 You’ve probably heard that vitamin C supports your immune system. This essential micronutrient seems to be everywhere! And it’s a good thing because, unlike most mammals, humans can’t synthesize vitamin C on their own.1 Also, vitamin C is water-soluble, which means the body quickly loses this essential vitamin through urine, so it’s important to make vitamin C a daily part of your diet.1 Having extremely low levels of vitamin C for prolonged periods can result in scurvy, a historical disease linked to pirates and sailors who faced long journeys at sea without fresh fruits and vegetables. While cases of scurvy in the United States are rare, a recent study reported that 31% of the US population are not meeting the daily recommended intake of vitamin C.1 Greater than 6% of the US population are severely vitamin C deficient, while low levels of vitamin C, associated with weakness and fatigue, were observed in 16% of Americans.2 As a whole, 20% of the US population showed marginally low levels of this essential micronutrient.2 How much vitamin C do I need?The US recommended daily dietary allowance of vitamin C is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men.3 Experts recommend an estimated 200 mg of vitamin C daily for favorable health benefits.4 Adults can take up to 2,000 mg of vitamin C per day; however, high doses of vitamin C may cause diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps.5 Due to the varying health needs of individuals, it’s always a good idea to work with your healthcare practitioner to ensure that you are getting the right amounts of micronutrients in your daily diet. Where can you find this marvelous, multifaceted micronutrient?   Ready to add vitamin C to your daily regimen? Talk to your healthcare practitioner about how much would be right for you.
References: 1. Granger M et al. Adv Food Nutr Res. 2018;83:281-310. 2. Schleicher RL et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;90(5):1252-1263. 3. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/. Accessed August 3, 2021. 4. Frei B et al. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2021;52(9):815-829. 5. Hathcock JN et al. AM J Clin Nutr. 2005;81(4)736-745. 6. Ashor AW et al. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2017;71(12):1371-1380. 7. Mason SA et al. Free Radic Biol Med. 2016;93:227-238. 8. Chen S et al. Clin J Pain. 2016;32(2):179-185. 9. Carr AC et al. J Transl Med. 2017;15(1):77. 10. Dionne CE et al. Pain. 2016; 157(11):2527-2535. 11. Chin KY et al. Curr Drug Targets. 2018;19(5):439-450. 12. Ratajczak AE et al. Nutrients. 2020;12(8):2263. 13. Dixit S et al. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2015;6(4):570-581. 14. Monacelli F et al. Nutrients. 2017;9(7):670. 15. Johnston CS et al. J of Nutr. 2007;137(7):1757–1762. 16. Johnston CS et al. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2006;3(35):1743-7075. 17. Moores J. Br J Community Nurs. 2013;Suppl:S6-S11. 18. Carr AC et al. Nutrients. 2017;9:1211. 19. Shaw G et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;105(1):136-143. 20. Ratajczak AE et al. Nutrients. 2020;12(8):2263. 21. Ashor AW et al. Nutr Res. 2019;61:1-12. 22. Moser MA et al. Int J Mol Sci. 2016;17(8):1328. 23. Wu JR et al. J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2019;34(1):29-35. 24. Akolkar G et al. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2017;313(4):H795-H809. 25. Cook JD et al. Amer J Clin Nutr. 2001;73(1):93-98. 26. Saunders AV et al. Med J Aust. 2013;199(S4):S11-S16. 27. Amr M et al. Nutr J. 2013;12:31. 28. Consoli DC et al. J of neurochem. 2021;157(3):656-665. 29. Bajpai A et al. J Clin Diagn Res. 2014;8(12):CC04-CC7. 30. Koizumi M et al. Nutr Res. 2016;36(12):1379-1391. 31. Whyand T et al. Respir Res. 2018;19(1):79. 32. Azuma A et al. Tairyoku Kagaku Japanese J of Phys Fit and Sports Med. 2019;68(2):153-157.
