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Saturday 25 June 2022

Covid-19 patients can get antiviral drug Paxlovid for Free

 

 

More than 1,300 patients have recovered from Covid-19 with no side effects after taking Paxlovid, says health minister Khairy Jamaluddin. (Reuters pic)

 

PETALING JAYA: The antiviral drug Paxlovid will be available for free to Covid-19 patients at private health facilities, says the Health Minister.

Khairy Jamaluddin said the drug has been available at these facilities since Monday, and his ministry had distributed the circulars and guidelines on the expansion and use of the drug to private healthcare on June 16.

ALSO READ: Covid-19: Over 1,300 patients recovered after Paxlovid treatment, says KJ

“The provision of the drug to patients at private health facilities is free. However, patients are still subject to consultation charges and other related charges determined by the private health facility,” he added.

Paxlovid is the first oral antiviral drug available in Malaysia that treats Covid-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms or Categories 2 and 3.

Khairy said priority would be given to the high-risk group of Covid-19 patients.

ALSO READ: Covid-19: Over 1,300 patients recovered after Paxlovid treatment, says KJ

The use of the antiviral drug started in health facilities under the ministry on April 15.

Meanwhile, Khairy also said 107,844 individuals aged 12 and above had received their second Covid-19 booster jab as of Monday.

He added that 57,834 out of the total were individuals aged 60 and above.

ALSO READ: Covid-19: Health Ministry to prepare 3,000 courses of Paxlovid ahead of haj season

“We encourage senior citizens and individuals with chronic conditions to get the second booster. To date, we have not received any reports on severe side effects following the second booster shot,” he told a media conference after launching the ministry’s Hospital Directors Conference at a hotel here.

Covid-19 cases will fluctuate, and a potential new infection wave might emerge in the next few months, although the current situation is under control, said Khairy.

“Perhaps we can expect a new wave within the next two and three months, but the magnitude is still unknown.

“Based on epidemiological developments in other countries, a new wave could be ahead,” he added, encouraging high-risk individuals to be inoculated with the fourth Covid-19 vaccine shot.

ALSO READ: Covid-19: Paxlovid antiviral to be free, enough supply to treat 48,000 patients

Commenting on the rebooted immunisation programme for kids (PICKids), the minister said the decision was taken as the ministry found that there were children who had not received information on the previous immunisation programme.

“As PICKids was announced to be ending for those children above five years old, the ministry realised that there are pockets of the population which had not received information on Covid-19 vaccines.

“The ministry is now helping these groups get access to Covid-19 vaccination at its health clinics,” he added.

Khairy said that 397 kids were inoculated on the first day of the five-day campaign, of whom 150 had just turned five.

On Sunday, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali announced PICKids would reopen from Monday until Friday in conjunction with the 2022 National Immunisation Week. 

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Paxlovid Now Available For Free In Private Hospitals

China's antiballistic missile test, aircraft carrier launch 'defensive in nature amid foreign threats'

 

Strengthening the offensive capability of nuclear weapons is the nub of China's strategic deterrence

It is far from enough for China to rely on ground-based anti-missile technologies to deter the US. China also needs to further strengthen its offensive capability of nuclear weapons, which is the nub of China's strategic deterrence. 


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China-US nuclear rivalry and the discovery of China’s missile silos

An air-defense missile system attached to a brigade under the PLA 71st Group Army launches an air-defense missile at a mock target during a field live-fire training exercise in late February, 2022. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Xue Weigao)

An air-defense missile system attached to a brigade under the PLA 71st Group Army launches an air-defense missile at a mock target during a field live-fire training exercise in late February, 2022. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Xue Weigao)

 

China on Sunday successfully conducted an antiballistic missile test in a move experts said on Monday is a crucial part of the country's national defense development that is defensive in nature, demonstrating the reliability of China's antiballistic missile umbrella amid US attempts to blackmail China with modern, nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles and deploying intermediate-range ballistic missiles in the Asia-Pacific region on the doorsteps of China.

