MILK THISTLE

Milk thistle "cleanses" and therefore fortifies the liver, a vital organ responsible for processing everything from nutrients in foods to medications and chemical pollutants. The herb partly accomplishes this task by preventing a reduction in concentrations of glutathione, an amino-acidlike compound that is critical to neutralizing toxins.

Silymarin alters the outer rembrane of liver cells in such a way that toxins are barred from entering. It even encourages the formation of new, healthier liver to replace old, damaged one.   Various types of liver damage benefit from these remarkable properties, and the herb has repeatedly proven safe and best known for protecting the liver.

MAGNESIUM

Magnesium plays a variety of roles in the body. Not only is it critical for energy production and proper nerve function, it also promotes muscle relaxation and helps the body produce and use insulin. Like calcium, another mineral it's commonly paired with in supplement products, magnesium is involved in the formation of bones and teeth, the clotting of blood, and the regulation of heart rhythm. Magnesium, sometimes taken in combination with calcium, is often used to treat such ailments as back pain, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety and panic, muscle cramps, and migraine headache.

Specifically, magnesium may help to:

·  Prevent and treat heart disease, including angina and irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). Without adequate levels of magnesium, your heart will suffer: The mineral helps coordinate the activity of the heart muscle as well as the functioning of the nerves that initiate the heartbeat. It also helps keep coronary arteries from spasming, an action that can cause the intense chest pain known as angina. If you have a deficiency of magnesium--often true of those with angina and abnormal heart rhythms--supplements may help. Magnesium has been found to aid recovery from a heart attack by stabilizing heart rhythm, inhibiting blood clots, and expanding coronary arteries. Some studies even indicate that drinking "hard" water, which is high in magnesium, lowers the risk of death from heart attack.

·  Control high blood pressure. Even a slight decline in blood pressure can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Magnesium plays a part in reducing elevated blood pressure by relaxing the muscles that control blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more freely. Its beneficial effect on blood pressure is further enhanced because of its ability to help equalize the levels of potassium and sodium in the blood. Magnesium is typically taken along with calcium to treat high blood pressure.

·  Prevent diabetes complications. Having sufficient amounts of magnesium may protect against non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes and its complications, such as eye disease.

·  Reduce the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Magnesium's role in relaxing contracted or stiff muscles makes it helpful for relieving the aching associated with fibromyalgia, a chronic rheumatic disorder. Taking the mineral with malic acid is often recommended for this purpose because the acid is believed to enhance the absorption and fatigue-fighting actions of magnesium. People suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome--another disorder that can cause muscle aches and fatigue--may similarly benefit from magnesium.

·  Ease muscle cramps, aches and pains. It has been shown that for proper muscle contraction and relaxation, magnesium and calcium need to be present in balanced amounts. A supplement containing these minerals, taken regularly, may lessen the pain from sports injuries or excessive physical activity Supplements with a ratio of two parts calcium to one part magnesium are recommended for otherwise healthy individuals treating muscle cramps and aches. Increasing magnesium levels can even improve a workout: when magnesium levels were low, the higher the heart rates and needed more oxygen during workouts.

·  Protect against migraines. Many migraine sufferers are found to have low magnesium levels in their systems. To maintain healthy blood flow to brain vessels--and thus possibly protect against debilitating migraine headaches--it's smart to correct any magnesium deficiency.

·  Relieve PMS (premenstrual syndrome) discomforts. Because deficiencies in magnesium have been found in many women suffering from PMS, taking magnesium supplements may help this problem. Menstrual cramping, which is caused by hormonelike substances called prostaglandins made by the endometrial cells, may subside with supplemental doses of magnesium and calcium. Both minerals help to lower the production of prostaglandins. Magnesium's muscle-relaxing properties probably have a beneficial effect on cramping of the uterine muscle as well.

·  Minimize the severity of asthma attacks. By helping the bronchial muscles to relax and encouraging the lung's airways to expand, magnesium may ease an asthmatic's breathing problems. Anyone suffering from severe or recurrent asthma attacks should consider using magnesium supplements along with their usual anti-inflammatory medications.

·  Prevent osteoporosis. Magnesium helps the body convert vitamin D--which the body needs to take advantage of bone-strengthening calcium--into a form that it can use efficiently. By contributing to increased bone density, the mineral may help stall the onset of the debilitating, bone-thinning disease known as osteoporosis.