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 Magnesium L-threonate is the magnesium salt of a naturally occurring vitamin C metabolite L-threonic acid. Magnesium, a divalent cation, is important for neuronal activity as it is a co-factor for enzymes present
in the neurons or glial cells.1,2 Magnesium and Cognitive Health Two observational studies found that individuals with a diet rich in magnesium have a lower risk of cognitive decline:
Mechanism of Action Magnesium regulates the opening of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) in the brain. This receptor plays a critical role in cognitive function and is the target of various neurological treatments.5 Structurally, NMDAR is made up of two glycine-binding NR1 sub-units, and two of four glutamate-binding NR2 sub-units: NR2A, NR2B, NR2C, and NR2D (Figure 1). Research Highlights
Long-Term Potentiation Out of the four NR2 subunits, NR2B is of prime importance because it confers greater synaptic plasticity which helps to create and retain memories. However, the number of NR2B sub-units have been shown to decrease with age in animals.6 Overexpression of the NR2B sub-unit enhanced memory in transgenic rats and mice compared to wild-type littermates.7 NR2B is also thought to influence memory formation by increasing the long-term potentiation (LTP) through the activation of calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) (Figure 2).8 Long-term potentiation is long lasting increase in synaptic efficacy, which is critical for learning and memory.9 Magnesium L-Threonate Enhances Spatial Memory in Animals Magnesium L-threonate up regulated the expression of NR2B subunit in cultured hippocampal neurons.10 Compared to control, rats treated with magnesium L-threonate had:
This increase in NR2B sub-unit expression and magnitude of LTP by magnesium L-threonate translates into enhanced hippocampus dependent memory. In this study, spatial working memory, memory regarding one’s environment, and spatial orientation, were assessed at day 0 and day 24 by T maze. At day 0, rats in both groups made 30% fewer correct choices, but at day 24 aged rats treated with magnesium L-threonate made about 15% more correct choices than untreated rats (p<0.05). Interestingly, the improvement in spatial memory of aged rats declined within 12 days of stopping the treatment but improved when the treatment was re-initiated. Magnesium L-Threonate Improves Memory in Older Adults The effect of magnesium L-threonate on memory was studied in a randomized double-blind placebo controlled study with 50 men and women between 50-70 years of age with self-reported complaints of memory and concentration. Subjects were treated with 1.5-2 g/day of magnesium L-threonate, along with 200 IU of vitamin D and 30 mg of vitamin C for 12 weeks. Working memory and capacity to store and process information, measured by digit span test, improved by 13.1% at week 6 compared to placebo (p=0.023). However, this effect on working memory approached significance at week 12, which was the end of the study (p=0.064).12 Conclusion Pre-clinical studies demonstrate that magnesium L-threonate may increase synaptic plasticity through increasing the expression of one of the NMDA receptor sub-units. In vivo and clinical study results show that magnesium L-threonate positively influences cognitive measures of memory. More clinical studies are underway to further evaluate effects of magnesium L-threonate on memory and other dimensions of cognition.  A crucial goal of meditation is to quiet the mind.
