/oss/taxonomy/term/1102/all en /oss/article/health/magnesium <p> </p> <p><u>Causes</u></p> <p>There are basically two ways to develop low magnesium levels. Like potassium, magnesium is excreted in the urine, so diuretics, which often cause hypokalemia (low potassium), also generally cause hypomagnesemia (low magnesium). In fact hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia often go together. Patients who abuse alcohol are often hypomagnesemic as well because alcohol can cause a temporary dysfunction in the renal tubules causing magnesium to be excreted in the urine.</p> Thu, 11 Apr 2019 15:26:48 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 7716 at /oss /oss/article/nutrition/bananas-potassium-superfood <p>Bananas, like most fruits and vegetables, are high in potassium and low in sodium. We humans get much of our dietary sodium from sodium chloride, otherwise known as salt. While now common and almost ubiquitous, sodium was once rare in our diets and our kidneys have evolved a very efficient mechanism for conserving sodium and preventing its loss in our urine. The kidney will re-absorb about 99% of the sodium filtered through it, and consequently re-absorb a great deal of water as well, since water follows sodium through cell membranes.</p> Fri, 29 Mar 2019 16:00:00 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 7655 at /oss /oss/article/you-asked/it-true-banana-radioactive <hr /> <p>Si tu veux lire cet article en français, <a href="https://www.sciencepresse.qc.ca/actualite/detecteur-rumeurs/2018/06/19/non-ne-brillerez-noir-mangez-bananes">cliquez ici!</a></p> Thu, 15 Mar 2018 19:30:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 6963 at /oss /oss/article/health/licking-liquorice-habit <p>An astute physician immediately asked about the woman's dietary habits and discovered that she was virtually addicted to liquorice candies, eating up to half a pound a day! Right then and there the problem was solved. The most prevalent compound in liquorice, and the most studied, is glycyrrhizin, also known as glycyrrhizic acid. This has hormonal effects resembling those of aldosterone, an adrenal gland hormone that is responsible for maintaining mineral balance in the blood by helping the body retain sodium and excrete potassium. Too much aldosterone, or compounds that behave like it, wil</p> Tue, 25 Apr 2017 18:06:47 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2412 at /oss /oss/article/food-health-history-quirky-science/forget-licorice-prostate-problems <p style="text-align:justify"><a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/files/2013/07/licorice.jpg"><img alt="licorice" height="150" src="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/files/2013/07/licorice-150x150.jpg" width="150" /></a>A 67-year-old Chinese man sought medical help in a Taipei hospital because of progressive muscular weakness. Aside from somewhat elevated blood pressure he had been in good health. Doctors could find no abnormality except for a very low level of potassium in the blood. The man revealed that he had been taking a Chinese herbal remedy for his enlarged prostate. It turned out the remedy contained licorice root. Licorice has a long history in Chinese herbal medicine as a general healing agent. While the accounts of miraculous cures are highly suspect, glycyrrhizic acid, the active principle in the licorice root certainly does have physiological effects. Licorice was one of the first drugs used in the treatment of Addison's disease by western physicians. This is an ailment of the adrenal glands which results in reduced production of cortisol, a hormone that helps regulate blood pressure and water retention. It turns out that glycyrrhizic acid interferes with an enzyme that normally breaks down excess cortisol in the kidney. If you are really interested, the enzyme in question is 11-betahydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2!</p> <p><a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/2013/07/25/forget-licorice-for-prostate-problems">Read more</a></p> Thu, 25 Jul 2013 23:56:14 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1991 at /oss