China conducted a land-based, mid-course antiballistic missile interception technical test within its borders, China's Ministry of National Defense announced in a press release late on Sunday.

The test reached its desired objective, the press release said, noting that the test is defensive in nature and not aimed at any other country.

A similar test was held in February 2021, according to an announcement of the Chinese Defense Ministry at the time.

The flight of an intercontinental ballistic missile usually consists of three phases. First is the boost phase in which the rocket booster powers the missile. Second, the mid-course phase in which the booster stops as the missile travels outside the atmosphere. Third and last, the reentry or terminal phase in which the missile reenters the atmosphere and dives on its target.

Intercepting an intercontinental ballistic missile during its mid-course is very challenging because during this phase, the missile, usually equipped with nuclear warheads, travels high outside of the atmosphere at very high velocity, experts said.

It is technically easy to intercept a ballistic missile in the boost phase because the missile is still close to the ground and accelerating, but it is difficult to get close to the launch site which is usually deep in hostile territory. In the terminal phase, the interception is also challenging because the speed of the diving missile is very high, analysts noted.

Countries are developing hypersonic missiles with wave-rider gliders that can adjust their trajectories mid-flight when they reenter the atmosphere, which makes terminal interception even more difficult, and mid-course interception has become even more important, analysts said.

A mid-course antiballistic missile system consists of two parts - a booster and an interceptor as its warhead, and moves to intercept the ballistic missile in the second phase of its flight where it is traveling outside the atmosphere, an expert familiar with the technology told the Global Times on the condition of anonymity.

One of the key challenges for a mid-course antiballistic missile system is the miniaturization of the warhead, making it light enough without compromising its flight precision as well as sensitivity, the expert said, adding that it is preferred to use a rapid combustion rocket as the booster for the system so that it can send the antiballistic missile to the atmosphere as fast as possible.

Although small in size, the mid-course antiballistic missile has a complete set of combat systems, including power, tracking, target-identifying systems and the killer part, the expert explained.

The mid-course antiballistic missile interception also has a network of support systems with an early warning and monitoring function. The centerpiece of the warning and monitoring systems is the missile early warning satellite, and support from long-range monitoring radars and a highly efficient and rapid command system are also playing crucial roles in the interception process, the expert said.

The latest test brings the number of publicly announced Chinese land-based ABM technical tests to six. According to media reports and official statements, other known ABM tests were carried out by China in 2010, 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2021. It was not revealed in which interception phase the test in 2014 was carried out, while all other five were carried out in the mid-course phase. All of those Chinese tests ended successfully.

By comparison, the US Ground-based Midcourse Defense system only has a success rate of just 55 percent, according to the Washington DC-based Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

The high success rate of China's tests shows that the country's land-based mid-course antiballistic missile system has become mature and reliable, Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Monday.

For the next step, China needs to conduct tests under more complex scenarios to further hone its antiballistic missile capabilities, Wang said, noting that the US' lower success rate does not necessarily mean China has surpassed the US, because the US tests might involve different and more challenging simulation parameters.

US threats

Despite China's latest test does not target another country, analysts said that the US is the biggest source of ballistic missile threats to China.

The US Department of Defense is modernizing its intercontinental ballistic missile force with the $100 billion Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program in an attempt to deter China and Russia, US media outlet Defense News reported in April, when the US Air Force named its next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile the LGM-35A Sentinel, which is to succeed the 5-decade-old Minuteman III beginning 2029.

Having a reliable antiballistic missile system serves as a deterrent against US nuclear blackmail, experts said.

After withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019, the US began planning an anti-China missile network along the first island chain, media reported.

Fears are that the US could deploy intermediate range missiles in places like Japan, South Korea, Guam and Australia, despite Japan, South Korea and Australia ruling out this US proposal for the time being, according to media reports. As the Western missile network is pressing in on the Asia-Pacific region, China needs to develop antiballistic missile systems as well as far-reaching weapons like aircraft carriers and hypersonic missiles to defend itself, analysts said.

