Hacking nutritional deficiencies: b-12, folinic acid, magnesium
B-12 and folinic acid
So last year I learned I had a vitamin b-12 deficiency ( Folate deficiency ) during a visit to my DO after my hypokalemic event . Some signs of a b-12 deficiency include:
weakness, tiredness or light-headedness
rapid heartbeat and breathing
pale skin
sore tongue
easy bruising or bleeding, including bleeding gums
stomach upset and weight loss
diarrhea or constipation
hyperpigmentation
vitiligo
I tried supplementing with folic acid until I learned that it's not the most bio available and a good number of people poorly absorb/use it. I never got around to picking up a better alternative until a couple of months ago.
Doing some research I learned that methylcobalamin or hydroxycobalamin taken with folate (5-MTHF or folinic acid, NOT folic acid) are your best bet for making up for this deficiency in one's diet. That being said I opted to go with Folinic Acid with B-12 200 Caps by Kirkman . After a couple of months my vitiligo and hyperpigmentation on my upper arms is starting to go away rather noticeably.
Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium deficiency is rarely diagnosed because usually a blood test is done as part of an electrolyte panel. Rougly only 1% of the body's magnesium is stored in the blood. Symptons of a magnesium deficiency include:
Muscle twitches
Urinary Spasms
Menstrual cramps
Photophobia
Insomnia
Anxiety
Hyperactivity
Restlessness
Panic attacks
Agoraphobia
Numbness, tingling and abnormal sensations
High blood pressure
Heart arrythmias
Angina
There are TONS of types of magnesium available as supplements, some are pretty worthless doing nothing more than giving you diarrhea, upon my research I found two products I take. Mag-Tab SR which contains 84 mg of elemental magnesium L-lactate dihydrate per caplet meaning 4 of these caplets satisfy the daily requirements of most humans... I take 4 of these a day spread mostly throughout the day so my body is getting a steady trickle of magnesium. The second product I use is Designs for Health Magnegel Transdermal Magnesium Gel delivers approximately 150 mg of elemental magnesium per 1/4 teaspoon to the skin, (about the size of a nickel) I just blob fairly random amounts out on my skin twice a day, first thing in the morning and about an hour before bed.