But what if you spend hours each day sitting at your desk, and you can’t imagine taking even more time just to sit still? What if, after a long commute, seated meditation simply doesn’t appeal to you? Fortunately, you aren’t limited to seated meditation. Walking meditation is an increasingly popular alternative. How does walking meditation work? Also known as mindful walking, walking meditation involves moving slowly and steadily in your environment. It’s a simple form of meditation that incorporates physical activity and entails directing and responding to the movements of your body. In this way of meditating, the very act of moving is essential. Rather than walking to a specific destination or to achieve a particular goal, practitioners strive to focus on the present. Most choose a specific lane composed of 10 to 20 paces in one direction, and then 10 to 20 paces back—over and over until the session is complete.1 By adding just 10 minutes of walking meditation to your daily routine, you can enjoy a greater sense of calm, improved psychological balance, and better overall health.2 Paired with the benefits of walking—which include a reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes, as well as enhanced cardiovascular health—this form of meditation is a multifaceted approach to strengthen your well being 3 How can I get started with walking meditation? Allowing the mind time to rest will help it function more smoothly. To get started with walking meditation, wear comfortable clothes and shoes and begin your practice with an open mind. In addition, consider the five following tips:
Walking meditation is designed to restore a sense of calm. When it’s time to end your session, pause and stand still before calling it a day. Take a few deep breaths, and then dive back into your routine. Submitted by the Metagenics Marketing Team References:
 Today the average person consumes five times the visual content of people living 50 years ago.1
Scientists say we are deep into the Information Age.2 And while researchers have only just begun to explore the effects of screens on the brain and body, current findings are shocking. A Nielsen report, for instance, claims that adults in the United States log 11 hours of daily digital media consumption.3 This includes time spent scrolling through smartphones, tablets, computers, and other devices. The same Nielsen report states that young adults aged 18-34 spend 43% of their time on digital platforms. Data shows that even children as young as 8, or less, spend an average of two hours a day in front of screens—an amount that has tripled in four years.4 Regardless of the specifics, we need to be mindful of all the hours we spend staring at screens, particularly in younger users. As reports indicate, tech leaders such as Bill Gates, Mark Cuban, and Steve Jobs limited their own kids’ screen time,5 we, too, must examine the implications of digital over stimulation in children and youth. This begs an integral question: As society becomes increasingly dependent on electronic devices, will this affect or change our brains? If so, how? The effects of screens on younger brains Babies, children, adolescents, and even young adults are especially susceptible to the neurological implications of their electronic devices.6 Take the interim findings from a $300 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) study that is still ongoing.6 These findings were featured in a recent 60 Minutes report, which detailed researchers following 11,000 children across the country to determine how screens and screen time impacts brain development and influences the mental health of young people.7 During the study, 4,500 participants were instructed to lie down in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine while a screen displayed images from their Instagram accounts. The machine would scan their brains for certain responses, including a spike in dopamine—the chemical linked to motivation, pleasure, and reward.6 Here are some of the study’s neurological findings: 6
Dr. Dimitri Christakis—lead author of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidelines for screen time—explains that infants are even more susceptible to the implications of screen addiction than adolescents.7Very young children experience the same dopamine rush as their older counterparts, but they aren’t yet equipped to transfer what they learn virtually, to the real world.7 He explains that 18- to 24-month-olds are at a critical period in their brain development, and they struggle applying two-dimensional tasks (i.e., building digital blocks on a tablet) to three-dimensional situations (i.e., building with actual wooden blocks).7 This means they face all the risks of screen addiction without the benefits. Accordingly, Dr. Christakis recommends that with the exception of video chatting, parents avoid exposing infants under 2 years old to any form of digital media.7 But regardless of age, one thing is certain: Too much screen time can impair young people’s brain development.8 The frontal lobe in particular undergoes extensive changes from puberty through our mid-20s, and it plays a significant role in the following:8
The effects of screens on adult brainsWhile adults in their mid-20s and older enjoy the benefit of fully developed brains, spending hours scrolling through one’s smartphone can still cause damage. Logging hours upon hours of screen time each day may result in:8
Looking to prevent the drawbacks of screen addiction? Instead of reaching for your device, make a point of exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and unplugging on a regular basis. What are the neurological changes linked to too much screen time? Our dependence on electronic devices shapes numerous parts of our lives, including our physical well being, social health, and capacity for learning.9 Specifically, too much screen time can cause changes to the landscape of the brain. These changes include:8
To lower your risk of facing these neurological changes, there’s a simple solution: Limit your screen time each day. There’s no need to get rid of your devices entirely—they can be beneficial, and researchers are still exploring the specific effects they have on our brain health—but that makes it all the more important to take charge of the way you spend your time. Simply be aware of how many hours you and your loved ones spend on your devices each day. References:
Submitted by Metagenics Marketing Team |
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