If the US succeeds in deploying intermediate range missiles near China, it means China will face not only more missile threats, but also more uncertainties. If US missiles are deployed in multiple locations along the island chains, it would be more difficult to predict from where those missiles could come from, Wang said.

That is why China needs both spear and shield, Wang pointed out.

When needed, China should be able to use its long-range strike capabilities and destroy those missile positions, and use missile defense systems to intercept those that have made into the air, Wang said.

China just launched its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, on Friday, and showcased its DF-17 hypersonic missiles at the National Day military parade in 2019. If US missiles are deployed on China's doorsteps, they are likely targets of those Chinese weapons if they aim at China, analysts said.

China already has a military advantage over the US on the doorsteps of China, and further national defense development is needed to deter the US and lower casualties in case of a conflict, analysts said.

China follows a national defense strategy that is defensive in nature, so both the spears and the shields it develops are aimed at safeguarding its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and development interests, as well as contribute to regional stability and world peace, analysts said, noting that this is totally different from the US' aggressive military development that aims to maintain global hegemony. 

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Sunday 19 June 2022

China Launches High-Tech Aircraft Carrier Fujian in Naval Milestone; Buy Huawei P40 5G and Forget Apple 12.


 
China on Friday launched the country's third aircraft carrier and also its second domestically developed one in Shanghai, a move experts said is a milestone for the vessel's construction and future commissioning. 

 

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An empire of lies

 


An empire of lies


 
 
 
The so-called "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act," which maliciously denigrates the human rights situation in China's Xinjiang while disregarding facts and truth, will come into effect on June 21.

The act is the latest example of how the US launches disinformation campaigns against China. Experts noted that starting from funding anti-China think tanks and scholars to authoring malicious, false reports, the hyping up of relative topics in the media, and interference from US politicians, the US government enacts such evil laws. In its mastery of creating disinformation, the US, on April 27, announced the creation of the Disinformation Governance Board under the US Department of Homeland Security. However, the board was shut down after just three weeks after serious concerns were raised.

"The US government itself is the primary spreader of disinformation. German writer Michael Lüders pointed out in his book The Hypocritical Superpower that the US government is very adept at selecting and distorting facts, limiting the source of information, and polarizing public opinion in order to blur facts and influence people's judgment. When the waters are muddied, it is certainly easier to fish for geopolitical and economic gains," said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian at a media briefing on June 8, in response to a question related to the Disinformation Governance Board.

Last month, former US President Barack Obama's speech on disinformation and democracy sparked heated discussions. While what he tried to say was that disinformation is harmful to US democracy, many netizens pointed out that his words actually exposed how the US had launched disinformation campaigns in other countries, including meticulous propaganda operations designed to mislead citizens and result in a lack of confidence in their leaders.

"Large-scale propaganda is an important part of the US global strategy to establish, maintain, and consolidate its global dominance. The institutionalized US foreign communication strategy was accelerated after World War II," Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

Cuban Ambassador to China, Carlos Miguel Pereira, told the Global Times that the US likes to fuel its powerful propaganda machine to present a distorted world view that does not correspond to reality to protect its political interests.

Lüders told the Global Times in a previous interview that the US is "hypocritical because while it always cites higher values, in reality, it pursues a kind of power politic that is tough and cold-blooded. Its reference to 'higher values' is being manipulated."

Experts noted that the US employed "white", "black" and "gray" propaganda, and the latter two are mostly carried out by agencies such as the CIA and Defense Department in a covert manner. It is estimated that 40 percent of the CIA's covert operations are propaganda programs.  

Three types of propaganda

In 1951, the US government set up the Psychological Strategy Board (PSB), a committee comprised of the State Department, the Department of Defense, and the CIA. In 1953, the Operations Coordinating Board (OCB) under the command of the National Security Council was formed to further propose the US government's information and psychological warfare programs while the PSB was abolished.

