You’ve probably heard about lots of the benefits of taking magnesium due to its many important roles in the body. Perhaps you also know that many of us are magnesium deficient, estimated at around 80% of the US population. Maybe you’ve even heard about its benefits for brain health but here’s something you may not know about…
 
Certain forms of magnesium have benefits for those suffering from anxiety related disorders such as social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, specific phobias and others.
 
You may know someone dealing with anxiety. Anxiety disorders impact a whopping 18% of the US population and are the most common mental illness.
 
Here’s what’s happening:
When in real danger, fear is essential for survival. Fear triggers the brain to use its Cognitive Ability and respond with many split-second changes in the body to prepare to defend against the danger or to avoid it. This response is a healthy reaction meant to protect us from harm.

In anxiety disorders, the fear memory continues or is triggered even when the danger is no longer real or present. Cognitive ability is not sufficient to control the fears.
 
Boosting Cognitive Ability:
Magnesium, in the form of Magtein™, magnesium I-threonate, has been shown in studies to improve magnesium concentration in the brain, which boosts cognitive ability and enhances control of fear and anxiety. Other forms of magnesium have low brain bioavailability and are not able to effectively raise the brain’s magnesium levels.
 
You can find products containing Magtein™ at our dispensaries with EmersonWellevate, and Fullscript. We also love Xymogen’s Magtein™ containing products. available through our WholeScripts dispensary. 

There is such a fear of phytoestrogens or estrogen-containing foods out there that women frequently ask me about whether they should consume flaxseeds.
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Do flaxseeds cause hormonal problems in women?
Can they cause cancers?
Could you exacerbate symptoms of the dreaded estrogen dominance that can cause us women to gain weight, experience PMS, bloating, heavy periods, breast tenderness, etc.?
Well, most of the time you’ll be glad to hear, the answer is no!
 
Typically estrogen dominance is not associated with too much estrogen but with difficulties with breaking down and eliminating estrogens well. Adding some plant-based estrogen to your diet does not usually cause a problem. In fact flaxseed can actually help redirect estrogen metabolism from the unhealthy estrogen metabolites in the direction of the preferred ones and improve your ability to detoxify and eliminate unhealthy estrogen metabolites.
 
Additionally, flaxseeds act as estrogen balancers – either promoters or blockers to our internally produced estrogens as well as synthetic xenoestrogens (synthetic hormone disrupters found in our personal care and cleaning supplies) as is needed by the body.
 
How to include Flaxseed in your diet:

• Buy it in seed form and not pre-ground.
• Don’t buy flaxseed oil as it turns rancid easily.
• Keep it in the fridge and grind as needed.
• Add 1 or 2 tbsp per day to foods like smoothies, yogurt, porridge etc.
• Pay attention! For most women, hormonal symptoms improve but if you start eating flaxseed and your estrogen dominance symptoms worsen then flaxseed is not for you. We are all biochemically different after all!

 
Let us know how your body responds. We’d love to hear from you.