calcium (http://www.naturalways.com/calciumResearch.htm) that I think does a pretty good job of explaining all the different things calcium does in the body. Most people think of calcium as the "bone mineral", but it does a lot of other things, too. I wasn't aware that calcium did so many other things. This list (quoted from the article) is very enlightening to me. The fourth point was especially interesting - I had no idea that calcium played an essential role in fat metabolism.



Calcium is responsible for construction, formation and maintenance of bones and teeth. This function helps reduce the occurrence of osteoporosis.
Calcium is a vital component in blood clotting systems and also helps in wound healing.
Calcium helps to control blood pressure, nerve transmission, and release of neurotransmitters.
Calcium is an essential component in the production of enzymes and hormones that regulate digestion, energy, and fat metabolism.
Calcium helps to transport ions (electrically charged particles) across the cell membrane.
Calcium is essential for muscle contraction.
Calcium assists in maintaining all cells and connective tissues in the body.
Calcium may be helpful to reduce the incidence of premature heart disease, especially if adequate intakes of magnesium are also maintained.
Calcium may help to prevent periodontal disease (gum disease).
I do find it highly ironic and rather amusing, though, that most articles on calcium list "low-fat and non-fat" dairy products as the foods high in calcium. They make it sound like the full fat versions don't have any calcium at all. :rolleyes:

I also found the calcium research results at the bottom of the article interesting.



Calcium, magnesium, zinc, fluoride, and phosphorous work together to form and maintain bones and teeth (Somer, 1995; Mahan et al, 1996).
The ratio of calcium to phosphorous and calcium to magnesium are important in the absorption, use, and excretion of these minerals (Somer, 1995; Mahan et al, 1996).
Optimal calcium absorption depends on adequate amounts of vitamin D to be available (Somer, 1995; Mahan et al, 1996).
Calcium competes with magnesium, copper, zinc and manganese for intestinal absorption (Somer, 1995).
Calcium requirements go up in the presence of excess dietary protein, fat, or phosphorous (Somer, 1995).
Calcium citrate increases absorption of aluminum from foods whereas other types of calcium reduce aluminum and lead absorption. (Somer, 1995).
Calcium may help control blood pressure by working against the negative effects of sodium chloride (Somer, 1995; Mahan et al, 1996).
The ratio of calcium to magnesium plays a role in heart disease development (Somer, 1995).
There was an interesting contradiction in this article.


Factors that improve calcium absorption include adequate amounts of protein, magnesium, phosphorous, and vitamin D. Conditions that reduce calcium absorption include high or excessive intakes of oxalates and phytates, found in foods such as spinach and unleavened whole wheat products.
And yet:


Other sources of calcium include dark green leafy vegetables, spinach, kale, turnip greens, cabbage, collard, mustard, seaweeds, alfalfa, broccoli, canned fish (especially sardines, clams, oysters, and salmon) with bones, and cooked dried beans and peas. Lactose intolerant people or those allergic to cow's milk and dairy products can get an adequate supply of calcium from dry green leafy vegetables.
So on the one hand, high intakes of foods like spinach reduce calcium absorption, and on the other hand, lactose intolerants should eat foods like spinach to get their calcium! :confused:

[banshee]

Here's a more scientific article on calcium (http://www.fao.org/docrep/W7336T/w7336t04.htm) that will take some time to absorb...

[banshee]

Want to know about Zinc and Prostate Cancer (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/ss05/zinc.html)? Actually, this article has some good general information about zinc before it gets into the nitty gritty of the research topic.

On the topic of zinc and our way of eating, I found this quote to be of particular interest:


Zinc deficiency can occur in populations with low dietary zinc intake and high intake of phytate, a substance found in seeds and cereal grains that binds strongly to zinc, making it biologically unavailable.
So if you're eating a high-grain diet, here's another potential problem...and:


Foods rich in zinc include red meat, seafood, and several plant sources, such as whole grains and legumes, but the zinc in plant foods is much less bioavailable.
It's important to remember that just because a food has a nutrient present in the food, doesn't mean that we'll get that nutrient if we eat that food.

And according to this very short news article about Zinc and Chromium (http://www.diabetessymptom.net/news/news_item.cfm?NewsID=23),

Zinc is an important mineral for diabetics because it helps the body use insulin and aids skin healing.

And this scientific paper on the Role of Zinc in Plasma Membrane Function (http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/130/5/1432S) details the cellular changes that occur with zinc deficiency in a search for an index for zinc deficiency that can be used to test people before they start showing advanced signs of a deficiency. I found it interesting that animals fed a low-zinc diet exhibited signs of impaired calcium uptake (at a cellular level), so once again there seems to be effects on other nutrients from a deficiency in one nutrient.

I find this all fascinating. We know that there are consequences of deficiencies, but I never realized that all the nutrients were so interrelated that a deficiency in one could lead to deficiencies in others. It makes you wonder how we could ever keep a good balance in our nutrients considering that early man didn't always have reliable sources of food! It was interesting that in the article, it took about 6 days for rats to show a depletion in their cells after eating a low-zinc diet, but only 2 days for the cells to recover after eating a zinc-adequate diet. If humans respond similarly, then it takes us longer to lose zinc than it does to replenish it...

[deirdra]

Thanks for all the links. Mg is my miracle drug too. I suspect that is why not enough research has been done on it. It is an element and not patentable!

I also suspect doctors & the dairy industry have been doing a disservice by pushing Ca only. If you don't supply the Mg, Zn & Vit D necessary to absorb & bind Ca, it doesn't do much good.

My poor kitty just had a calcium oxalate stone removed from her bladder and in reading everything I could find, I have come across many of the same contrary statements about what they should & shouldn't eat to absorb Ca rather than precipitate it. I guess it boils down to "more research is necessary"

My grandfather was a doctor in the 1920s-1950s and his remedy for nearly everything was zinc oxide. I've always kept a small jar of it in my medicine cabinet & find it always heals cuts, scrapes & bug bites faster than things like polysporin (which costs ~10X more). It has always been great for clearing up diaper rashes (and works as well as the higher priced things like Penaten, which is zinc oxide + smelly stuff that makes the cream patentable but probably do much that the zinc oxide can't do).

[Billie]

I will catch up on all this wonderful reading in the next couple of days. Thanks for the postings and the articles!

[Mitra]

This challenge has a lot to answer for. I just happened to be browsing the web-site of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition :rolleyes: and came across this study: Effect of potassium-enriched salt on cardiovascular mortality and medical expenses of elderly men (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/83/6/1289) (only the abstract is free - and I haven't yet reached the point of subscribing to this stuff!)


Conclusions:This study showed a long-term beneficial effect on CVD mortality and medical expenditure associated with a switch from regular salt to potassium-enriched salt in a group of elderly veterans. The effect was likely due to a major increase in potassium and a moderate reduction in sodium intakes.

[Gabriel Guzman]

The articles that Mary mentioned about the effect of dietary protein on blood pressure are now in the "Scientific articles good o have as reference (http://72.32.36.211/forum/showthread.php?p=12529#post12529)" thread in the Important Links and Resources (http://72.32.36.211/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=5) forum.

Thanks for getting those articles for us Mary!