In 1961, former US President Kennedy abolished the OCB as it was believed that secret wars should not be publicly overseen by so many officials. Since then, the agency in charge of psychological warfare became a mystery.

However, based on the analyzed related materials and US government documents, we can still have a broad understanding of how the US conducts information and psychological war abroad, Lü said.

After more than a century of practice, the US formed a complete set of international communications mechanisms. That is, the NSC led inter-department cooperation, to conduct either covert or overt communications operations. They use "idealism" as a cover to achieve their "realistic" interests in their international communication disclosures. This strategic communication, to a great extent, helps maintain US global dominance, Lü noted to the Global Times.

According to Lü, an important characteristic of US national and international communication is that it pursues "ideological thrust" and "weaponized information." That is to say, all the conveyed messages must serve US national strategic interests and goals.

Lü listed three types of propaganda that the US adopts in its strategic communication.

The "white" propaganda refers to osmotic propaganda based on the government's public activities, including public diplomacy led by the US State Department and the state-owned media represented by Voice of America.

The "black" propaganda refers to propaganda activities carried out through covert action. Many propagandist activities carried out by the CIA, the Department of Defense, and other agencies fall in this category, which includes a large number of infiltration activities such as secretly controlling domestic and foreign media and buying off politicians.

The CIA has a long history of manipulating media outlets worldwide for its secret propaganda purposes. According to an article in The New York Times in 1977, dozens of English and foreign language publications have been owned, subsidized, or influenced by the CIA over the past three decades. To shape world opinion, the CIA was able to call upon many news outlets in its worldwide propaganda campaign.

Some of its officials admitted to The New York Times that they were concerned about the possibility of "blow-back" - that is - some of the purposely misleading or downright false information spread by the CIA abroad may be picked up by US reporters overseas and included in their dispatches to publications at home.

The "gray" propaganda refers to engaging "opinion leaders" and workers in the media industry in relevant countries to act as spokespersons for US interests by means of behind-the-scenes bribes and inducements, so as to promote the interests of the US and influence the decisions of relevant governments, Lü said.

According to the Los Angeles Times, in 2005, the US military secretly paid newspapers in Iraq to run stories written by US military information operations troops with help from a defense contractor to "burnish the image of the US mission in Iraq." Nearly $1,500, for instance, was paid to Addustour newspaper to run an article titled "More Money Goes to Iraq's Development." The Los Angeles Times also found out that the Pentagon had contracted a Washington-based firm named the Lincoln Group to plant these stories.

The "gray propaganda" and "black propaganda" are mostly carried out by agencies including the CIA and the US Defense Department and the secrecy of these plans is hard to uncover, Lü said.

Scholar Loch Johnson estimated that a full 40 percent of CIA secret operations are propaganda programs. "Whatever foreign policies or slogans the White House may be pushing" at the time, the CIA "will likely be advancing these same ideas through its covert channels," he said.

Newscasters work on their broadcast at Radio and TV Marti headquarters on Jan 24, 2007 in Miami, Florida. The anti-Castro broadcasting network is overseen by the US Broadcasting Board of Governors. Photo: AFP

Newscasters work on their broadcast at Radio and TV Marti headquarters on Jan 24, 2007 in Miami, Florida. The anti-Castro broadcasting network is overseen by the US Broadcasting Board of Governors. Photo: AFP

US' harm to the world

Ambassador Pereira told the Global Times that the destabilization campaigns and subversion programs from the US government against Cuba are nothing new.

According to the ambassador, in 2021, the Joe Biden administration asked Congress for $20 million for so-called "democracy in Cuba" programs, and almost $13 million for illegal radio and television broadcasts.

The ambassador said that in 2021, they found that the federal agency USAID granted 12 organizations based in Florida, Washington, and Madrid dedicated to the anti-Cuban campaign, more than $6.6 million, in the month of September alone.

"The US has unleashed a media offensive aimed at discrediting the management of the Cuban government, through the manipulation and politicization of issues such as human rights and the fight against terrorism, as well as generating mistrust around the Revolution, for which it deploys today with full intensity, its subversive component to try to influence sensitive and strategic sectors for the future of the country, such as our youth, through social networks, in which private US platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are known to predominate," he said.

Such methods include creating Facebook groups, the use of robots and fake accounts on Twitter, or trying to recruit Cuban residents in Miami to spread falsehoods about Cuba as though they were in the country.

During the violent July 11 unrest in 2021 in Cuba, an account based in Spain and managed by US institution posted more than 1,000 tweets a day to fuel the unrest, according to the diplomat.

From 1996 to 2021, the US Congress allocated around $404 million for supposed democracy programs under the Helms-Burton Act, an act seeking international sanctions against the Castro government. Likewise, between 1984 and 2021, the US Congress had allocated nearly $945 million for illegal broadcasts on Radio and TV Martí.

Radio and TV Martí is a Miami-based radio and television international broadcaster financed by the US federal government which transmits news to Cuba.

In November, the Ethiopian government urged the US government and relevant organizations to stop spreading falsehoods about the country.

Ethiopia's state minister of communication, Kebede Dessisa, said the US government should "refrain from disseminating shameful fake news and defamation regarding Ethiopia," state broadcaster EBC reported.

The US likes to claim that it acts in the name of freedom, democracy, and human rights but there is a huge gap between this idealism and reality. Their disinformation causes great harm which ordinary citizens have to bear, experts said.

The US used white powder as so-called evidence of possession of weapons of mass destruction then waged war on Iraq, killing about 200,000 to 250,000 Iraqi civilians. Citing a staged video by the "White Helmet" and the false intelligence it provided as "evidence", the US launched the so-called "most precise air campaign in history" against Syria, claiming more than 1,600 innocent civilian lives in a single strike.

Info war on China

Since the normalization of China-US relations, the US has not abandoned its use of ideological weapons and US intelligence agencies' rumor mill capabilities to contain China's development and undermine political stability, Lü said.

Since 2018, the US has incessantly hyped "human rights" topics in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Its modus operandi, as Lü pointed out, includes letting the media first create ambiguous topics, followed by intelligence agencies selecting suitable candidates and presenting them as "fugitives" to accept interviews in the media, followed by so-called research reports by anti-China think tanks. After that, the US government usually mobilizes several "human rights organizations" that it either secretly or openly supports to proliferate the topic and call for "sanctions." Thereafter, the US government follows the suit.

Zhao Lijian also listed how the US launched a disinformation campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic at the June 8 media briefing.

"You may still remember that the US downplayed the threat and speed of the coronavirus disease's transmission at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and kept spreading disinformation about the origins of the virus. Disinformation about COVID-19 was rated by a certain US website as "2020 Lie of the Year." As a result, more than one million innocent American lives have been lost to the virus, making the US the country with the highest COVID-19 death toll as well as the most confirmed cases," Zhao said.

"The more lies the US government tells, the greater the reputational damage and its credibility deficit," he said. "The US needs to stop fabricating and disseminating false information, and stop taking pride in being "an empire of lies."

According to the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer, only about 39 percent of American respondents said they trusted their country's government, which is nearly the lowest level ever recorded. 

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Thursday 16 June 2022

When you have insufficient magnesium, mineral for relaxation

A lack of this important mineral could be causing you health problems without you even knowing it.

As magnesium regulates neurotransmitters in the body, a lack of it can cause symptoms ranging from brain fog and anxiety to insomnia and migraines. — AFP

 

In the human body, magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral.

It plays a role in over 300 physiological processes.

Many metabolic processes require this nutrient, as well as many other bodily functions, including the production of energy and building of proteins.

Without it, your body cannot function properly.

Unfortunately, the lack of magnesium is one of the most widespread deficiencies in our society today.

This deficiency can drastically affect your health as it has been linked with hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, palpitations, and even sleep disorders.

How magnesium helps

If you have difficulty meeting your magnesium needs through food, or if you have a deficiency, then taking a magnesium supplement may be helpful.

Here are some of its benefits:

> Reduce blood pressure

Magnesium supplements may help reduce blood pressure levels.

A review of 34 studies concluded that taking around 350mg per day of magnesium for an average of three months significantly reduced systolic blood pressure (the top number for blood pressure readings) by 2mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by 1.78mmHg.

> Improve sleep

It has been shown that magnesium supplements can greatly improve sleep in people with low magnesium levels.

A review of three studies among older adults found that supplementing with 320-720mg of magnesium daily for up to eight weeks decreased the time it took them to fall asleep and increased total sleep time, compared with a placebo.

> May help improve mood

Depression has been linked to low levels of magnesium, leading researchers to study whether supplementing with this mineral could help treat this condition.

A six-week randomised controlled trial including participants with depression found that 500mg of magnesium daily alleviated anxiety and depressive symptoms in as little as two weeks.

> Help with blood sugar management

Magnesium is crucial to insulin and glucose metabolism.

Type 2 diabetics, who have high blood sugar, are also prone to magnesium deficiency.

The reason for this is because high blood sugars and insulin levels can cause you to lose more of this nutrient through your urine.

Taking magnesium supplements may help improve insulin resistance – a metabolic disorder in which your cells don’t respond to insulin properly.

In a review of 25 studies, people with or at risk for type 2 diabetes who took 250-600mg of magnesium per day for up to 24 weeks experienced significant reductions in fasting and post-meal blood sugar levels, compared with the placebo group.

> Reduce heart disease risk

There is a link between low magnesium levels and an increased risk of heart disease.

Perhaps low levels of this mineral have a negative effect on blood sugar and blood pressure, which are two risk factors for heart disease.

Recent reviews of 28 studies found that taking magnesium supplements decreased blood pressure, cholesterol levels and fasting blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

> May improve migraine

Magnesium deficiency has been linked to migraines – a painful condition characterised by intense, recurrent headaches.

A 12-week study found that taking a daily magnesium supplement containing 600mg resulted in 42% fewer migraine attacks, coupled with less intense attacks.

A lack of magnesium

You may experience muscle cramps more frequently if you lack magnesium as it plays an important role in muscle movement. — Filepic 
You may experience muscle cramps more frequently if you lack magnesium as it plays an important role in muscle movement. — FilepicYou may experience muscle cramps more frequently if you lack magnesium as it plays an important role in muscle movement. — Filepic

If your body lacks enough magnesium, you may experience the following conditions:

> Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and constipation

Magnesium actually softens stools by drawing water into the bowels, which helps support healthy defecation.

When stools become too hard, they move through the colon more slowly and become problematic.

Moreover, magnesium regulates muscle contractions in the intestines, which is why constipation is often caused by a magnesium deficiency.

This is why magnesium can be very helpful in relieving discomfort and cramping related to IBS or other similar conditions.

> Mood disorders

Magnesium regulates the balance of neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters govern many processes in our bodies, including motivation, sleep and focus.

In particular, magnesium is important for the production of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) in the brain, which is a neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation.

Not having adequate amounts of GABA may result in ADD/ADHD (attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), anxiety, irritability and general mood imbalances.

> Poor cognitive processing

It is possible that you have a magnesium deficiency if you frequently suffer from brain fog, poor concentration or memory problems.

In every cell of the body, there are structures called mitochondria, which produce the energy that the body needs to function.

Mitochondria rely heavily on magnesium for energy production.

Therefore, a deficiency can hamper your brain performance.

> Heart arrhythmia

The heart is a muscle that constantly contracts inside our bodies without needing to be consciously controlled.

A large amount of magnesium is required for the heart to contract properly, just as it is for other muscles.

It is believed that this is due to the fact that magnesium regulates calcium and potassium concentrations in the muscle tissues.

If you notice that your heart beats irregularly, you may want to look into magnesium supplements.

> Insomnia

Your sleep may be affected if you don’t have enough magnesium to produce adequate amounts of GABA.

Despite the fact that there are other nutrients that play a part in GABA production, magnesium is an essential nutrient for sleep quality.

With magnesium supplements, your sleep quality may improve.

> Fibromyalgia and chronic pain

Conditions like fibromyalgia and chronic pain are related to tension carried in the body.

It is possible that this tension is purely physical, but it can also be aggravated by emotional stress.

Anxiety, anger and worry are all emotions that contribute to physical tension.

These chronic tensions eventually lead to pain.

Magnesium supplements may have a calming effect on the mind and body, while resulting in the soothing and relaxation of the muscles.

> Chronic migraines

Chronic migraine sufferers have been found to have lower levels of magnesium in their bodies.

Magnesium’s key role in regulating neurotransmitter production could influence the occurrence of migraines.

> Tingling and numbness

Because of its role in healthy nerve transmission, magnesium deficiency may play a role in numbness and tingling sensations in the body.

> Cramping and muscle spasms

Magnesium is important for proper nerve transmissions, so it also plays a vital role in muscle contraction.

When magnesium is depleted, muscle contractions can become weak and uncoordinated, leading to involuntary spasms and painful cramps.

> Fatigue

Magnesium supports the adrenal glands, which play a major role in producing energy.

Magnesium can be a powerful energy booster, especially if you have chronic fatigue.

If you are deficient in magnesium, increasing your intake will improve your energy levels drastically.

Consuming enough magnesium

While magnesium is found in many foods, particularly nuts, legumes and whole grains, supplements may be beneficial to those with low magnesium intake.

It isn’t always easy to choose a magnesium supplement from the wide variety of forms and dosages available.

Though magnesium is easily obtained through diet alone – 400-420mg for men and 320-360mg for women – our modern diets often don’t include enough magnesium-rich foods.

If you can’t get enough magnesium through your diet, consider taking a supplement.

Recommended doses of magnesium supplements are 200-400mg per day, which means that a supplement can supply you with the full daily recommended intake and more.

The Food and Nutrition Board of the US Institute of Medicine has determined a tolerable upper limit of 350mg per day for supplemental magnesium.

You are unlikely to experience any digestive side effects if you consume supplements below this level.

Some types of magnesium supplements can be absorbed more easily by your body than others.

These include:

Magnesium chloride

Magnesium citrate

Magnesium aspartate

Magnesium taurate

Magnesium malate

Magnesium lactate

Supplements can be delivered in a variety of forms, such as tablets, gummies, powders and liquids.

In terms of absorption, the deli-very system makes little difference, provided you choose a form that is well-absorbed, such as magnesium citrate, so choose whichever form that is most convenient for you.

In summary

Magnesium is essential for the proper functioning of your body.

It has been reported that adequate magnesium intake reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other conditions.

If your diet does not provide enough of this important nutrient, you can take a supplement.

It is unlikely that there will be any side effects with doses below 350mg a day.

When selecting a supplement, choose one that contains a form of magnesium that is easily absorbed, such as magnesium citrate.

Always discuss with your doctor or nutritionist the right type of supplements and the dosage required before you buy your supplements.

Datuk Dr Nor Ashikin Mokhtar is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, and a functional medicine practitioner. For further information, email starhealth@thestar.com.my. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only, and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Information published in this article is not intended to replace, supplant or augment a consultation with a health professional regarding the reader’s own medical care. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information. 

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Magnesium: The Relaxation Mineral - VitaHealth Malaysia

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